Kalamazoo Times

Kayde Moore, B.A.'24, landed a job with Face Off Theatre Company after a successful internship. KALAMAZOO, Mich.—When your job aligns with your passion, it doesn't feel like work. Kayde Moore, B.A.’24, cracked the code after discovering arts administration at Western Michigan University.

"I came in as a film major thinking I was going to audition for the acting department, but then I realized I didn't want to act professionally," says Moore, who graduated from Western in spring 2024 with a full-time job as arts administrator and audience development associate at Face Off Theatre Company in Kalamazoo.

Moore stands with the cast of Face Off Theatre Company's "Ain't Misbehavin'." "I explored some other options in the theatre department and somebody introduced me to Emily Duguay, the head of the arts administration department. I talked to her and realized it was actually more what I want to do with my life: the advocacy and nonprofit work."

A first-generation college student from Detroit, Moore first heard about Western from a teacher at Detroit School of Arts, where they were studying theatre.

"My acting teacher was a Western alumnus," says Moore. "She took us to tour the campus a couple of times, and we got to meet professors personally. I really loved the campus."

Moore also appreciated the support Western's TRiO Student Success Program offers students who are first in their family to attend college.

"I probably would not have graduated without the TRiO Student Success Program. They helped me in ways I could not imagine," they say. "When I got to Western, they gave me help with my resume, writing cover letters, how to be in a professional setting, how to apply to scholarships and would even find me scholarships whenever my tuition would come up short."

In addition to financial and academic assistance, Moore also found support at Western to explore their identity through diverse spaces like the Office of Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender Student Services.

"I'm nonbinary, and I really wanted to get in a space where I could feel comfortable as a person who is trans-masculine and somebody who also is Black on campus," Moore says. "The community of people that I had around me on campus and the friends I made along the way really enriched my journey. They really made me look at who I was as a person, take that apart and then build myself back up to look at what I wanted to be and what I wanted the world to see me as."

Moore dove into Western's Department of Theatre from their arrival on campus by working in the box office at the Gilmore Theatre Complex and doing house management work for WMU Theatre shows.

The experience helped Moore excel in their first internship as a production assistant for Shakespeare in Detroit, a globally recognized nonprofit theatre company focused on expanding access to classic theatre in Motor City.

"Community outreach and reaching people who otherwise would not get the opportunity to see theatre is something that I've always cared about," says Moore. "It's important that theatre is accessible."

That internship led to another opportunity at Face Off Theatre where Moore began working as a volunteer usher before gaining more administrative responsibilities as an intern such as hiring stage managers and handling lighting and sound for productions. The courses Moore had taken within Western's arts administration program prepared them for these roles.

"A lot of the course material—learning how to write grants and how a nonprofit works, how to give 501C3 status—is really important to the work that I'm doing today," says Moore. "I help (Face Off Theatre) do a lot of what I was doing in class: writing grants, developing fundraisers for the organization, coming up with ideas for sponsorships and getting donors."

Some classes outside their major also helped Moore cultivate professional skills while illuminating new passions.

"It was something I never would have expected I would be doing," says Moore about photography studies that resulted in their work being featured in a student gallery show on campus. "I found these amazing professors who helped me find my voice there."

Moore's photography continues both as a hobby and professionally incorporated into their role at Face Off Theatre by taking pictures during rehearsals and productions.

Both personally and professionally, Moore credits being at Western as transformational for success post-graduation.

"The degree is about more than just classes; it's about who you become along the way," says Moore. "The knowledge and experience I gained from Western was instrumental to who I am today; it's opened many doors for me."

For more WMU news related arts events visit WMU News online.