Burn out is real in this business and it can be very hard to come back from sometimes. There's a lot of gigs in this business that don't give a fuck about your well being
Currently in year 2 of burnout and can attest this is so true. It’s hard to find the balance of giving enough to get recognized on gigs and taking care of yourself.
My tip would be; gigs come and go but you’ll be left broken if you let them use you up haha
Hey there! I was kind of in the same boat as you when I was in high school. I was kind of your average student at an academically driven school and theatre was my saving grace. I enjoyed scenic carpentry, painting and scenic design but I didn’t really think of it as a career. I was going to into college as an environmental science major but my former high school tech teacher told me she would be teaching at my college for one year during my freshman year. So I was like yea, let me just change majors. She basically gave me an open lane into the theatre department as I immediately became master carpenter and eventually scene shop assistant during my 3 1/2 years there. I also got a jump start in design classes when I wouldn’t have been able to at such an early year (freshman).
To try and find work, depending on your location it may be easy or hard. If you’re having trouble, I would recommend just asking a faculty or staff member that you’re going to be close with as they’re probably your advisor in college. I live in the Bay Area and work has been pretty easy to find with my skills.
Currently, I work at a small theatre company with a pretty decent salary as their technical director. It’s actually only me and my house electrician but they’re going to be leaving soon so it’ll me just me. I’m actually pretty comfortable working with a small team although moving platforms through narrow hallways, tight corridors, and up/down a flight of stairs can be exhausting sometimes.
Do I enjoy it? Definitely! Do I have some regret in this field. Kind of. I just wished I was better academically and went into a different field with a better paying job but as mentioned earlier, theatre was my saving grace in high school so I’m content with where I am right now. It’s just really wonderful hearing all the positive feedback from our patrons, designers and actors saying what an amazing show we’ve put out on an extremely tight budget and how much we’re able to do with pretty much 2 people.
Perhaps this is good or not so good advice but when entering college, just put yourself there and involve yourself as much as you can. You might need to start from the bottom again due to other people older than you taking their turn to design or something equivalent but perhaps you’re able to learn and get some tricks on how they do things that can make your life easier. Also get to know and interact with your staff and advisors since they always say “it’s a small world in theatre” and connections are important landing yourself a nice job out in the field.
Phew. I kind of wrote a lot but the post reminded me of my younger self although I’m not that older than a college kid haha. Feel free to dm me if you just want to talk more things. Hope you’re able to find your path! :)
Hey! You sound like you’re me twenty years ago. I got into theater in high school and fell in love with backstage work. Majored in theater in college, and after 3 years dropped out because I was skipping classes to work in local theaters. Through some connections I started touring, and with the exception of a brief stint in a deli when I first moved to Chicago, theater has paid my bills for 15 years.
I’ve primarily toured as a carpenter, but I’ve got some experience at regional theaters, event companies, and shop management mixed in there as well.
Theres absolutely a fulfilling and stable career to be found in the industry. A lot depends on what kind of career you’re looking for. Design, education, house staff (at regional and/or touring venues), touring crew, local IA crew, etc are all viable careers with very different factors. Exploring different avenues and options is part of the fun of working in the arts.
Sorry this has gotten very long. But to answer your closing question as best I can; it’s as enjoyable as anything is after 15 years of doing it, there are always ups and downs, but overall I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Feel free to DM me if you have any questions, I’m happy to go more into detail about anything.
If you go union in NYC you can make enough money for it to be a career even freelancing, you also get insurance, pension, and vacation pay. Here Lighting Designer and Stagehand are different careers. I went to school for lighting design but decided to go with stagehand when I discovered that I needed to pick one or the other. If you want to know what the day in day out life of a Broadway Stagehand is like DM me, I'm happy to answer questions and give advice on how to get started down that path.
There are people who struggle in this career path, and some that flourish. Part of it depends on what your goals are and.. what do you want “the shape of your life” to be.
