How To Prepare for a Full-Time Theatre Job Interview
by Hannah Renee Crawford, Guest Editorial
The dream of every theatre lover differs from artist to artist. Perhaps the dream is to perform on Broadway, to direct a musical in a community theatre, or to lead an improv troupe at SAK’s. However, the common thread we can find throughout most of us is our desire to work in theatre full-time.
Whether as an artistic director, tech supervisor, box office manager, or performing arts coordinator, these jobs are once-in-a-lifetime, and preparing for them can be daunting. The first theatre interview I prepared for many years ago was the job of my dreams. I used these skills to help me ace the interview, and also, in turn, use them to become the hiring person for all future positions.
How To Properly Format Your Resume
You undoubtedly have an impressive resume that would floor anyone who would peruse it. However, formatting a resume for a full-time job where you are dedicating yourself to one position, is a tad different than applying for the lead role in your community theatre.
One very important thing to remember is that one resume does not fit all jobs you are applying for. So, don’t assume that once you finish the resume you can use it anywhere. Look at the language the application puts down, and use those to format your resume so they can see you clearly have what they are looking for.
Length of Resume - Georgetown University encourages those putting their resume together to keep it to one page. It can seem as if you are cutting yourself short. Because if you’ve been doing theatre for years, or even a lifetime, you have enough skills and positions to put down that could probably fill multiple pages. However, for the sake of clarity and conciseness, keeping it to one page is recommended.
Transferable Skills - Don’t assume you should only put down skills you have gained while working shows. Take the skills you have earned at other jobs and transfer them into how they can assist you in theatre (regardless of whether they are retail, office work, or the service industry.) Problem-solving, leadership, and analytical thinking are all types of transferable skills. The person hiring for the position is not just looking for someone who knows and has a passion for the performing arts. They want to know that you have what it takes to handle a full-time job by working well with others, the skills to succeed in your role, and the creativity to bring new things to the table.
3. Contact Information - Set a section towards the top of your resume for a picture of yourself and your contact information. Allow the person looking over dozens of resumes to see your face immediately. Ensure the picture is professional (no selfies, backyard, or cropped images.) Refrain from using dramatic pictures you may use in your portfolio. Also, ensure the picture is up-to-date from the last two years. You don’t want to do something silly like submitting a 5-year-old picture and the interviewer be thrown off when they see you in person.
Make sure your contact information is up-to-date and professional as well. If your email is an adorable “theatrenerd” (and yes, that was mine once upon a time), it's probably time to set up another email to fill out applications. Add that information if you have a portfolio website or portfolio Instagram account. Hiring managers these days will search for you online regardless, so make it easy for them and be one step ahead.
How To Handle The Interview
Okay, the hard part is over! You got your foot in the door, and now you have to expound on the skills you put down on paper and share how you would make a good fit during the interview.
Research the Organization - We cannot emphasize this enough, it is vital that you research the organization you are interviewing with. What shows do they put on? What’s their language like on social media? What type of partnerships do they have? How many staff members do they have? Does a board run them? Do they receive grants? How did their organization begin? There are dozens of things to research before you go into an interview. Show them that you have done your research and are able to answer their questions based on their needs intelligently.
Be Positive - According to Broadway Educators, they add to “Be Positive in Every Way.” When asked questions like “What was the hardest part of the last show you were involved in?” or “What frustrates you most in the workplace?” It can be easy to go off on a tangent about some horrible thing that happened to you during a show. Perhaps it was drama with another actor, the director was a jerk, or the board lacked the maturity to handle modern-day shows. However, interviewers don’t want to hear you badmouth the place you previously worked for. Use phrases like “It gave me the opportunity to grow my professional relationships.” Spin it into a positive. No one wants to hire a negative Nancy.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions - This is probably the job of your dreams, and you don’t want to mess that up by fearing asking questions. However, you won’t! Take into consideration who is interviewing you as well. A rule of thumb is the higher the title of the person interviewing you the more questions you should ask. The “higher-ups” love to talk about themselves.
At the end of the interview is typically where you will be asked if you have any questions. The most common questions to ask are things such as “Why did this role become available?” “What do you hope this position will successfully do in the next six months?” or “What are the next steps in the interview process?”
However, at the end of the interview, they have answered all of your questions. Don’t be afraid to say that! “I don’t have any questions, you answered all my questions. I look forward to the possibility of partnering with you all soon!”
It’s okay to be nervous and have butterflies before your interview. You wouldn’t have gotten this far if you didn’t have the skills to get there. Take a deep breath, confidently walk in, and put those butterflies to work.