All Ohio’s a stage: theater students explore careers in regional theater at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

For nine Ohio University School of Theater students, a spring visit to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company offered more than a behind-the-scenes look at a professional theater. It was an opportunity to explore potential careers, build relationships with working theater professionals and alumni in the state and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to build a life in the arts beyond the nation’s largest theater markets.

The experiential learning opportunity, supported by a $5,000 grant from Ohio University’s Experiential Learning office, began with a daylong visit to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in April. Students toured the company’s facilities, had lunch with staff members, learned about the organization and its mission, attended a preview performance of “Pericles” and participated in a talkback. The group also had dinner with an Ohio University School of Theater alumna working professionally in Cincinnati.

The visit was designed as the first step in a broader effort to connect School of Theater students with professional theaters in Ohio’s major cities.

“For many years, I have believed that one of our responsibilities as a public institution is to cultivate relationships with the professional theaters that shape the cultural life of Ohio,” Rachel Cornish, associate director of the School of Theater, said. “The immediate educational value is clear: students learn differently when they encounter accomplished artists at work and they also begin to understand the expectations and rhythms of the profession firsthand. Just as important, however, is helping students recognize that sustainable careers can be built in communities across our own state, not only in New York, LA, or Chicago. By connecting students with Ohio's professional theater community while also engaging with our alumni already living in these cities, we create a network that supports emerging artists and will strengthen the creative workforce of Ohio. Cincinnati was a natural place to begin this program because of its exceptional theater ecosystem and the remarkable community of Ohio University alumni who are already helping to shape it.”

Following the initial visit, School of Theater students Sarah Johnson and Sarah Stepleman were selected by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for a weeklong job-shadowing experience in July. Johnson shadowed members of the company’s education department, while Stepleman worked alongside Robert Stimmel, director of the company’s Shakespeare in the Park touring production of “Much Ado About Nothing.”

For Johnson, an acting major with a minor in marketing who hopes to become a theater teacher, the experience offered an opportunity to explore the education side of a professional theater and see how the skills she is developing at OHIO could translate into a career.

Johnson said she chose Ohio University in part because of the breadth of opportunities available to students.

“I chose OU because I felt like I was getting the most out of the program,” Johnson said. “It had unique offerings rather than feeling cookie-cutter, and instead of tailoring the program to one type of student, it catered to a variety of different students. I really liked that, right off the bat, it gave students hands-on opportunities, such as directing and providing opportunities for playwrights to put on lab shows. There were so many performing opportunities for students overall.”

During her week in Cincinnati, Johnson observed a middle school Shakespeare camp serving about 40 students, participated in classes and helped teachers work with students. The experience gave her an opportunity to observe teaching strategies firsthand and consider how she might apply them in her own career.

“It was really interesting for me to see how these teachers captured the attention of middle schoolers, especially when working with a topic like Shakespeare,” Johnson said. “I feel like it gave me some ideas about how I could apply those tactics and approaches to my own career someday. Even the way they structured their days and activities was really helpful.”

Johnson also worked with Project 38, an educational initiative that helps students from various schools create projects inspired by Shakespeare before bringing them to the theater to share their work with an audience. Her work included researching schools in counties the initiative had not yet reached and developing a spreadsheet of potential schools for future engagement and outreach.

The experience helped Johnson see the breadth of work that goes into theater education beyond the classroom.

“I really felt as though I learned the inner workings of a regional theater and everything that goes into it, especially the education side of things like planning a camp, doing school outreach and understanding the various processes involved,” Johnson said. “It taught me a lot that will influence my future career.”

Johnson also was invited to a staff preview of “Dogberry and Verges are Scared,” a regional premiere written by one of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s actors, and attended a staff meeting with the company’s education director.

“The company was so great about letting us try new things and become acquainted with other departments,” Johnson said. “I was interested in seeing the Shakespeare in the Park performance, and they let me attend. They were so flexible in making sure I was getting the experience I wanted out of it.”

She said watching the company work together also gave her a new perspective as she prepares to direct a show herself.

“It was inspiring to see how they worked as a team, especially as I think about the way I intend to lead this semester as I direct a show,” Johnson said.

