How did most of you get started? After I graduate I don't know where to go or what to do. I'm from San Antonio which isn't a big theatre city so Im not sure where to move to or who to contact to get my foot in the door after college. I've been working with the local IA doing ins and outs but I don't have a card yet. And I'm afraid moving to another city, Ill start doing ins and outs as well before I can get a gig working for a particular show. Which is fine, I know I have to start on the bottom, but it makes me wonder if I'll be able to afford to live in a different city. Am I stressing out over nothing or can someone help me out?
What to do after college
- Thread starterShawncfer
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jglodeklights
Well-Known Member
First, breathe. Second, breathe again. Your post in the College Demographics Wiki states that you are Class of '13. Great! You have two years. I am fortunate that I went to school in Philadelphia, PA, which is a pretty good theater town. However, I'm also very glad that I decided to do an apprenticeship at a summer stock. I learned A LOT and I obtained perspective I didn't previously have.
Due to my first summer stock experience, and my experience thus far this summer ME'ing at a summer stock, I am a major proponent of partaking in at least one or two. You will learn things you will never have learned, and will meet people you will never have met. One of my acting interns ended up being Spot 2 on our first show, beyond hanging, circuiting and focusing lights. He had never so much as touched a LEKO or PAR before. The staff, interns and apprentices at the stock I'm working at are assembled from around the North and South East. From Florida to Maine. This opens up many opportunities to hear about and learn about job openings you may qualify for.
Also important to know, they hire primarily out of SETC, despite be in the North East. Going to a theater conference is a great way to get yourself out to many people, and possibly find something you wouldn't have otherwise found. It is all about putting yourself out there.
As to upping and leaving where you are now, can be hit or miss. Though, starting with your foot in the door because you know someone or someone who knows someone.
Finally, breathe again. The ability to stay calm is a valuable asset in this business. After three 18 hour days in a row, you are more useful to your employer than someone who knows more but has fallen to pieces. Learning this now will save you a lot of head and heart ache later.
Due to my first summer stock experience, and my experience thus far this summer ME'ing at a summer stock, I am a major proponent of partaking in at least one or two. You will learn things you will never have learned, and will meet people you will never have met. One of my acting interns ended up being Spot 2 on our first show, beyond hanging, circuiting and focusing lights. He had never so much as touched a LEKO or PAR before. The staff, interns and apprentices at the stock I'm working at are assembled from around the North and South East. From Florida to Maine. This opens up many opportunities to hear about and learn about job openings you may qualify for.
Also important to know, they hire primarily out of SETC, despite be in the North East. Going to a theater conference is a great way to get yourself out to many people, and possibly find something you wouldn't have otherwise found. It is all about putting yourself out there.
As to upping and leaving where you are now, can be hit or miss. Though, starting with your foot in the door because you know someone or someone who knows someone.
Finally, breathe again. The ability to stay calm is a valuable asset in this business. After three 18 hour days in a row, you are more useful to your employer than someone who knows more but has fallen to pieces. Learning this now will save you a lot of head and heart ache later.
porkchop
Well-Known Member
Cruise backstagejob.com and similar websites. Have a current resume which highlights what you're capable of without overstating your abilities. And most importantly, apply for any and every opportunity that you would accept if it was offered to you, even if you think you're a little unqualified (there's a delicate line here where you might get yourself in too deep, but that's where not lying or overstating your abilities comes into play).
Drmafreek
Active Member
I couldn't agree more with jglodeklights. Summer theatre is key. I push all of my student to work somewhere during the summer. It is a litmus test of whether or not you can truly do theatre as a living. You will be pushed harder than you think, you will put up shows in very limited time, and you will network with a range of people from across the country. I am currently the Technical Director at a summer theatre in central Virginia. Our interns come from Virginia, West Virginia, and parts farther west. They work their butts off, but they can be proud of the product that we produce. And they get the experience of doing only theatre, and not worrying about classes. The Southeastern Theatre Conference is a wonderful place to interview for summer jobs, but it's not the only place. Backstagejobs.com is a wonderful website, and there are a variety of other conferences across the country that deal with summer hiring.
One thing you have to realize is that you will start low on the totem pole and it will take time to climb it. Do not get frustrated about not moving up quick enough. I have seen some students think they are ready to go to the top straight out of undergrad, and unfortunately it doesn't quite work that way. Your work ethic and attitude will be the two things that get you jobs and help you keep them, so stay positive and strongly self motivated.
One thing you have to realize is that you will start low on the totem pole and it will take time to climb it. Do not get frustrated about not moving up quick enough. I have seen some students think they are ready to go to the top straight out of undergrad, and unfortunately it doesn't quite work that way. Your work ethic and attitude will be the two things that get you jobs and help you keep them, so stay positive and strongly self motivated.
There have been a few threads about it here, and if you search on Light Network there are some good results over there as well.
