I made extra money during college as a work-study scenic technician for the university’s theatre and dance department. The experience was a lot of fun, and it was instrumental in helping me develop into the creative thinker and problem-solver I am today.

I often say that I think every actor should try out tech and design opportunities. Why? Here are a few ways working in the scene shop helped me, and can help you, too:

1. It helped me appreciate other peoples’ contributions to the theatre process

A theater production is like a puzzle, and the actors are only a few of the pieces. There are a number of other people who support, assist, and guide those actors, and their contributions are vital. If you’ve exclusively acted before and never participated in one of the many offstage and backstage roles required to produce a show, it’s hard to fully grasp the nature of the process.

I think all actors should try theatre tech for this reason. It rounds out your understanding of the show and the work everyone else is putting into it. It expands your knowledge of theatre similarly to how reading books other than fiction expands your reading ability– you can certainly prefer reading fiction, but being able to read other texts helps you become a stronger reader overall.

Having personal experience as a stage manager, for instance, helps you understand why the stage manager does what they do. It might help you to appreciate certain roles they enforce or recognize the importance of backstage etiquette.

Working in technical and artistic positions change the way you perceive theater itself. Working with props, costumes, or sets can impact how you interact with these elements, because you now have a better grasp of their import and usage. The result is an actor who is more aware of the artistry around them, and who is able to harness that awareness for the benefit of themselves and others.

2. It taught me useful theatre and life skills

Working in the scene shop taught me how to use power tools. I learned how to weld and how to lift heavy objects safely. I learned to protect myself and those around me with important safety procedures. I also developed a slew of soft skills: I learned the importance teamwork, of communication, of “measure twice, cut once,” and so much more…

Like I said in the last section, these skills definitely helped me as an actor. These are also useful abilities for a director or stage manager. Directors and stage managers have to do a lot of creative problem solving– being comfortable fixing an issue on the fly is key. Having technical skills makes one more equipped to do so.

But more critically, these skills are helpful for life overall. Getting familiar with power tools and how to use them safely means I don’t worry when I have to fix something at home or work, for instance.

Working in the scene shop ended up being a very practical investment for my daily and artistic life!

3. It looks great on my resume

Deserved or not, actors are often stereotyped as egotistical, selfish, and emotionally volatile. They’re categorized as flakey and frivolous. I don’t think this is the truth– categorical generalizations rarely are– but the idea is there, and I think actors benefit from some diverse credits on their resume to balance out this notion.

Even if no one looks at your resume, mentioning that you have technical experience gives the impression that you are a more well-rounded and overall useful candidate.

The benefits don’t end with your theatre resume, either. After working in the scene shop, I interviewed for a retail position. In the interview, the interviewer and I struck up a spirited conversation about welding, and I impressed her with my story of picking up the skillset quickly. I got the job.

4. It made me a more creative director

I have acted, stage managed, designed props, made costumes, built and painted sets, created my own sfx files, and ran light boards. These many opportunities mean that when I have to solve a problem as a director, I have a wealth of experience to synthesize a solution from. I don’t shy away from creative problem-solving, because I have been creative and solved a lot of problems in my theatrical career. I can’t overstate how useful this has been. The more diverse skills you acquire, the broader your range of options when faced with a challenge.

Or, in a more positive sense, you can think of it as having more colors available on your palette to make a painting with. Learning about many disciplines means you can draw from your expanded knowledge of those disciplines while coming up with ideas. Not only is your ability to capture what you see in your imagination heightened, but your imagination itself is expanded, too.

I always recommend that directors try out as many different tech and design positions as they possibly can. It has served me well!

5. It lead me to make meaningful connections

Working collaboratively with others is a great networking opportunity. Good technicians are always being recommended by word of mouth– “I’ve worked with a person who would be great for this.” The better work you do and the better reputation you build, the more connections you will make. Connections are critically important for anyone in the performing arts!

The scene shop expanded both my social and professional circles with some lifelong friends and allies. I am so thankful to maintain good relationships with many of these people!

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Overall, working in the scene shop was an incredibly beneficial experience for me, and in a myriad of ways. I’m always recommending technical work to actors and theatre people because it’s just so useful. If you have the opportunity, I can’t recommend enough that you take it!