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Performance Studies

Industry Areas

Here are examples of industry areas students enter with this major, jobs/internships, typical employers that hire students, skills employers look for, and examples of where alumni work.  To find more information make an appointment with your career counselor/advisor.

Industry Areas for Performance Studies
Industry|Employer
Job|Roles
Skills
Alumni

Directing

• Theaters of varying types
• Television and motion picture studios
• Video production companies
• Other performance venues

• Direction
• Technical Direction
• Casting
• Set Design
• Stage Management
• Production
• Dialect Coaching
• Dramaturgy
• Support Staff

• advanced verbal and written communication
• flexibility and versatility
• ability to research and think critically
• strong interpersonal  skills
• creativity
• editing and attention to detail
• teamwork
• active listening and interviewing
• time management

•The Second City, Art Director
•Lookingglass Theatre Company, Producing Artistic Director
•Active Arts Theater, Executive Director
•Spoon University, Video Producer
•Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Production Asst

Writing

• Theaters
• Television/film studios
• Television stations
• Radio stations
• Video production companies
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Freelance

• Scriptwriting
• Playwriting
• Screenwriting
• Journalism
• Publicity (Press Agents)
• Research

• strong interpersonal skills
• attention to detail
• ability to multitask
• organizational skills
• time management
• verbal and written communication

• Sesame Workshop,  Writer
• Self-employed, Playwright
• Lockheed Martin Corp, Senior Multimedia Design Engineer / Technical Writer
• Grey's Anatomy, Co-Executive Producer, Writer, Medical Consultant
• CBS, Writer
• NBC/Universal, Staff Writer
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Writer/ Director
• Fox Network, Writer
• Nickelodeon, Head Writer, On-Air Promos
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writer/Actor

Education

• Public and private schools, K-12
• Colleges and universities
• Performing arts centers
• Various types of theater
• Freelance
• Self-employed

• Private Instruction
• Teaching
• Research
• Self-enrichment Teaching

K-12: 

• Coordination
• public speaking
• critical thinking
• writing
• social perceptiveness
• complex problem solving

Higher Ed:

• Research
• Writing
• critical thinking
• judgment and decision making
• presentations

• first grade teacher at CICS-Loomis Primary Academy in Chicago with the Teach For America Program
• adjunct faculty and an MFA candidate in the Fiction Writing department at Columbia College-Chicago
• playwright at Chicago Dramatists and teaches playwriting:

  • Columbia College Chicago
  • DePaul University
  • Loyola University
  • Boston University

Stage Work

• Community theaters
• Regional theaters
• Commercial theaters
• Summer stock theaters
• Dinner theaters
• Children’s theaters
• Repertory companies
• University theater groups
• Touring companies
• Industrial shows
• Show groups
• Amusement and theme parks
• Television/film studios
• Radio stations
• Nightclubs
• Cabarets
• Cruise lines
• Acting conservatories
• Public or community programs

• Stage Management
• Stage Direction
• Set Design/Construction
• Property Design
• Lighting Design
• Sound Design
• Camera Operation
• Costume Design
• Hair/Make-up
• Special Effects
• Wardrobe
• Prop Management
• Broadcast Technology
• Rigging
• Electrical Work
• Carpentry/Scenic Artistry

• strong interpersonal skills
• attention to detail
• ability to multitask
• organizational skills
• time management
• verbal and written communication
• ability to work collaboratively in a team environment

• Writers Theatre, Design & Communications Assistant
• Chicago Children's Theatre, Assistant Stage Manager
• The Actors Gymnasium, Stage Manager

Business

• Theaters
• Arts councils
• Television/film studios
• Broadway
• Road company productions
• Regional theaters
• Stock productions
• Dinner theaters
• Cabarets
• Talent agencies
• Advertising agencies
• Art museums

• Producing
• Management
• Agents
• Marketing and Advertising
• Fundraising and Development
• Coordination of Volunteers
• Administration of Arts Programs
• Box Office Sales
• Promotions
• Patron Services

• Problem-Solving Skills
• Analytical Thinking Skills
• Leadership & Team Based Skills
• Business Judgment
• Communication Skills
• Project Management
• Professionalism

• Second City Theatricals, Vice President
• NBCUniversal, Inc, .VP Creative, USA Brandworks, USA Network
• AMC, Halt & Catch Fire, Co-Producer
• Paramount Television, Co-Producer, GREASE LIVE!
• Disney Theatrical Group, Production Development Coordinator
• Disney Theatrical, Assistant to VP Creative Development
• The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Assistant Manager
• Warner Brothers Television Network, Vice President of Comedy Development
• Lookingglass Theatre Company, Audience Development Coordinator
• Story Pirates, Founder
• Chicago Tribune / WGN Radio, Producer / Assisted Producer
• Business Affair Associate, The Araca Group
• Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of the Environment.

Popular Industries (According to LinkedIn)

  • Business Development
  • Education
  • Research
  • Media and Communication
  • Arts and Design

Professional Associations