A quick chat with Janet Albanese
Position: Director of production and building services, Des Moines Performing Arts
Age: 39
Hometown: Des Moines
Education: Master of Arts in theater history and Master of Fine Arts in stage management, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana; bachelor’s degrees in theater and religion, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Family: Husband, Patrick; daughter, Ellie, 6; and son, EJ, 5.
Janet Albanese is breaking barriers in both her job and her industry. As the new director of production and building services at Des Moines Performing Arts, she directs operational activities for both departments.
At Des Moines Performing Arts, Albanese is the only female in both of the departments she leads. According to a 2015 report by the League of American Theater Women that addresses the gender gap in theaters off-Broadway, women are dramatically underrepresented in many areas of theater.
However, when it comes to stage managers, nearly 70 percent of positions are filled by women. It’s one of only two areas in theater where more women are in leadership roles.
Q: What made you decide on a career in production and building services?
I remember my father gave me a (college) course catalog and a highlighter, telling me to highlight every class I wanted to take. He said, “Don’t worry about your major or future career.You’ll figure it out.If you are going to be in school, you need to at least enjoy what you’re doing or you won’t be fulfilled in your work life.”All the classes I highlighted were in theater and religion. After undergrad, I was told I was an academic and should get a doctorate degree in theater history. However, I discovered academic degrees are made in the library and I missed working in the actual theater.
In this role, I oversee productions at the Des Moines Civic Center, Stoner Theater and The Temple for Performing Arts. The other half of my position is to oversee the building services component. All my experiences combined made me able to handle the variety of technical knowledge, organizational and prioritizing skills, psychology and professionalism needed in this position.
I learned that following your passions can be a crooked path, but in the end, I am so pleased I made this choice. While I enjoy teaching, my true passion is working on productions on the “behind the scenes” management side. I feel most comfortable when I’m backstage wearing black and a headset, pencils in my hair and clipboard in hand. Making the move into production management was a natural evolution for me in this field.
Q: What leadership challenges do you struggle with, and how do you overcome them?
The greatest leadership challenge I face today is also one of the greatest strengths of my position. I supervise extremely competent, knowledgeable and established male staff members who have been with Des Moines Performing Arts between 15 and 39 years — and then here comes the new boss lady.
My challenge has been easing into this position where I am soaking up information daily about how Des Moines Performing Arts functions while surrounded by a team who already knows most these things. The positive side of this situation is I have a team that absolutely knows their duties, positions and all the details that come with the performing arts industry. I’m extremely fortunate to be in an organization where I feel respected, supported, mentored, appreciated and encouraged. In turn, I make sure my staff knows they are as well.
Q: Any advice for other women working in positions like yours?
Be so good that they can’t ignore you. That’s not just for women; that’s for anyone.
Prior to joining Des Moines Performing Arts, Janet Albanese was stage manager for Des Moines Performing Arts’ Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards Showcase, the annual season announcement and “Triple Espresso.” Additionally, she was production manager at the Shakespeare Festival in Los Angeles and the California Repertory Company in Long Beach; a stage manager for the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.; and an adjunct professor teaching theater and stage management classes for several universities, including Drake University and Grand View University in Des Moines.
CONNECTION POINTS
Connect with Albanese via email or telephone at 515-246-2331.
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