Get to Know Our New Hires: Berrit + Katherine
Last week Nicole, our Social Media Manager, virtually met with the newest additions to the ELE team: Berrit Keller and Katherine Thesing. While Berrit and Katherine are both relatively new to the event planning world, they have been thriving at every opportunity presented. Here we take a deeper look at their past experiences and get to know them a little better.
So, you both have an impressive background in Theatre. What about theatre production are you most passionate about? How did you get started in theatre?
Berrit: “I would have to say stage management. For me, there’s power in organization to make everyone else’s life easier. I love paperwork and all of that logistical work, it’s therapeutic to me. And the payoff is so high when the show goes up and you see all of your hard work come to life. You also get to work with so many cool and talented people. That’s a very exciting part of that job, you never know who will be in the next room, and watching a group of experts in different fields create together is such a pleasure. It’s really a collaborative art form. I got started with theatre in high school and I’ve been doing it ever since. When I started doing theatre professionally, I found I loved it even more. Stage management is great because you are involved in all aspects of the show. It’s like a puzzle and you help put the vision of the creative team together.”
Katherine: “I started doing theatre in the 7th grade. I was playing softball and I was not good at it, my friend showed up with stage makeup and I realized, I’d much rather be doing that! I’ve always been a planner and implementer, so when I found Stage Management, it was an instant click! I love collaborating with incredible directors, actors, designers, and technicians during the process. It’s so fun to be at the table and get to put together all of the pieces! Some of my favorite things about theatre are the storytelling and the impact it can have on an audience. I love working on a show where you are really saying something, where the story is making an immediate impact on your community.”
What are some of your favorite plays? What was your favorite play you were involved in?
Berrit: “My favorite show that I’ve worked on would have to be ‘Matilda’. It was actually the closing show of the season, while I was working at The Muny [Theatre] and it was great because they had just installed a new deck with new automation. Since ‘Matilda’ was the closing show, we used all of it! I had a unique experience with that production because I was working with so many unions and the actors were coming from all over to join the cast. And of course, the show itself is a hoot. My favorite show that I’ve seen? That’s a hard one! I’ll go with ‘Mary Poppins’. I saw that with my parents and sister when I was very young, it was actually the first show I saw on Broadway. When I think about the magic of theatre, those are the kinds of plays I think of.”
Katherine: “Definitely ‘Airness’ by Chelsea Marcantel. I actually met Bekah [Wachenfeld] there. The show is about air guitar competitions and is raw joy. This show introduced me to the niche community of air guitarists and I made a lot of new friends (and a new hobby!), it was an awesome experience. That’s one of the things that I love about theatre, you get to dip into these different worlds!”.
How are theatre and event planning similar? How are they different?
Berrit: “They are so similar! At least for stage management. The organization required for running both events and theatre can be very similar, particularly with documents like the Run-of-Show which is generated to represent what is happening when and by whom. The logistical processes are also very similar. For both events and theatre, it is my job to bring other people’s visions to life by supporting creatives. For me, they are different in one major way though; in theatre, you are basically working with the same people every day to create a cohesive production. With events, you’re working with different people depending on what segment of the event you’re working through. Breakouts, speaker prep, rehearsals- they all require different, smaller groups instead of an entire ensemble.”
Katherine: “The processes are very similar! Both are preparing for the ‘moment’. Just like theatre, events are telling a story and we as event planners are asking what we want people to take away from the experience? The question: ‘what do we want them to walk away with?’ is a huge part of the process of producing in both theatre and events. They are different because events are usually one day, or at least each part of an event only happens once. With shows, you get to live in it for a while. You can continue to finesse, you are continuously working on and adjusting for the next night of the show. Events are about nailing those moments, the build-up is different. You work so hard and then it’s over, that speech was given, time to move on to the next part. The audience is also different! Your event focuses on a central subject, and everyone there either has an interest or career in that subject. For plays, you never know who will be in the audience so it becomes about resonating with anyone.”
Theatre is a live event in itself, with constantly moving parts. We are mostly planning virtual events right now, but it is predicted we will see many in-person events in 2021. Do you feel more prepared for the inevitable chaos of in-person events, having that experience?
