Ariana Cook
Managing Director
Cara Mia Theatre Co.
Dallas, TX USA
“Be in awe and be humbled at the wonderful variety of the human experience.”
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By Roadtrip NationAriana Cook
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I grew up listening to musicals because my mom loved musical theater.
I’ve always loved theater and have been taking theater classes and participating in shows since I was 6 years old.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in musical theater and then spent some time working in the field, which helped me determine whether or not a master’s degree would be beneficial.
After working for a few years, I went back to school for a master’s degree in drama.
I joined Cara Mía Theatre, a culturally specific theater, in 2014 and started to really understand just how important and needed the arts are.
I’ve been with Cara Mía Theatre since then and currently work as the managing director.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Musical Theatre
Sam Houston State University
Musical Theatre
Sam Houston State University
Graduate
Drama
Texas Woman's University
Drama
Texas Woman's University
Career
Managing Director
I manage a not-for-profit culturally specific theatre company.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Acting & Theatre
Business
Being Creative
Day to Day
My day to day includes board relations, grant writing, tracking, and reporting, financial tracking and reporting, donor and patron relations, contract writing, human resources, box office management, and fundraising.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
For my current job specifically, I would suggest perhaps a master's program in arts management. It's obviously not a requirement, but it's something that I think would have been helpful to me had I had the opportunity to do so. It's important to also be aware of how art is made. So while an entire bachelor's degree in dance, theatre, music, or art would be great, it's important to at least do a show or be involved in the making of these projects to gain a working knowledge.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Bachelor
Musical Theatre
Musical Theatre
Graduate
Arts Management
Arts Management
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"Is this something I'm going to be able to do? If I want to work in theater, am I always going to have to have a side job to make money?"
Challenges I Overcame
Fitting In
Interviewed By
Wide Open Range
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