Write a Winning Theater Resume (with Example & Tips)

Working within the theater industry, you might find yourself with some duties, such as: 

• Preparing and operating the equipment needed for recording the video/visuals. 
• Coordinating performers onstage and offstage to ensure a successful performance. 
• Assisting through rehearsals and practices to support performers. 

For the wide variety of jobs in the theater, different theater resumes and/or theater CV will be needed. Some of the examples include:  

• Cinema theater resume
• Movie theater resume 
• Musical theater resume
• Stage management resume
• Technical theater resume

With the ten simple steps below, you will find yourself effortlessly creating a spot-on theater resume for the theater role you enter.

Begin by selecting a suitable theatrical resume template style to ensure that you have a structured outline to add the contents later. 

The length of your theater resume template will ideally be a page long to keep the hiring manager interested in reviewing your background. 

Though creativity is highly important within the theater industry, you will want to avoid choosing an over-the-top text font for your theater resume. 

A traditional text font, such as Helvetica or Arial, can be just as effective in showing your content. Keep the text legible by setting the size between 10-12pt, the line spacing between 1.2-1.5, and the margins at one inch. 

While it is more recommended to save resumes in PDF format, you will want to check the theater job description to confirm that the employer does not have any preferences.

Before you can start adding contents to your theater resume, you will want to decide on a suitable format.

• Chronological resume format:
  • Work experience in reverse chronological order
  • Not recommended for people career gaps 

• Functional resume format:
  • Skills-based
  • Not effective if you lack relevant theater skills

• Combinational resume format:
  • Emphasizes both skills and work experience
  • May be too lengthy

The format for your theater resume is similar to a storyboard of a performance. Finding the fitting style can help you tell your story effectively.

The contact information section of your theater resume is a pre-credit scene to introduce you to the employer.

A headline title for your theater resume, similar to a mini trailer of a performance, is a short yet captivating introduction of your abilities and achievements. 

• Use uppercase letters to promote the visibility of your theater resume headline.   
• Attract the employer’s attention by featuring your strongest attainments in your theater resume headline. 
• Feature the headline of your theater resume right after your name.

The summary statement for your theater resume is your opportunity to set the scene for the hiring manager. 

• Start the summary of your theater resume with a fascinating adjective. 
• Showcase two to three of your most impressive skills or knowledge in your theater resume summary. 
• Be concise with your theater resume summary by limiting it to two to three lines. 

The skills section of your theater resume is where you will shine the light on what you excel in. Begin by determining the best style to list your theater-related skills in the resume:

• Bullet lists - a clear overview of all your relevant skills in your theater resume.
• Expanded bullet lists - a detailed version of your relevant skills for your theater resume.
  
• Integrating skills with work experience - shows how you use skills.
• Categorized skills section - orderly presents a wide range of theater-related skills  in your theater resume. 
  

Theater Resume Skills Examples:

The experience section for your theater resume lets you show the hiring manager your theater-related experience, from internships, volunteer, part-time positions, and etc.

✅  3 extra tips to help you cast an amazing experience section for your theater resume:

• Select accomplishments to put in your theater resume based on the job description.
• Feature quantifiable examples in your theater resume for award-winning reactions.  
• Start the sentence in the work history section of your theater resume with action verbs to captivate the employer.  

The education section of your theater resume shows your early preparation for your career path into the theater world.

For a fresh graduate or inexperienced theater job applicant, you will want to place your educational background after the objective (or summary) section of your theater resume. 

For an experienced applicant, such as if you are sending in a theater director resume, you will want to place your educational background after your list of work achievements. 

Examples of additional achievements for your theatrical resume: 

• Hobbies and interests: 
  • Include them in an “areas of interest” section
  • Suitable for fresh graduates or job seekers with space left in their theater resume
  • Example: Storytelling, writing blogs, traveling, etc.  
    
• Volunteer work:
  • Put in the “work experience” section 
  • Example: Performance production volunteer at STC theater
    
• Certification and awards:
  • Example: Theater and Community Engagement Certification
    
• Projects:
  • Example: The Choral Movement Script Project
    
• References:
  • Example: Mr. Seo On - Theater Director, former direct supervisor

• Contact Details:
  Similar to your theater resume, you will want to provide your full name, email address, phone number, and current address for the employer in the beginning of the cover letter for a theater job.

• Introduction:
  Start your introduction to the employer by politely addressing him or her and providing a summary about who you are. 

• Motivation:
  Provide the reasons behind your application—what attracted you to the role and/or the company. 

• Qualification:
  For the main content of your theater cover letter, you will want to provide examples to convince the employer that you fit the theater position. 

• Closing:
  As a grand finale of your theater cover letter, you will want to politely thank the employer for his or her time. 

With the help of a well-structured theater resume template, these ten steps, and the theater resume example for a tech theater resume, you will find forming a theater resume that will shine through the application process.