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Theater

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 Theater
Industry|Employers
Job|Roles
Skills
Alumni

Performing

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

• Motion Picture
• Radio
• Stage
• Television
• Video
• ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
• attention to detail
• ability to multitask
• organizational skills
• strong interpersonal skills
• time management
• verbal and written communication
• Audible.com & others, Audiobook Narrator
• Barrel of Monkeys, Company Member and Teaching Artist
• Chicago Children's Theatre, Red Kite Project Performer
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writer/Actor
• Filament Theatre Ensemble, Resident Artist
• Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey, Circus Clown
• Story Pirates, Actor, Director
• United Talent Agency, Actor
• Walt Disney World, Performer

Directing

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

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

• Active Arts Theater, Executive Director
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Production Asst
• Lookingglass Theatre Company, Producing Artistic Director
• Spoon University, Video Producer
• The Second City, Art Director • Producing Director, American Music Theatre Project
• Associate Development Director, Mudlark Theater 
• Music Director, The Cabaret Project 
• Artistic Director, Pentimenti Productions
• Audio Director, Warner Bros. Games - Chicago 

 

Behind the Scenes

• 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

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

• Chicago Children's Theatre, Assistant Stage Manager
• The Actors Gymnasium, Stage Manager
• Writers Theatre, Design & Communications Assistant
• Milwaukee World Festival, Production Stage Manager
• Oakton Community College, Stage Manager 
• Jordan Ross Design, Costume Designer
• Freelance Lighting Designer 

Writing

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

• 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

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

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

• Carnegie-Mellon Univ, Associate Head of School of Drama
• Lookingglass Theatre Company, Teaching Artist
• New Trier High School, English Teacher
• New World School of The Arts, Teacher
• Writers Theatre, Director of Education

 

Popular Industries (According to LinkedIn)

  • Arts and Design (24%)
  • Media and Communication (24%)
  • Education (21%)
  • Entrepreneurship (10%)

Professional Associations