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ShowbizU: Having a Family AND a Broadway Career- Linda Cho

Name: ShowbizU: Having a Family AND a Broadway Career- Linda Cho
Uploaded: 2014-08-19T20:12:31+00:00
Duration: 2 min 13 s
Channel: Tim Kashani
Description: In this segment of the ShowbizU interview, costume designer Linda Cho discusses the realities of being a mother while maintaining a demanding theatre…

19 Aug 2014 · 2 min

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2:13

In this segment of the ShowbizU interview, costume designer Linda Cho discusses the realities of being a mother while maintaining a demanding theatre career. She recounts seeking mentorship from veteran designer Jane Greenwood, who affirmed that having a family was possible despite the inevitable years of sleep deprivation. Cho describes how different theatre environments vary in their support for parents, noting that some are very accommodating while others are not. She explains the logistical challenges of regional work, where she must compress travel, fittings, and design work into tight, intensive trips, often taking red‑eye flights and working from hotel beds. In contrast, New York productions demand relentless, day‑long schedules that can actually reduce the time she spends with her children. Throughout, she emphasizes the need for efficiency, community building among designer‑parents, and sharing practical tips to make parenting and a Broadway career more manageable.

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Well, I think that, especially for costume designers, something that I would love to talk more about with other costume designers is being a mom and having a family. Actually, when I graduated, I would constantly hound Jane Greenwood and ask her, "Do you think I can have a family and have a career?" She, of course, raised two very wonderful daughters and who have also grown up to be amazing film designers in their own right. She said, "Absolutely." She said, "You won't sleep for 5 years, but it'll be worth it." And I'm still in the trenches, haven't slept yet, but absolutely. I mean, it's not always easy. Not every theatre is as embracing of children and schedules, but some are incredibly embracing, and it would be nice to build up that community of designers and share some tips and some— and just sort of move together as a force so we can make it easier to have a family. My career in particular, because I do a lot of regional theater, is just going out of town and trying to condense as much as I can into my trips so I'm not there lingering if I don't have fittings. You know, gone are the days when I could just go to a new city and explore and have nice dinners. You know, now when I go out of town, you know, I take the red-eye, you know, I work all day and then I do some sketches on my hotel bed, pass out, and then, you know, work another full day and then get on another flight. It's not like I'll just put in an extra day and meet some friends and stuff. Like a little, there's a little bit of that, but I have to be way more efficient with my time, even at home for New York shows. Surprisingly, when I do a show in New York, I probably see my kids less on average because it's relentless day after day, like going to the various shops and, you know, all the sort of face time and the travel. Whereas with a regional show, I go for 3 concentrated days and then I'm home for 10 days and then I go again for 5 days. You know, it's this little stop and start, whereas New York is sort of relentless scheduling.