Member-only story
Acting Lessons
Learning business management skills from an acting gig
I have lived in LA for four years now; I suspect I’m one of the few that moved here not to find fame and fortune, but for a business career. Almost by accident, I was cast in a play at a small local theater and eventually ended up co-directing a different run of the same show.
As someone with Masters degrees (Business Admin and Strategic Management) and no experience with artists or performing, being a part of a theater was an eye-opening experience. Instead of a stereotypical artistic atmosphere full of peculiar and creative people, I found that the theater has lessons to teach the business world.
Leaders don’t need to announce that they are leaders.
As a brand-new cast member who had never even held a script, I was thankful for Lindsay, a talented actress who had previously performed in different runs of this same play. Her acting was impeccable, and she rarely missed a line. Lindsay helped the rest of us shine by assisting us with timing and character analysis. On the nights that Lindsay was in our cast, we performed flawlessly. When Lindsay went on vacation, we realized how much she did that we didn’t notice. Lindsay was the one to make sure we all had our props, set up the stage for the first scene, change her pacing when we were missing lines, and stepping in to cover for us if…