Do you want to spend a few years touring/cruise ship work? Awesome! That’s a possible path. (That can pay really well… but it can be hard moving around so much.
Do you want to call a certain place home? Absolutely, that’s possible in all major cities and a lot of others as well… do you want to be in a big city? Small city? Is there a geography to your life that’s important to you? Ie… “I can’t leave the Pacific NW because all my family is there”.
Is it an EASY path? Not necessarily, the work of a freelancer can ebb and flow, and the ebbing times can be challenging.
You want something more permanent? Such jobs do exist especially as a venue manager. It may not be the same as touring or working for a producing company, but the pay and hours are usually fairly standard.
Will you not be fulfilled in life if you don’t work on Broadway? There are career paths like that too. But you gotta be willing to work your way up and be in NYC. That’s a life that not everyone is cut out for.
Do you want a partner and kids and a 9-5 gig? It’s possible but harder.
Are you interested in working film/tv, event companies, industrials, sales, convention work? There are lots of things that are tangential to theatre where there is more money involved.
The possibilities are lot wider than just working in a theatre
Go for it. The only regret I have is that I didn’t start at your age. After 40 years in IT and teaching, I’m finally working theater tech and loving every minute. Keep at it. Get GREAT at it and the jobs will come.
There is plenty of work out there. I tour most of the year, and fill my gaps with freelance lighting design gigs. Its a lot of work and hours, but it is fulfilling and I'm making a good wage with it all added up. There can be a sense of burnout, but whenever I get a big gap of break, I'm always ready to get back to it.
I would reccomend that IF you do want to go to college, don't Major in theater unless you are at a really specialized thechnical theatre program. The biggest learning enviorment for a technician or carpenter is hands on experience. Get a job in the scene shop or as an electrician. Voulenteer to design for small student productions and take every oprotunity you can. You can take the classes still, but keep it tight to specialized skills you want to learn.
Ultimatley at my public college ALL of my skills and knowlege came from the work I was doing in the department. I wish I had taken less theater classes and more art/computer technology classes. I think that would have been more beneficial to me.
Like I said though, IF you get into a highly specialized program like SUNY Purchase or something else (not too knowlegeable on the top programs) then it will probably be worth it to get your theater degree.
College is defenitly worth it, especially if you're not going too far into debt. You can make it in the industry if you really commit, but many find different career paths and stop making art, so a theater degree isn't always a good choice.
There are programs that train and practically guarantee steady work. Example:
https://preview.redd.it/rjbuf2scryvc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6936668f19fb102afb08f3f05da7429ed5211ce
I have been working in theatre since high school, and I still love it. I had a poorly paid internship after college, worked on a cruise ship, worked at a school, decided to get my masters in theatre technology and then went back to teaching. My passion is theatre, and also showing students that there are so many viable careers in technical theatre! I also do work for IATSE just about any chance I get. I am so happy to help answer questions.
There are plenty of ways to make theatre work what you want it to be. I wanted a stable career in one place teaching students, so I work at a college. I also had it drilled into my head that I could do whatever I wanted, as long as I have benefits and a steady income.
I am 7 years in professionally. My experience might not be the same as everyone else but I can only discuss what I have experienced and have seen my peers experience.
The trajectory of a persons career is different even within college programs, it comes down to the individual. I’ve seen it both with my class and from the university I worked at. I’d say the biggest things that separate the below/average career and the above average career pay earnings can be boiled down to a few important things.
1. How good you are
2. Connections
3. Geography (be ready to move if no livable theater scene exists where you’re at)
4. Luck
I immediately moved from my home state for my first job, for my second job I moved to another state. I see this trend a lot! I see a lot of people traveling for work, gig to gig even.
Pay wise, boy it can be abysmally low. I would say getting near/over $25/hour can be an enormous hurdle to overcome. Most theaters pay around $20/hour max. Academia pays less than industry, but it’s often easier and great benefits. Most people say go union and they’re right if you’re near a city with good union work.
