by Aidan Shepherd
When I started University with my degree in Classics, I never thought I would end up in theatre. It always just seemed like a fun thing to do. Every year I would help out with a show, some lighting here, some set building there, but never with the goal to be working in theatre as a career. (Take out finally) In my final year, I realized that I did not feel any sense of accomplishment in my field of Classics, and devoted the bulk of my time (spare or otherwise) to the theatre. I helped in every show I could and even helped organize a festival that the Acadia theatre department held every year. I suddenly felt like I was doing something worthwhile. When I returned to Toronto, I knew that I wasn’t going to continue on in my degree, and started trying to get into the theatre scene without having any courses in the field. I primarily used workinculture.ca to find a few gigs, one of them on honorarium, which was very exciting. It was my very first time I had been paid for doing what I love.
My first long term applied theatre, technical job was at a University. I got the job through a friend who was acting in a show that needed help backstage setting up lights. I volunteered, and the next day asked the manager if the was hiring. She had seen my work first hand, so no resume was required. It also happened that she was looking for a technical intern, so the less experience I had the better. For two years, I worked there happily running lights, sound and projection for all sorts of lectures, concerts, plays, musicals and conferences. Unfortunately, my internship expired, and I felt the desire to go back to school for more training, but this time in college. I hoped to expand my knowledge in electrical, carpentry etc. And because of that I needed to save more, so although my full time job is not in theatre, I am on several call lists at theatre companies who call me when they need help with grunt work.
The reality is, unless you are lucky and keep trying, you will not be able to get one long term job to pay the bills in theatre. The vast majority of my friends working in theatre have to set up jobs 6 months in advance, and they typically last a month or two. This is the current reality that we live in but they don’t care, because they love the work. That is satisfaction that no amount of money can buy.
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