Q&A with Jada Alexia Hampton, Line Producer at Actors Theatre of Louisville

How do you define burnout?

I looked up the definition of burnout and it says “the failure of an electrical device or component through overheating.” Overheating is to “become hotter than necessary or wanted." So my definition of burnout is when an individual, through circumstances within or outside of their control, becomes unable to function due to a lack of energy. This could be creative, physical, mental, or emotional energy that is spent unnecessarily/in excess.

What are some times in your life when you experienced it in the workplace and how did you overcome it?

When I was self-employed, I was working as a contractor and was pulled in many different directions. Oftentimes, I was working in good faith of being paid appropriately and on time. I often worked past my capacity and carried more responsibility than I could reasonably haul (given my experience and workload). I overcame this by completely depleting all of my energy—essentially burning out to max capacity. Even when the checks didn’t come, even as I struggled to sleep, and worried about rent or my next bill, I went through each reserve hoping for a “thank you," convinced it would solely replenish me. It never did. I don’t think I overcame that because I was too busy surviving. Now, looking back, overcoming that type of boundary-destroying exhaustion consisted of never putting myself in that position again. You overcome it by consistently checking your levels (emotional, mental, physical, etc…) and working so that the reward of the work will always recharge you in some way. You should always receive more than you put out.

How do you see your own burnout, potential or otherwise, affecting organizations as a whole? How do you see that of others affecting the organization?

I no longer work at 100%, 100% of the time. Sometimes I am full throttle, but I know that my true capacity is way above what is needed so I adjust. On any given day, my 50% is enough. When I’m exhausted, I can give 50%, but it's coming from a place of depletion. My work lacks joy, creativity, and all the things about me that makes me unique. The work will get done but that work could be done by anyone. I lose myself when I burnout all the nuance of my lived experience and the ability to think ahead to the future.

When we’re all working this way, there’s so much instinct/survival for the day as opposed to the long-term planning and breadth that would accompany organizational flexibility. The org is a person who forgets how to breathe during a difficult yoga pose—it could look the same from the outside but there’s little benefit, no relaxation, and nothing that improves for the long-term. Little is internally accomplished. Work may get done but the organization hasn’t collectively moved towards its mission or towards its better self.

This could look like a breakdown of communication, inflexibility, high pressure, lack of community, fatigue, tunnel vision, etc… Much like humans, all things that affect the body when tension and stress are prioritized over self-care and holistic intentionality.

What tools are in place, would you like to develop, and/or create to combat burnout in your organization?

I talk about the body a lot because I grew up in church, but it’s always fascinating how systems are so aligned in the universe. Each part of the body has a function. In the theatre, you could view the artistic director as the heart, the general management as the brain, the production team as the muscle and bones, PR as the voice, FOH as the senses, and volunteers and supporters as the blood. Just as in life, we tend to over-prioritize certain parts that leave us feeling drained and under potential. Just like training and strengthening our mental power is important, so is training ourselves physically, sensually, and in other ways to make sure all parts of an organization are growing together. It means working on all parts so that the muscles aren’t overwhelmed, or working smarter rather than harder.

We should be able to rely on each other and that requires trust, healthy communication, energy, and a healthy and strong foundation. So many orgs are that one guy in the gym who’s working way too hard to overcompensate for something else. Holistically, life is much more than how much you can do, it’s about how you do it. It’ll take a creative and radical approach to collaborating-equal parts strengthening (production and performances), stretching/yoga (innovation/creativity), eating well (financial/operational stability), doing good (philanthropy), hobbies (free time/diverse interests) , & connecting with others (community relations).

Workload, Control, Rewards, Community, Fairness, Values. These are all aspects of work and life flexibility that we learned in reading in class, and when in balance, they can all combat burnout. Can you pick one (or more if you’re so inclined) that speaks to you and discuss how that informs the work you do and the life you lead?

Community sticks out to me because never seeing the fruit of your labor is hard. I am blessed to not work for a billion dollar company that doesn’t have the gratification of community impact or collaboration. I get to see our audiences' faces, hear about our artists’ experiences, see the landscape changing in real time, and allow myself the space to breathe it all in.

This is why regional/local theatre is so important. The rewards of Broadway and the likes can feel so distant to the everyday person, and so our job is to be the veins and lifeblood of theatre here in our community so that it is nourishing the folks we see everyday (at the bank, or the grocery store, or other places). It’s an honor to be able to serve them all the same. That replenishment is so vital to longevity at any job. Values also inform how the body moves and so a place with values similar to mine should never deplete me to true exhaustion. If aligned, I know that my work, time, and life are all valued and that leads me to want to practice self care because I want to give my best self to the organization. These are critical aspects of sustainability and nourishment.

Jada Alexia Hampton

Jada (she/her) is an arts administrator, artist, and activist who recently relocated to Louisville during the pandemic. She has primarily worked alongside arts entrepreneurs of color (and consulting firms) as an Executive Assistant since 2021, including Ann James, Tiffany Vega-Gibson, Marjuan Canady, Lauren Tuner Hines, and Al Heartley. Valuing anti-racism and inclusivity, Jada is a 2020 KCACTF ASPIRE Alumni as well as a John Cauble Emerging Producer/Leader and Charlene Gordon Arts Impact Award recipient. Also a writer, she was an author and editor for the Uncle Junior Project and a featured playwright at the American College Theatre Festival for her play, Hip Hop Heaven. Jada graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Performance.

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