Careers in Theatre & Dance
- Actor: Brings life to the written word and action of the text either on stage or on film
- Artistic Director: Selects plays for the theatre season, hires artistic staff, and sometimes participates in fund raising
- Box Office Manager: Oversees reservations and sales of tickets for current and future productions
- Business Manager: Controls the money, deals with budget development and allocation, sets ups accounts with vendors
- Choreographer: Creates and teaches the dance and/or stylized movements for the production
- Costume Designer: Designs all costumes for the production
- Costume Shop Supervisor or Technician: Deals with all aspects of costume creation, including design assistance, cutting, draping, patterning, stitching, and shop management and maintenance
- Drama Coach: Works individually with an actor either to develop generic acting skills or to prepare for a specific role
- Dramaturge: Conducts research and text analysis for a production
- Director: Interprets the script and determines the specific vision of a production. Oversees the rehearsals and elements of design to insure adherence to that vision
- Fight Director: Specializes in choreographing and carefully teaching safe fight sequences in productions
- House Manager: Oversees ushers and ticket takers and all front-of-house operations
- Lighting Designer: Designs & draws up the lighting for the production/establishes light looks, levels and cues
- Make-up Artist: Designs, creates and oversees all the makeup for the production
- Lead Carpenter: Oversees other carpenters working on the production. Determines all construction plans and materials
- Lead Electrician: Ensures that lighting equipment is maintained, hung, focused and run according to written & verbal instructions of the designer
- Movement Therapist/Specialist: Uses movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual.
- Playwright: Creates the script
- Producer: Secures financial backing and venue for the performance, and hires the production staffing
- Production Manager: Coordinates production schedules and administrative / logistic details of the multi-show theatrical season
- Recording Engineer: Design the recording of the music and/or sound effects with levels, effects or other processing
- Rigger: Hangs objects in the fly space above the stage. This may be sound equipment, lights, scenery, or special effects
- Scenic Designer: Designs the scenery and props. Supplies all drawings, sketches, models and water paintings of the set concept
- Scenic Painter: Facilitates the scenic designer's ideas and brings them to life on the backdrops or actual set pieces
- Sound Designer: Creates the overall design of the sound system from choice of microphones to placement of speakers, types of live or recorded effects and/or music that may be needed for the production.
- Special Effects Designer: Creates the effects used in a production from trap doors to puppetry to break away furniture and more
- Stage Crew: Run the back stage area; do the scene shifts of sets and props, etc.
- Stage Manager: Oversees all performance-related aspects of a production from pre-audition planning and research through rehearsal and performance to closing. Acts as liaison between director, performers, designers, technicians and administration
- Technical Director: Oversees the scene shop, construction of scenery, movement and installation of scenery, and ordering of materials. They are considered a "jack-of-all-trades"
- Technician: Operates and/or maintains materials in the theatre or tour world
- Theatre Consultant: A person whose knowledge is used to give suggestion and ideas in how to setup, specify or oversee installation of equipment in theatres
- Theatre Critic: A person who writes reviews of a show for newspapers, magazines or other media
- Theatre Teacher/Educator: Teaches classes in the field of theatre at either the K-12 or college level
- Vocal Coach: A person who helps actors with vocal issues such as projection, articulation, breath control or dialect in relation to a specific character
Careers in Related Areas
Here’s a sampling of non-theatre careers that many theatre graduates have chosen:
- Media Planner
- Computer Design Specialist
- Salesperson
- Customer Service Manager
- Human Relations Specialist
- Human Resource Specialist
- Conflict Mediator
- Public Relations Specialist
- Admissions Director
- Recruitment Officer
- Development Officer
- Fund Raiser
- Advertising
- Marketing Specialist
- Model
- Movie Theater Manager
- Amusement Park Entertainer
- Equipment Operator
- Facilities Manager
- Negotiator/Mediator
- Announcer
- News Correspondent
- Trial Lawyer or Paralegal
- Art Director
- Arts Administrator
- Health Educator
- Booking Manager
- Entertainment Producer
- Broadcast Journalist
- Personal or Program Assistant
- Business Manager
- Buyer
- Labor Relations Specialist
- Public Affairs Officer
- Public Relations Specialist
- Communication Technology Specialist
- Community Affairs Officer
- Lobbyist
- Radio/TV Announcer
- Copy Writer
- Sales Representative
- Exhibit/Display Designer
- Teacher
- Student Affairs Specialist
- Theater Manager
- Ticket Sales Coordinator
- Special Events Coordinator
- Tour Guide
- Talent Manager
- Tourism Program Director
- Talent Scout
- Casting Director
- Training & Development Specialist
- Draftsman
- Interior or Fashion Designer
- Writer/Editor
Plus countless other careers dealing with human relations, communication, collaborative teamwork, and creative problem-solving.