For Stepleman, an acting and management information systems major, the weeklong experience provided a different perspective. Having already interned with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, she was eager to learn how another Shakespeare company operated and to explore her interests in directing and fight choreography.

“I had already been interested in Shakespeare and had previously interned with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, so I wanted to see how this one worked,” Stepleman said. “I love Shakespeare, and it is an art form that I want to help introduce to younger people and get them excited about.”

Working with Stimmel during the “Much Ado About Nothing” production, Stepleman found that her role went well beyond simply observing.

“It was an incredible experience, and I didn’t know what to expect,” Stepleman said. “I felt like, as an outsider and a younger voice who was only there for a week, I would probably sit back and watch. But I was invited in to provide feedback and help make decisions, and I’m so appreciative of that.”

Stepleman said Stimmel’s collaborative approach allowed her to contribute in ways she had not expected from a job-shadowing experience.

“I quickly learned that Rob had a very collaborative process,” she said. “I was allowed to give feedback and voice my opinion, which is not always the case, especially when you’re there to shadow. They let me contribute and have a much more substantial experience. I was even able to take notes during the designer run and offer my feedback.”

One of the highlights of Stepleman’s week was observing the production’s fight choreography, an area of theater in which she has a particular interest.

“I was really excited because, on my first day there, they had their fight choreographer working on all of the fights,” Stepleman said. “That’s an area I’m very interested in, so I was able to sit in and watch how the fights were choreographed and how they were done safely. I also got to see the turnaround time for actors to learn the choreography in a short amount of time. It really cemented my passion for fight choreography and directing.”

Stepleman also gained insight into the company’s educational programming and how teaching artists adapt their approaches for students with different levels of experience with Shakespeare.

“It was great to see how professional actors and newer Shakespeare actors work together,” Stepleman added. “I also got to watch the other teachers and see how they adjusted their approaches for students who might not have a lot of experience with Shakespeare. I was interested in seeing how they explained things in simpler terms without overcomplicating them.”

For both students, the experience reinforced the idea that a career in theater does not have to mean relocating to New York, Los Angeles or Chicago.

For Johnson, who is from Chicago, the week offered a new perspective on the possibilities available in regional theater.

“I was impressed by what they offer,” Johnson said. “It’s not just on Broadway or in the big cities. There is theater everywhere.”

Although Johnson said she may return to Chicago after graduation, she now sees Cincinnati and other regional theater communities as possibilities for her future.

“I think as long as I’m somewhere doing something that I’m passionate about and feeling fulfilled, I’ll be happy,” Johnson said. “And that’s what I feel like the actors in Cincinnati felt.”

Stepleman similarly emphasized the value of experiencing different regional theater communities.

“It’s incredibly important to learn about the various communities doing this type of work,” Stepleman said. “I think regional theaters have a lot to offer, especially in a more ensemble- and community-focused way, and that it’s a great place for young actors in their careers to start out and grow in.”

For Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, the exchange provided an opportunity to introduce emerging theater artists to the realities of professional regional theater while also connecting with a university that has already sent alumni into the Cincinnati theater community.

“We were thrilled to welcome students and faculty from Ohio University to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and give them a firsthand look at what it means to build a life and career in a professional regional theatre,” Brian Isaac Phillips, producing artistic director and CEO of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, said. “These kinds of partnerships are incredibly valuable to us — not only because we have the opportunity to share what we’ve learned, but because we get to meet the next generation of theater artists and leaders.”

For the School of Theater, the Cincinnati experience represents the beginning of what Cornish hopes will become a larger network of relationships with professional theaters throughout Ohio, with the goal of expanding the program to Ohio’s other larger cities and connecting with even more alumni working in theater throughout the state.

For Johnson and Stepleman, the experience offered something equally valuable: a clearer picture of what their futures in theater might look like.

“I really felt as though I learned the inner workings of a regional theater and everything that goes into it,” Johnson said. “It taught me a lot that will influence my future career.”

For Stepleman, the opportunity was another step toward a career that brings together her love of Shakespeare, directing and performance.

“It’s another steppingstone, and I was very excited to be learning in a professional environment some of the artforms I love most,” she added.