Student Blog: Management as an Actor

This January marks my final semester before I graduate with a double major in Theatre Arts Administration and Musical Theatre. While I am constantly making time to perform multiple times a semester and could not live without the thrill of being onstage, Theatre Management, specifically Front of House Management, holds a special place in my heart, and I will prioritize that degree once I graduate. When I am not onstage, I'm often found in the Box Office, selling tickets and handling customer disputes. The job has a bad rep for being tedious and draining, but I get a thrill connecting with patrons and being the first smiling face they see when they walk into an establishment. Theatre Management has taught me about connecting with people and creating something special for all to enjoy, which has made me a better actor and a better person.

Management classes have opened up another realm of communication and networking, and have helped me create a platform for myself while understanding the masses that I am catering to. For instance, my marketing class has taught me how to advertise myself as a performer and manager people want to work with. I have an operating website for myself as an actor, and I have a growing portfolio for myself as a manager. I know that casting directors and managers are looking for eye-catching yet easy-to-digest websites that make it easy to see what kind of person you are and what you are capable of as an actor. As a manager, employers are looking for more in-depth information about your capabilities and want to take the time to get to know you before providing an offer. In a way, these two are complete opposites, but I have the knowledge to prepare for both thanks to my management classes.

My motivational and communication classes have been a mental boost, teaching me coping mechanisms when managing stressful situations. I have had to handle emergency situations within the blink of an eye, and these motivational classes taught me how to soothe myself and encourage others at the same time. The communication classes have taught me how to advocate for myself and concisely communicate the wants and needs of others in situations where it is needed. Onstage, my knowledge of communication spices up my character choices, making them more appealing to different types of people in the audience.

Some of the tasks I have to do as a Management student is run our social media page, write articles and newsletters for the general public to read, interview people for social media and newspaper content, handle online inquiries and questions, create and publish the posters and Playbills for all of our productions, purchase materials for actors, stage managers, and patrons, decorate the lobby for performances, sell tickets and man the house during shows, handle emergency situations, keep tally of our ticket financials and care for our department mascot, Myrtle the Turtle! These tasks have taught me independence, problem-solving skills, designing, advocating, and monetary skills, communication skills, customer service, and motivational wellbeing. Not to mention, in the case that I do not land a theatre job after graduation, I will be perfectly suitable for any other corporate job, so making money is secure!

Finding the time to experiment with Front of House and Management positions as an actor is highly encouraged, and it taught me how to regulate as a businessperson. It really opens your eyes to how much goes into the managerial side of things, and it teaches you a new respect for the behind-the-scenes of things. I feel more comfortable as a performer because of my ability as a manager, and I know people who have said the same! Post-graduation, my plan is to apply for many management jobs in the area, some of which I already have lined up and ready to go, and I hope to continue growing as a performer through my work as a manager!