Alumna stage manages 'Endless Lawns' and 'Prussia' at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Thursday, April 9, 2015

Stage management alumna Madison DeCoske is thrilled to be bringing her professional experience back to Point Park for two Pittsburgh Playhouse world premieres, and credits her experience here with launching her career at an acclaimed theater in New England.

"It's a little strange to be working with my professors, but it's been so amazing and so much fun," DeCoske said.

DeCoske, who graduated in 2013, is a production stage manager at the two-time Tony Award-winning Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Conn. She has been back in Pittsburgh to serve as stage manager for Endless Lawns and Prussia: 1866 before heading back to Connecticut.

"When I was an intern at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, the stage manager was a Point Park alumnus, and the stage manager before him also graduated from Point Park. I applied for a permanent position and landed a job," DeCoske said.

DeCoske didn't just work toward her own success; she was adamant about helping other Point Park students.

"I also helped a classmate get an internship at the theater, and he turned it into a full-time job," she said.

DeCoske has also been involved with the theater company Punchdrunk, New York Stage and Film and several off Broadway shows.

"Point Park really helped me get a lot of my jobs. As a student, you learn everything that goes into the production of a show," said DeCoske. "My advice to students is get involved at Point Park and make connections."

Endless Lawns runs through April 12 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Prussia: 1866 ran in February.

Text by Annie Tomak, a sophomore public relations and advertising student

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