Before graduation, Ally Haynes, BA theater ’96, had an interview with the DU theater faculty. They told her she was well suited to pursue a career in the business side of the theater industry, but that was not what she wanted to hear. Her response was, “That’s not really what I want to do. I want to be an actress. I want to be creative.”
Eight years later, Haynes says she loves producing and presenting.
Haynes moved to Philadelphia after graduation and worked “whatever theater job was available.” She eventually got a job as stage manager for Late Nite Catechism, produced by the New York-based, off-Broadway production company Entertainment Events. She ultimately became the show’s producer, which was a stepping-stone for a more permanent producing position with Entertainment Events. She moved to New York City in 2000 and quickly found herself traveling throughout the country to produce the company’s other shows.
Her jet-set lifestyle as a producer also sparked an interest in the travel industry. Expedia.com, where Haynes was booking most of her travel, took notice. The travel site offered Haynes a one-year position on an advisory board helping to develop Expedia Corporate Travel. She accepted the offer. “It was a wonderful and exciting challenge,” she recalls.
After working with Expedia.com, Haynes moved back to Colorado and planned to take a year off. But while she was on sabbatical, Entertainment Events asked her to go to Scottsdale, Ariz., to produce Menopause the Musical. In Arizona, she found herself with another job offer: company manager of the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.
The new job meant a shift from producing in the for-profit world to producing in the nonprofit realm. Haynes says working with the organization was an opportunity to work in presenting—a more venue-oriented side of the theater industry. Presenting also is a relatively new industry that’s only about 20 years old, she says.
“It’s changing, and I’m excited to be a part of that change,” she says. “Being on the ground level of a ‘new’ industry is a huge opportunity.”
Haynes credits her success in the theater industry to the well-rounded education she received at DU. “I would definitely attribute my success to knowing about all aspects of production,” she says. “I have that knowledge because of what I got from DU.”