# My first theatre job



## derekleffew (Jun 26, 2013)

Curtains for the Uptown Hull House Center theater | Deanna Isaacs on Culture | Chicago Reader

I think I was paid $10 per performance, for lights/sound/SM.


----------



## peterleif (Jul 22, 2013)

$10 per hour Spotlight for Peter Pan ballet when I was a junior in High school. Wasn't half bad.


----------



## 65535 (Jul 22, 2013)

$8.50/hr doing carpentry at the community college I attend. Up to $14 in about 2 years.


----------



## JLNorthGA (Jul 22, 2013)

I was paid $35/week for being a stage manager at the dinner theater. I was making about that it in tips a night for serving drinks. Let it suffice to say I was happy to be a waiter. When I was being a roadie and running a spot, I was getting about $30 a show. Of course the minimum wage was maybe $2/hour and there were things like gas wars.


----------



## JohnD (Jul 22, 2013)

JLNorthGA said:


> When I was being a roadie and running a spot, I was getting about $30 a show.


And per diem too?????? (A quote from the legendary Frank Zappa)


----------



## DuckJordan (Jul 22, 2013)

My first paid job wasn't all too long ago ( I know I'm a youngun) at $12.50/hr


----------



## Pie4Weebl (Jul 22, 2013)

$5.25/h a little over 10 years ago at a PAC....


----------



## MPowers (Jul 23, 2013)

$33.50 a week in NYC as an Equity chorus dancer. 1958. Yeah, for those of you who do math, I was 14. So!?


----------



## techieman33 (Jul 23, 2013)

My first job was in the high school theater at $15 an hour just because the guy doing the show was a cool guy and was happy with what we did for them. The rest while in high school were $10 an hour. Then it was down to $9.22 when I got my first professional call.


----------



## Edrick (Jul 23, 2013)

17/hr doing electrics was my first professional gig


----------



## crgranner (Jul 29, 2013)

$0. I ran crew for the first time at the age of 8. As a "runner". I sat there. That was it. I felt so cool though.


----------



## BillConnerFASTC (Jul 29, 2013)

Not counting work study at college, I tin my first paid job was about $25/week at the Theatre at Monmouth in Maine.


----------



## backstagebadger (Jul 29, 2013)

BillConnerASTC said:


> Not counting work study at college, I tin my first paid job was about $25/week at the Theatre at Monmouth in Maine.



My friend works there today! Great place.


----------



## BillConnerFASTC (Jul 29, 2013)

backstagebadger said:


> My friend works there today! Great place.



I liked it and learned a lot. Summer of 1974 I think. Well - I'm sure - since I got married that fall.


----------



## josh88 (Jul 29, 2013)

My first job outside of school work was lighting designer and board op for children of Eden my sophomore year of college, for something like $300. That is if we don't count working as a monster for cedar points halloweekends. Which is still one of the best jobs I've had since I was being paid to get made up, get in character and harass people. 


Via tapatalk


----------



## gafftaper (Aug 1, 2013)

When I was in 5th Grade, a guy at my church did a full replacement to a modern sound system and asked if I wanted to help. I think his primary reason for asking me was that he needed someone smaller to crawl under the stage. We ran cables, installed XLR plugs all over, new amps, speakers, mixer. He taught me to solder. 

My first real paid gig was in 9th grade when I got $5 an hour to run sound for the state championship of the spelling bee. That was big money for a 15 year old in 1985!

The year after I graduated from high school, my old drama teacher paid me $100 to come back to the high school and design and build a set for the big spring show.


----------



## Dovahkiin (Aug 1, 2013)

First real job is my current $8.25/hour job as an on-call technician (read:gopher) for the entertainment department at a local amusement park.


----------

