Theatre Management & Arts Leadership
DeRon Williams, PhD
This course is an introduction to the economic, managerial and administrative aspects of American Theatre and performing arts in general, with an emphasis on the non-for profit Chicago and Regional Theatre Industry and practical and contemporary aspects of the field. Any student looking to work in performing arts leadership or administration or start their own company will find this course valuable.
In my Theatre Management and Arts Leadership class, I learned the fundamentals of running a theatre, including budgeting, marketing, and organizational leadership. The course gave me insight into the practical and strategic aspects of managing arts organizations effectively.
Assignments:
1. Develop a Company Mission & Vision Statement
2. Build a Company Organizational Chart
3. Create Artistic Director and Managing Director Job Descriptions
4. Curate a Production Season
5. Budget for a Production Season
6. Create a Marketing Strategy & Branding Materials
7. Write a Donor Letter
8. Present the Company to a Group of Potential Board Members
Building A Theatre Company Project
Developing a theatre company over the semester gave me a real glimpse into the complexity of theatre leadership and the balance between artistic ambition and practical sustainability. One of our central challenges was reconciling bold creative choices with the realities of budgets, funding, and limited staffing, which forced us to prioritize initiatives that truly aligned with the company’s mission and vision. I noticed that our most successful decisions came when we stayed grounded in those guiding statements. I also learned how critical it is to cultivate a board that aligns with the company’s vision and to communicate with clarity, empathy, and flexibility as a leader. Integrating creative vision, management strategy, and visual branding revealed how interconnected these elements are in creating a company that is both artistically compelling and operationally viable. Overall, this project taught me the joys and challenges of building a mission-driven theatre organization and gave me a holistic perspective on the interplay between leadership, strategy, and creativity in the arts.