Meet Juliette Maners

We were lucky to catch up with Juliette Maners recently and have shared our conversation below.

Juliette, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My work ethic is honestly something I’m really proud of, and I feel like it’s something that stands out about me. In college, my friends would always joke about how insane my schedule was, taking 18 credits a semester while having 3 jobs, carrying around 3 bags on my shoulders all day to have everything I needed for whatever rehearsals I had to go to later that day as a performer, a stage manager, or sometimes both in one day (or sometimes both simultaneously).

In terms of my career, my “hustle” lifestyle was definitely initiated at a young age, probably when I began my arts education at Bak Middle School of the Arts. I started in sixth grade as a theater major, and at twelve years old, would travel an hour-long train commute from Boca Raton to West Palm Beach and back every day. It was so normal to us, but looking back, that was kinda crazy, and surely discipline training in itself. Once I arrived via bus from the train station each morning, I was taking all the regular classes a middle schooler does, plus the entire theater curriculum rotation of Acting, Stagecraft, Costuming, and more. They had us practicing calling shows and using sliding compound miter saws years before we could even think about learning to drive. Without a strong work ethic, there was no hope of keeping up at that age (or at any, for that matter). But I LOVED it. I auditioned for that school wanting to act, but once I got there, I discovered a desire to know everything about every single element of a production process. I passed a sign every morning in the theatre building that said “theatre is a collaborative art form,” and I genuinely think that this phrase and the program’s manifestation of teaching it, through the high expectations they set for us, is the reason I am so driven and eager to gain experience in all parts of the theatre industry.

In terms of myself as an individual, I have to give credit to my dad for my work ethic, because of his fostering of my independence and my power to solve my own problems. Growing up, I had no siblings, and my mom had passed away when I was a baby, so it was always just the two of us. Anyone who knows my dad and I will tell you it’s clear we have spent a LOT of time together. The older I get, the more often I hear, “you sure are your father’s daughter” (I’m sure he loves that). Part of our unique home life included him teaching me early on how to do things on my own. Early on, I had a curiosity for how things work and I remember him cultivating it by setting me up with a bunch of random hardware in the garage when I was little to simply tinker with. As I grew up, he taught me how to do things that he claimed “many adults don’t even know how to do” like fixing toilets and changing tires. Ever since, it has been a passion of mine to know how things work and be able to fix things for myself, so I don’t need to ever depend on anyone else. Shoutout to the best “girl dad” for teaching me girl power!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Juliette Maners; I’m a New York City based actor, stage manager, and eco-advocate! I grew up in sunny south Florida and this past May, I graduated from Rider University’s Musical Theatre BFA with a minor in Arts and Entertainment Industries Management.

As an actor, live theatre is my jam. Musicals, mostly. I’ve always had a love for them, and I definitely have my dad to thank for having My Fair Lady and The Music Man on repeat on our TV, playing the Wicked album in the car daily when driving me to elementary school, and forcing me into my first show, The Wizard of Oz. My favorite thing about this art form has to be the way it holds a mirror up to the audience to reflect upon their own lives, and often convinces them to leave the theatre wanting to do something or change something for the better. Of course, it also is just so much fun to perform and to collaborate with people who inspire you.

In my acting career thus far, naturally not everything has gone my way, and for basically all of my theatre education (a total of eleven years of being a theatre major) I had a really hard time getting cast in shows, and it was discouraging to feel like I had a dream that I couldn’t make a reality. If I couldn’t get cast in a school musical, how could I expect to be cast professionally? Luckily, once I got to college and started the summer stock hunt, I discovered the theatre world is so much bigger than every program I’ve been in and roles actually COULD be mine for the taking, and I found much more success. For anyone in school for theatre right now facing the same problem, let this be a lesson that the shows you are (or aren’t) cast in at school do not define your talent or potential! It’s all circumstantial and often has nothing to do with you – keep working and you’ll make it where it matters!

Anyway, looking back, all those cast lists I wasn’t on in school actually led to what would later define what makes me unique in this industry. I dug up my affinity for learning how things work, and every time I wasn’t in a show, I found another way to get involved so that when I would eventually get into that rehearsal room, I would be fully prepared, knowing exactly what was going on: on stage and backstage, pre-production and post-production, behind the table and in the booth. Well, remember how I said I had a hard time getting cast? I had a LOT of non-performing time to work with, and I didn’t let it go to waste. I ended up gaining 6 years of carpentry, plus the experience of props design and construction, set design, production analysis, basic costuming, pneumatic break system installation, and a ladder safety and aerial lift certification. I held the positions of Deck Chief, Fly Rail Operator, House Manager, Master Carpenter, Stage Carpenter, Light Board Operator, Spotlight Operator, Sound Operator, Run Crew, and the culmination of it all: Stage Manager.

