There are several things to be considered by theatre and dance students preparing for a professional career:
Here are some tips about what you will need to enter the job market. This work information will be helpful whether you are interested in professional graduate school or other employment. It will help you and the department if, by the time you are a second semester senior, you have the following materials:
Designers and technicians should build up a portfolio of their work. Plans, renderings, and light plots are important to the technical person. They should be your best work. They should be matted and be of traveling size, stored in a traveling case. Designers and technicians should have good quality color slides of their own work and other productions they have worked on. Photographs of scenery, lighting, costumes and props are all valuable. Remember three good pictures are worth more to you than 15 bad ones. No need for 20 shots of the same show either; two or three will be fine. Learn how to take good photos of your work. Talk to your advisor about specifics.
Directors also need a portfolio which should include copies of prompt scripts, program notes, color plans, and one or two quality color photos of selected scenes from each production showing interesting composition. Everything should be put together neatly and be descriptive of you and your work. Videotapes of productions are also useful.
Dancers and choreographers should keep a video record of all their work. The Department videotapes all of the dance concerts and will assist you in keeping an up-to-date record of your work.
Please collect all of your materials before you graduate.
Most graduate programs in theatre and dance want to see some evidence of your work – actors audition, designers submit portfolios, directors submit prompt books and production concepts, dancers either audition or submit videotapes. Generally, application deadlines for graduate programs are early January to mid-February. Start looking at programs early, preferably in the fall of your junior year. Try to visit as many programs as possible and arrange to meet with faculty and students in each program whether or not you have an application interview. The best way to measure the potential fit between you and a graduate program is to speak with the people with whom you’ll be working. Some programs have strict entrance requirements: GPA of 3.3 or above, GRE (Graduate Record Exam) scores, submission of written work. Check the application procedure carefully at each school – there seldom is a standard process. Speak with your advisor for help.
There are many places students interested in performance can audition for professional summer and year-round work. URTA (University and Repertory Theatre Association) regional auditions are held each January for graduate school placements. Actors planning to audition need to register with URTA by early December, and should have audition pieces prepared by then. Your advanced acting teaching can help you prepare. You may choose to work with a faculty member during the fall semester. All auditions are presented to the Theatre and Dance faculty in mid-December. Directors and designers may also schedule interviews at regional URTA auditions. Directors are sometimes asked to audition – check the application materials available on file in the Theatre and Dance office.
The Gustavus Career Center can help you develop résumés. Use this service; there is no charge and it will save you a lot of time. Note that résumés for performers are different than typical job résumés. Speak to your advisor for details. You may want to set up a placement file. This allows you to put a copy of your résumé, recommendations and anything else on file. The Placement Center will send out copies for you to anyone who needs them. This gives you the option of sending out a number of applications without having to bother your friends for dozens of recommendation letters.
The Career Center also maintains a network of GAC Theatre and Dance alumni who are willing to talk to current students regarding job opportunities, auditions, internships, etc. While these people are not prepared to offer you a job, you may find them to be extremely supportive and helpful in guiding you toward a job.
