Theater Resume: Free Template & Top Tips

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“All the world’s a stage”, but if you’re set on a career in theater you know exactly which one you want to end up on. Let us help you get in front of (or behind) the bright lights with our expert resume writing advice for careers in the performing arts.

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“We must all do theater, to find out who we are, and to discover who we could become” – Augusto Boal

The theater is a place of art that has been around for centuries, and it’s where people would go to see a satirical or tragic imitation of life. 

However, the stage would be nothing without the people that are behind the action that is theater.

Performers, directors, technicians, costume designers, and make-up artists are just a few of the job positions there.

Building a career in theater is rather demanding. It takes years of hard work and dedication to get the deserved place.

So how does one present themselves as a suitable candidate? 

You may not be familiar with how to write a resume that gets you your desired theater job—but we are here to assist you. 

Let us guide you through the process of putting together the best theater resume that will land your dream job. 

The theater world is a highly competitive place, so the list of must-have skills that need to be included and demonstrated in your resume is long. 

Do you have no idea how to make a resume for theater jobs?

Take a look below at our eye-catching theater resume sample to get you started in the right direction. You then might want to see if you can find a resume template that suits your character for building your own.

Resume Example

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[Amanda Hill]

[Actress]

[ CA 90012 | 123-987-6540 | amandahill@randomemail.com]

Summary

A passionate, motivated, and talented theater professional with solid and extensive formal training. Committed to a strong work ethic and achieving the highest performance standards. Background in Meisner Acting Technique, method, and classic acting.

Experience 

Film

• A Flower Blooms Supporting Anita Garson (2023)

New media

• Meadow Stories Co-Star Motion Company Pictures (2021)
• Mannequin City Series regular Lights Off Productions (2020)

Theater

• The Crucible Elizabeth Proctor Acting Studio (2022 – 2023)
• Happy Days University of Massachusetts Theater Studio 2017 – 2019

Training 

MFA, Acting

University of Massachusetts 

2016

Bachelor of Fine Arts

NYU Steinhardt, New York 
2015

Skills

• Singing
• Contemporary dance
• Time Management

• Voice and speech
• Improvisation

• Amazing communication skills

Languages

• Native English
• Fluent in Spanish
• Fluent in Italian

When writing a resume for a job you are interested in, it helps to create catchy content that will keep the attention of the person reading the resume, and do some serious self-marketing.

Which resume format you choose will largely depend on the role and your work experience. Try to paint the best picture of yourself, so always use the right format to show professionalism.

We recommend you choose from the 3 basic resume formats that are generally accepted by most employers:

• Reverse-chronological resume—the most commonly used format among candidates and recruiters, this resume format uses a neat way of presenting your working experience from the most recent to the oldest position held.
• Functional resume—this format is used to highlight the skills you possess and not the working experience.
• Combination resume—this format combines the two previous formats to showcase both the skills and experience of a candidate.

We recommend using the reverse chronological format for your theater work resume as it is the one which most recruiters are familiar with.

Be careful with the length of your resume, since a long document might not be fully read, or it might simply end up in the trash. Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager or director. Would you prefer to read resumes the length of a script, or ones that are short and precise?

Writing a resume is never easy, especially if you are in the entertainment business.

However, if you understand what is being asked of you, then you’ll have your theater resume ready in no time. 

The most demanding part might well be the resume objective or summary.

A resume objective is mostly used for a beginner theater resume. If you are just entering the entertainment world and are sending out your first resume for a theater audition, the smartest way to go is to use a resume objective to present yourself. Let the hiring manager know your goals and aspirations, as well as the skills you possess. 

If you are more experienced and preparing a movie theater manager resume, for example, writing a resume summary will be the better option. You should use the resume summary to captivate the recruiter by highlighting your skills, relevant achievements, major roles, and large theaters you have worked with. 

Regardless of which one you use, both have to be precise, and short and reflect on your professional and personal achievements. Just 3 or 4 sentences are enough to paint the best picture of yourself.

