What Can a Technical Theater Major Do?

Training, experience, and a good attitude are the three things that get people jobs; a technical theatre degree provides these to anyone interested in an exciting and dynamic technical career in theatre, film and/or television.  A wide variety of job opportunities are available to theatre technicians nationwide. You may find employment as a lighting or sound technician, set designer or carpenter, costume designer or costume technician, scenic artist, makeup artist, or drama teacher. Can you make a good living at technical theatre? Yes, but there are sacrifices and you will not often work a 'normal’  schedule, as each show will have different demands. You might consider going into educational tech theater, where the hours can be more regular. In larger cities you will have more work opportunities. The key point is that if you are good, you will work. If you are not good, word will get around fast and you won't work. There is also lots of interesting related work that involves technical theatre: working for theme-park entertainment, pageants, cruises, film and TV, or working at a theatre manufacturer and selling theatrical equipment or being a theatre consultant. There are lots of office theatre jobs available for people with a variety of backgrounds and abilities that offer a normal schedule, such as working as a booking agent or at a box office. There are countless theatre career paths, especially to those students who learn "parallel" skills (AutoCAD, for example) that may ease the transition if you decide to change paths in the future.

Related Occupations

Landscape Architects
Museum Technicians and Conservators
Art Directors
Commercial and Industrial Designers
Fashion Designers
Interior Designers
Prosthetists
Wardrobe Crew
Exhibit Designers
Schoolteachers
College Professors
Cosmetic Artists
Special Events Coordinators 

What are the skills and abilities our graduates learn?

Oral communication skills
Creative problem-solving abilities
Follow-through and accuracy
Motivation and commitment
Willingness to work cooperatively
Ability to work independently
Time-budgeting skills and respect for deadlines
Ability to work under pressure
Acceptance of disappointment and ability to bounce back
Self-discipline
Dedication
Leadership skills  

On the whole, theatre students are in demand in the workplace. They are motivated people who embrace challenges and deliver on promises.  In short, they are passionate in all their pursuits.