
Production Manager, Associate Professor of Theatre: Production Management, Technical Direction
smallwbx@jmu.edu
Contact Info
Brian is a father, a husband, and a theatre maker with over 25 years of experience. He, with co-founder Matthew Miller, is the co-president of Safe Makers, a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit with the purpose of fostering and fueling a culture and practice of safety onstage and backstage in Secondary Education, Higher Education, and industry venues environments.
Brian worked for 10 years in New York City. During that time, he project-managed as a Technical Director and Production Manager for dozens of Off and Off-Off Broadway companies. He co-founded a production company called No Time for Love Productions, which served companies including the Ma-Yi Theater Company, New York Musical Festival, and New York Photo Festival, and Second Stage.
Brian graduated with an MFA from the Yale School of Drama (Now the Geffen School of Drama at Yale) in 2013.
In 2013, Brian taught at Arizona State University as a Clinical Assistant Professor/ Technical Director, and then as Assistant Professor/ Technical Director at the University of Nevada Las Vegas from 2014 to 2019. He is currently a tenured Associate Professor and Production Manager at the James Madison University School of Theatre and Dance. Brian’s research interests include structural engineering for production, theatre safety, and increasing productivity through employee wellness.
Brian has also a doctoral candidate at the James Madison University School of Strategic Leadership Studies. If you see him, wish him luck on his dissertation.
Brian’s book: Productivity Through Wellness for Live Entertainment and Theatre Technicians: Increasing Productivity, Avoiding Burnout, and Maximizing the Value of An Hour was published by Routledge in 2020.