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We all dream of walking the red carpet as an actorā€¦

Broadcaster Ryan Seacrest on red carpet at awards show with excited face, making wide arm gesture while gold confetti flies

But have you considered all the people behind that moment?

For example:

  • Directors

  • Camera operators

  • Talent agents

  • Gaffers

  • Event coordinators

  • Set designers

  • Makeup artists

  • Public relations professionals

All of these roles can be very different, but they may also share a common background: jobs with a theatre degree.

If you have a theatre degree, consider these 6 types of roles you can do both within and beyond the arts field.

1. Performance Jobs

Is performing your passion?

Dancers freeze while holding up one actor who sings as the camera zooms in on her

Some jobs with a theatre degree may be obviousā€¦

But also think about the performing skills you honed alongside acting. Did you spend a lot of time in the dance studio? Accompany singers on the piano? Host a radio show or podcast for your school? Consider the following specialties:

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  • Voiceover artist or voice actor

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  • Theatre musician

All of these jobs can have VERY different paths, and many successful theatre artists work in several specialties.Ā Ā 

A judge on The Masked Singer discusses a Triple Threat award for acting, music, and comedy for Queen Latifah.

Did you know?

For more on how to become an actor, check out this guide from Backstage.

2. Offstage/Offscreen Roles

Any good performance depends on lots of support work offstage and offscreen.

Film crew with cameras, umbrellas, lights, and other film equipment outside a manor housePhoto by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

If you've done any of this work, you can find jobs with a theatre degree, such as:

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  • Stage manager

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  • Stagehand or film crew

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3. More Offstage Roles!

But wait, there's more! Depending on your other areas of study, a wide range of supporting roles may be available.

With a background in music, you might consider working as a:

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  • Sound designer or operator

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If you also have experience in the visual arts, you might consider jobs like:

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  • Theatrical hairstylist

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  • Makeup artist

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  • Set designer

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Did you know?

With training in stage combat, martial arts, or fencing, you might even consider being a fight director!

Quiz

Meet Taio, who is about to complete his undergraduate theatre degree.

Young man in shorts and short sleeves sitting on steps smiling and looking hopeful

Ever since grade school, heā€™s been part of every play, either up on stage or keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. In college, he wanted to improve his singing for musicals, so heā€™s been taking singing lessons and studying music production as part of his theatre degree.

Heā€™s started auditioning for professional musical theatre shows but has only landed one job so far. What other job(s) should he consider applying for?

Quiz

Select all that apply:

4. Arts Jobs Beyond Productions

Is theatre your passion, but you want a regular paycheck? Or do you want to share your love of the arts?

Kerri Washington lifting her hands in front of her saying, 'My job is to support all of these artists and artisans.'

Jobs with a theatre degree can also include:

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Acting coach or vocal coach

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  • Theatre professor (requires a masterā€™s degree or Ph.D.)

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Other jobs support operations at an arts venue or arts company:

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  • General manager

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  • Artistic director (may require additional degrees, such as an M.B.A.)

5. Outside the Arts

Jobs with a theatre degree go way beyond the arts and entertainment industry!

A smiling orange semicircular robot with six different tools popping out from its sides.

As a theatre student, youā€™ve probably developed transferable skills in:

  • Communication and storytelling

  • Creative thinking

  • Event coordination

  • Crisis managementĀ 

  • Visualization

So, you may want to apply these skills in jobs like:

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Did you know?

Many theatre and film industry jobs have unions that advocate for your pay and benefits and help you find work.

6. All of the Above!

A red, white, and pink sticker with picture of baseball cap and words appearing around it: 'I wear all the hats'

The entertainment industry has a lot of gig work:Ā 

  • SeasonalĀ productions

  • Quick one-off pieces, such as commercials

  • Individual shows (running from days to years!)

  • Short-term consulting, as for choreographers

Many theatre artists make a living by putting together several different jobs at a time inside and outside the industry.Ā They often find jobs through an agent or theatre organizations. Since they work with many people on different projects, networking can also lead to consistent work.

For work outside of theatre, they may look in more typical job-searching places, such as Indeed or LinkedIn.

Quiz

Meet Hannah, who finished her theatre degree a couple of years ago. She has been finding work in voice acting and plays, but in some months, she can barely pay her bills.

A young woman with log brown hair wearing casual clothing and sitting by a window, looking at the camera.Photo by Madrona Rose on Unsplash

While Hannah wants to keep taking acting gigs, she also wants to have a more steady income. When she searches on a job listing website for "jobs with a theatre degree," a couple of nearby jobs come up. When she searches for "communication skills" and "creative thinking," she finds many more options.

Quiz

Which part-time job listing(s) should she consider applying to now?

Take Action

It's time for your next scene. Break a leg!

A man in glasses standing in front of lockers opening and closing the top of a movie 'action' sign.

License:

This Byte has been authored by

EL

Elisabeth Lorenc

Instructional Designer

M.S.

English

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