Mary Catherine Hughes ’10 Builds Support for Theatre through Compassion and Communication

I built my confidence at Hutchison. I graduated with a strong academic foundation and a respect for values-based institutions. I credit my integrity, compassion, and determination to teachers and staff who emphasized the importance of those traits and others.

My five-year tenure at Common Desk was an educational experience — working at a startup meant learning by doing. Having studied theatre in college, I was unsure if a career in human resources was the right long-term fit, but I used my time there to develop transferable skills. I consider effective communication, data analysis, relationship building, and strategic planning as integral to my daily work. In my current role, I am assessing fundraising trends, understanding campaign effectiveness, articulating the organization’s mission, and building relationships with donors, which are all skills that find their roots in human resources.

Absolutely. I remember time management being specifically emphasized, which was a key learning for students with time-consuming extracurricular activities. I had rehearsal most nights and weekends, so understanding how to be an effective, proactive student while balancing a demanding schedule was important.

Theatre is storytelling — a way for communities to share and maintain culture. Despite a challenging national landscape for theaters, Nashville Repertory Theatre continues to employ over 200 actors, playwrights, designers, directors, musicians, technicians, and educators each year, making the Rep the leading employer of theatrical artists in Middle Tennessee. We can see our direct fiscal impact, and that is something I’m incredibly proud of.

More importantly, we are preserving local theatre. I want to make sure that there’s a vibrant local theater for the next generation — this is where artists like the Audra McDonalds, Kelli O’Haras, and Lin-Manuel Mirandas of tomorrow will get their start.

Acting in community theater productions is a continual source of learning, a collaborative effort with a diverse group of individuals, and a creative outlet that enriches my life outside of work — one that prevents me from singing loudly for my coworkers, which I hear is a win for everyone involved.