My First Job: Nikki Takes the Stage

Name: Nikki Klecha
Age: 29
Current Location: Los Angeles, CA
Year Graduated: 2003
Major: Theatre performance
School: University of Alabama at Birmingham
First Job: Louise in "Private Lives"

Company/Type of Company: Thirteenth Street Ensemble (professional Equity -Actor's union- theatre company), Birmingham, AL

Current Job Title: Actor
How Long at Your First Job: One month (the run of the show)

Still there? No.

Website: www.gratefulsparrow.blogspot.com

How did you land your first job after college? Tell us about the process of getting your first job.

Thirteenth Street Ensemble is a professional theatre company in residence with the University of Alabama at Birmingham . They had a two-show summer season and recent graduates were encouraged to audition but not given preference. I knew there were only five female roles available and a lot of professional actors, including some of my professors, were auditioning. Even though I had graduated the school with high honors, I knew there was slim chance that I'd be cast, with such a high level of competition.

I researched both of the plays, not to decide which part I wanted, but to see what part I could go for and make myself really stand out. I noticed that in "Private Lives," there's a supporting character who speaks French. Even though I knew it would pretty much negate my chances of getting any of the other four parts, I decided to focus wholly on that character and prepared a monologue that was half English and half French. I had a friend help me with the pronunciation.

I got the part. I had correctly assumed that no one else would be focusing on this minor character, choosing instead to read for the main roles (which ended up being cast with professors and professional actors, not recent grads), and by going for this character to such a committed extent, I showed the director exactly what I'd be able to deliver in the show. He told me later that I had made his job easy.

Auditions are job interviews; make yourself stand out and do your research to know exactly what the job requires and be that, and you'll make the interviewer's job easy.

What was the most challenging aspect of securing your first job?

Learning French! And making that commitment to going whole-hog for that one role, knowing it would mean I had no chance at any of the other, bigger roles.

What was the biggest challenge once you were on the job? How did you overcome that?

Working with my professors. It was intimidating, as a recent graduate (as in, I'd graduated not even a month before), to act next to my professors and working, professional actors. However, I buoyed myself with the knowledge that this was no different than any other play I've done & that I know what I'm doing. After a few rehearsals, I felt confident & had totally proven myself to be on par with the professionals.

What did you wish you did differently when it came to finding, securing and performing on the job?

Honestly, nothing. It was a great experience.

What was the best thing about your first job?

The confidence that came with knowing I could hold my own next to the professionals. I could work alongside my mentors and not only do a great job, but create a performance that was memorable in it's own right.

What didn't you expect about your first job?

I was pleasantly surprised at the very positive feedback I received about my performance. In auditioning for and committing to a smaller part than I would've originally wanted, I got the opportunity to really make the most of it & shine, without the pressure a larger role would've put on me. I took a job that wasn't ideal and made it ideal and, in doing so, impressed my boss, the director.

If you're not there anymore, why did you leave--and after how long? How long did you think you'd be at that first job? Do you wish you stayed longer? What was your next job--was it a good move for you, personally and career wise?

When the show ended (after about a month/six weeks), the job was over, so there was no choice to stay longer or not. I did, however, at that point choose to leave Alabama and go to London, where I worked a day job in an office and did a non-professional theatre show. Personally, it was a fantastic move. Professionally, it was good in the sense that I experienced London theatre (which had always been a dream of mine), but not great in a financial sense. But that's the way it goes in this career.

What is your ultimate career goal? What are your next steps in attaining that goal?

I'm really trying to figure that out. Since living in LA for six years, I've done a lot of movies and am now in the professional film actor's union (SAG), which are both career goals I have reached. This career is much harder than most people realize, though, so I'm open to going in other directions and trying to determine my next steps. We'll see where it takes me...