Why Every Business Should Absolutely, Definitely, No-Question-About-It Hire Theatre Folk.
Listen, I get it. The moment someone puts “Theatre” on a resume, there’s a decent chance it conjures images of someone in tights emoting existential angst in a dimly lit black box theatre. You might assume they’re best suited for dramatic monologues and not, say, the fast-paced world of sales, marketing, leadership, or customer service. But that assumption, dear hiring managers, is deeply flawed.
Actors and theatre professionals? We are the ultimate Swiss Army knives of the workforce. We bring skills honed through years of training, relentless rehearsals, and a deeply ingrained ability to pretend we’re totally fine running on three hours of sleep and piss-poor coffee.
Let’s break down why hiring us isn’t just a good idea—it’s the best idea you’ve had since deciding to offer free snacks in the breakroom. And that ping-pong table.
1. We Are Expert Communicators
Actors don’t just talk—we convey. Whether it’s a Shakespearean soliloquy or a corporate presentation, we understand the importance of clarity, tone, and intention. We make eye contact, engage audiences, and read the room better than anyone (because, let’s face it, a distracted audience is way worse than a distracted Zoom call).
Need a salesperson who can make a product sound like it’ll singlehandedly improve someone’s quality of life, hitting every single pain point they can imagine? A theatre person will make your customers believe. Need a team lead who can rally the troops before a big deadline? We’ve given pep talks to cast members minutes before curtain call—your sales team will be fine.
2. We Adapt Like Pros (Because We Have To)
Theatre people are built for unpredictability. Scripts change. Lighting cues fail. Someone forgets a line, and suddenly, you’re monologuing about your tragic childhood on the fly (which, fun fact, you didn’t have, but it sure makes for compelling theatre).
In the business world, this means we thrive in fast-paced environments. We pivot, improvise, and make it look effortless. If you need someone who can handle last-minute changes without collapsing into a puddle of stress, hire someone who has had to perform an entire act of Oklahoma! without the set piece that makes the scene make sense. We got this.
3. We Take Feedback Like Champions
Every actor has, at some point, received “constructive” feedback that felt like a personal attack wrapped in a compliment. (“That was a great performance… but maybe next time, don’t be so terrible?”)
Theatre people have thick skin. We take notes, adjust immediately, and don’t let our egos get in the way. In a business setting, this translates to employees who genuinely listen, take criticism with grace, and implement feedback without the drama. (Okay, minimal drama.)
4. We Are Team Players (Because We Have No Choice)
If you’ve ever tried to coordinate 20 actors, a director, a crew, and a stage manager, you know theatre is the ultimate lesson in teamwork. We work in high-pressure environments where everyone’s job is essential. If one person drops the ball, the whole production falls apart.
This makes us dream employees in collaborative settings. We understand deadlines, accountability, and how to work with wildly different personalities—because we’ve literally done trust falls with people we met five minutes ago.
5. We Are Masters of Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
You know who makes great leaders? People who can understand and manage emotions—both their own and others’. Theatre people spend years studying human behavior, relationships, and motivations. We’ve played villains, heroes, and everything in between, which means we know how to see the world from multiple perspectives.
In the workplace, this translates to outstanding leadership, customer service, and conflict resolution. Need someone to de-escalate a tense client situation? We’ve soothed crying actors who forgot all their lines on opening night. We know how to handle emotions under pressure.
6. We Have Work Ethic for Days
Imagine working a full-time job, rehearsing five nights a week, memorizing pages of dialogue, and then still having the energy to bartend on weekends. Welcome to the life of a theatre artist.
We hustle. We show up prepared. We don’t clock out mentally just because the day technically ended. Hiring a theatre person means hiring someone who will go above and beyond—because we’re used to putting in extra effort for something we believe in (even when that something is an experimental one-act play that pays in “exposure”).
So, What’s the Takeaway?
If you’re looking for employees who are adaptable, emotionally intelligent, excellent communicators, and unshakable under pressure, look no further than the theatre world.
And if you’re still hesitant? Just imagine an actor handling your next big sales pitch or client meeting. We’ll memorize it, deliver it with passion, and if something goes wrong? We’ll improvise our way into making you look amazing.
Hire theatre people. You’ll never look back. (Unless it’s to applaud us, of course.)
Until next time,
Shanon Weaver
