Student Blog: You Don't Have To Be On Stage To Be On Broadway

Whether it was in the shower or while walking to your 10am Theater History class, every theater lover has at least once found themselves dreaming of seeing their name in shining lights as they walk through the streets of New York City. It’s a two-show day. You walk into the St. James Theater stage door and instantly sign in for the 2:00 p.m. matinee and get ready for places. As the show ends you hear an abrupt roar from the audience as they stand on their feet cheering for you and your company. However, there is a misconception that the only way of getting there is by being on stage. It truly takes a village to create the magic that Broadway has to offer. You need people from light board programmers to wig artists and more to create the beautiful stories that we see on stage, every night, eight times a week.

Since I was in high school It has been branded into my brain that the way to be successful in the theater industry is to know how to do everything. Although I have learned in my college career that that is not true, I am lucky to say that I have had many different theater experiences both, hands-on and in a lecture setting, where I have been educated on many different aspects of theater. 

When I applied to college, I was faced with the difficult choice of whether I should enroll in a BA program or a BFA program. Ultimately, I chose the BA route. This presented me with the opportunity to explore many different aspects of theater rather than honing in on just one specific area of study. I can happily say this turned out to be a wonderful experience for me. Through the BA theater program at the University of Maryland, I have found my true passion within theater; casting. 

If you don’t have the opportunity to take theater classes in high school or college you can participate in intensive programs. One intensive that I found the most rewarding was Broadway Artist Alliance. Though you have to audition to participate in this one-week-long program in New York City, if you are accepted, you have the opportunity to take classes with well-known casting directors, choreographers, agents, and managers. In these classes you are allowed to ask questions about the business, what is required of them through their work, and any advice they have for someone starting out in the theater world professionally.

If you want to learn about the tech industry, I advise you to contact some of your favorite designers. You can find their contact information via LinkedIn or Facebook to message them and ask to interview or shadow them. Some of the best advice I have ever gotten was during an interview with a stage manager over the phone. “Get out and see as much as you can.”  I hold this quote in my back pocket because it reminds me to try to be a part of every aspect the theater has to offer because you will never know what will click. (I truly feel this is pertinent to many aspects of life).

Broadway is an atmosphere where various talents fuse together to create the magic that audiences dream about. Though the performers are often seen in the spotlight, there are countless individuals behind the scenes who create that spotlight. Casting directors, light designers, choreographers, and stage designers (just to name a few) are extremely important in creating the magic in the theater and on the stage.

A beautiful rainbow continuously shines over the Broadway communities. Each color is filled with different people fulfilling numerous jobs and with various backgrounds. So, don’t hesitate…throw on your work belt, put your bobby pins in your pocket, and bring your passion for the theater, because you don’t need to be on the stage to earn a standing ovation.