Dean College Blog

Theatre Careers for Non-Actors

Published November 17, 2021

Not everyone who majors in theatre wants to be an actor. Sure, there are plenty of college students who want to be on stage or on the big and small screens, but there are numerous others who want a career tangentially related to the stage. Obtaining a degree in theatre is just the first step towards getting one of those backstage or audience-based jobs that play a crucial role in the theatre.

Theatre Critic

Definitely an off-stage job, theatre critics need to have a background in the field. They must have knowledge of how a theatre production is put together, as well as a solid understanding of theatre history and the classic stage plays that are still put into production today. In order to properly critique performances and entire productions, a theatre critic who usually writes for an online or print publication is someone who majored in theatre or theatre studies.

Lighting Designer

Theatre productions need to have lighting, otherwise, no one in the audience would be able to see what's going on during the play or musical. On top of that, good lighting can set the tone for certain parts of the production, making the scene seem spooky, cheerful, or any other emotion that the script and director call for. A lighting designer works in tandem with the director and producer to ensure that all of the lighting for the performance is set up, mapped out and designed to meet their vision.

Choreographer

You might think that all choreographers are dancers, and they spend their career designing dances for Broadway and music productions. But this isn't quite true. Theatre productions also need to a have a choreographer who instructs the actors on how to properly move on stage, where to stand, and when to move up or down the stage to get closer or further from the audience. These choreographers typically have a background in theatre, not dance.

Set Designer

Like lighting designers, theatre productions need to have set designers to put together the scenery that goes behind, in front of, and alongside the actors. Without the set, the performance wouldn't be the same, and audiences wouldn't be able to suspend their disbelief for the period of time that the play was scheduled for. A set designer, again, like the lighting designer, works with the director and producer to create the sets for each part of the play or musical.

Casting

Someone needs to ensure that the talent that's chosen for the performance is right for the job. Casting employees, either casting directors, casting assistants, or others with similar titles, are in charge of asking the main director what type of person they envision for each role and then auditioning actors to see who fits the bill. They play (no pun intended) a very crucial role in every production.