How to Be a Live Theater Executive Director

The executive director of a live theater wears many hats. She is responsible for the operations of the building, oversees the staff, deals with the marketing the venue and makes sure that actors and directors stay on track. Managing a budget and reporting to the theater's Board of Directors are more stressful duties of the executive director. Try a few of these tips to be a live theater executive director.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Get a degree in leadership or business administration. While an MBA is not typically a requirement of the job, it can't hurt if you are in a competitive market.
2. Spend your summers either interning or volunteering at the theater. Take the opportunity to learn every job in the place. Work in the office, sell tickets, serve as an usher, do a little acting or at least work as a stagehand.
3. Determine which part of the country you want to live in as you near the end of your schooling. Usually only one or two live theater troops with an executive director in most towns, so you shouldn't count on a specific city at first.
4. Network at every opportunity with the board at the theater where you want to work. Find out when their current director may be leaving. Move on to another troupe if you learn that the executive director has been with the organizations for decades and is well loved. You'll never get the post at that venue.
5. Learn which theaters have a higher turnover of executive directors. You may find small towns can offer a good first stop for rookies out of school. Alternatively, you may try for a lower position at a theater where you know the director is not thoroughly ensconced in the job. Then you could be poised for promotion.

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