Staff Profile:
Staff Name: Tyler Ennis
Position: Associate Director, Individual Giving
Years with Roundabout: 2 (almost)
Q & A:
Q: Give us a brief background of your career leading up to Roundabout?
A: I studied Music Business in college and realized Arts Administration was a real career path. I first worked in Company Management at La Jolla Playhouse for two summer seasons, and then moved on to Development at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park during graduate school at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. I fell in love with NYC after working in Development at Manhattan Theatre Club. I was also Development Director for Horizon Theatre Company, a small contemporary theatre in Atlanta, Georgia (my birthplace).
Q: Tell us a little about what it is, exactly, that you and the Development department do?
A: In a nutshell, we raise money in support of Roundabout as a not-for-profit theatre. (No, we don’t develop plays!) I work with an amazing department that fundraises over $11 million each year. This revenue along with ticket sales is what allows Roundabout to produce the season and carry out great initiatives such as Roundabout Underground and Education@Roundabout. I am personally responsible for overseeing our membership programs and establishing personal relationships with individual donors at all levels.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working in the Development field?
A: I really love talking to people who enjoy theatre as much as I do. We have an incredibly loyal group of supporters who are dedicated to Roundabout, and I love hearing their stories of how they became involved with us or their theatre gossip about all of their favorite (and least favorite) shows in town.
Q: I’m sure you’ve been able to meet some great individuals – Any specific highlights?
A: Our office also organizes a variety of special events throughout the season, from Opening Nights to Playreading series to Patron Night receptions. It’s so refreshing to interact with and hear from the artists who create our productions. One of my favorite highlights was talking to Stephen Sondheim for 10 minutes while waiting for the restroom at Studio 54.
Q: When you’re not working you…
A: I love cooking (and eating of course), seeing theatre and movies, playing piano, hanging out with friends, and pretending I have hair.
Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you “grew up”
A: A dentist. Crazy, right? But then I wanted to be a music producer which led to a theatre producer which led to the closest thing in the not-for-profit sector: fundraising!
Q: What has been your favorite Roundabout show? Why?
A: I saw Waiting for Godot shortly after I started working here, and I was blown away. I don’t think I need to explain why. I also saw Brief Encounter 5 times. I love when you can feel the sense of a real ensemble cast. I’m also a huge fan of musicals and looking forward to Anything Goes this spring.
Q: What’s the best part about working for Roundabout?
A: The best thing about working for Roundabout is that I’m doing something I love at a theatre company I love. The variety of our shows and donor personalities ensures that my work life is never boring, and I interact with fantastic colleagues on a daily basis. It’s gratifying to work at an organization of this size that still has a feeling of home.
