Joy Bilyeu-Steele

Theatre Take-Aways

Do the right thing, the right way. There is a right and a wrong way to do the right thing. It’s easy to be critical and focus on the negatives of customers/patrons, staff, vendors, and even yourself. Instead, be kind! Intentionally be good. Watch your tone and smile. Focus on areas of growth and be encouraging. We export Springfield and the theatre as a place that truly cares, whether you are an artist coming in the stage door or a patron through the front. Kindness stands out in our culture.

Is this sustainable? Are the hours you are working and the energy you are expending a pace you can maintain? We don’t have “regular hours” in the event business. Modeling a balance in life is critical when you have a passionate, hard-working staff. We don’t ask the staff to do anything we won’t do. That includes balance.

Own your mistakes AND your victories. Mistakes are inevitable. The theatre has a culture that acknowledges them as "opportunities." We are always learning and improving. Our culture is to empower staff to own the inevitable misstep and use it to improve on the experience. Equal to recognizing those opportunities is recognizing success. We celebrate the victories and keep our work in context. Our business is making memories and we never want to lose sight of that.

Joy Bilyeu-Steele

Associate Director

Gillioz Theatre

Gillioz.org

417-863-9491