After TMU — Cassie Mitchele

Why did you choose to study at Ryerson University?

Ever since I was in junior high school, I was told that TMU was the school I should work towards. Originally, I wanted to study film and that was my ultimate goal all through school up until grade 11. I found myself in a musical theatre class and that opened up my eyes to the world of theatre and really helped me decide on my career path at TMU. I did decide to study production even though I loved performing. I still am very happy with that choice because I learned so many skills that I could apply to theatre but also other career paths. 

What skills developed through university have helped you most in your career?

One of the most important skills I learned within the theatre school was networking and commutation. Networking is very important in the theatre world as it is such a close community and most people find work through networking. I found my current job through networking and that has really helped me within the very small community of foreign performers in Japan. 

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge I've had in my career was moving to the other side of the world. Working in a foreign country with many language and cultural differences was challenging at first. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about Japanese business culture and how to apply my knowledge and skill set to the workforce. It wasn’t easy and I had to learn many skills but it has been a very interesting environment to work in. 

In your experience, what are some attributes of individuals who are most successful in your field?

I think what is important for people who want to work in the arts is to have the drive and passion to not give up. It can be hard to find work in this field, especially in the new state of the world. But if you have the passion and desire to make your craft a career, then it is a possible goal. I was very lucky to get the role I have today and a bit of luck was involved. But also it was being able to take the chance to risk a “safe” career for something that I loved and having confidence in my skills and abilities. 

You live and work in Tokyo! What inspired you to work overseas and what advantages does it give you as a performer?

I have been living in Japan for over 7 years now and each day is always an adventure. I was offered a job teaching English right out of TMU and didn’t really know what path my future was going to take. I lived for the first 2 years in Hiroshima where I was teaching at a conversational school for children. I never imagined I would be where I am today. Now I am working as a performer in a touring English show, helping children learn English in a fun and exciting way. Performing in children’s theatre is such a rewarding job. The children are so excited for the shows and it’s an amazing feeling to use my skills as a performer to help them learn. I am so grateful that I am able to travel this beautiful country while performing and developing my skills as a performer. I am also able to use the organizing and management skills I learned in the production program in other aspects of my job like planning and organizing events for the children. 

What are your favourite memories of studying at TMU? Did you have a favourite professor?

My four years at TMU were amazing. The theatre school ran like a theatre company and gave so much real world experience working in the field. My main focus was production management and public relations and I had a lot fun working in the PR office on all the shows. Even though I have now switched from being backstage  to on stage, I am so grateful for all I learned from my professors and all the friends during that time. One of my favourite memories at TMU were the opening and closing night parties. It was so much fun coming together as a school to celebrate the shows. We are a very small program compared to most at TMU and we were all very close. I will always be a part of the Theatre School family. 

What do you love most about your job? What are your least favourite parts?

I love all aspects of my job. I’m not only performing all over Japan but also still teaching English in other ways to children across the country. Because of the pandemic, we have started doing live remote shows over Zoom to help make the shows available to the children we teach. It has been such a rewarding job and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I have been given. One of the more challenging aspects is working for a Japanese company and getting used to Japanese work culture. When I started teaching 7 years ago, I worked for a very strict Japanese company and the work culture was a shock. it’s been very interesting to learn about it while living here. 

What is a typical “Day in Your Work Life” like?

With my job, I don’t really have a “Typical” day since my schedule is always changing. I work more like a freelancer so each day can be very different. One day I might be traveling across the county to perform in different cities where on other days I will be doing live shows from home over Zoom because of the pandemic. I usually work weekends since that when the children are not in school. But not having a set schedule has been great since I am able to take advantage of traveling and enjoying all that Japan as. 

Reflecting back, is there anything you wish you could tell your university self?

I feel like nothing I could tell my past self would prepare me for what my career has had in store for me. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would be living, traveling and performing across Japan. If anything I would say not to be afraid of taking chances. Life can be really funny and can change on you at any time. But also some of those changes can bring you some of the best adventures and advantages for your life and career. Taking the chances while you have them can be seen as risky, but I wouldn’t be where I am today if I never tried. 

How have you remained connected to TMU as an alumna living and working abroad?

Luckily though social media I’ve been able to stay in contact with friends and mentors from my time at TMU. It’s been really great to see where all my classmates have ended up and a few have even made their way over to Japan.  It’s been great to see them on their travels. I’m very proud to represent my university abroad and it’s really great to see how far TMU students have gone around the world. We really have become not only a group in Canada but a worldwide group of graduates. 

Anything else you’d like to add or share?

I really hope and wish for the best to all the artists that are struggling through these difficult times. I know the arts will be back once it is safe again and I am very excited to see how our field of work will evolve because of the past year and what new advances will come from this.