My World: Ductac General Manager Millie Tsai

My love for theatre was instinctive.

I am originally from Taiwan and, as is typical among Asians, I developed a skill set that would secure a great career for me, only I have always enjoyed what I do. At present my aim is to help Ductac become a true cultural voice for Dubai's multicultural people.

Theatre and the actual presentation of a show have always fascinated me. From an early age I was amazed at how the visual and performing arts of a country could reflect the social movement and history of the place more than any other aspect. In Taiwan, when I was growing up there was a great thrust on contemporary theatre. 

I started by organising shows for people in my neighbourhood in Taiwan.

I obtained a degree in cinema and drama in Taipei before getting a post-graduate degree in East/West theatre from Middlesex University in London. Deciding to give my passion more weight, I also secured a diploma in stage and production in Hong Kong.

Upon graduating, I joined the PR department of New Aspect Arts Promotion Corporation - the most prestigious art agency in Taiwan, which presents over 100 performances annually. My focus was on promoting new types of drama and on producing intercultural projects, such as Western plays performed by Chinese opera companies. I also organised children's festivals in Taiwan, which were made up of over 70 shows by 12 different performing groups in eight cities over a two-month period.

This whole experience developed my interests along solid commercial lines. But after working in the art industry for some five years, I did something rather radical - I joined the Moscow State Circus, which funnily enough was managed by an Australian company. I was going on tours with them and learning a great deal about how to manage crowds, how to develop a show, and all the nitty-gritty they don't teach you at cinema school.

Shortly after that I got married and moved to Hong Kong, and started a company to arrange for Chinese artists to perform in Taipei. 

I moved to Dubai in 2005 to join my husband who was working here.

I found there was a lot that could be done with regard to the theatre movement here. Ductac was a mere concept at the time and was still to open! I started working backstage, deciding to put my recently acquired diploma to some use. Today, thanks to the support of so many people, Ductac has captured the public's imagination, and is a centre for the community's artistic and theatre initiatives. 

I enjoy visiting art festivals like the Shanghai Art Festival, the Singapore Art Festival and so on.

While almost all the people I meet during my trips to these places tell me how much they love Dubai, those who do not know about the place are keen to find out more about it. It is a dream of mine to use Ductac to help Dubai build bridges with other countries. Today, most people think of only Lebanon or Egypt when the term ‘Middle East' is mentioned, perhaps because of the ancient culture and theatre history of these places. Dubai Culture and several organisations and groups are involved in so many interesting activities to promote the culture of the UAE. It is time we communicated this and spread awareness internationally. It is important that we reach out to an international audience and attract cultural talent and the best shows. 

There are some challenging aspects to my job.

The high degree of unpredictability and finding the funds to achieve all our great plans for Ductac are challenging. Sustaining a work-life balance is tough too. I have two children, one is 16, the other is 12 and they are in the US now. My husband is taking care of the children, and I go back every six weeks or so, to try to connect with them. It is quite hard, but the children have learnt to adapt and become tougher.

Quick Questions:

What's the most important lesson from your job?
The bigger stars are far more down to earth. It is the wannabies and newbies that tend to throw tantrums! 

Who are your favourite performers?
Micha Maisky, a cello player who I brought in for a show early in my career, is amazing, as is Anne Akiko Meyers, who plays in the LA Symphony Orchestra and teaches at Austin University. 

One little-known thing about you?
I speak six languages. 

One thing you love about Dubai?
The convenience and transience of life here. 

Inside info

Spotlight Academy's production of West Side Story is on at Ductac from July 19-23. Visit www.ductac.org for details.