A Career in Theatre...

This information is drawn from a conversation with Leticia Caceres, Artistic Director of Tantrum Theatre.

Originally from Argentina, Leticia saw Drama as an opportunity to gain confidence and to expand her English skills. On finishing high school she studied at The Queensland University of Technology, undertaking what was then the Drama open strand course, majoring in direction. She then completed Honours, where she focused on political theatre.

In 2000 Leticia undertook a mentorship with Michael Gow through the Young Artists Mentoring Program (YAMP). The same year she began RealTV with a kindred spirit, Angela Betzien, whom she had met at uni. RealTV's productions are highly acclaimed, touring regional with Queensland Arts Council, as well as festivals and state performance centres. Leticia's mentorship provided her with nine months of experience under Gow at Queensland Theatre Company (QTC), giving her the skills to move on to a role as Intern Director at QTC and then Associate Director.

In 2005 she received the Lord Mayor's Fellowship for Excellence in the Arts, which led her back to Argentina where she studied under Juan Carlos Gene for six months. On returning to Brisbane she found there was not a lot of work but, with energy and ideas to burn, she found the role she still currently holds, Artistic Director of Tantrum, and so she made the move to Newcastle.

Fast Facts

Try before you buy
Volunteer - this is the only way you will know if you really want to be in the performing arts.

Network
Network at opening nights, festivals, conferences, artist talks, closing night parties, uni drama parties - when people are dreaming up their upcoming projects.

Find like-minded people
Look at the Wiggles!

Seek out mentors
Find industry members that you admire. They are essential in every artist's career!

Have a full life
Travel; go to art galleries, book readings, and poetry readings, see dance, read lots, get political, take risks, pay attention...

Make mistakes, don't be too up yourself, play nice, don't drink too much caffeine, don't listen to your parents, and do listen to your parents...
GET A DIARY, learn to budget and go to the theatre!

Skills / Experience Required

  • curious (test everything out)
  • organised
  • committed (live and breath your work)
  • open to new experience/training (pursue mentorships, do courses)
  • engage with the industry (opening nights, awards nights, festivals, conferences; ask lecturers to get artists you like in to class)

Extras

University can give you more than just an education. It does not teach you how to be an artist, but does help you to work out if want to be artist and, if so, in what capacity. You get to learn about the heritage of your career; you see the trials of working in the industry as well as the reasons why people have battled on. Most drama courses are selective so you are working with like-minded, passionate people.

Build your body of work. Not just at uni or within your training institute, but through multiple extra curricular activities as well...

Work with professional practitioners. Be aware of the role of others - even better, get experience in these other roles. Anyone involved in the artistic process should have a basic grasp of all roles.

Access professional services. Enter competitions; join support organisations like Playlab Scriptwriting Australia, Queensland Writer's Centre; read their newsletters/mags/zines.

Don't forget your peers.Do not under estimate your class-mates, they are the next generation developing beside you.

Reality Check

Ups...

  • the love
  • the impact of the work you create
  • the opportunity to travel
  • learning a form that is able to engage cross-culturally
  • physically and mentally rewarding

Downs...

  • low pay (an Artistic Director of a youth theatre company earns about $40,000 for at least a 50 hour week)
  • your career is relentless (can break up relationships, put strain on your love ones, consume your weekends)
  • stressful

Education Options: more general information

In Queensland:

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

University of Southern Queensland (USQ)

The geographic isolation seems to work to students' advantage; they seem focused and exciting to work with.

  • Theatre Arts

    • TAFE

    Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA)

  • Performing Arts

    • Out of the State:

    Alternative Pathways

    Directors especially, try and get in on a uni or local production as an assistant director. This will give you great insight. Same goes for design - get in as an assistant designer. In fact, this idea goes for all jobs within the theatre industry, the more work you do, the more experience and skills you gain.

    Other ideas...

    As an actor/director you need to understand performance principles and stage craft. Training with companies dedicated to body and voice as well as devising and composition is recommended.

    Zen Zen Zo and Frank Theatre offers excellent courses; their training is physically demanding on the body. You need to be fit to train in Suzuki and Viewpoints but it drums in the importance of discipline and focus, crucial ingredients for workers in the theatre industry.

    DeBase offers excellent clown courses, which are useful for understanding the relationship between performer and audience. It also frees up actors so that they can explore their spontaneity and imagination. But be warned: you may wet your pants from laughing too much!

    If you are about wanting performance opportunities, you can't go past Backbone Youth Arts. This organisation caters for those interested in the performing arts and is committed to connecting you with the industry and teaching young artists the nuts and bolts of a creative process.

    Find out more about

    Overseas training courses: the Lecoq School in France (mime); studios/schools in London/NewYork (eg RADA, LAMDA, Mountview, Rose Bruford, East15, the Actor's Studio, Juilliard and more); or study theatrical traditions in Japan (Noh, Butoh, kabuki) or the rich tradition in puppetry of Japan, Indonesia, and many other countries. It is a matter of aligning yourself with a company or institution that suits the kind of work you want to do.

    What do you want to be?

    Occupations theatre studies can lead to:
    actor, director, designer, lighting designer, sound designer/soundscape artist, stage manager, technical crew/mechanist, production manager, entrepreneur/producer, reviewer/critic, teacher, drama therapist, playwright, performance writer, multi-disciplinary performer, installation artist, video/film performer/maker, advertising/creative worker, writing/performing support organisation workers, community cultural worker'

    Make sure to check out the more artist profiles section to find out how other theatre and drama practitioners established a career in the industry.

    DISCLAIMER
    Please note that the information is provided in good will only. Youth Arts Queensland and the contributors do not warrant that any of the information provided is free from errors or omission. Youth Arts Queensland and the contributor disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you might incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way, and for any reason.