How To Successfully Network Online In Theatre
by Hannah Renee Crawford, Guest Editorial
There are hundreds of thousands of theatres worldwide, from New York City to small rural places overseas that put on productions. Everywhere you look, there are performers and artists; in some way, they all seem connected.
Have you ever gone to a Broadway show, met someone, and found out they knew so and so from your hometown community theatre? Or you go in for a job and find out they know the artistic director from the theatre you just came from? The repetitive verse of It’s a Small World After All keeps ringing in my ears.
As a Creative Director for a performing arts center for four years, I hired for staff and contract positions in theatre, music, and dance. With the possibility of meeting people who know the people you’ve worked with in the past, let’s look at the power of networking.
What Are Ways to Network?
The best way to network in this day and age is to have an online presence. Create a portfolio website, have social media channels that showcase what you do, and don’t downplay the importance of meeting for coffee.
Let’s look at three ways we can network appropriately online.
1. Create professional social media channels. We have a wide array of social media platforms to use, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok (if that still exists in the United States).
Make sure you pick a platform you know well and can stay up with consistently. I personally use LinkedIn and Instagram. I use LinkedIn as a professional place to list my accomplishments (whether theatre or other career-related news) and foster new relationships with potential opportunities.
I use Instagram as an image portfolio, so to speak. Pictures are worth a thousand words. While you might be a master at putting together a stellar resume, it is nothing compared to a potential job seeker (aka networking opportunity) seeing you in action at your craft via your profile. Using professional pictures is absolutely a wonderful thing to add to your portfolio.
However, the “real-life” pictures I’ve found tend to get noticed more. Make sure you add pictures of you in action. Whether that be directing, running sound in the booth, applying makeup to an actor, rigging lights ahead, or giving the pre-rehearsal announcements as the stage manager.
So, who do you follow on social media? You want to have what is called a curated feed. Your Instagram feed is probably filled with friends, cat videos, and random ads. My suggestion would be to create a separate IG account that is solely dedicated to what you do in theatre. Start following local theatres, performers and technicians, theatre-related news sites, local governance, and well-known performing arts centers worldwide.
Last, but certainly not least, look up the people who run these theatres and performing arts centers, and start to follow their profiles too.
This helps you to 1.) stay informed about the theatre industry. 2.) allows you the opportunity to have a perfect feed for networking so you can start commenting on posts you can bring value to.
2. Provide unique responses to social media posts. For example, when theatres or theatre professionals post a video or photo of a show they are working on, don’t hop in and say “Looks great!” or “Sounds incredible!”
Because while it might be, that’s not really helping to add worth in any way. You want to respond in a way that provides value to their post. Get them and other people reading your replies to notice you.
Instead, add substance to their post by sharing a positive experience you had working that show somewhere else. Provide a positive complement to one of the actors or actresses you see in the cast photo. Stay up to date on the latest theatre news and share your opinion on that in the comments.
Another great value you can add to a theatre’s post is by mentioning something else they did (another show, event, a press release, a pledge they are getting signatures for, current partnerships, etc.) Be informed about what they are doing, not just what they are currently posting. This makes you appear knowledgeable and well-informed, which will make others reading your comment notice you.
Also, as a general note for commenting on social media, you always want to comment positively. Once you put it out there, it’s there. Someone can screenshot your comment in a moment. Always be positive, as future networking opportunities may be watching. Even if that includes something non-theatre related you are commenting about.
3. Create a website to share as your official portfolio.
Now, this might be where I lose some of you.
“Create a website?! I can’t do that.”
Hold on now. Don’t think of this as those professional websites with widgets, drop-down menus, moving graphics, chatbots, and flows. That’s not what I’m talking about. It is just a simple website where you can list your accomplishments, share who you are, and what type of work you have done. Here are a few great website samples of performers I know.
WordPress is one of the most popular platforms to use. However, the one I recommend to all beginners is using Google Sites. They provide ready-made templates, where all you do is edit the text, upload your pictures, and pick a name for your website.
Creating a website gives you more credibility as a professional. It allows you to network with others easily. And it also gives you a platform to share your accolades without feeling like you’re being conceited.
Ensure all your information is correct on your social media pages and website. (Up-to-date phone, email, website, where you got your education, and more.)
I have personally had two people network with me from places I never even reached out to solely because they found me, saw where I got my education, and knew people at that school. We had zero in common and we didn’t know each other. But because they knew where I got an education, they immediately wanted to work with me.
Start Reaching Out!
You’ve done the hard part by creating a beautifully curated feed, up-to-date social media profiles, and a professional-looking website with your accomplishments. Now, all you have to do is start to network consistently with like-minded professionals and various theatres. I say various because don’t just stick with one.
As we know everyone in the theatre community is connected in some way. So, we must broaden the scope of who we follow and network with.
In addition to social media, don’t ever downplay the importance of “cold emails.” Put together a short email that includes who you are, why you’re reaching out, a link to your website, and a hope for future collaboration at the end.
Let’s look at the example below of a stage manager looking for work.
(Subject headline) Stage Manager + Open to Work
To Whom It May Concern: (Personalize this with first and last name if you have the direct email for the person you are reaching out to)
I am a freelance stage manager looking for new opportunities. In addition to stage management, I have extensive experience instructing youth classes, leading improv troupes, operating lighting boards, house management, event planning, and more.
Here is a link to my portfolio to provide you with a comprehensive overview of my work. This will give you a great idea of the type of work I do!
Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to the possibility of working with you on your next show.
Short and sweet is best. Most people who are reading emails from people they don’t know barely get past the first paragraph. Don’t just state the one thing you’re interested in (stage management) share a few other skills you have that make them interested enough to click on your website.
Keep these emails in a folder, and every six months, reach back out if they haven’t responded, but by adding a different value to your previous email.
It may seem like a long and arduous journey ahead of you. But, I guarantee that if you work in and start to network with others, it will pay off for you. Be consistent and don’t give up.