Balancing Passion and Practicality in the Arts

Performer, operations director, project manager, event planner. Rick Hoops wears many hats—sometimes all at once—in their role as program coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life at the University of Minnesota and youth program director at Minnesota Opera.

But multitasking is nothing new to Rick, who has directed or stage managed numerous theater productions. Rick also holds bachelor’s degrees in both vocal performance and theater (with a minor in women’s and gender studies).

”I've been a stage manager, a lead character, a costumer all in the same show,” Rick says. “I've had a lot of different roles at one time, so I know how to manage multiple deadlines like nobody's business.”

Theater Skills in the Professional World

“Creative problem-solving is the name of the game in theater, and it's also the name of the game in programming, event management, and operations. Those skills are always woven throughout theater, and they're really important in other professional sectors.”

Rick, a student in the Arts and Cultural Leadership master’s program, says it’s crucial for arts professionals to demonstrate to potential employers how transferable their skills are. “A lot of times in job interviews, they'll say, ‘theater background: How is that going to help you? What can we do with you?’ And I'm like, literally anything. I can do everything, and I can learn and adapt really fast. You want a theater person on your team, trust me,” Rick says.

But being so effective and flexible can have its drawbacks. Rick adds that it’s important to establish professional boundaries. “Because my 100% is a lot. I'm giving a lot when I'm giving a 100%, so I can't always be giving that. Boundaries with your team can help with balance, so you don't become the lead or the go-to on every single thing.”

Building on a Strong Arts Foundation

Rick began their arts journey in instrumental music, gradually transitioning to vocal music before combining vocal music and theater. Encouraged by their parents to explore various activities, sports, and classes, Rick attended public arts magnet programs in middle and high school.

“The arts just made a lot more sense for me,” Rick says. “It was the first thing I was really good at. I think when I got my first leading role and recognition for it as a 15-year-old, I was like, oh, maybe I'm pretty good at this. Then when I was 17 or 18, I was in the Phantom of the Opera and got an award from the Hennepin Theatre Trust. And I thought, maybe I can do this.”

Rick completed their undergraduate degree in 2019, just seven months before the COVID-19 pandemic halted live performances.

The pandemic underscored the importance of having business skills alongside artistic talent. “Having some background knowledge in arts administration and policy will give me a much more stable career than just going full bore into performing. I love performing, but artists also have day jobs, and I want to have a day job that provides a stable lifestyle.”

Rick was drawn to the ACL master’s program for its comprehensive offerings and flexibility. Most classes are held in the evening, catering to adult professionals. Many ACL students work full-time in the arts, nonprofit, or government sectors. The faculty comprises working artists, practitioners, and educators in the arts and cultural sector.

“The ACL is a really good program for working professionals. It's pretty easy to balance. I only ever took nine credits at one time, and that was too many, so I kept it at six credits or less every semester. So it took me about seven semesters to finish with summer classes, and that's how I tried to keep some balance.”

Pro Tips for Students

• "Try to relax. I feel like school, especially for people who have just come from undergrad or fast-paced jobs, there's this sense of urgency and a lot of pressure. It's important to take it seriously, but at the same time, you're going to burn yourself out really fast. We're talking about nuanced topics around equity, diversity, and inclusion, and how that is woven into every aspect of whatever sector we're a part of. The conversations can get really heavy, so just approaching it mindfully is important."
• "Weave your final project into as many of the courses as you can. A lot of projects are open, and you can really make it your own. My experience in the capstone was much smoother because I'd had five semesters of learning about these topics that I was potentially wanting to do for my capstone. I'm really glad that I took the time to learn about queer experiences and nonprofits in a variety of different classes, like financial management, trends and impacts, and  legal and ethical issues. For those classes I tried to tap into my particular interest as much as I could, so that my final project was well-rounded from the get-go."

Memorable Instructor

Trends and Impacts and Experiential Leadership Practicum with Lisa/LM Brimmer

“They were really great. LM is a queer professor, and that doesn't come up very much honestly. It's not super often that trans and nonbinary people get to have professors who reflect parts of their experience.”