Meet Gretchen Butler | Theatre Administrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gretchen Butler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gretchen, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot during the pandemic, and I think that lots of people are unaware of how hard theatre artists work to make a show happen. The entire goal of our art form is to transport you into a story, and when we do that well it does (and should) appear effortless. Most audience members will never know that each moment in the play was discussed by a team of people. What does the character mean when she says this? What does it indicate if one character walks away from someone else in this moment? What does the type of hat a character is wearing say about her? Each and every moment is discussed in production meetings and rehearsals to ensure that, when the audience walks in, everything lines up perfectly to pull them into the story. It takes hours of work and dedication to make something look easy!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As an arts administrator, my absolute favorite thing, and the throughline of my career, is making space for artists to do great work. When I started my career as a stage manager, running rehearsals and performances, it was my job to make sure the actors and directors had everything they needed. For some, that was a sharpened pencil at the ready when they wanted to write a note. For others, it was a bowl of chocolate they could grab a snack from or a guitar pick (because actors who play guitar lose their picks as often as everyone else loses their pencils!). As I moved through Production Management into now being the Managing Director of a theatre, the basics are still the same. I’m not in charge of making sure the pencils are sharp anymore, but I am in charge of making sure the best people are in place to do that. Making sure we’ve done the fundraising needed to be able to provide the pencils. And making sure no matter who a person is, what their background is, or what their favorite type of pencil is – they know that they are welcome and embraced in our theatre.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta has such great cultural spots! For things to do – a trip to visit the attractions of downtown is always high on my list. The aquarium, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, Apex Museum, the Children’s Museum, World of Coca Cola …. all of those great places are within a few miles of each other in downtown Atlanta. To keep us fueled during the day, we’d do lunch at White Oak Kitchen and Cocktails; drinks at SkyLounge at the Glenn; and dinner at Alma Cocina. After dinner, we would head to Theatrical Outfit to enjoy a show!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people deserve so many shoutouts for all of the support and mentorship they have given me! I think the heart of the beginnings of my success lies at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (R-MWC). Fun fact: as of 5 years ago, 2% of women attend women’s college yet 20% of women in Congress attended women’s colleges, as did 20% of Fortune Magazine’s Most Power Women in Business listing, 30% of Business Week’s Rising Stars in Corporate America; and 33% of Women on Corporate Boards. On the campus of a woman’s college, every student leadership position is filled by a woman. Every question that is answered in class is answered by a woman. Every accomplishment is achieved by a woman. That environment moves women from the back of the classroom to the front and it gave me the confidence to know that I could achieve anything I set my mind to.

Website: https://www.theatricaloutfit.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatricaloutfit/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheatOutfit
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheatOutfit
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL8ZezlYG81Duf983zVHAvQ

Image Credits
headshot credit – Casey Gardner Photography