How to Network in the Theatre Industry and Not Feel Icky

Written By: Chelsea & Cynthia

As an actor, you know that one important aspect of 'making it' in the business is about who you know - but how can you leverage your existing relationships and create new ones without feeling icky?

We've been there, which is why we want to break down what networking really is, why it's necessary, and how to do it without experiencing uncomfortable feelings. 

So, what are we talking about when we say networking?

In the business world, it's a process of making connections and building relationships, while also exchanging information and ideas among people with a common profession or a special interest. 

So in our industry, networking is all about exchanging information and ideas among all of us musical theater nerds. 😉 It's a way of ensuring that you have a group of contacts that you can draw on when you need help, support, a job or simply to talk through a problem.

Sometimes just having these informal conversations can also help you find unadvertised jobs. Like, "Hey, I have a friend who's doing a reading next week and somebody dropped out at the last minute. You would be perfect for it." If you had not had that introductory conversation, you would never even know about that opportunity

Finally, networking is a great way to help fellow actors and others in the business. There's always the potential that you can recommend somebody for a job, which makes everybody look good. It makes the person who did the recommendation look good because they've helped solve a problem, it makes the person who got recommended look good because they are now hopefully a solution to a problem, and it helps the person who had the problem in the first place.

It's easy to get intimidated by networking because it feels like you're just trying to get things from other people. But if you look at the root of the word network, it's simply a fully integrated community with two-way information and exchange of ideas. And the more people that you can be in touch with, the better.

How does someone get started creating their network? Read (industry news) every day.

Unless you know who's in the business and what's happening, it's really hard to gauge how to reach out to those in the industry.

Some of our, some of our favorite websites and resources to read to be 'in the know' are:

• New York Times Arts and Leisure
• Broadway Briefing (A daily email that comes to your email)
• Playbill

But the point is, just take 10 minutes to keep yourself up to date on shows that are opening, shows that are closing, who are the actors, who are the creative team members, and start to get these names buzzing in your head - so that if you get a chance to meet one of them, you know of an easy conversation starter.

Let's dive into the nitty-gritty - how can we network and start to reach out to people without feeling icky? 

1. Put Some Time Into Your Existing Relationships

Who do you already know? Make a list because chances are, you know far more people than you realize. Even the person you went to high school with that's now a costume designer, or who is the person you went to college with that's now an associate director on tour, or who are the directors and choreographers and music directors that you've worked with in any show back from your summer stock or on the cruise ship that you did, or the community theater production. 

Put all those names together and that gives you a great opportunity to connect. One of the easiest ways to reach out is simply to say, "Hey, you were on my mind. I haven't talked to you in a long time and I just thought I'd say hi and see how you were doing" and leave it at that. The most important part of is just reconnecting. There's no ask, there's no agenda. It's simply reconnecting to build some relationships back again.  

2. Go To Events

There are so many more events to attend than just Broadway shows (Which are usually really expensive)! Go to events like readings, concerts, cabarets, classes, master classes, open mic nights or even a  birthday party of a friend from college who you haven't seen in a long time. The bottom line: show up.

We understand that for some of us, this is a little bit of a tricky thing to do, but challenge yourself to simply show up and introduce yourself to at least one person. That's enough. If you can introduce yourself to 10 people, even better. But going to events and introducing yourself to people is such a great way to start building (and expanding) your network and community.

3. Follow Up With Your New Contacts Right Away

If you meet someone at an event or at a party, follow up the next day with a quick text, email or DM. Depending on how well you got to know that person, you might even suggest a follow-up with a cup of coffee or lunch. Use your best judgment - if it was a really quick introduction, that's probably a step too far. But if you had a 45-minute chat at a party, then it might be a natural next step to ask them to meet up.

Also, proactive share information that you think might be useful i. For example, you might follow up with someone and say, "Hey, it was so great to meet you last night. I loved seeing you sing at 54 Below. I wanted to let you know I have a concert coming up at Joe's Pub in a couple of weeks!"

You might also share an article like, "Hey, we were talking about such and such last night. I ran across this article I thought you might be really interested in." It's really no different than getting to know someone after having a first date. Just find ways that you think might be interesting and allow you to continue to make a deeper connection with someone. 

4. Keep It Casual And Use Humor

Most people in their real life do keep it casual and do use humor, but then when we get into this networking bubble, we get kind of weird or frozen and think that there's a different way to do it.

But remember, you are simply trying to build relationships and make connections. So think of it like a personal relationship, rather than creating unnecessary pressure that you need to "meet useful people" or "find a job" - you're just trying to start conversations.

