Graduating with the right stuff

[tk2k]

I'm looking for some advice on how to present myself.

I've done lighting and sound since early high school, and continue to do it in college. I'm a junior at a small liberal arts school. I'm a double major in polisci and environmental studies with an econ minor. I'm also the head of technical coordination for our campus/events center. I did theater work my freshman year, but it was a very conservative department with a hobby of knock-offs (abridged romeo and juliet set on the south jersey shore in 1970 set to 'period authentic' music).
I spent my sophomore year in new york taking an advanced LD course and an advanced sound for theater course, but mostly I spent 10 months working for the show Sleep No More (joined just as install was about to start). Was LD for a show at Double Edge Theater in MA.

I'd like to take a few years between college and grad school (not sure if theater technology or political science...) to do more high quality theater, but on paper my theatrical resume would be kind of a mess. Coming from this sort of background, how would you approach theater companies or production houses? Anyone done something like this before?

Thanks

 

[ZDurler88]

I'm sort of in the same boat, except I didn't get involved in theater tech until college (I'm a junior as well). I started off doing crew and have been working my way up. I was ALD for a show last semester and am LD for Merchant of Venice opening in a week. I would say to get involved in as much as you can and get experience as you can in many aspects of technical theater. You might not always be able to get the exact job you want, but perhaps experience you may pick up in carpentry at your school's theater may help you still get a job building sets or something like that. I hope to be an LD like you, but know that putting food on the table is more important, so you need to show that you can offer multiple skills that maybe someone else who only knows about sound couldn't offer. Also, don't worry that your college degree won't be in theater tech. I'm majoring in Communication: Emerging Technology and Multimedia and have a minor in theatre with a focus in design and tech, but from what I've seen with others, experience and skills got them the job, not their bachelor's degree in theater tech. I've learned more from our TD than I ever have from any of the professors in the theatre dept. A college degree in anything basically shows your at least somewhat compentent and capable of learning ha. However, a master's degree in some sort of technical theater will help put you above some of the competition, but you're obviously looking at loans. In the end, people want to see what you've done and what you can do for them. Hope this helps you out a little.