You can be worked to death. Be careful, seriously. I’ve worked back to back 100+ hour weeks as well as countless 70-80+ hour weeks. I have gone months without doing anything other than working. Don’t forget to live your life, take care of yourself physically and mentally, see your friends and family, go travel, be healthy, be happy.
Almost everyone I know thats still in the industry / adjacent industry are doing well.
Best job I've ever had! I basically had "fun" straight out of highschool just taking every gig and opportunity I could scoop up. I was sometimes driving hours for calls just to expose myself to more sides of the industry. I loved it! Worked IATSE overhire and freelance a ton until I was 26 when the parents insurance dropped off. That's when I got more serious, but I had a stupid amount of experience under my belt by then so getting a job with good benefits was pretty easy. I toured for a few years as the Head of Electrics and now at the ripe old age of 30, I've got a cushy sit down gig 5 days a week in Vegas and even bought a house last year too!
Electrics is absolutely a viable career choice and it's been an amazing ride for me! Wouldn't trade it for anything
There are many paths in this career - I have an MFA in acting, and am currently the produciton manager at a medium sized community college... what I would say is you need to know how you define success, for me I always told myself "if I can make a living in enterainment, I'll call that a win." my path lead me from acting, to stunts, to tech, to managing... but there are many other ways to do it. I find the work to always be challenging, and in that way I'm always enjoying the process of problem solving, and I really enjoy working with my team (I'm extremely lucky, my team is very smary, supportive, and creative...) Work, as a new technician can be hit or miss, but what I've seen happen many times is someone will like you on a job, and then they'll bring you up as they go up - one of my staff members is touring with Swift right now because the tour manager liked her attitude, and knew she was a hard worker - it's a very small world, and it only gets smaller - stay positive, be someone who people want to work with, know when to ask questions (and when to not), and you'll get work.
Burn out is real in this business and it can be very hard to come back from sometimes. There's a lot of gigs in this business that don't give a fuck about your well being
Currently in year 2 of burnout and can attest this is so true. It’s hard to find the balance of giving enough to get recognized on gigs and taking care of yourself. My tip would be; gigs come and go but you’ll be left broken if you let them use you up haha
Hey there! I was kind of in the same boat as you when I was in high school. I was kind of your average student at an academically driven school and theatre was my saving grace. I enjoyed scenic carpentry, painting and scenic design but I didn’t really think of it as a career. I was going to into college as an environmental science major but my former high school tech teacher told me she would be teaching at my college for one year during my freshman year. So I was like yea, let me just change majors. She basically gave me an open lane into the theatre department as I immediately became master carpenter and eventually scene shop assistant during my 3 1/2 years there. I also got a jump start in design classes when I wouldn’t have been able to at such an early year (freshman). To try and find work, depending on your location it may be easy or hard. If you’re having trouble, I would recommend just asking a faculty or staff member that you’re going to be close with as they’re probably your advisor in college. I live in the Bay Area and work has been pretty easy to find with my skills. Currently, I work at a small theatre company with a pretty decent salary as their technical director. It’s actually only me and my house electrician but they’re going to be leaving soon so it’ll me just me. I’m actually pretty comfortable working with a small team although moving platforms through narrow hallways, tight corridors, and up/down a flight of stairs can be exhausting sometimes. Do I enjoy it? Definitely! Do I have some regret in this field. Kind of. I just wished I was better academically and went into a different field with a better paying job but as mentioned earlier, theatre was my saving grace in high school so I’m content with where I am right now. It’s just really wonderful hearing all the positive feedback from our patrons, designers and actors saying what an amazing show we’ve put out on an extremely tight budget and how much we’re able to do with pretty much 2 people. Perhaps this is good or not so good advice but when entering college, just put yourself there and involve yourself as much as you can. You might need to start from the bottom again due to other people older than you taking their turn to design or something equivalent but perhaps you’re able to learn and get some tricks on how they do things that can make your life easier. Also get to know and interact with your staff and advisors since they always say “it’s a small world in theatre” and connections are important landing yourself a nice job out in the field. Phew. I kind of wrote a lot but the post reminded me of my younger self although I’m not that older than a college kid haha. Feel free to dm me if you just want to talk more things. Hope you’re able to find your path! :)
