Today we’d like to introduce you to Vernon Willet.
Hi Vernon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started out my career as an actor/singer/dancer. I trained at the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, CA. I moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and started to make my living in live theatre (no small feat!) My current life partner, Cate Caplin, a 34-time Regional and International Champion in Theatrical Ballroom Dance, was looking for a temporary dance partner as she had more work lined up than her current dance partner was available for. She got my name from Choreographer Carolyn Dyer, who recommended Cate and I meet. I told Cate that I had hung up my dancing shoes, but she insisted we at least meet for coffee. That “Meet for Coffee” led us to a dance studio where after 30 minutes or, so she was over my head in a straight-armed lift! That led to a five-year partnership dancing in concerts, industrials, and theatrical shows throughout the Southern California area.
After an injury at the hands of a chiropractor, I decided it was time to change careers. Extensive testing through a placement program with the Career Transition for Dancers, I concluded I was most suited to try my hand at Stage Managing. That was twenty years ago, and I am still going strong!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being in the world of theatre, one gets used to living hand to mouth, always searching for the next job. You learn countless ways to save and stretch a dollar. Odd jobs, waiting tables, personal assistants, catering, office gigs, etc. supplement your chosen profession constantly. The occasional unemployment check never hurts either! Some jobs are better than others; that’s why the Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union for professional actors and stage managers, is so vitally important. Establishing and maintaining salary, pension, benefits, and working conditions are only a few of the advantages of being a Union member.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Being a Stage Manager is a combination of Air Traffic Controller and Psychologist. Coordinating the technical aspects of a show with the artistic contributions of actors, directors, choreographers, designers, theatre workers of all kinds is a constant, flowing, ever-changing dance. Establishing the working parameters of a rehearsal room and then combining all the different artistic aspects of each department during the “Tech” period to create a unique performance each and every time is my goal. Communication and collaboration are the keys to success, I think. I don’t have to know specifically how to do every job in the theatre, but I do have to know how to keep the lines of daily communication open and optimistic. Allowing and encouraging everyone to excel in their given area of expertise is essential in achieving the overall success of a show. Juggling the personal and professional needs of the talent, both onstage and off, to give birth to the overall effect of a show is an exciting endeavor and one I relish each and every time.
What matters most to you? Why?
Joy. We are blessed to do what we love and love what we do. So many people are stuck in a job that they don’t enjoy or even want to do. We, in the theatre, have chosen a life and career that fulfills something inside each of us; that creative spark. To be able to live our lives doing that is most important to me. A sense of personal integrity and kindness, courtesy, respect, and honoring others is what it is all about…
Image Credits
Cate Caplin