Consider the below theater worker’s resume summary as an excellent example you can follow:

Here is where you can very quickly demonstrate you have the knowledge and work experience necessary for the role you are applying for in theater. However, remember that having experience doesn’t mean you have to overburden the resume with information.

Make a mind map of your experience and compare it to the job description. Look out for keywords in the job offer and try to use them in your work experience bullet points to show that you have what it takes for that specific task.

Ask yourself where your hard and soft skills lie and weave these through your work experience job descriptions.

Categorize your experience based on whether you are an actor, producer, director, or have worked in the background as a technician or make-up artist. 

Whatever the case may be, select the relevant information from your experience you think is essential for the recruiter to know. 

If you have experience in acting, then this is how you should present your experience section:

Film and Television

This section also includes the most impressive credits, without the need to stress the dates. 

For the film and television category, you need to list the following information in columns:

• Name of the production 
• Type of role played
• Production company name
• Director name

Theater

Depending on the position you are applying for, list the experience from the most applicable category first. No need to stress about dates, simply list your credits from the most recent to the oldest acting credits.

For the theater category, you need to list the following information in columns:

• Play title
• Role/ character played
• Theater company
• Director

Theater professionals may not be required to possess a formal education or degree, but having one is a bonus. Having trained in a specific area may help you stand out among the other candidates. 

Add any related workshops, conferences and seminars, studio classes, private coaching you may have attended, or extracurricular activities related to the job role can be added too.

Try to match the job requirements as closely as possible.

For the education section, you can use the following format to present it:

The entertainment business requires knowledge and expertise in many fields. Below are some examples of skills for a theater resume to give you ideas of your own.

Be careful when listing your skills, in order not to oversell yourself. The entertainment profession is quite precise and allows for no mistakes. Yes, you might know an extreme sport or two, but that doesn’t translate to the job description you’re applying for. 

The best place to target the skills that you possess and highlight your value is the special skills section. Here, include everything that you think the hiring manager should know about you.

If you are someone who has special skills like acrobatics, stage combat, pantomime, knowledge of a second language, or playing a certain instrument, make sure you list that in your resume. 

The skills section of a theater teacher’s resume could include skills like:

• Sketch and comedy writing
• Theater director expertise
• Acting/improve coaching
• Creative change implementation
• Show coordination and promotion
• Monitoring and tech support
• Cross-team communication

The other section in your theater resume should enable the hiring manager to see a bigger picture of who you are as a person. Use this section to showcase your relevant interests and hobbies, projects, and organizations that are dear to your heart. 

It’s always good to link this information to the job requirements. Every person has interests outside the academic and professional surroundings that give them meaning. Use this section to impress the director or manager. 

Include information like the number of languages and accents you are fluent in, if you worked in an improv troupe, entertained the guests on a cruise ship, or even performed in a theme park. 

Proficiency in more than one language is always a plus in the theater and film industry.

If you are fluent in several languages, make sure to highlight that in your resume, as it will make it easier to obtain a role for productions in multiple languages or help you communicate effectively with staff on set.

The content choice for the cover letter to your theater resume can be a deal maker or breaker. The right cover letter can make a candidate stand out and get invited for an audition or interview when they least expect it. 

When preparing the cover letter, take care to have a clear header. You always start the letter with a personal greeting and a catchy phrase that will lead the reader into some interesting content.

The candidate’s cover letter is the first thing that hiring managers and directors look at to decide whether you are worth the time to move on the resume. 

Both the cover letter and the resume showcase your character, your experience, your professionalism, and much more. So put a lot of thought into both to put the spotlight on yourself!

Creating the ultimate theater resume doesn’t have to be as hard as you think. Just follow this ResumeGiants guide and stay true to your strengths and experiences. To boost your chances of being hired for that next theater gig, go through each of the steps outlined above! 

Remember, if you’re low on time and want to hit the ground running, use one of our modern resume templates—they’re free!