Also, when you say that you want to work theater, there are very different jobs depending on the type of theater. You can work in a regional theater, which is quite similar to educational theater or you can work in corporate theater (big shows on Broadway for instance). Working on a cruise ship or at a theme park will prepare you for corporate theater. The main difference is the duration of the show. With regional theater, the plan to have a production run more than a month or two is rare, while with corporate theater, the plan is often for a multi-year run. In the latter, you, as a technician, are most concerned with turning out the same product day in and day out, which has its own challenges. Of course, there are variations of corporate theater, some are permanent shows, while others are touring. With the touring positions, the challenge is to lead new crews to constantly have the same show, or as a local crew, to be able to quickly adapt to that new show and make sure that it is the same as what your counterpart in another city had done. Of course, if you haven't done any of these, it will be difficult to know what you are wanting to work on.
So far, I have only worked on one permanent show. I wasn't really sure how I was going to handle doing the same thing, but I've just learned to adapt to the new challenges.
So far, I have only worked on one permanent show. I wasn't really sure how I was going to handle doing the same thing, but I've just learned to adapt to the new challenges.
Rather than "corporate theatre," I think you mean "commercial theatre"--professional, for-profit, open-ended runs. "Corporate theatre" is actors singing and dancing about the merits of the latest pharmaceutical advancement. In any case, both are viable career options.
Ah, see, I never considered those (pharmaceutical type productions) "theater", but still use the corporate tag in referring to them. Commercial theater might help clarify that.
Beyond the suggestions already made, there are companies that many use to enter the touring business. Companies like Feld Productions(VA), Troika(Chicago) and Chamber Theatre(Boston) are all good places to enter and learn. They can be good places to stay as you move up but many go in as assistants and then leave for better jobs. Feld owns the rights for the stage and ice forms of Disney, Winny the Pooh and others, as well as Ringling Brothers and Monster Jam. Troika has shows ranging from Sesame Street to touring theatre productions. I have done Fiddler, Chicago and others with them. Chamber is a small regional kids theatre but I have worked with them for years and have seen some their techs show up on national tours. There are other companies that do the same but these are the ones coming to mind.
techieman33
Well-Known Member
Vee is the other one that I think of.
You are correct, I may have mixed Vee and Troika up. I believe Vee has Sesame Street. I know there techs that have started with some of these companies for experience then moved on in the business. There are others that have been there and moved into dept head jobs or further up the ladder. The important thing to do is to get a job then learn everything you can.
techieman33
Well-Known Member
Yeah I think Troika is a little higher up the food chain, not much though. Troika does a lot of the Broadways stuff that comes through this area, their techs seem to be a little better on average.
I have supplied the truss and motor package for arena dates for many of Troika's Broadway tours. I have done for them and other companies in Maine, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey. It's a good gig to jump ahead of them and build a theatre in an arena, complete with trusses, motors, curtain tracks and soft goods. I have learned more about curtain tracks than I ever wanted to know.
The short answer: Get a job slacker.
The Long Answer: What do you want to be? What do you want to do? Have you considered graduate school? My first job out of college I worked at small theatre as a board op and an electrician. I knew more than both the ME and was a better designer than the LD. The next year I applied for both of thier jobs early and was offered teh same position I had the year before.
I realized then and there I needed more expierence. So I started applying to grad schools (something I swore I'd never do) and to other theatres for better gigs than the one I had. Get out there and take any odd job you can. Pursue the job you want. Eat a crap ton of Raman and mac and cheese. My first year of grad school I blew through all of my savings because I didnt' have an assistanship. But I learned a lot more I worked in a regional theatre at the same time, I met a lot of people and now I"m back in the state I want to live in doing the thing I want to do.
God that all reads very pep speechey but ****ed if its not the truth.
I'm not saying go grad school, far from it because its definatley not for everyone. But choose a path figure out where you want to live and know upfront that times will be lean at first but it'll get better.
The Long Answer: What do you want to be? What do you want to do? Have you considered graduate school? My first job out of college I worked at small theatre as a board op and an electrician. I knew more than both the ME and was a better designer than the LD. The next year I applied for both of thier jobs early and was offered teh same position I had the year before.
I realized then and there I needed more expierence. So I started applying to grad schools (something I swore I'd never do) and to other theatres for better gigs than the one I had. Get out there and take any odd job you can. Pursue the job you want. Eat a crap ton of Raman and mac and cheese. My first year of grad school I blew through all of my savings because I didnt' have an assistanship. But I learned a lot more I worked in a regional theatre at the same time, I met a lot of people and now I"m back in the state I want to live in doing the thing I want to do.
God that all reads very pep speechey but ****ed if its not the truth.
I'm not saying go grad school, far from it because its definatley not for everyone. But choose a path figure out where you want to live and know upfront that times will be lean at first but it'll get better.
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