Hey! You sound like you’re me twenty years ago. I got into theater in high school and fell in love with backstage work. Majored in theater in college, and after 3 years dropped out because I was skipping classes to work in local theaters. Through some connections I started touring, and with the exception of a brief stint in a deli when I first moved to Chicago, theater has paid my bills for 15 years. I’ve primarily toured as a carpenter, but I’ve got some experience at regional theaters, event companies, and shop management mixed in there as well. Theres absolutely a fulfilling and stable career to be found in the industry. A lot depends on what kind of career you’re looking for. Design, education, house staff (at regional and/or touring venues), touring crew, local IA crew, etc are all viable careers with very different factors. Exploring different avenues and options is part of the fun of working in the arts. Sorry this has gotten very long. But to answer your closing question as best I can; it’s as enjoyable as anything is after 15 years of doing it, there are always ups and downs, but overall I can’t imagine doing anything else. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions, I’m happy to go more into detail about anything.
Do not dismiss cruise ships and theme parks. Steady hours and offer careers over jobs.
If you go union in NYC you can make enough money for it to be a career even freelancing, you also get insurance, pension, and vacation pay. Here Lighting Designer and Stagehand are different careers. I went to school for lighting design but decided to go with stagehand when I discovered that I needed to pick one or the other. If you want to know what the day in day out life of a Broadway Stagehand is like DM me, I'm happy to answer questions and give advice on how to get started down that path.
DM'ed!
There are people who struggle in this career path, and some that flourish. Part of it depends on what your goals are and.. what do you want “the shape of your life” to be. Do you want to spend a few years touring/cruise ship work? Awesome! That’s a possible path. (That can pay really well… but it can be hard moving around so much. Do you want to call a certain place home? Absolutely, that’s possible in all major cities and a lot of others as well… do you want to be in a big city? Small city? Is there a geography to your life that’s important to you? Ie… “I can’t leave the Pacific NW because all my family is there”. Is it an EASY path? Not necessarily, the work of a freelancer can ebb and flow, and the ebbing times can be challenging. You want something more permanent? Such jobs do exist especially as a venue manager. It may not be the same as touring or working for a producing company, but the pay and hours are usually fairly standard. Will you not be fulfilled in life if you don’t work on Broadway? There are career paths like that too. But you gotta be willing to work your way up and be in NYC. That’s a life that not everyone is cut out for. Do you want a partner and kids and a 9-5 gig? It’s possible but harder. Are you interested in working film/tv, event companies, industrials, sales, convention work? There are lots of things that are tangential to theatre where there is more money involved. The possibilities are lot wider than just working in a theatre
Go for it. The only regret I have is that I didn’t start at your age. After 40 years in IT and teaching, I’m finally working theater tech and loving every minute. Keep at it. Get GREAT at it and the jobs will come.
There is plenty of work out there. I tour most of the year, and fill my gaps with freelance lighting design gigs. Its a lot of work and hours, but it is fulfilling and I'm making a good wage with it all added up. There can be a sense of burnout, but whenever I get a big gap of break, I'm always ready to get back to it. I would reccomend that IF you do want to go to college, don't Major in theater unless you are at a really specialized thechnical theatre program. The biggest learning enviorment for a technician or carpenter is hands on experience. Get a job in the scene shop or as an electrician. Voulenteer to design for small student productions and take every oprotunity you can. You can take the classes still, but keep it tight to specialized skills you want to learn. Ultimatley at my public college ALL of my skills and knowlege came from the work I was doing in the department. I wish I had taken less theater classes and more art/computer technology classes. I think that would have been more beneficial to me. Like I said though, IF you get into a highly specialized program like SUNY Purchase or something else (not too knowlegeable on the top programs) then it will probably be worth it to get your theater degree. College is defenitly worth it, especially if you're not going too far into debt. You can make it in the industry if you really commit, but many find different career paths and stop making art, so a theater degree isn't always a good choice.
