Today we’d like to introduce you to Hollie Rivers.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started doing theatre when I was in middle school. I bounced around a lot in terms of hobbies when I was a kid, from gymnastics to karate to teaching myself to sew. I never seemed to stick with anything long-term until I joined the drama club. I started by creating the costumes for a show in sixth grade, auditioned the next year, and I’ve been doing theatre in some capacity ever since. My final two years of high school really resonated with me. We began producing plays for elementary and middle school students within our district. I performed as Alice in Alice in Wonderland, and the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical, and dare I say the cliché that it changed my life… it really did. Theatre is absolute magic to children. I decided early on that I never wanted to stop creating the magic for them. I became intensely passionate about plays for children and theatre education. I went on to study Acting and Theatre for Young Audiences at Brenau University, additionally taking on leading in-school outreach programs and drama camp counselor jobs in the summertime. When I graduated, Actor’s Express gave me my first job in the theatre world fresh out of college as a part-time Box Office Assistant. Because this position was part-time, I started taking side jobs teaching, but nothing permanent, and nothing full-time. I applied for an Education job at Georgia Ensemble Theatre in 2017, and to my surprise, they asked me to come on as a Marketing Associate. I was able to teach occasionally and I learned quickly how much I enjoyed graphic design and growing our audience. I never gave up my part-time position at Actor’s Express, and it was a twist of fate that the Marketing and Development Manager position became available this past fall. We are at a great place in company growth and I now get to spearhead some in-school education projects that Actor’s Express has never had the means to do before. I also joined the Teaching Artist team at the Alliance Theatre this past fall, actually within the same week. It feels surreal to work at two places I absolutely love, doing what I want to do. I’m immensely grateful.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Has it been a smooth road? My goodness, absolutely not. I hustled, and hustled hard for a long time – I’m not done yet, and I don’t intend to stop anytime soon. I worked full-time as a server all throughout college on top of school and rehearsals and juggled multiple jobs at a time after I graduated. I laugh at myself sometimes because I realize I still have two jobs, but my time is much more balanced. I no longer feel like I’m wearing myself too thin, and I’m really passionate about my work. I have had my fair share of being disrespected, undervalued and flat out ignored as a woman. I know I’m not the only one, and I know it is worse for women of color. I’ve dealt with sexual harassment and witnessed others downplay the seriousness of it. There will always be people who look down on you or look past you because you are young, female, or someone they don’t believe to be important enough. For far too long, I allowed other people to dictate my self-confidence and ability to succeed. I think that is a common struggle amongst women. The best advice I can give to women beginning their journey is to be confident and pursue your dreams full force. Stop doubting your potential to get there, even for a second. Find out just what it is holding you back and get rid of it. Sometimes, that means letting go of people who aren’t a healthy presence in your life. Believe me when I say there are so many inspiring, intelligent, and supportive women, especially in the Atlanta arts community. We’ve got your back. Surround yourself with good people who encourage you and your dreams, and don’t stop hustling.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Currently, I am the Marketing and Development Manager at Actor’s Express, and I am part of the Teaching Artist team at the Alliance Theatre.
At Actor’s Express, we create work that is unapologetically risky, challenging, moving, and necessary. I couldn’t be more proud of that. In my position, I manage social media, create content and email campaigns, oversee marketing materials and analyze patron behavior to be able to adjust our marketing strategies accordingly. I get excited about things like creating sticker gifs for our Instagram, reviewing new show artwork, and reading positive reviews from patrons who rave about their experiences at Actor’s Express. What we do at AE is truly amazing. The quality of productions and the heart of our organization make it a real joy for me to come to work every day and sell it.
As a Teaching Artist, I have previously held positions as a theatre educator for Autism Improvised, The Cottage School, Georgia Ensemble Theatre, The Athens Regional Library System, The Ritz Theatre, Gainesville Theatre Alliance, Fifth Row Center Theatre, and more. At the Alliance, I just recently finished co-teaching two classes for my training. I co-taught Arts Explosion and Creative Dramatics to four, five and six-year-olds (my favorite age, the little bitties). The best thing about teaching is seeing students of all ages break out of their shell and gain confidence within themselves. My goal is to always be encouraging. At the start of my Arts Explosion class, one student of ours really struggled with nerves and being away from her mom. She cried every day at the start of class for the first few weeks. With a little one on one interaction and understanding, she slowly but surely started to feel more confident on her own over the course of our six weeks together. It was a big win when she came into our final class without her literal security blanket and was genuinely excited to show her family the performance our class created together.
I have my focuses, but I really enjoy being able to do multiple things in the theatre industry. My college stressed the importance of becoming “a complete theatre artist” and I really took that and ran with it. Since I’ve graduated from college, I’ve worked in stage management, house management, box office, marketing, development, event planning, and teaching. I studied acting in college, and I haven’t ruled that one out yet. I’ve only auditioned for one show since college, but I’ve had recent thoughts about getting myself back into that game.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
You know, I had the best mentors throughout college and I probably pestered them too much at times to find time to chat with me. I was obsessed with learning what I could improve on. If you find someone who inspires you or someone you feel you can learn from, just ask them to meet with you and have a conversation. Just ask. If you don’t, the answer will always be no. Tell them flat-out that they inspire you and you want to learn from them. At the end of the day, you are in charge of how much you grow as an artist and you owe it to yourself not to anticipate that you will be shot down.
Contact Info:
- Email: hollie@actorsexpress.com
- Instagram: @hollierivers
Image Credit:
Ashley Earles-Bennett, Natalie Fox, Carli Nordhodlz
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