Student Blog: Yes, You Can Diversify Your Skills In Theatre

College students are usually told they are limited to a single concentration. Yes, there are ways to add a minor or even pursue a double major, but there is still this lingering assumption that you can only be one thing. We assume we must fall into a category and stick with one career in one discipline of theatre. We consider performers to be the only "triple threats" in the industry. I once even heard that the idea of pursuing multiple areas of theatre was typically “frowned upon” by arts schools, because in order to be more “serious” about your craft you “need” to take a singular route. I strongly disagree with this and am here to prove these assumptions wrong. 

I can confidently tell you that studying and practicing multiple disciplines in and outside the classroom – arts administration, production, and performance – has made my academic career more valuable to me. If you’re like me and you’ve found yourself intrigued and interested in different areas under the performing arts umbrella, I encourage you to try them all. You'll become a well-rounded individual with a stronger understanding of each of the components needed to make good theatre. While you're at it, you'll also broaden your (academic and career) opportunities. The more you know and do, the more demands you are capable of meeting. 

I recently attended a design seminar at The Glimmerglass Festival and before the creative team began discussing the production, they asked the apprentices for a show of hands to see who "in the room" was pursuing the creative (director, designer, etc.), production (technical, managerial, etc.), and administration (operations, development, etc.) sides of theatre. I was instantly reassured when I saw other people had raised their hands for all three. Then to be called and recognized as “triple threats” was encouraging.

Prior to this, sitting in another design seminar, the creative team advised us to “diversify our skills” and go where each of our interests are calling us. They also shared how they were more versatile artists because of their experiences working in multiple areas of theatre. So yes, even professionals say you can do it all. When you’re a stage manager who has been a performer, you’ll better understand the needs of your cast. When you’re an administrator who has been a stage manager, you’ll better understand how the show you're promoting is progressing in the production process.

So now only one question remains. How do you do it all? Last week, Glimmerglass apprentices were visited by USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology) representatives and a question similar to this was asked. The answer was fairly simple, essentially explaining that since this industry runs on collaboration (considering there is much work needed from multiple areas to create a production), there is plenty of opportunity for crossover. If your skills are diverse and you're leaning more towards freelance work (technical, performance, etc.), you may choose to apply for different types of positions when searching for projects/companies to work for. You may even consider changing which positions you apply for each season. The consistency of which area(s) you work in would be up to you. This is only one example of how you may pursue your various talents throughout your career. 

This all being said, if you're currently a performing arts major, this is the perfect time to trial-run your interests. The more you learn, the more you’ll discover where your skills can take you. The limits are up to you.

Thanks for reading!