Q&A with Nathaniel Hill ‘12, Founder & President, Broadway Plus

Major: Theater Studies; Certificate: Markets & Management Studies 

What are 2-3 ways your Duke experience helped prepare you for your current career role and/or previous roles?

Producing for and being president of Hoof ‘n’ Horn was directly relevant to what I do now. I was managing theatrical productions and ultimately a theater company that’s directly responsible for its own budget, which is a pretty great learning experience to have at that age.

How did you make the transition from Duke to your career? What are a few helpful takeaways from your first years out of Duke?

I did Duke in New York and started interning then, and my whole career has blossomed out of that internship. My first few years taught me to persevere through challenges and unexpected setbacks, try new things, and take networking seriously.

How did you decide what you wanted to do after Duke? And how did you make transition(s) to different fields?

I knew I wanted to go into the theater business since freshman year, when I started pursuing it. A person I interned for during Duke in New York helped me get my first job, and a different person I interned for during my Duke years gave me my second job.

What is your favorite thing about working in your profession? Most challenging?

My favorite is the dynamism (every day is very different) and the “theater people” I get to work with. The most challenging is the constant failure and closing of Broadway productions, because our business model is so tough to make work.

What are 2-3 pieces of advice you would offer to a student interested in your field(s)?

1. Whatever you’re applying for, do intense research on that company and know it inside and out. During the interview, pretend it’s the only place you’ve ever wanted to work, and explain why.
2. Meet as many people in your field as you can, and diligently stay in touch with them. You never know when they or their friends will be hiring, and you need to be at the top of their mind on that day.
3. Never stop never stopping

Anything to add?

I love to connect with Duke students who are strongly interested in the business of Broadway.