Crafting a professional theatre cover letter can be a daunting hurdle in your job quest. You’ve polished your resume and started to apply, only to hit the stumbling block of cover letter creation. This isn't a place to regurgitate your resume; it's your stage to spotlight a career-defining achievement with engaging storytelling. Strive for formal yet fresh prose, steering clear of tired clichés, and remember, your spotlight should shine brightly but briefly—never beyond one page.
- Including all the must-have paragraphs in your structure for an excellent first impression;
- Learning how to write individual sections from industry-leading cover letter examples;
- Selecting the best accomplishment to tell an interesting and authority-building professional story;
- Introducing your profile with personality, while meeting industry standards.
And, if you want to save some time, drag and drop your professional theatre resume into Enhancv's AI, which will assess your profile and write your job-winning cover letter for you.
If the professional theatre isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Professional theatre cover letter example
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- Opening with a clear statement of interest and alignment of personal goals with the company’s mission sets a positive tone and shows that the candidate has done their homework, understanding the company’s values.
- Providing specific examples of past achievements, such as enhancing a data processing platform, offers concrete evidence of the candidate’s capabilities and gives the hiring manager a glimpse of what the applicant could potentially accomplish within their organization.
- Mentioning the relevance of past work experience in a similar sector (sustainable energy) emphasizes the candidate's industry knowledge and potential for a smooth transition to the new role.
- Expressing eagerness to contribute to the company’s success and inviting further discussion demonstrates the candidate’s proactive approach and readiness for collaboration.
Five tips on formatting your professional theatre cover letter
Do you want to make a good impression on recruiters and, at the same time, follow the best industry advice on writing your professional theatre cover letter?
Make sure to include the following:
- Header and Salutation;
- Introductory paragraph;
- Body paragraph;
- Closing paragraph;
- Signature (this one is up to you).
Remember to use the same modern, simple font for your professional theatre cover letter as you did for your resume (e.g. Lato, Rubik, etc.)
Ensure your professional theatre cover letter is single-spaced and is wrapped around a one-inch margin, like in our cover letter templates.
Once completed, use our cover letter builder to export your professional theatre cover letter in the best format to keep your information intact - PDF.
At the end of the day, your professional theatre cover letter won't be assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) software, but by the recruiters. Your information should thus be legible, organized, and follow a structured logic.
The top sections on a professional theatre cover letter
- Header: Include your name, address, phone number, email, and date to ensure the recruiter can easily identify and contact you.
- Greeting: Address the letter to a specific person if possible, such as the casting director or production manager, to show that you have done your research and are personally invested in the position.
- Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and mention the role you're applying for, as well as any direct connections or referrals you have to the theatre or production to establish immediate relevance and interest.
- Body (Experience and Skills): Highlight your acting experience, unique skills, and any notable performances, making sure to tailor your accomplishments to be relevant to the specific needs of the production or theatre company.
- Closing and Call to Action: End with a professional closing, reiterate your enthusiasm for the role, and invite the reader to follow up with you for an audition or conversation, indicating your eagerness to engage with the recruitment process.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Strong stage presence: A compelling stage presence is crucial as it directly affects an actor's ability to engage the audience and convincingly portray characters.
- Versatility in performance: The ability to adapt to various roles, genres, and styles is highly valued as it showcases an actor's range and increases their casting potential.
- Formal training and education: A background in drama or theatre from a reputable institution demonstrates dedication to the craft and provides a foundation in acting techniques and theory.
- Relevant experience: Past roles and performances, particularly in professional theatre settings, reflect an actor's track record and reliability.
- Physical and vocal endurance: The stamina to perform consistently, often for an extended duration or through multiple shows per day, is essential in theatre.
- A collaborative spirit: Theatre is a team effort, so showing an ability to work harmoniously with directors, fellow actors, and crew members is critical for a successful production.
Greeting recruiters with your professional theatre cover letter salutation
What better way to start your conversation with the hiring manager, than by greeting them?
Take the time to find out who the professional, recruiting for the role, is.
Search on LinkedIn, the company website. And for those still keen on making a fantastic first impression, you could even contact the organization, asking for the recruiter's name and more details about the job.
Address recruiters in the professional theatre greeting by either their first name or last name. (e.g. "Dear Anthony" or "Dear Ms. Smarts").
If you're unable to discover the recruiter's name - don't go for the impersonal "To whom it may concern", but instead use "Dear HR team".
List of salutations you can use
- Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],
- Dear [Artistic Director's Name],
- Dear [Company Name] Team,
- Dear [Department] Hiring Committee,
- Dear [Title of the Recipient, e.g., Mr., Ms., Dr.] [Last Name],
- Dear [Full Name],
Introducing your profile to catch recruiters' attention in no more than two sentences
The introduction of your professional theatre cover letter is a whole Catch 22 .
You have an allocated space of no more than just a paragraph (of up to two sentences). With your introduction, you have to stand out and show why you're the best candidate out there.
Set out on a journey with your professional theatre cover letter by focusing on why you're passionate about the job. Match your personal skills and interests to the role.
Another option for your professional theatre cover letter introduction is to show you're the ideal candidate. Write about how your achievements and skills are precisely what the company is looking for.
However you decide to start your professional theatre cover letter, always remember to write about the value you'd bring about. Making it both tangible (with your metrics of success) and highly sought out.
Storytelling in the middle (or body) of your professional theatre cover letter
You've got your whole resume sorted, detailing your achievements and skills. What else can you write in your professional theatre cover letter?
For starters, take the time to re-assess the job requirements and re-discover the most crucial skills and requirements (or keywords).
After making a list of these important keywords, look back on your experience to select just one of your past accomplishments.
Choose the achievement that is the most noteworthy, relevant to the role, and matches the required skills.
Use the next between three and six paragraphs to narrate how:
- you've grown your skill set, thanks to your achievement;
- you'd use the know-how you've gained in your new role;
- your accomplishment could help your potential employers grow.
Remember that recruiters don't need a retelling of your whole resume, but want to find out what makes you, you.
Ending your professional theatre cover letter to avoid "sincerely yours"
Yes, this sort of closing statement may work best before your signature.
But you want to give recruiters something more with your professional theatre cover letter ending.
Some professionals choose to go down the path of promises. In a single sentence, they map out what they'd bring about to the role (whether that's a particular technical skill set or personal traits).
Others, decide to be more concrete by thanking recruiters for their time and prompting for their next interview.
Whatever path you choose, remember to always be polite and respectful of the opportunity you've had. Good manners go a long way.
Keep this in mind when writing your zero experience professional theatre cover letter
Even though you may not have any professional experience, your professional theatre cover letter should focus on your value.
As a candidate for the particular role, what sort of skills do you bring about? Perhaps you're an apt leader and communicator, or have the ability to analyze situations from different perspectives.
Select one key achievement from your life, outside work, and narrate a story that sells your abilities in the best light.
If you really can't think of any relevant success, you could also paint the picture of how you see your professional future developing in the next five years, as part of the company.
Key takeaways
We hope this professional theatre cover letter writing guide has shown you how to:
- Format your professional theatre cover letter with the mandatory sections (e.g. header, greeting, intro, body, and closing) and select the right font (P.S. It should be the same as the one you've used for your resume);
- Substitute your lack of professional experience with your most noteworthy achievement, outside of work, or your dreams and passions;
- Ensure recruiters have a more personalized experience by tailoring your cover letter not just to the role, but to them (e.g. writing their first/last name in the salutation, etc.);
- Introducing your biggest achievement and the skills it has taught you in your professional theatre cover letter body;
- Write no more than two sentences in your professional theatre cover letter introduction to set the right tone from the get-go.
