BRYCE DALE ALLEN, for the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater, presented on March 30, 2010, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: MANAGING THE MAGIC: TECHNICAL DIRECTION OF THE SECRET GARDEN MAJOR PROFESSOR: Robert Holcombe This project, Managing the Magic: Technical Direction of The Secret Garden, is a detailed description of the process I used as the technical director to help produce the Department of Theater's production of The Secret Garden at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in April 2009. This work is also a study of the artistic collaboration that took place between the design team and me during the execution of the production. Through this project I was able to polish skills that I had learned through careful goal setting and evaluation. Working on The Secret Garden also gave me the opportunity to broaden my experience and develop my strengths as a technical director.