If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “Zoe, what are you going to do with a degree in arts and music?” I would have at least $50. The general public seems to think that getting a job in the performing arts is both impossible and not worth the effort. And look, performing arts jobs are not as plentiful as other fields, but if you don’t try then you don’t get anywhere. Also, there is so much more scope for work than just performing! 

I was lucky enough to chat with some creative friends who have had their work featured at Melbourne Fringe Festival this year. 

Oscar Jenkin is studying a double degree in music (specialising in composition and music technology) and science (majoring in astrophysics) at Monash University. He was on the creative team of two original shows in this year’s Fringe: he was the music director for Charlie’s Cultish Chritstmas and co-writer of Destination Earth, both comedy musicals which had audiences roaring with laughter and singing the catchy tunes while leaving the theatre. 

Gemma Livingstone is a recent graduate of Monash University. She studied a bachelor of music specialising in classical voice. Gemma was heavily involved in Monash University Student Theatre (MUST) throughout her degree both on and off stage. She has just directed She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen as part of Fringe, an incredibly successful two-week season which sold out all but two shows! 

What is your dream job?

OJ: My dream job is composing for musical theatre. I have always loved telling stories through my music and the community around musical theatre is so supportive and inspiring. It’s extremely rewarding and meaningful work, to me anyway.

GL: I feel like I have 5 different dream jobs and my ‘favourite’ changes every other day. Right now it's probably some mix of being the artistic director of a major theatre company like The Malthouse, while teaching singing and being a professional actor/singer myself. Honestly I am so much more interested in working on specific projects and with certain people than having a very clear goal of what the dream job looks like. The dream job is probably getting to do all sorts of different things in the arts. 

How did you get involved with Melbourne Fringe Festival?

OJ: In early 2022 my co-writer and I workshopped a show we had been writing over the Covid-19 lockdown called ‘On The Rise’. The workshop was a massive success and we wanted to do a full staging later that year. Unfortunately most theatres plan their programs over a year in advance and so we had very few options. However, in October for three weeks there is a chance to put on a show at less than 6 months’ notice for a much reduced hiring price, and this is Fringe. Anyone can apply, basically the only requirement is some decent organisation and a venue to perform in. The rest is up to you.

GL: I got involved with them a couple years ago when I interned with the company over lockdowns as they were programming a short digital festival in 2020. Since then, I was going to be involved in a few productions that ultimately fell through in 2021. But this year I directed a play for Monash Uni Student Theatre in the Festival. Melbourne Fringe festival is an open access festival, which means anyone can apply and be programmed which is pretty amazing. There are quite a few ex-MUSTers who work for fringe, and a bunch of others who were programmed this year so it's nice to be part of the community. 

Oscar, how was your experience collaborating with friends to create the original shows?

I love collaborating in my writing. It is such a great source of inspiration and motivation. Having someone to both hold you accountable to produce something and to build up your confidence is so essential to a good workflow. When working on ‘Destination Earth’, we often would generate ideas separately and then meet once a week to consolidate and build upon each others’ ideas. This kept the tone and style of the show quite consistent, which is important to consider with multiple writers.

Gemma, was this your first time directing? How did you enjoy it?

This was my first major work. I have directed some smaller pieces before, like scenes, monologues, and the Orientation Show (O-Show) for the student theatre in 2022, but this was by far the biggest production I have ever directed, and I had the time of my life.

I’ve worked in quite a few different departments of shows (stage managing, producing etc.), and while most of my time has been spent on stage as an actor, I think I may have found my favourite job in the theatre. What’s so beautiful about being a director is getting to weave and tie all the pieces of a show together. A lot of the job is providing the space for actors and designers to be creative. 

She Kills Monsters had all these wild fantastical monsters, and needed to be able to transition back and forth from reality to this imaginary fantasy land. Seeing how all different members of our team realised this vision was such a wonderful experience. I would definitely say I got lucky as I had a kind and passionate team of actors, designers and crew members, and it makes the job way easier when you love the people you work with. All the way through my intention was to make this show with joy and for the team to be excited by the work they made, and I think we achieved that. I think it's easy to see the director as someone concerned with the final product only, but I saw the role as someone to guide the team through the process to get to the end goal of the show. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into performing arts (on or off stage) but doesn’t know where to start?

OJ: My advice for those looking to get started is to keep your eyes open for opportunities. Start small, workshops are great ways to meet people you can collaborate with later, and at the same time you will be getting invaluable industry experience. These are also usually low-pressure productions, creating a great learning environment.

GL: I think I have 2 pieces of advice: firstly, go find those opportunities to start doing whatever it is you want to do and just do it, you have to take the plunge. Secondly, you may have to make your own opportunities and that’s okay too. 

There are so many amateur, community theatre and student groups making shows, plays, and musicals and they are almost always needing more people. You might not be in your desired role at first but the best way to learn about performing arts is to just do it; people are so happy to teach you what they know. It’s simply a matter of networking. You can often find these opportunities through Facebook groups where people will post about auditions and roles, otherwise newsletters and social media accounts of groups you like are a great way to hear about upcoming projects. 

But also sometimes no one is doing what you want to do and that’s where you might need to make it happen for yourself. A lot of now famous and successful people, like Phoebe Waller- Bridge, weren’t getting a lot of work so they made their own shows, and I think it’s important to recognise that there are many ways to get started in performing arts.

About The Author Zoe is a recent graduate from Monash University. She has a double degree in arts, majoring in linguistics, and music, specialising in composition. Zoe was one of the 2023 editors of Lot’s Wife, the student magazine of Monash University Clayton campus. She has worked in retail for nearly 7 years, and plays violin and viola in community musical theatre shows. She loves reading, writing, making music, and putting together elaborate costumes for theme parties.