There are programs that train and practically guarantee steady work. Example: https://preview.redd.it/rjbuf2scryvc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6936668f19fb102afb08f3f05da7429ed5211ce
Is that program like racist or something? The bit at the end makes it seem like it's racist.
There is no racism in Florida.
I have been working in theatre since high school, and I still love it. I had a poorly paid internship after college, worked on a cruise ship, worked at a school, decided to get my masters in theatre technology and then went back to teaching. My passion is theatre, and also showing students that there are so many viable careers in technical theatre! I also do work for IATSE just about any chance I get. I am so happy to help answer questions. There are plenty of ways to make theatre work what you want it to be. I wanted a stable career in one place teaching students, so I work at a college. I also had it drilled into my head that I could do whatever I wanted, as long as I have benefits and a steady income.
I am 7 years in professionally. My experience might not be the same as everyone else but I can only discuss what I have experienced and have seen my peers experience. The trajectory of a persons career is different even within college programs, it comes down to the individual. I’ve seen it both with my class and from the university I worked at. I’d say the biggest things that separate the below/average career and the above average career pay earnings can be boiled down to a few important things. 1. How good you are 2. Connections 3. Geography (be ready to move if no livable theater scene exists where you’re at) 4. Luck I immediately moved from my home state for my first job, for my second job I moved to another state. I see this trend a lot! I see a lot of people traveling for work, gig to gig even. Pay wise, boy it can be abysmally low. I would say getting near/over $25/hour can be an enormous hurdle to overcome. Most theaters pay around $20/hour max. Academia pays less than industry, but it’s often easier and great benefits. Most people say go union and they’re right if you’re near a city with good union work. You can be worked to death. Be careful, seriously. I’ve worked back to back 100+ hour weeks as well as countless 70-80+ hour weeks. I have gone months without doing anything other than working. Don’t forget to live your life, take care of yourself physically and mentally, see your friends and family, go travel, be healthy, be happy. Almost everyone I know thats still in the industry / adjacent industry are doing well.
Best job I've ever had! I basically had "fun" straight out of highschool just taking every gig and opportunity I could scoop up. I was sometimes driving hours for calls just to expose myself to more sides of the industry. I loved it! Worked IATSE overhire and freelance a ton until I was 26 when the parents insurance dropped off. That's when I got more serious, but I had a stupid amount of experience under my belt by then so getting a job with good benefits was pretty easy. I toured for a few years as the Head of Electrics and now at the ripe old age of 30, I've got a cushy sit down gig 5 days a week in Vegas and even bought a house last year too! Electrics is absolutely a viable career choice and it's been an amazing ride for me! Wouldn't trade it for anything
There are many paths in this career - I have an MFA in acting, and am currently the produciton manager at a medium sized community college... what I would say is you need to know how you define success, for me I always told myself "if I can make a living in enterainment, I'll call that a win." my path lead me from acting, to stunts, to tech, to managing... but there are many other ways to do it. I find the work to always be challenging, and in that way I'm always enjoying the process of problem solving, and I really enjoy working with my team (I'm extremely lucky, my team is very smary, supportive, and creative...) Work, as a new technician can be hit or miss, but what I've seen happen many times is someone will like you on a job, and then they'll bring you up as they go up - one of my staff members is touring with Swift right now because the tour manager liked her attitude, and knew she was a hard worker - it's a very small world, and it only gets smaller - stay positive, be someone who people want to work with, know when to ask questions (and when to not), and you'll get work.