Kevin Kopjak was still in grade school when he first fell head-over-heels for theater.
“I fell in love with theater back in fourth grade, when my class studied ‘Les Misérables,’” says the South San Francisco resident. “Even though I had no comprehension of what I was listening to, I was instantly captivated. It was at that moment I was bitten by the theater bug.”
Kopjak no longer stages one-man productions for his “patient parents in their living room,” but he’s still madly in love with theater. These days, he helps some of the Bay Area’s top theaters — Broadway San Jose, Berkeley Rep, ACT, Center Rep and Broadway SF among them — spread the word about their latest productions via Prismatic Communications. He founded the theater-centric PR firm in 2021, after spending decades under the wing of legendary Bay Area publicist Charles Zukow.
Q: What drew you to the theater world as a profession?
A: There is something about the liveliness of theater that has always been exciting to me. I love that every performance is a living, breathing experience shared between actors and an audience. There is a rush and unparalleled thrill to live theater that I knew I had to be a part of in some form.
Q: Were you a theater major in college?
A: I began college — at San Jose State — as a theater major, aiming to become a professional stage actor. (But) I began to doubt my talents and abilities as an actor, which made me realize that being on stage might not be the right path for me. I still wanted a career that tapped into my creativity, and that’s when I found my passion for marketing. There are tons of theater jobs that don’t involve being on stage — box office managers, stage crew, designers and dramaturgs to name a few.
Q: How did you get your first break in the biz?
A: After graduating college, I serendipitously stumbled upon Charles Zukow Associates, a boutique PR agency that specialized in arts and entertainment. Although they weren’t hiring when I first reached out, I persisted until Charly eventually brought me on board. I stayed with the agency for 18 years under Charly’s mentorship until his retirement in 2021.
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Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment