Employee Spotlight: McKenna Pope
November 2024

INTERVIEW WITH MCKENNA POPE:

City Theatrical (CT): Hi McKenna! Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your experiences while working at City Theatrical. 

To start, what is your favorite thing to work on at City Theatrical?

McKenna Pope (MP): Hi! Thank you for having me.

It's hard to say, because I really love it all! I'm a big theatre nerd, so I always like to know the shows or installations we're working on, and then when I see the show in the theater it's such an honor to know I helped make it happen.

Audience members might find me pointing to fixtures before the show and exclaiming to whoever I'm with, "We made that!" Plus, the amazing team I’m surrounded by makes every day here all the more fun. 

CT: What does excellence at City Theatrical mean to you?

MP: We will always go the extra mile to ensure it gets done. There's not a culture of "that's impossible, that won't work, that's not my job". Everyone here is the type who looks at a problem and rolls up their sleeves and gets to work. I think that's a beautiful thing.

CT: What are some of the most important things you’ve learned while working at City Theatrical?

MP: Before working at City Theatrical, I worked in tech and stage management. I remember always feeling like technical design was such an undervalued aspect of entertainment.

Since working at City Theatrical, I've really internalized that every step in the process is important, even before it hits the stage. From buying the screws to bending the metal, from shipping the PCB to soldering it, every single person that has a hand in its creation is part of making sure the show goes on!

I've also learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of, especially when I am passionate about the work I do. If you would've told me a few years ago I would be doing this job today, I wouldn't have believed you. Yet today, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

CT: What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue a career in Lighting?

MP: Never sell yourself short and have confidence in your abilities. Get connected with the tech community. When you see a shot, take it!

It's especially easy for us as women to undervalue ourselves and our contributions. Remember to always take a step back and remind yourself that you are intelligent, capable, and awesome! 

CT: Why should people work at City Theatrical?

MP: You will feel supported, cared for, and invested in as both an employee and a person by everyone here. I think that is one of the most valuable things to be found anywhere, especially the workplace.

In July 2015, McKenna held a TedTalk focused on "toy marketing activism". McKenna was just 14 years old. Watch now:

McKenna's passion for finding a gender-neutral colored cooking tool as a gift for her younger brother sparked a petition with over 46,000 signatures, which in turn caught the attention of Hasbro, the manufacturer of the classic Easy-Bake Oven.

CT: McKenna, it's been nine years since your TedTalk that changed the toy industry. Any learnings that you want to share from the experience?

MP: It is easy to think that the things you're passionate about won't resonate with people. Giving that talk was a longstanding reminder that, often, the things you feel strongly about are the things that really will resonate and create change.

Additionally, there will always be detractors and those who disagree, or even worse, people who just want to make you feel bad for speaking up. But - when those people try to tear you down, you build yourself back up even stronger and louder. People will listen!

CT: What did it feel like to help change the way Hasbro marketed their Easy Bake Oven product?

MP: It made me feel like I could actually make a real, tangible difference in this world. Often, when you hear about changemaking, it's on a small scale, so to see physical manifestation of the change I helped institute was such a "Whoa, I can really do anything I set my mind to!" moment!

CT: Are there any areas of the industry you believe can be improved to be more equitable?

It's interesting to think about, because my Easy Bake Oven campaign was focused on making sure boys felt seen and heard in their desire for traditionally feminine activities. In theatre and manufacturing though, I feel it is the opposite.

I think there is always room for improvement, and as any woman in theatre tech will tell you, it's been a male-dominated field for as long as there's been theatre; same goes for manufacturing. But I think that should be the call to women everywhere to pursue these fields, because the best way to break a glass ceiling is to bust through it with the strength of others also in your position backing you up.

Additionally, I feel leaders in male dominated fields everywhere should take care to make sure women in their organization are feeling seen and heard, as well as taking into consideration the importance of a diverse workforce.

Change comes from every level, and we should all be working towards a seat at the table for everyone. 

CT: Thank you very much for your time, McKenna! 

To learn more about McKenna and other outstanding women at City Theatrical, visit our Celebrating Women at City Theatrical page.