Life & Work with Sarah Smallman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Smallman.

Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in the Bay Area in California. The night I was born my Grandma and my Dad were in one of their annual community theatre shows, this year in particular it was the Chickens Ball. My mom went into labor and yet my Grandma and Dad were still able to finish the show strong before they rushed over to meet her at the hospital. So you could say I was born in to show business. After that, the years consisted of singing and making my own shows until I was six and able to join my community’s theatre programs too. I continued doing community theatre with my two brothers, my parents, and my grandma Dorine every year until I began doing high school shows and rehearsals began conflicting. Along with doing community theatre, I started playing in a family band with my dad and my two brothers (though my older brother only stuck around with us for a solid 6 months maybe? Haha). My dad taught me how to play bass guitar and when I started high school I started taking vocal lessons regularly as well. I was very grateful to have an enriching artistic high school career. I went to an all-girls catholic high school (though I don’t identify as a cis woman or religious anymore, haha) and I joined the choir, which I had the privilege of traveling to Spain with for a week and singing with the Choral Director Henry Leck.

In high school, I also auditioned and made it into various shows that we put on with our sister and brother schools. I also joined the co-ed choir, improv team, and theatre tech/build crew. Being around so many wild, spontaneous, and creative theatre kids was incredible fun! I was able to bring my younger brother along to a lot of my rehearsals, improv meetings, etc. which continued to bond us together as creative partners in crime. My younger brother and I have always created shows and silly YouTube videos together when we were young. He even used to come babysit with me and we would tell the most elaborate stories and act them out together for the kids. Since we have gotten older we both graduated with art degrees (his in music and mine in theatre) and we have gone on to create a plethora of music videos together and one 15-minute long short film we made in 2020 when we were in quarantine. He has definitely been my creative rock in life and we have been lucky to have incredible support from our family. Between the years of 2012 and 2017, I attended, then worked at, a theatre film camp in Northern California. I made incredible friends and connections there. During that time I allowed myself to become comfortable in my skin and my sexuality. I realized I wasn’t straight, I wasn’t bi, I was gay/queer.

At the end of the summer of 2016, I decided to let everyone in my life know I was queer and I thought “what better way to do that than what I do best – make a music video.” I enlisted my little brother (and came out to him right then) and our other “spiritually adopted brother” David to help in the making of this project. I recorded the song “Ring of Keys,” then brought a few friends to a private park my family and I belonged to in Half Moon Bay, to film the video. After a couple of long and hard months, I finally showed the video to my family. It was scary and having grown up with anxiety and panic attacks I was just trying to keep myself from throwing up or passing out. When the video ended I was grateful to get a positive, yet surprised response. I am thankful that, since then, my family continues to try and open their minds so they can fully know me and who I am. Though it hasn’t always been easy, I am thankful for them.

After graduating college in 2017 I moved to LA and moved in with my close friend from Theatre camp, Drew Lake. Upon settling in I dove head first into my acting career. I began taking multiple classes, making connections and auditioning. I was thankful to land a commercial agent fairly quickly, thanks to a little guidance from my dear friend (and LA mom) Tracy, and began booking some commercials. I started taking a martial arts class to learn how to defend myself, especially here in LA, but also to gain more confidence and learn a completely new skill that would grow my mind, body, and spirit. I took up plenty of random part-time jobs to make money, including teaching kids how to be ninjas and a VIP parking valet. I assistant directed a short film for a friend of a friend who went on to be a series regular in a few shows. Then I also got a job being a scare actor two years in a row for Warner Brother’s short-lived Halloween Event “Horror Made Here.” LA is a wild ride but you really find yourself doing some awesome things when you dive right in! I landed a group of incredible talent managers who got me into some great doors and gave me some great opportunities, including auditioning a few times for the HBO series “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”

Then around 2022, I began falling out of love with the industry I had been infatuated with since I was six. It is an incredibly tough industry for everyone, but I found it to be especially tough being a queer gender-fluid adult. Instead, I began finding myself happy in other places; working Paley Fest with the Paley Center for Media, doing security for Warner Brothers, and ushering at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Then the spark ignited and I re-kindled my original love…the theatre. But this time not being on the stage but behind the stage. Being an usher at the Pantages, gave me the opportunity to work the red carpet for the opening night of “Pretty Woman” with Broadway in Hollywood. I fell in love with working on these events and talking with so many celebrities and influencers. It all felt so natural. After meeting the Marketing Director and working with her on a few more events, she opened up this brand new door for me. She asked me if I wanted to interview to come work up in the marketing office full time. I was hesitant at first, as I was still going out on auditions, so I asked and was offered a spot in the office part-time instead. My love for the space, the team, and the job grew. I knew I wanted to dig in more and take on more creative projects. So I opened up and pivoted on the path I had been walking.

I am excited to say I am now officially working full-time with the marketing team and I am loving every minute of it. I am creating and diving into new territory and projects for our social accounts, as well as continuing to work and help organize our red-carpet events, while also navigating other areas of the theatre marketing world. I am excited for what is to come! Keep an eye out for the projects we are diving into next and see who we may end up collaborating with!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. Dealing with rejection never really gets easier. I have dealt with personal life struggles on top of working multiple jobs and losing out on countless auditions. Yet I continued to fight for myself and put 120% into my work. My mental health really wore me down quite a few times. I relied on my family, mentors, and friends’ support to help me get back up.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently a marketing assistant for Broadway in Hollywood and the Pantages Theatre. I am currently working a lot on our influencer relationships and collaborations. I would say I am very well known for bringing some comedic relief to the office and the theatre in general. As well as being an imaginative and creative mind. So far I am most proud of completing our first red carpet with influencer media and collaborating with a fitness influencer to create a workout video for the show MEAN GIRLS.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I have always had a lively, creative, and goofy personality. I touched on this a little bit in the first part of the interview, but as a kid I always LOVED being outside, playing music, singing, creating videos, and telling stories.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarah_smallman?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-smallman-470436241
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@perksofbeingsarah8557 

Image Credits
Cameron Radice Photography