Career 180: Working day and night

11/2/08
barrow group
By Rolando Pujol

Career 180: Working day and night

Photo credit: Urbanite

Alix Steel, 29, is an online video correspondent and producer at financial Web site TheStreet.com. While she hasn’t quite pulled off a “Career 180,” she has mastered a second career as a freelance theater director. Her new show “Short Stuff V”— five one-acts by women playwrights — opens Friday at The Barrow Group.

What’s a dual-job life like?

Busy! Weekdays from 8 a.m. till at least 5 p.m. I’m at TheStreet.com’s headquarters on Wall Street, researching and reporting big financial stories. I produce a daily video about the day’s hot stocks and also a weekly segment about a noteworthy family-owned business here in New York.What’s a dual-job life like?

Busy! Weekdays from 8 a.m. till at least 5 p.m. I’m at TheStreet.com’s headquarters on Wall Street, researching and reporting big financial stories. I produce a daily video about the day’s hot stocks and also a weekly segment about a noteworthy family-owned business here in New York.

How do you fit in all of the theater stuff?

I direct two to four off- and off-off-Broadway shows a year, and tend to be involved in a show any given week. They keep me going nonstop after work and on weekends. I get the gigs through acting and directing classes at The Barrow Group. If it’s a new play, I work with the playwright. For a published play, we go right to production. I choose the cast, work with designers and do a lot of rehearsing.

What do you need to manage two jobs?

To do any job well, you need curiosity, passion and teamwork. For TheStreet.com, I absorb everything I can about finance. For the theater, I’m always learning how to collaborate and achieve a shared vision. Reporting and directing both require telling a story well. And to double-time, you need endless energy. Caffeine helps.

What’s the fun part?

Internet reporters can be incredibly creative — we’re shaping this information medium. And directing is a constant challenge and eye-opener. No b.s. can exist between you, your cast and your crew.

What else is there to know?

Make everything a learning experience. If you’re on top of your game and open to career opportunities, they will find you.

Photo: Stefanie Siegfried
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Career 180: Working day and night

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