When I first discovered stage management, it was like I found a whole additional calling and a way to have an impact on the theater world in a different way than I always expected. Everything I now knew about every element of the production process was suddenly put to use all at the same time, and my affinity for knowing how things work once again came into play. I loved picking apart a script, not only to anticipate the journey of one character as I would have as an actor, but every single one and how all their tracks navigate around each other in harmony with the journeys of moving pieces like set units, props and costumes in ways that make a director’s vision come to life. I loved propelling the communication and teamwork of all the departments working toward the same goal. I loved making documents and spreadsheets that turned a jigsaw puzzle into a piece of art. Now, finally pursuing an acting career, with my stage management background, I have found that my skillset also makes me an excellent swing and understudy which has proven helpful for casting, and more importantly gives me the well rounded knowledge of the production process so I can offer support and assistance wherever needed to both sides of the table. I also decided to stick with it, and additionally pursue stage management parallel to acting, because I still love it, and what’s wrong with one more opportunity to get paid to do theatre!?

Today, as I jump head first into the crazy world of auditioning for performance opportunities across the globe, I also hold the position of Executive Assistant at Productions by Stephan, an up and coming NYC based, Women-Led, Performer Focused producing company I have had the privilege of helping develop (owned by the incomparable Producer, Sydney Stephan) that is paving new ways for actors to launch into the industry and for theatre to reach the communities that need it. I will soon be joining our Best of Times Private Tour as a vocalist, performing in the unique duo acts that bring timeless music back into the lives of assisted living residents around the city. I am an active member of the Broadway Green Alliance, having just been awarded the 2025 College Green Captain Award and invited to a new team of theirs launching something very special for the fall, where I can spread the awareness and impact of sustainable theatre practices to young adults like me (stay tuned!).

In school, I was so worried about whether or not I had what it took to make a career in the theatre industry because of the consistent “no”s I faced. Today, at twenty two years old, I’m heading into my first full-year of being in the real world, with 5 professional stage management and 6 performer contracts already under my belt. Yes, I’ll always look at other actors my age who have already had their successes on Broadway, tours and so on, and I can always wonder if I’m behind or not doing enough, but I saw something recently that I took to heart. It said, “I’m not everything I want to be yet, but I’m a lot of things I wanted to be 2 years ago, and what a wonderful thing it is to realize that.” Two years ago, I wanted to be an actor who thinks like a stage manager, a stage manager who thinks like an actor, and an artist who advocates for sustainability through it all. This, I have achieved. I’m happy with my unpredictable journey that helped me discover my purpose in this industry, and I look forward to where it will lead.

If you’re interested in following along my journey, you can find me on Instagram @juliettemaners or keep an eye on my website, juliettemaners.com <3

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1.) A desire to always be learning: In addition to trying out other areas of the theatre process like I previously described, every single moment of free time I had, I would find media that could teach me all the secrets I needed to know to get ahead in the industry – everybody is talented, so I needed to be an expert on the business side to get myself into the rooms I wanted to be in and stand out for my professionalism once I booked the job. To do this, I have been dedicated to various YouTube channels and podcasts that continually educate me on the industry I strive to be successful in. Special shoutouts to some people who were truly my teachers just as much as those on my resume: Kent James Collins on @HalfHourCall and Adrienne Walker and Austin Cook on @32BarCut on YouTube, and Maggie Bera on the Actor Aesthetic Podcast, to name a few. Through high school and college, I would have these on in the background while folding laundry, driving or cooking, and other times I would fully sit and digest them, taking notes as if I were in class. There is SO much information put out there by working professionals who are generous enough to share their expertise that can help you get ahead. It is a waste to not take advantage of this free education!

