Testimonials
"Her ability to dig into any task, accept the responsibility and be utterly trustworthy, makes her truly admirable. However, what makes Mallory exceptional is her willingness to ask for help and offer help to others. These qualities should not be that hard to come by, but they are. They do not come naturally to everyone, unfortunately. They do to Mallory. She is both determined and compassionate, moving forward and taking people with her.
Furthermore, Mallory grows ever more skilled at being on a team and leading it at the same time, a vitally important quality for a stage manager. All of these characteristics will ensure success in her chosen field of stage management. It takes a specific type of personality to excel at this career: observant, smart, super organized, focused, self-motivated, and an ability to think on one’s feet and communicate calmly in the midst of chaos and stress. This is Mallory Topel. She has a maturity beyond her years, and the personality and skill base to excel in the professional world. I would not hesitate to recommend her for professional employment right now, which means that when she has completed her studies in 2021. Mallory will be able to excel in her career. I have no doubt that, because she is consistently exceptional, as her career progresses she will become a sought after stage manager."
-- Janet McLean, Professor at Viterbo University
"I’ve known Ms. Topel for two and a half years serving as her primary supervisor when under the umbrella of the Fine Arts Center and alongside her while working on the same productions for the School of Performing Arts. In this time I have seen her consistently exhibit strong problem solving and stress management skills and an exceptionally keen awareness of the interpersonal relationships around her.
Trial by fire is perhaps the nicest way of describing the stage management process for our show choir productions where there are over 430 called lighting cues. Due to the operation tempo of the Fine Arts Center this production has a very compressed load in and on stage rehearsal period of 5 days. As such starting on the 3rd day the lighting designer is able to hand over about a 1/3 of the completed show each day. Coming into the week you can prepare yourself to some extent for the brutality of the week compared to most rehearsal schedules, but watching Ms. Topel during the week you would have thought she was doing something as regular as grocery shopping. It certainly may not have been what she thought it felt like, but her composure told everyone she had it and the show under control."
-- Jack Hamilton, Facility Technical Director, Viterbo Fine Arts Center
"[Mallory has] displayed tremendous natural leadership ability during her time at Viterbo and I have rarely seen a student provide such a consistent, steady and mature presence in production related activity.
In her work as a Stage Manager, she has clearly demonstrated that she possesses both the temperament and intellectual gifts to succeed in the field. She is extremely willing to engage in true learning and always eager to discover new tools and approaches familiar problems. Mallory also exhibits a great sensitivity for artistic experience and a deep respect for the creative process. I believe she appreciates to trust of collaborators and the opportunity to provide a well ordered supportive envelope for the creative process: providing the framework necessary to allow the collective energy to be productive. As her skills advance and her confidence continues to develop, she will no doubt find her services in high demand."
-- Frank Ludwig, Professor at Viterbo University
