Our Students
Breanna “B” Strife* (2028 M.F.A. candidate, stage management) is a stage management grad student, thrilled to be joining the artists here at Virginia Tech. They completed their undergrad at Clemson University in 2020 where they graduated with a BA in the Performing Arts.
During their time between undergrad and now, they have been living and working in Greenville, SC at The Warehouse Theatre as their Equity stage manager for four seasons.
Their favorite credits include Hedwig And The Angry Inch, Appropriate, Spelling Bee, ODD, The Lehman Trilogy, Assassins, and Holmes & Watson, Apt 2B.
Alongside these shows, they have worked around the Southeast for places such as Working Title Playwrights in Atlanta, GA; The Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute in Hilton Head, SC; Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke, VA; and Theatre Charlotte in Charlotte, NC.
B began as a carpenter and a scenic painter (jobs they still enjoy today) and then found their true passion in stage management. This love and curiosity for all areas of theatre is something they strive to foster in everyone they work with.
When they aren't in rehearsals, they can be found skating at the ice rink or tackling their ever-growing list of books to read.
Maggie Scarbrough (she/her), 2029 M.F.A. candidate (stage management) is a stage manager from Thomasville, Alabama. She is super excited to study stage management at Virginia Tech! Maggie is a recent graduate from Troy University, where she earned her B.S. in Communication Studies - Theatre with a minor in Events Management. From an early age she knew that theatre would always be a part of the plan. A few of her previous credits include The Diviners (Troy University), The SpongeBob Musical (Birmingham Children’s Theatre), The Last Five Years (Vocé), and more! She has been nominated and competed at The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival where she was one of the recipients for the 2023 Stage Management Achieve Award for her work on A Streetcar Named Desire (Troy University). Maggie’s main goal in stage management and life is to make people feel seen, heard, and understood not for their talents, but for who they are. She believes in creating a safe, welcoming environment for everyone involved in a production from the cast and crew to the audience.
Leah Tucker, 2026 M.F.A. candidate (stage management)
Leah Tucker (she/her) is a stage manager from Irmo, South Carolina who graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts- Theatre from the University of South Carolina- Aiken in 2021. She is a Virgo who thrives on organization, planning ahead, and being able to make art come to life. Having been actively involved in theatre for 12 years, and focused on technical theatre and stage management for 10, she has practical experience in all areas of the field. Her favorite positions have included Stage Manager, Playwright, Props Manager, Publicity Manager, Lighting Designer, and Assistant Director.
Her professional experiences have been primarily at Trustus Theatre in Downtown Columbia, South Carolina, where she is a company member. She spent two years there before being encouraged by directors, actors, and coworkers to pursue a graduate degree in stage management. She loved the community at Trustus, and hopes to either bring the small theatre comradery to a larger space or continue working in small professional theatres over the next several years.
Leah is also a disabled student who centers her work around that identity. Accommodations for those who need or want them benefit even those who are not currently disabled. She sees that leading with understanding, especially as a stage manager, is a path towards broadening the horizons of the theatre world. She believes that creating safe, brave, vibrant spaces full of diversity and room for growth will only ever add to the joy and spread of our art. She is currently working her way through the National Disability Theatre Handbook and making a plan for implementing those ideas in her own work at Virginia Tech and beyond. Another step she has taken towards physical and mental safety at Virginia Tech has been with the addition of a personalized version of the Chicago Theatre Standards’ Non-Equity Deputy system. For the 2023-2024 season she worked with Stacy Blackburn, Cara Rawlings, and the directors of each production to modify and practice this system, named the Company Advocate. This experience has helped her to understand the reality of implementing new practices into an environment that is steeped in tradition.