What Musical Theatre School Taught Me About Being An Executive Assistant
Any time I’ve interviewed for an executive assistant job, there’s a fun part (usually at the beginning) when I discuss how my career began. Before taking a comprehensive read of my resume, recruiters probably expect me to talk about a passion for business, an undergraduate degree, or even an internship that led to something full time; In reality, it started with some jazz hands.
Growing up I always loved performing and being on stage. I took dance classes, sang in choirs, participated in speech competitions, and nabbed the leading role of Mrs. Claus in “The Night the Reindeer Rocked”. In addition to this creative streak and a passion for being in the spotlight, I was also a Type A overachiever. I brought home good grades, did my homework without issue, and participated in every possible extracurricular I could.
In my final year of high school, I had a full course load, solid grades, 2 drama classes with regular performances, and got to chronicle my classmates’ experience as yearbook editor. I was torn between attending a private musical theatre college or doing an arts undergraduate degree in english/theatre. I was offered scholarships from universities and really weighed my options; In the end, I decided that musical theatre school was the path for me.
Theatre school is a unique and challenging experience that is tough to explain for those who haven’t gone through it. For me it involved two intense, non-stop years of acting, singing and dancing with a small group of intense, non-stop people who wanted to be superstars. I learned a lot about myself in those years, formed some strong relationships, and honed my craft as a performer. I donned pink tights and hauled my butt to school for 8am ballet class. I perfected the ideal spinal roll down (vertebrae by vertebrae) in voice and text. Directors challenged me to dig deeper in monologues, and tap into my more painful life experiences. I chose repertoire that wasn’t overdone or too obscure, but suited my voice for musical theatre performance. The most academic course I took was theatre history. I got to perform Shakespeare, Sondheim and Celine Dion. Over the course of two years I acted, sang, and danced my heart out, with few breaks or space to process. For our final shows I got to play 2 dynamic, complex characters, and left musical theatre school with some uncertainty about what I would do next, plus a whole lot of musical theatre school debt.
Throughout college I worked in retail, and about a month after I graduated, a receptionist role came up at the company’s head office. I was encouraged to apply, and I’m pretty sure I got the job because I had a passion for the brand and smiled a lot. It seemed like a great opportunity for me to gain some stability and pay off the aforementioned student loans. I held this admin job for over two years before interviewing (and landing) my first executive assistant role supporting a CFO and EVP.
Cut to present day, where I now have more than ten years experience as an executive assistant. In between various EA jobs, I’ve performed on stages across Toronto, made appearances in commercials, and created my own work. There are times when I miss performing, but I made the decision to focus on this career path and I’m really happy here. While maybe a little unconventional, I realize that musical theatre school armed me with many skills that helped me to succeed as an executive assistant. Here’s what I learned along the way:
Be prepared
Two intensified years of theatre school taught me the basics of what to prep for auditions including:
- a headshot and resume (stapled together)
- a fully memorized monologue
- a binder full of diverse contrasting sheet music, carefully taped together with cuts clearly notated
- and likely some tights and high-heeled character shoes if there was a possibility of a dance call
While it’s possible that you wouldn’t need or use all of these things for each audition, being unprepared and forgetting any one of these items could be a recipe for disaster. While the supply list may look a bit different at the office, being prepared and proactive as an executive assistant will help you to elevate your career. It’s up to you to be ready to go with everything that’s needed (briefing notes, answers to questions, supplies, agendas, dinner reservations, coffee, lunch catering — the list goes on and on) and you will be elevated to rock star status if you can be proactive and anticipate what will be required at any given time.
Do the work (especially the stuff others won’t see)
One of the first things we learned in acting class was how to break our monologues and scripts into beats and tactics with intentions. The basic premise is that every monologue, scene or song is broken into smaller pieces. These are your beats. In working towards your goal (your intention) you use various strategies (or tactics) to accomplish that objective. The end result of this work is a varied, nuanced, fascinating performance — but all of the work to accomplish this happens behind the scenes. No one sees the scribbles on your script, or the time spent devising and rehearsing these choices (except maybe your acting teaching in scene study 101) Executive Assistants are masters at performing tasks behind the scenes to make the end result amazing. Very few people see the calendar Tetris, the cat herding, or any number of not-so-glamourous tasks that help to hold everything together and ensure that others are set up for success. That work is vital.
Communication is key
In the theatre you work with all sorts of different people, with various roles and personalities. I had directors and teachers who weren’t shy about giving harsh critiques, and other teachers who were more passive in their approach. I learned how to tell a story through song. I did a tonne of scene work with my classmates, and learned to decipher the counts that choreographers threw at us. I took direction, critiques and feedback — much of which felt very personal. Some of this was intuitive and other parts were really hard, but working with all of these distinct, creative people gave me excellent perspective on communication that I still utilize all the time. The titles and roles may be different, but strong communication is key no matter what environment you’re in.
The show must go on
Theatre is live, which means that anything can happen. People get sick, misplace props, get stuck in costumes, trip on stairs, receive terrible news, flub lines, forget harmonies, and any number of other possible distractions and outcomes. The show must go on, and as a performer it’s up to you to be professional, adapt to what’s happening around you, and keep on keepin’ on. As an EA, anything can happen. People get sick, misplace documents, get stuck in airports, trip on words, receive terrible news, flub presentations, forget passports and any number of possible distractions and outcomes. The show must go on, and as an executive assistant it’s up to you to be professional, adaptable, and keep things running smoothly without a hint of chaos.
Fake it til you make it
I arrived in musical theatre school as an experienced singer and actor, but was placed in pre-beginner dance classes. (Oh yes, pre-beginner¹) Dance examinations and auditions stressed me out, and I always hoped that they would be after the singing call so I could dazzle the panel with my strengths and not be dismissed right off the bat. I learned how to keep smiling through anything related to dance and focus on the performance element, rather than get discouraged by the chassé pas de bourrée double pirouette. Sometimes this meant embarking on complex choreography and strategically positioning myself towards the back so that I could see a stronger dancer in my peripheral vision. I knew that if I could get past the dance call and book the show, I would work my butt off once cast to nail any dance numbers in the musical. As an executive assistant, you’re going to perform tasks you’ve never done before, take notes on topics that are beyond your scope, and be asked to make the impossible happen seamlessly. Say yes, be resourceful, and figure it out.
When all else fails, just breathe
While I had sang (and well, existed) my whole life, somehow I didn’t learn to breathe properly. In my very first lesson with my voice teacher, Jayne told me I had a beautiful voice but she was going to have to teach me how to breathe from my diaphragm. It was a blow to my ego, but an incredibly valuable skill. I learned to breathe deeply and consistently, and not only did it improve my singing, but also my life. Breathing is something that can be done anywhere and at any time. There are so many moments where taking a couple of solid, deep breathes from your diaphragm will help you feel more grounded, more secure, and ready to take on whatever task is thrown your way. Seriously. Just breathe.
So here I am. The plot to pay off my musical theatre school debt led me to a rewarding, challenging and fulfilling career that has evolved over time. While I may not be on stage much these days, I did recently get to host our company’s weekly Town Hall broadcast, and I still occasionally break out into song. I wouldn’t suggest budding assistants enrol in the nearest musical theatre college to get ahead, but my experience certainly helped to set me up for success.
And it’s one heck of a story to tell recruiters. Especially if you end it with some jazz hands.
¹To add insult to injury, Pre-Beginner Ballet was followed by Pre-Beginner 2 Ballet. I told you musical theatre school was a treat.
