Breaking a Leg, Breaking Briefs: How Theater Training Builds Better Agency Producers

'Theater school taught me how to make things work'

I graduated from the University of British Columbia’s theater program in 2010 with a focus in directing and stage management, convinced I’d made a fun (albeit impractical) mistake. Every job posting in my field was unpaid or profit-sharing—maybe. I loved theater, but I also loved eating.

After a winding path through grad school, tech startups and games, I landed at an advertising agency in 2015 as a producer. The moment I started, I felt it: This is what I’ve been training for. Theater school didn’t teach me how to make things. It taught me how to make things work.

Here’s what actually translates:

The Show Must Go On

Theater has no safety net. No “fix it in post,” no reshoots. Opening night happens whether you’re ready or not. You learn to pivot when things don’t work and stay calm because everyone takes their emotional cue from you.

I once produced an event where we needed a luxe aesthetic on almost no budget. We hit thrift stores for everything—glassware, linens, décor—and made it look high-end through thoughtful styling. Another time, an overseas venue fell through the morning our crew arrived. I went door-to-door until I found a business owner willing to let us shoot overnight so they didn’t have to stop operations.

Theater people don’t panic when things go sideways because things always go sideways. The show must go on isn’t a cliché; it’s a survival skill.

Directing Plays, Interpreting Briefs

At UBC, I worked with playwrights developing new plays: asking questions, interpreting intent, giving notes that elevated without imposing my vision. That process is nearly identical to working with creative teams in advertising.

A brief is a script. A creative concept needs a director who can interpret the idea and bring it to life across touchpoints. For any campaign, we need to execute one organizing thought across an ecosystem of digital ads, social media, film, events and branded environments. A good producer interprets a core idea and helps give it wings.

We’ve all seen a good play with bad acting. A producer’s job is making sure that doesn’t happen, ensuring execution matches the concept.

Casting Beyond the Call Sheet

Theater casting isn’t just about talent, it’s about chemistry, who can take direction, who elevates others. In my role, I think about casting constantly. Which team will deliver something unexpected? Who has the right energy for this client?

I love unconventional hires. I look for hospitality people because they juggle demands and think on their feet. I hire theater people because they understand practical creativity and managing humans under pressure. What matters is adaptability, collaboration and grit.

The Shoestring Mindset

Theater budgets make “small budget” marketing projects look grandiose. You learn to bootstrap everything. Can’t afford a big set? Do something interesting with lighting and let the actors and the blocking carry the story. Often, the constraint produces something better than the original vision.

This mindset is invaluable in advertising. There are countless times I hear, “That’s not possible with this budget.” But I know there’s a way to figure it out: Hire an army of interns, craft it yourself, get your hands dirty. Theater taught me that constraints fuel creativity.

If you can’t do a big set build, you find another way to tell the story. The limitation forces innovation. I’d rather work with someone who knows how to make magic with nothing than someone who only knows how to spend money.

Why This Matters

People don’t do theater for money. They do it for love of the craft and the story. More of that grit, passion and tenacity would benefit advertising.

We need producers who understand that making things is a creative act, not just logistics. Theater teaches collaboration, improvisation, grace under pressure and seeing constraints as opportunities.

I didn’t learn my craft despite my training, I learned it because of it. Every brief is a script. Every shoot is opening night. Every crisis is tech week.

Theater school taught me that production isn’t about controlling chaos. It’s about conducting it. And that’s exactly what this industry needs.