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Career Opportunities
The career options that exist for theatre
majors are quite extensive. Here is a
sampling of a few of the many job options that
exist for theatre majors:
Professional Actor/Actress
Most successful actors and actresses have
paid their dues by performing in a variety of
situations including local, community and
school productions, summer stock, touring
companies, etc. Actors and actresses should
be articulate, with clear, pleasant speaking
voices. They should be poised and have the
ability to perform in front of people. Individuals
working in any field of entertainment need a
thick skin. They should be able to deal with
rejection that everyone runs into at one time or
another in their career.
Playwright
This person is responsible for writing the script
for a theatrical production. Playwrights should
have excellent writing skills and a good
command of the English language.
Director
A Director brings plays to life. S/he
coordinates all aspects of the production to
give the play a unified look and feel. Directors
need to be creative people who have the
ability to guide actors and actresses in their
speech and physical movements.
Stage Manager
This individual takes over the responsibilities
of the director when his/her job is completed.
There are many duties involved, including:
scheduling and planning rehearsals, making
sure that actors and actresses are there on
time; updating the script as changes are
made; blocking the show; and calling cues
during the run of the show. A stage manager
must know at least a little about everything in
the theatre: acting, directing, set design,
lighting and costuming. The more
knowledgeable the stage manager, the more
successful s/he will be in the job.
Dramaturg/Literary Manager
A dramaturg serves as a researcher, advisor,
writer, and editor for a production. Some of
the more common tasks performed by a
dramaturg are analysis of the text/story,
research into prior productions and historical
context, preparing notes for the director,
advising the director and cast, and writing the
audience guide to the play. A distinction
made between a dramaturg and literary
manager is that a dramaturg has duties
related to a specific show. A literary manager
(resident dramaturg) has ongoing duties with
the theatre company including review and
selection of scripts.
Theatre Educator
Theatre teachers instruct or coach students in
the techniques of acting, directing, playwriting,
script analysis, and the history of theatre. They
help students acquire confidence, assurance,
speaking skills, and timing. They encourage
students in their work, direct rehearsals, and
guide them in their roles. At the same time,
they instruct students in backstage work
including set design, production organization,
set building, stage lighting and sound,
properties, costuming, and makeup. You must
have a teaching certificate in order to teach in
public schools. To teach in higher education, it
is necessary to have a master's degree, at
least. But, you need not limit yourself to
teaching in formal schools. Many theatre
educators find work in professional theatres,
often working in outreach programs. It is
important that you have a passion for teaching
young people. So, it is a good idea to only go
into this field if you really love teaching,
instead of using it as just something to do until
your “big break” comes.
Drama Therapist
Drama Therapists usually work closely with a
consultation team of medical professionals to
treat and rehabilitate people with physical,
mental, and emotional disabilities. Using the
creative processes inherent in drama,
therapists conduct individual or group
sessions to determine the underlying causes
of some problems and to help patients achieve
therapeutic goals. This type of therapy has
proven to be effective in treating a variety of
conditions. A master's degree and
certification are usually required. Graduate
programs in drama therapy prepare students
to use drama as a therapeutic tool in working
with all clients—children, adolescents, and
adults. Admission to these graduate programs
usually requires the equivalent of a double
major in theatre and psychology, or a major in
one with considerable coursework in the other.
This career requires paid work experience in
addition to a clinical internship. Drama
therapists must have artistic ability, an
understanding and appreciation for theatre, a
good sense of humor, patience, tact, stamina,
and the ability to build rapport with others.
Arts Management
Arts organizations, like most for-profit
companies, have a number of administrative,
business, or management functions. These
roles require people with creativity and an
understanding and passion for the arts as well
as skills in a range of areas from finance and
marketing to education.
Arts management and arts administration are
interchangeable terms. Some people draw a
distinction between them using administration
to mean the more bureaucratic, operational
side, and management to mean the more
creative, strategic side of the field. However,
that distinction is not widely made. In fact,
some of the oldest and most respected
programs train arts administrators. The
specific positions available at an arts
organization will depend on what the
organization does and how large its budget
and staff are. Since arts managers are needed
in virtually every arts organization from theatre
companies to museums, many opportunities
exist in this field. For example, a museum is
likely to have staff members in education that
work with school groups to introduce children
to the exhibits. A gallery needs employees
with good organizational and computer skills
to coordinate exhibits and work with artists to
track various art submissions. An opera
company, concert hall, or theatre needs boxoffice
and front of the house workers to
manage ticket sales, write press releases,
market the productions in the community, and
create visibility. Some theatre companies need
general managers to schedule tours, monitor
union agreements, and run the business side
of performances.
Over the last decade, arts management has
become a growing field with increasing
specialization and training. A number of new
graduate training and certification programs
have emerged. These programs may be
useful, depending on your interests and goals.
Some arts managers, for example, suggest
eventually pursuing a business degree with a
specialization in nonprofit management.
Almost without exception, however, arts
managers advise getting work-related
experience first and considering graduate
study later on. If you decide to investigate
graduate study, begin by asking professionals
what programs they think are valuable and
respected in the field; do not just ask one or
two people and assume their opinions are
representative.
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