A longtime Broadway stage manager has gifted to the university a collection of notebooks and other production material that will give students in the Department of Performing Arts an insider’s view of acclaimed shows such as “Equus” starring Daniel Radcliffe and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” with Kathleen Turner.
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Susie Cordon, whose career since the 1970s has seen her work with some of theater’s biggest legends, spoke April 29 with dozens of students in Yeager Recital Hall, where she formally presented her collection of stage notes.
“Hopefully,” she said, “this will give you all an idea of what one person has done in an area that a lot of people don’t recognize.”
The material she gifted to the university is still being cataloged, said professor Fred Rubeck, chair of the Department of Performing Arts. Prompt books, and notes on each show, were part of the gift, and Rubeck envisions the material forming the core of an archive that will assist classes and possibly be included as gallery exhibits.
“This gives our students direct insight, as if they were sitting there with Susie as she was managing the show,” Rubeck said. “This starts to establish us as a place where an archive is forming.”
Cordon’s visit to Elon was a homecoming of sorts. She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and extended family resides in the Burlington area.
Cordon offered advice for students when she opened the hall for questions shortly after taking the podium. She talked about the competitiveness of finding a job on Broadway, and of the difficulty working with certain performers.
But Cordon’s message stayed positive. “One of the wonderful things about this is that you never to retire,” she said. “You can keep going as long as someone asks you to work, as long as you want to work.”
Students said they were eager to learn from a Broadway veteran. Cordon has worked on more than 20 productions, including “Noises Off,” “Amadeus,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “The Crucible.”
“It’s great for everyone to see how she works and what kind of person she is,” said Matt Emig, a senior double major in acting and theatre production and design. “There’s something about stage managers, they run everything, and they’re the backbone of a production. Why not have her come here to talk?”