Job Search

Since December, I've been tuning up my resume and researching places to work at, both for the summer and for full-time jobs after graduation in May. With the portfolio skills I learned about at KCACTF this year, I was able to create my own website to further market  myself as a technician.

I have an ongoing list from last year and the year before of summer stock theaters that I might want to apply at, so I started with that. For anyone job hunting, researching places to work and deciding how you would benefit from working there is essential. I was careful not to put my hopes too high on one place over another; sometimes the places that seem the best turn out to have downsides or negative recommendations from other people who have worked there. Talking to people in the business has to be one of the most important factors to a job hunt!

I have also been adding full-year sort of theaters to a different list, sorted by location, so if I chose a place I wanted to see or live in, I could apply that way. The choices involved have been hard for me, though. I want to do a lot of things and there are a billion options. A theater technician can work in theme parks, cruise ships, on tour, in sales, inventory, repairs, or consulting for the industry/supply companies, at corporate meetings and showcases, in dance or concert lighting, film, part-time overhire to supplement another job, at colleges, at high schools, with children's theater companies, in regional theaters or in a big city, and more.

A few weeks ago, I went to Boston for StageSource's REPA Job Fair (Regional Entertainment Production & Administration) to scope it out and get some ideas. I handed out 20 resumes and sat down at every table I could, having looked over the list of employers beforehand. Many of them were in the Boston area and operate during the year, which usually means they are looking for people living in that area. Making it clear that I am completely flexible with plans after graduation, I gave it my best shot. I want to see a lot of the country, so there are high chances I would move to somewhere like Boston or NYC; in the fall if not right away after graduation. The job fair was definitely a learning experience as well as a great chance to do some networking and visit peers from other colleges and places.

Over the past few weeks, I've engaged in several phone interviews for summer stock. Summer stock is one of my favorite kinds of theater: working in it is an intensive, 24/7 commitment to constantly building and rehearsing shows that never seem to end. I thrive on the schedule, on remaining busy and focused, even on the stress of changeovers between shows (those 3-5 days of tearing down one set, putting another up, having dress and tech rehearsals, and making the show spectacular with any remaining time). It makes me feel alive.

Today I accepted a job as a carpenter at the Hangar Theater in Ithaca, NY, a summer stock house. Although I have had a decent amount of experience in the scene shop, I have focused on electrics and stage management for most of my college career, and this will be a great chance to solidify my carpentry skills and to learn more. It will be challenging for me, but that is the only way I can justify accepting a job, anywhere, at this point in my early career. I know I will give it my all, and I know I have the skills to accomplish projects. It feels good to have some stability after graduation--the best regional/professional summer stock theaters provide housing and some pay-- even if it is only until September.

Thanks for reading!