2.) Maintaining trust in your potential: Despite the challenges I faced in grade school that gave me every reason to think I was not “good enough” to be an actor, not only did I find new ways to get involved offstage, but I also hung on to the trust in my potential to perform on it one day. Trust is different from confidence. From the constant rejection, confidence was one thing I didn’t have much of, but trust, I did. I remember the exact moment I made the commitment to pursue theatre – it was in my high school junior year AP Environmental Science class (ironic when you know me and the passion I now have for sustainability). In chatting with Rachel Robinson (one of my best friends to this day who was also my voice of reason during the college audition process) between assignments and labs, we discussed if I should take the risk and apply for BFA programs. I was nowhere near being the star of my high school theatre department like so many of my Broadway idols were before their success, and I was worried I wouldn’t get in anywhere. But she asked me, “Can you see yourself doing anything else?” I thought hard about it. Eventually, I admitted, “no,” and as soon as the word left my mouth, it was sealed. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else, and I decided to trust that, despite everything I had encountered up to that point that told me it wouldn’t work out. This trust pushed me to work harder than ever to train and expose myself to every single path that even had a glimmer of hope of leading me to the future I desired. This trust, and my commitment to it, is what got me to where I am today.

3.) Fostering the passions that can get you in the rooms you want to be in, even if your end goal is to be doing something different in those rooms: An easy example would be my experience of stage management, but what I find to be a more surprising example (or what definitely was one to me) was my journey with sustainability and the Broadway Green Alliance. I am a south Florida grown tree-hugger; having spent my days after school reading at the beach watching the sunset. I’ve always been obsessed with the world around me, but when I went on my first contract ever, in Helena, Montana, it opened my eyes to how much the career I’ve chosen can offer me to see. It really changed my life, and ever since, I’ve been a die-hard eco-advocate. In college, I found a job working in the Office of Sustainability, serving as an Eco-Representative on campus, and I spent a ton of time educating my peers on sustainability in both their personal and academic lives. My sophomore year, I discovered the Broadway Green Alliance (BGA), and was thrilled to find a community in my industry that shared my passion for the environment. I wanted to get involved, so, with plenty of help from some peers (shoutout Bailey Poe), I started the Rider University chapter of the College Green Captain Program where I trained students on the fundamentals of sustainability and how to apply it in our profession to make theatre greener. Very quickly, I caught the attention of the BGA, and they invited me for a live interview with icons Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley to share my work at Stars In The House for Climate Action at the Green Room 42, alongside performers I idolized like Shoshana Bean, Jesse Mueller, Mara Davi, Rachel Tucker, Alexandra Socha, Jenn Gambatese, Anika Larson and more. What!!?? I wasn’t there to sing, but I was THERE, purely as a reward for my passion for and impact on the environment. With time, my commitment to the planet did end up leading me to a performance opportunity, singing backup for Shaina Taub at BGA’s Earth Day in Times Square. Not only was I there AND now singing, but I realized, through this experience and the previous one, I gained a network of creatives who all see the same sky as me. To have this community is something even more valuable than being in the room I wished to be in, because now, while it could lead to another career opportunity, it came with a purpose.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Currently, I’m battling the combination of the thrill of excitement for my future with the simultaneous panic about growing up. To say that my transition out of college was rushed is a bit of an understatement. In 24 hours, I packed up my room in my college house, walked at graduation, moved to New York, and flew to Mississippi for my first post-grad gig. I didn’t have one minute to think about the massive chapter of my life I was leaving behind because I was so thrilled to be starting the next one with such an amazing opportunity. However, that contract ended (it was only a summer show after all) and I flew back to my hometown to breathe. Though I enjoyed the fresh air of Florida and visiting my dad, coming home came with the reality check that I’m an adult. College is over now, and a whole new level of responsibility stands before me. It might be the biggest transition I’ve gone through in my life so far.

To overcome this, I remind myself that I’m only 22; I’m not running out of time. That most kids (or I guess I should call us adults now) my age don’t have it all figured out. That I chose a career that doesn’t allow you to plan things a year in advance, nor even a few weeks in advance at times! We just have to be cool with it, and despite my “Type A”-ness, I advise myself that the only way to find peace is to go with the flow, seize the opportunities that feel right, pass on the ones that don’t, and have gratitude for the privilege that is being able to create, no matter the form, whether during the dreamiest dream contracts or the most grueling survival jobs. Inside and outside of this industry, I know that this almost existential feeling of transitioning to full-on adulthood is something everyone goes through, and I hope that anyone reading this who finds themselves in a similar transition period can find the same solace I do, knowing that they are not alone in it. The way I see it, leaning on others and supporting them in return is the way for us all to get through it together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://juliettemaners.com
• Instagram: @juliettemaners

Image Credits

Hailey Tedesco
Kelly O’Brien