Section V: Applying Core Concepts in a Professional Setting
Choose a sport or entertainment organization that you have worked for, are currently working for, or have interned with. Using that organization as a case example, reflect on how the core concepts from the following MSEM courses are evident, necessary, or could be improved within the organization. This section should demonstrate your ability to apply academic theory to practice.
The Muny
The Muny is North America’s oldest and largest theatre, located in St. Louis, Missouri (FAQs - The Muny). The theatre holds just under 11,000 seats, with nearly 1,500 free to the community every night (FAQs - The Muny) – it is also completely outdoors, classifying it as an amphitheater. They produce seven Broadway-style shows each summer and have just recently brought back their end-of-season concert (Shows - The Muny). They also won the 2025 Regional Theatre Tony Award, showing their influence in the theatre community and in the St. Louis community (The Muny will receive… 2025).
I worked there from 2018-2024, and throughout those years, I held the positions of daytime gate attendant, usher, head usher, and two production-based internships. These experiences taught me how to work in a large-scale theatre; and how to deal with the St. Louis heat!
Photo Citation: Madison Pratt, 2023
Management and Leadership
How are leadership styles, team dynamics, or strategic management practices evident in this organization?
The major strategic management practice seen at The Muny is the process of planning. Planning is defined as “setting the goals for the organization and its members, and specifying the activities, or programs, in which to achieve those goals” (Chelladurai, 2014). At The Muny, the programs are the seven shows each summer. The planning element takes place before the season to achieve the goal of scheduling all seven shows throughout the summer months with adequate breaks in between for all staff members. After this first major goal is achieved, the planning of staff, cast, and crew can begin.
Another aspect of management and leadership at The Muny is team dynamics. With so many different departments coming together – production, marketing, development, the list goes on – having strong team dynamics is incredibly important. Watching all the team members come together in pursuit of the common goal is what makes each show happen.
Photo Citation: Zoe Buckley-Wilson, 2024
Venue and Event Management
What venue or event operational practices are critical to this organization's success?
As previously stated, The Muny is an 11,000-seat amphitheater. Having strong front of house operation is critical to the organization’s success; including but not limited to ushers, ticket takers, and security personnel. At The Muny, these positions all operate under one department known as House Management. The core of the House Management department is the usher staff, led by 2 house managers and 8 head ushers (L. Taylor, personal communication, July 25th, 2026). There are 200 ushers total that cover seating patrons, scanning tickets, and operating security stations (L. Taylor, personal communication, July 25th, 2026).
With this many staff members in front-of-house, it shows how having a strong front-of-house presence is essential to The Muny’s operations. Venue management – in this case, the house managers in conjunction with the head ushers – decide where to staff these employees as they are only onsite during event times (Mercado, 2026). This ensures the safety and comfort of guests by placing staff in necessary positions first and making sure coverage is evenly distributed throughout the theatre.
Photo Description: The Muny's Head Usher Team, 2024 Season
Photo Citation: Emily Santell, 2024
Sport and Entertainment Law
What legal considerations are most relevant?
As The Muny is a union theatre, contracts are one of the most relevant legal considerations. Performers are under Actor’s Equity Association contracts, and crew members are under IATSE Local 6 contracts. These contracts are bilateral, meaning the actors and crew members are promising to perform their acts – either performing in or running the shows performed – in exchange for compensation (Spengler et al, 2023). Shows would not be able to be produced at The Muny without actors or crew members, showing how contracts are one of the most relevant legal considerations.
Risk management is another relevant legal consideration for this organization. The main feature of The Muny is that is an outdoor theatre; meaning all aspects happen outside. The average temperature ranges from 85-87 degrees throughout the summer months (St. Louis Climate). Looking at this risk through the M.E.A.T. framework (TEDx, 2012), The Muny has chosen to mitigate and accept this risk. With silent overhead fans and an air circulation system with 24 blowers and 140 directional vents (FAQs - The Muny), this is the way The Muny has chosen to mitigate the risk. The acceptance factor of this risk comes from being an outdoor theatre; staff and guests will have to accept some risks in relation.
Photo Description: Fireworks during The Muny's production of In the Heights
Photo Citation: Madison Pratt, 2024
Marketing and Fan Engagement
How does this organization market itself and build relationships with fans or stakeholders?
Photo Citation: Muny Young Friends, n.d.
One of the strongest aspects of The Muny is their relationships with both fans and stakeholders. It is seen as a point of pride in the St. Louis community to have the same season tickets passed down from generation to generation; and going to The Muny is a tradition loved by many. These generation-long relationships with fans are a big part of why The Muny continues to operate at a high level.
As patrons of the theatre have been increasing in age, a marketing strategy seen by The Muny in recent seasons is The Muny Young Friends, a targeted marketing campaign for the young adult demographic in the St. Louis region (Muny Young Friends - The Muny). The tagline for this campaign is “Join Our Next Generation of Supporters,” (Muny Young Friends - The Muny) highlighting how the organization is zeroing in on this specific target market. By creating a marketing campaign specific to young adults, The Muny is targeting their efforts to make sure they will be able to have support in the future.
Photo Citation: Madison Pratt, 2024
Finance and Budgeting
How are financial practices such as budgeting, revenue generation, or cost control used or needed?
The primary way The Muny is funded is through donations and their board of directors. This is specifically seen through The Muny’s 2025 Impact Report, which reports $34 million in contributions from donors and the board of directors (2025 Impact Report - The Muny). Ticket revenue, concessions sales, and merchandise sales all also contribute to The Muny’s overall revenue.
Another major way The Muny has revenue generation is through corporate sponsorships. Most, if not every, show throughout the season has a corporate sponsor, and all three of their preshow locations are named: Steward Family Plaza, Purina Plaza, Broadhurst Pavilion, and Kooyumjian Family Plaza (Preshow Festival - The Muny). Many of these sponsors represent the idea of geographic congruence, highlighting their commitment to the St. Louis community (Preshow Festival - The Muny).
Looking at their budget overall, throughout The Muny’s 2025 fiscal year, they reported a balanced budget of $29,651,555 (2025 Impact Report - The Muny). Understandably, the most expensive part of this budget would be the production budget – which was 58.6 percent of their expenses (2025 Impact Report - The Muny). Other expenses were overall operating expenses, and a small portion directly to The Muny’s end-of-season concert (2025 Impact Report - The Muny).
These factors show how The Muny uses revenue generation and budgeting to achieve their goals.