Also, remember that when you're having a conversation it's a two-way process. Try not to be the only one talking, you also want to listen, ask questions, be curious, and focus on the other person.

Expect that this conversation's going to go well, expect you're going have something interesting to say and so will they. If you enter into a conversation with some enthusiasm and a sense of fun, the other person is likely to pick up on that energy as well, and you're going to have a great little conversation.

5. Use Social Media

Social media makes it so easy to stay in touch with people you already know and also to reconnect with folks that you haven't talked to in a while. 

And it's also a way to make contact with new folks that you've never met. You can start commenting, DMing, and liking their things on social and thus initiate a new relationship (even if it begins online!) 
 

6. If You're Going To Be Using Social Media, Keep Your Online Presence Up To Date

If you do reach out to someone new, expect that they might check out your profile. So if you want to make a good first impression, make sure that what they are going to discover is what you want them to discover.

If you have an old video up there or those drunken pictures from your sophomore year of college, you may want to consider curating your social media presence (and your YouTube videos) so that it just feels like a good representation of who you are now.

7. When You Plan To Ask For Something, Try To Keep It As Simple As Possible

For example, if you intend to reach out to a casting director in the hopes that you might be seen for something - keep it really simple. Simply ask for what you're hoping to be seen for.

People send us messages all the time where they're asking for some kind of favor or advice, and there's so much, we don't even know where to start to address their needs, or which of their needs is most important, and it's overwhelming and that makes it less likely that we can even help. But for those who ask a really simple question, chances are we are going try and make it work.

The reality is that the more simple the ask, in a very short message, the more likely you are to receive a positive response.

8. Have An Elevator Pitch

Imagine that someone asks you the classic, "Tell me about yourself!", this is where most people will go down a spiral of sharing information that isn't necessary or relevant if they haven't thought about their answer ahead of time.

And honestly, any of those 'get to know you' questions, can be really anxiety-inducing for actors because many aren't always consistently working and may feel like they have nothing of value to share. 

So, if you know you're going to a party or an event, put a little bit of thought ahead of time into some of these questions that people might ask you.

And try to find some confidence in your response. A lot of us tend to get really self-deprecating and feel like we're being arrogant or overly confident if we say nice things about ourselves. But that's not the case It can be really exciting when someone answers with confidence and security. You might not even have a lot of confidence or security, but you can practice so that it seems as if you do. 

The other thing you can do is include a fun fact about yourself, because, again, it's a fun way to build connections with people, and the way we build connections with people isn't always just through musical theater. You may find that you have a favorite book or tv series in common, or recently traveled to the same location. From there you can easily continue the conversation, build the relationship and strengthen your connection beyond the initial introduction. 

9. Always Say Thank You

Hopefully, everybody knows this, but if you've reached out to anybody and gotten a response, say thank you. If someone gave you a piece of useful information, say thank you. If they met you for coffee, definitely say thank you. Even if you just went to their cabaret the night before and it really moved you, write a note the next day. 

There are a million reasons to say thank you to people - and doing so strengthens your relationship and makes them feel properly appreciated. Thus increasing the likelihood of them continuing the relationship on their end as well. 

10. Keep A Spreadsheet

On this spreadsheet, keep track of when you reach out, their response, and when you'll follow up. And just repeat that cycle again with every new contact or continuation of the relationship.

Let's say you reach out to someone and ask them for a cup of coffee because you want to pick their brain and they respond and say that their calendar is booked for the next few months, but to feel free to reach out again sometime in May or June.

Great! You'll keep track of that response in your spreadsheet so that you remind yourself come May or June to reach out again.

This is also an organized way of noticing that you haven't talked to someone in six months and that it might be a good time to reach out again.

There are a lot of reasons to follow up with connections, but it's helpful to keep track of how they responded because that ensures that you'll never reach out too often and become a bother - because you'll have the receipts of the exact timeline of your relationship! 

Networking is such an important aspect of earning success in the theatre industry, and it doesn't have to be a slimy practice. With the appropriate tactics and intentions, networking can be a fantastic way to build your web of relationships and produce opportunities for yourself you may have never encountered without! 

If you're interested in diving deeper into this topic or exploring other interesting musical theatre conversations - check out the Broadway Vocal Coach podcast! Or check us out on Instagram, and get involved in the conversation! 

And if you’re ready to get expert mentorship and ongoing training, then you’re invited to join us inside the BVC membership. Book a free consult with us - we can’t wait to hear your story and help you take the next step in your career.