Berrit: “Definitely, yes! Part of my training and internships was focused on how to react when things go wrong and when you’re live something’s bound to go wrong. My advice would be to keep a level head and trust your gut. The more you get stressed out and go crazy, the harder it is to find a solution. In college, that was one thing the Head of Stage Management would note us on: how ready are you to jump up and problem solve? It taught me to always keep my head on and keep watching.”
Katherine: “Oh, I can’t wait! And absolutely! I’m used to doing nine shows a week, where every show was different. It’s not just in-person events where this comes in handy though; at NCSC [National Charter Schools Conference] virtual, we had a presenter who had audio problems at the last minute. They were there alone in their house so it was especially difficult to troubleshoot but we were ready for when things went wrong. We have specialists and contingency plans. I would say to ‘go with the flow’ when problems arise. The more prepared you are, the more efficiently you can problem solve because your bases are already covered”.
What surprised you the most about event planning coming from the theatre world?
Berrit: “I don’t know if this is really about event planning itself, but what surprised me about working at ELE, and with Erin, is how transparent she is. I feel like I can ask any question without judgment. Meetings are always a conversation with ongoing dialogue and we all have a close connection to the top boss. That’s unlike theatre in my experience. Maybe because I always worked more in supporting roles, but in theatre, you are one part of a huge organization, so it’s harder to make a connection with everyone. But with Erin, the team is always a part of the important conversations. One of my other favorite parts about ELE is that Erin puts so much passion into what she does, it really makes such a positive impact to work for someone who absolutely loves what they do.”
Katherine: “The virtual world surprised me! Even in the virtual world, you can still find that human connection. In some ways, this work is so process-oriented, most of the attention goes to the process which helps you nail that moment, but having those moments of connection with the producers is just as important.”
Katherine, your ELE bio says you are passionate about social change. What kind of social change do you wish to see in the world? Do you feel that events could be helpful in that?
Katherine: “Black Lives Matter is a really important social movement to me. I live in Louisville, Kentucky… the same place Breonna Taylor was murdered. Louisville has been protesting everyday for over 100 days. I have been doing a lot of thinking about my privilege and the safety that I feel, that she didn’t have. Racism is a white person’s issue and it is our responsibility to fix it. We need to be having these difficult conversations and amplifying the voices of those who are affected the most. Being aware is not enough to make real change, we have to have action.
I believe that events can be very useful at sparking change or bringing awareness to an issue. Events can be the ‘Genesis’ of social change. If your event has a clear message, informed and inspiring speakers, and a clear ‘call to action’, your audience might be inspired into action! What we learn from events, doesn’t stay behind in that event space, we take it with us. So yes, if it is a good event, they can definitely make a difference.”
Here come the hard-hitting questions! Berrit- I see from your ELE bio that you like fiction. What are some of your favorite books and favorite characters?
Berrit: “Well my favorite genre is historical fiction. Some of my favorites are ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr, ‘The Nightingale’ by Kristin Hannah, and ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I’m realizing they all happen to be based around World War II, but I have found that those novels usually have great and tough female characters, which I love!
As far as characters… I don’t think there is one in particular that resonates with me the most. I’m more of a plot lover”.
Katherine, your bio says have plants and a fur baby! Do you like that sense of responsibility? I bet your house is covered in plants.
Katherine: “Oh yes! When I moved in by myself, I knew nothing about them, but I kept buying plants! Sometimes it’s a success story, sometimes it’s not. Quarantine was my first growing season, I love watching each leaf grow, it is so satisfying!
And not to be too sappy, but my dog is my world. I’ve had her for 3 years, she’s a rescue. Her name is Lacey. She really keeps me grounded and since having her, I actually take better care of myself because I know that someone is counting on me. She’s traveled all across the country with me! She’s my best friend. Honestly, I already know what she is getting for Christmas, but I don’t know what anyone else is getting.”
ELE loves the doggos! Berrit, I read that you volunteer at animal rescue organizations; what roles do you play in that work?
Berrit: “I love it! I’ve always loved dogs. And when the pandemic hit, I thought ‘I have to stay busy! How can I stay busy?’ -this was a perfect fit. It started with fostering and now I also help with tasks like transportation of supplies. Animal shelters are always just happy with any amount of help, so it is really easy to fit that level of commitment into your life.”