Career Opportunities and Work Life

Skills You'll Need

Salary Ranges

The Classroom Experience

Certificate & Degree Options

Depending on the area of theatre and screen productions you are interested in, different skills sets are needed.

Directors and producers must be able to manage people, coordinate activities, and understand solid business practices. Actors must be able to project in a vibrant voice, memorize lines, be visually dynamic and incorporate improvisational as well as method acting while on stage.

In addition, everyone involved in the theatre business must have energy and stamina. This is also a profession where there is a lot of rejection. It is important to make learning opportunities out of these rejections and move forward with your goals. Resilience is a key skill if you are serious about making theatre your career.

Not everyone wants to be an actor, director, or producer. Many students choose to work behind the scenes in technical theatre. "The technical side of theatre keeps you in the theatre business, but also provides you with a steady paycheck," states LMC Theatre program coordinator and instructor Kevin Wurz. Those choosing the technical side of theatre must have good verbal and written communication skills. They must be able to talk to the director, as well as read stage directions for lighting and sound. These technicians need to work well in groups and possess leadership skills.

Technical theatre students must also learn to:

• Construct a flat, and build platforms
• Use and understand lighting and sound systems