Meet Adelaide Jenkins

Hi, CI! is a series featuring the best team we know—the Capacity Interactive team! Today, meet Adelaide Jenkins—a lifelong theatre enthusiast and thespian who enjoys theatrical performances as often as possible, whether from the audience or shining brightly on stage.

How long have you been at CI?

I started as an intern in May 2019 and have basically been here ever since!

Where are you from originally?

I was born and raised in Manhattan and still live there today! I feel so lucky to have grown up surrounded by some of the world’s most prominent arts and cultural institutions. Growing up as a patron of the arts from a young age has informed nearly every aspect of my life, from my career to my social life and beyond.

How and when did your love for theatre start?

I’ve loved musicals for as long as I can remember. I come from a family of arts lovers, so it’s probably in my DNA. I started going to Broadway shows when I was five, but even before that I loved watching the VHS tapes of movie musicals like Annie, The Sound of Music, and Oliver! on repeat. 

I didn’t start participating in theatre until I was in high school, which is when my love for it really solidified. I had been looking for an outlet that would allow me to express myself and meet new people who shared my interests. My high school didn’t offer theatre of any kind, so I auditioned for a musical theatre program for teens and young adults that met on weekends. That program became a very important and safe space for me. There, I was able to not only be my true self in a community that saw me as one of their own, but it also allowed me to not be myself for a while when I was playing a role on stage, which was therapeutic in its own way. I was accustomed to the feeling of escape while seeing a show from the audience’s perspective, but it hadn’t occurred to me until I started doing theatre myself that it was an escape for those on stage as well.

You attended over 50 shows last year. If you could only attend 5 of those ever again, which would you choose?

It’s so hard to choose, but if I had to pick my top 5 of 2024 it would be (in no particular order):

1. Teeth – As a horror fan and a Michael R. Jackson fan this was totally up my alley, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. There need to be more musicals based on horror movies! 
2. Tommy – I’ve been a fan of The Who and the original album/movie versions of Tommy for years, but I had never seen the stage musical. I especially loved the design concept and thought it worked really well for the source material. 
3. Cats: The Jellicle Ball – Ok, this one shocked me. I have never been a fan of Cats (the musical, love the animal), but this version made the musical—which most people usually say has no plot—actually make sense. Centering the story around queer ballroom culture worked so perfectly that I can’t believe it wasn’t always written to be that way. 
4. Next to Normal – I saw this on London’s West End and was blown away by how emotional it made me. I had been familiar with the plot and the music of Next to Normal but had never seen the show myself, and I was so happy I got to see this production in its last few months. I hope it transfers to Broadway so I can see it again! 
5. Ragtime – This was another show that had me overcome with emotion. I saw the final performance and the cast was really giving it their all. I was moved to tears at least four or five times, which is more than I probably ever have been in a single show before. Though the musical is set over 100 years ago, a lot of the plot feels very poignant today.

What is your favorite musical?

I don’t have one! I’m prone to phases where I fixate on one musical at a time. There are too many musicals out there to have just one favorite, but some of my honorable mentions are: Rent, Sweeney Todd, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Heathers, Cabaret, and Jesus Christ Superstar. All of those shows explore dark themes and focus on characters that are on the margins of society in one way or another. Their incredible scores are also such a plus.

What activity fills your creative cup after work?

Besides seeing shows as often as I can, for about a year and a half I’ve been performing in community theatre productions through AfterWork Theater. I learned about the organization from some of my CI coworkers who have been involved for a long time (shout out Molly and Madge!). I had seen them promoting the shows they were participating in, and I kept thinking “That looks really fun, I want to do that,” but I was nervous to take the plunge. I hadn’t performed in anything since graduating from college, which had been five years prior at that point. I was also anxious about the social aspect as I would be a small fish in a big pond. 

Despite these fears, I had a gut feeling that it was something that I needed to try. At first it was very intimidating, but I’m glad that I stuck with it because I’ve made so many new friends and it has allowed me to access that same feeling of escape that I found when I first started doing theatre as a teenager, except now it was from the pressures of adulthood.

What’s the top lesson you’ve learned from theatre that you take with you in everyday life?

One lesson I’ve learned through theatre is that people are usually way more critical of themselves than anyone else. For example, if I make a small mistake onstage I’ll think about it forever, but probably 99% of the time no one else even noticed it.

One time I was singing a solo onstage and my voice felt very tired and I was convinced that everyone watching was thinking that I was doing a bad job and that they could tell how anxious I was. I left the stage thinking “Wow, that’s the worst I’ve ever sounded singing that song” but moments later I was enthusiastically greeted by one of my castmates telling me “That was the best you’ve ever sounded!” That made me realize that my perception of myself is likely far more critical than how others perceive me, because other people are probably more focused on their own insecurities as well. When I watch someone perform I’m never thinking about what they could be doing better, so why should I think that everyone else is doing that to me?

I try to apply this principle to other aspects of my life, especially in my career when trying to combat imposter syndrome or in my social life when trying to combat social anxiety. Many things in life are a performance and no one expects my performance to be perfect, so why should I?

What’s your favorite production and/or role you’ve played?

Every show I’ve been in has meant something to me in its own way. However, the most meaningful was when I played Veronica in Heathers my junior year of college.

I saw a lot of traits in Veronica that I strive for in myself. She’s bold and unapologetically quirky but stands up for herself and defends what’s right. She’s on the verge of adulthood and torn between prioritizing self-preservation by obeying the status quo and marching to the beat of her own drum, which I definitely could relate to when I was that age. She’s completely different from your typical leading lady, and I love that about her.

That was a dream role of mine and I had never taken on a part that challenging before. Most importantly, it led to several really close friendships that mean so much to me to this day.

What’s your favorite WFH hack?

Prioritizing work/life balance is so important, but it can be hard to do when working from home. 

I find that when my workday ends I’m more motivated to make plans and go out, since I’ve already been at home all day. Having things that get me out of the house on weeknights like theatre rehearsals, Broadway shows, and Pilates classes has been great for my mental health, especially in the winter.

What do you love about working with arts organizations?

When I graduated from college I wasn’t sure where I wanted to end up. I majored in psychology and thought I might go into research, but after doing my senior thesis I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. All through college I had continued performing in theatre productions, which I admittedly felt more passionate about than anything related to my major. The arts had been such an important part of my life for as long as I could remember, and it became clear to me that the best place for me to end up career-wise was someplace related to the arts. When I learned about CI and saw an opportunity to combine my passion for the arts with the research and analysis skills I learned through my psychology degree, it seemed kismet.

What’s something about your job that makes you excited to come to work every day?

I love working with so many like-minded individuals who share my passion for the arts. Since I started at CI, I have learned so much from my colleagues and clients about all kinds of art forms. I get so many great recommendations that I probably would not have known about otherwise! Also, whenever any theatre-related news comes out I know that there are at least a dozen other people who are just as excited as I am to share hot takes.

What’s one tip you can give to help arts organizations market smarter?

Prioritize making your patrons feel appreciated! At CI, we have spent a lot of time in the past year focusing on the principle of hospitality, which for us primarily concerns how we serve our client base. We make an effort to show our clients that we see ourselves as an extension of their team, rather than just a vendor. Arts organizations can apply the same principle to their patrons. If they can find a way to make patrons feel less like customers and more like valued members of their community, people will be more likely to keep coming back (and hopefully bring their friends)!