Taking Your Child to Work, When Your Job Is Making Theater

I would hope programs like these would expand to include all women working on the show - not just the creatives. There are women stagehands who often put in even longer hours that could really benefit from this.

What would you need here in order to do your best work? Perhaps one day this question will be routine in all professions and work environments with reasonable accommodations being seen as normal and unexceptional.

I’ve made my life and career as a woman in the theater, and it is an extraordinary and fulfilling life, but also one that will take everything from you if you let it—every hour, every penny, every shred of emotional well-being. It is essential to draw your own lines and set a standard that you want to pass along to those coming up behind you. The world will be that much better for the addition of creative children raised by people passionately fulfilling their dreams in a profession that gives voice to the heart and soul of our culture.

This is a wonderful article and I am so thrilled for all these woman that are now getting to be allowed and recognized as a Mom and have their career in the theatre. I am currently the Director of Production at a large performing arts center and the mother of 2 almost men. When I started in this business umpteen years ago, not only was it not ok to have kids, it was also a fight to be a woman in the technical side of theatre. I did not have a husband or partner. I had theatre family and they took turns helping out.. Some days the playpen was on the stage during load in, sometimes my son was tethered to the bottom of a ladder.. safety was bit different back then... But to now know that woman as designers, directors, artists and even production managers can also feel free to be full time moms, it amazing.. Wish I had this wonderful acceptance when I was raising my boys in the theatre... its about frigging time..

Important article on an invisible topic. 28 years ago an independent director advised me to bring my newborn while rehearsing an original play. She was thinking outside the box and I was able to act in a character role while a new mom. With the addition of another child some years later the complications continued and I focused on writing at home. What is the loss for the art world when female talent is sidelined for economic reasons? Like many creative women, I had a committed partner with a decent job, but the cost of babysitters was prohibitive. One can cobble together temporary solutions but I am glad to see the issue sensitively and finally addressed. Motherhood is a full time job and if men were solely responsible for childcare I am sure that much better solutions would have been found for this crucial dilemma. Contrary to some beliefs having children is a creative choice and can add much to the life and work of an artist and humanity.

The baby carriage in the hallway is the enemy of art.

Do any of these women have husbands or partners? Odd that all the childcare falls on them.

Wraaa, wraaa, wraaa (sharing my thought)

Many theatre-educated women opt for educational theatre in order to have a family but even that can be difficult. I had to wait until retirement. This is a very encouraging development and I heartily endorse it! Good luck!

I have twins, now 17, and my husband and I have both made our lives and livelihoods in the theater. I am very glad to read this, but also note that NYC is way behind the times. Theaters in Philadelphia --my hometown-- have made it possible from the beginning of my daughters' lives to accommodate them as I work in the theater. I frequently say that I won the lottery in terms of career choice, as it has always been pretty easy to be a mom and an artist. My kids hang out backstage, I've nursed in many dressing rooms, and brought caretakers with me to work on long tech days. I am glad that Broadway is finally seeing the wisdom of allowing the whole artist in the room, even when this includes motherhood.

I'm a professional musician and a mother of two and yes, the struggle to balance the demands of an unusual career and motherhood are real. When our first daughter was born both my husband and I worked as full time, touring musicians, not always at the same events. We live outside of Austin, but I was working in Charlotte, NC when doctors decided to induce labor 6 weeks early, and my husband was in Houston doing a different show. That was an expensive nightmare, but he did make it to me in time for her birth. We hired childcare at all my events around the country, but it can be hard to find people to work long, odd, weekend hours. My husband lost his long time gig when the touring show he performed with had to downsize, and almost immediately after that we found I was pregnant again. Now he's taking care of our two daughters while I'm on stage. We've timed her nursing schedule to my breaks and he brings her to me so I can feed her, eat something, and get back on as quickly as possible. He's also babysitting another musician's daughter, since he's already home with ours. I've made my living as a musician for 15 years now, and I love the work, but some days the logistics of constantly traveling with my family and juggling their care with my career have me almost in tears. Remember, whenever you see an artist on stage, you're seeing the tip of the iceberg. The majority of the work that goes into the show you'll never see.

Some people might have forgotten or didn't know, that a job selling life insurance is no more secure than a job working for Ringling Bros or any other such enterprise. "normal life" is not the job you have but how you live your life. Being a drudge in an office or going door to door or swinging from a trapeze .. they are all jobs .

Years ago we had neighbors with 5 children. They were just about a year apart .. a great family of loving and laughing and the parents were both Broadway actors/singers/dancers. I don't know how they did it but the parents worked, the children were home or at school and there was no obvious challenge or drama... well, there had to be drama, they were Broadway actors !! I think what makes things run smoothly when both parents work is a nanny/housekeeper. And I am totally FOR any sort of pay or work agreements that include ChildCare !!

When I was with the Ringling Bros./Barnum & Bailey Circus we had lots of children along on the tour. We traveled with a school teacher and several full time employees for nursery/daycare. Each had their own area in each arena that we played. Parents would perform in the show (our edition didn't have any child performers) but would spend time with their families when not onstage. Of course, circus family are a well established tradition.

This comment likely will be disagreed with, but pursuing a life as an artist, particularly in the theater, comes with a cost. It always has. If people want a "normal" life, sell insurance or some other job that provides time off, benefits, etc. To expect something different from the life/calling theater is, has always been, and always will be, is not realistic.

It really is difficult. My daughter and her husband are always scrambling to find babysitters since both of them are in the theater world and have odd hours. Sometimes I fly there to watch the kids or the kids come to me but the separations are hard on everyone. My favorite picture of my daughter is her nursing a baby while running a light board. Multitasking at its finest.