COVID Career Changes: Thoughts on Returning to Jobs in Theatre

It’s no secret that the pandemic devastated the careers of countless performing arts workers across the country. In a matter of weeks, thousands were out of a job and faced with the prospect of stepping back from the field for which they had spent years and countless hours training, in order to do something completely different.

After such a difficult time, it’s been more than a relief to see friends posting positive social media updates about their return to the theatre now that we’re beginning to reopen. But for some, the forced COVID career change, though unwelcome, has been a time to reflect on their work in the theatre and to reevaluate what the future holds. 

To better understand how theatre workers on hiatus are feeling in this tumultuous time, I spoke with various artists and technicians about their recent career changes and about what they hope their futures will hold. Their responses provided insight into what we’ll continue to see as theaters reopen and jobs become available again.

When it comes to theatre, the competitive and challenging nature of the field has likely caused basically every single technician, actor, director, etc. to question their career choice at least once. While some spoke of the pandemic as the only reason for their drastic career change, others expressed previous difficulties that were simply exacerbated by the arrival of COVID-19.

“With productions shutting down and no real way to bring in income, I needed to pivot,” said Kristy Chambrelli, who hopes to return to the theatre once it is safe to do so.

Contrastingly, Allie McLoughlin expressed, “I felt unfulfilled in my theater job pre-pandemic and was looking into other jobs in the arts. Once COVID hit, I saw how uncertain the market would be and looked to switch.” 

And Megan Crockett explained her struggles, saying, “Given that I was having difficulty receiving union status, it meant that I had to have a day job and do non-union theatre in the evening. But with the few opportunities I had to work on a union show with no guarantee of union status, I had to pick between leaving a full-time job for uncertainty, or remaining a person that other non-theatre folk look at and say ‘Oh, so theater is like your hobby then, since you only do it in the evenings?’”

Moving from theatre to other fields, those out of a job also faced the challenge of finding a new position that fit their needs and utilized the skills they had gained through their work in theatre. Those I spoke with now work in a range of positions, including cosmetology, nonprofit development, project management, retail, medical coding, and small business ownership. 

“Theatre is a great foundation for development. It taught me to read people well and think on my feet, as well as adapt to a variety of personalities. Directing theatre taught me to strategize which is helpful when making long-term plans,” said Allie McLoughlin. “ I think the most important thing theatre gave me was a work ethic. There’s no time to say no in theatre, and you jump into everything head first — that’s been a great skill to bring to an office.”

Megan Crockett elaborated, “As a stage manager, it was easy to take skills like organizing, planning, ability to work with large groups of diverse people, customer service-oriented, and an ‘all hands on deck’ attitude to just about any job. Individuals who have interviewed me who know nothing of theatre often ask about stage management and why I have it on my resume, and when I go into detail, they suddenly understand how many of my skills are completely transferable and make me a good candidate for the position.”

Finding a job that is doable and fits one’s theatrical skill set is one thing, but it’s another to question whether you’re happy with your switch. While some struggled to find a fulfilling path outside of their theatre careers, others found a new kind of happiness in their new path.

“I think with most career paths you can look back and say hmm... I zagged. I wonder what it would have been like if I zigged,” said Megan Crockett. “The pandemic, unfortunately, gave me a lot of time to ponder those thoughts. I think I am doing well in my career and I can find happiness within it.”

Kristy Chambrelli expressed, “I am happy. I don’t think I can compare the two paths and say I was happier before or am happier now. Both paths are interesting and are not without their challenges but I am definitely open to seeing what lies ahead.”

It can also be life-altering to move from an unpredictable industry like theatre to something with more stability and financial opportunity. It’s caused many to question whether or not they hope to return to the theatre now that it seems like a real possibility again. 

“I do miss working in theatre,” said one stage manager and audio technician who chose to remain anonymous. “But, working in a corporate environment does have benefits that I have not experienced before. Paid time off, a 5-day workweek with evenings off, and just generally not having to worry about constantly seeking out that next contract.”

“I know I will never officially leave the theatre, but I do often wonder what position would make me drop everything and jump back into the life of theatre as a full-time job,” elaborated Megan Crockett. “I think it would be absolutely great to use my degree and have a job in it. But I'm not actively searching for a new role.” 

Others feel ready to return but understandably express nervousness about what the possibilities are. When asked if she hoped to return to theatre again, Kristy Chambrelli said, “I do. I also realize that we are walking into a very different job market than before. As a director, there is only one of me in the room. It’s going to take time to be back in the fold the way I once was.”

While there’s a definite relief that theatre is returning and job postings are appearing once again, there is also a hesitance among those who have had to pivot. I spoke with many who hoped to continue to participate in theatre as a hobby but wondered if they felt comfortable returning to the industry. 

And among those who do want to return, there is still a concern about how soon that might be possible. Will the industry stay as competitive as it currently is? For those who were young and early career, will they be able to jump back in where they left off? And what if something like this were to happen again? What if there’s another shutdown? The worry is fresh and tangible. With so many unknowns, it can be difficult to know what comes next.

From a personal standpoint, my hope is of course that those who wish to return to theatre are able to do so and that those who are on other paths are able to find something both fulfilling and well-suited to their abilities. While I believe we will see an uptick in career changes out of the arts, I think there will also continue to be a great relief for many as performing arts workers are employed once again.

I believe that we’re seeing yet another way in which the industry has been forced to pause and evaluate the way of life we’ve allowed ourselves to lead. We continue to face the same questions: Is there a healthier way to create the work that we want to create? Can people work in theatre and find the stability and work-life balance they hope to achieve? Can we foster an appreciation for the arts that will allow workers to pursue a theatre career without such an intense struggle to get by?