Snakes and Ladders

Climbing ladders takes time, and avoiding the snakes that try to pull you down is not easy – or so I felt when I was finishing up my degree last spring and trying to figure out where I was going to go from there.

I took a full time gig at the theatre I’d been working at part time for a few years straight after graduating from my Education degree. It was only temporary, it ended with the summer and I had no idea what I was going to do with myself at that point. I didn’t apply for my teacher’s certificate at the time nor did I apply for any teaching positions – why? I’m not exactly sure. It was just one of those things that I did that I didn’t quite understand. I knew from my internship that teaching was a thing that I loved to do. But, I’m just not one to run on spur of the moment employment. I need time, I need to collect my thoughts, I need to wake up, get ready, eat breakfast. I also don’t particularly like the idea of getting phone calls at five or six in the morning – specifically because I have a terrible time waking up from my alarm, so I can imagine a ringing phone would be the same.

So I waited for something to happen naturally. I toyed with the idea of going to the UK to teach – but that was a big commitment and I needed time for this too. Then, one day while I was at work, I was approached by the Education Director of the theatre and we had a chat. She was leaving to pursue other endeavours and wanted to recommend me. It happened, the job was falling into my lap. I was elated.

It took a little while for it to become official, but it happened and everything was great. Though, the original position was a half-time job, they knew the experience I had with the theatre and added quite a bit to my new job. With me in the position it continues to evolve, my role becomes bigger every month and I become more passionate about theatre every day.

What do I do? First and foremost, I co-run the Theatre School – extra-curricular classes for ages 3 and up. I am responsible for organizing and coordinating all things theatre school related. This means I take in registrations, keep in contact with parents and students, and hire and supervise the instructors. This has proven to be a difficult task for someone who is new to the whole management and HR thing. I have an education degree – I am trained to manage kids. But managing professional adults is like walking on thin ice, constantly. It can be terrifying, but I am learning so much and I hope I don’t burn too many bridges along the way. Mistakes happen, accidents are made, and I just hope that people don’t take anything I do personally, because it’s not about that at all. I’m just trying to find my bearing

Secondly, I coordinate all of the youth shows. This is the aspect of my job that takes up the most of my time. This means I book tickets for school groups; I am in constant communication with teachers from all over the province.  I also coordinate and sometimes instruct workshops and tours! This is always fun.

Thirdly, ‘all other duties as assigned’. This is a statement in all of our employment contracts that pretty much says, when asked to do something that may not be part of your regular duties, you signed saying you would do them. These usually include things like being a fake audience member during rehearsals, doing voice recordings for sound designers, being in plays whether I’m singing Oh Canada or actually performing. And best of all, participating in Office Dance Parties. (see photo below).

    (photo by Stephen Rutherford, Persephone Theatre)

Lastly, I run a lot of the social media outlets for the Theatre. This is an aspect of my job that is not really part of my department - though they're using my age to their advantage and I honestly love this part of my job.

So, as you can see, I really hit the jackpot – or rather, the jackpot hit me. It’s a challenging position, but it pushes me to learn each day and helps me figure out my place in this industry. I've already had someone tell me that they heard I was going to be a "lifer" in the theatre world; I'm not sure if it was intended as a compliment or insult, but I was happy to hear it. There are always new things happening at this theatre, and it’s honestly never a dull moment.

Until next time,

Dillon