Meet Brayden Hade | Designer and Director at Cupcake Theater

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brayden Hade and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brayden, why did you pursue a creative career?
Honestly I think it happened out of necessity. When I was in high school I remember the advice, “if you can do anything else, do it.” Well here I am many years later and I’ve found that I can only really excel in a creative career. As time has gone on I’ve added more skills to my creative set, but all roads have always led me back to creativity. I started as an actor, but now I am an actor, designer, director, editor, writer, and more.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The road to where I am today is full of strange twists and turns that have landed me in a spot I did not expect. Years ago I arrived in NYC to pursue a life in musical theater. I think I may have actually pursued it for about two out of the 11 I lived there. My focus began to bounce around from photography, visual arts, directing, writing, film making- pretty much everywhere all at once. I became a jack of all trades and master of none. I began to feel very stuck, feeling that there was no job that would use all the skills I was picking up without honing in on one. Most people would come to that conclusion and do just that- focus their skills to one goal. I have ADHD and that wasn’t happening. Also life is short, I did not want to stop growing in any of those paths. I soon found a little more focus when I started a production company with my good friend Barry DeBois. We produced live theater, and made our own short films and series. This was one way to apply all my skills in one place. I would have to design costumes, sets, promotional materials, write scripts, photograph, film, and edit. On top of those things I’d also have to learn to self promote, and market our creations. In the 5 years we had our company, we did not reach much financial success, but we did create a lot of work, and create a community around the building of those works. The most important lesson I took from this, was how important the ceremony of art is. As important as the product is, the group that builds it, the memories and bonds they create, and the celebrations they share are equally important. I moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to be the casting director for Ten Thirty One Productions. That contract was short lived, but I found myself really enjoying Los Angeles, and so I stayed. I went back to my roots of doing musical theater- but mostly as a hobby whilst I worked in West Hollywood as a bartender. However, I did get an agent, and that helped me to shift gears and pursue theater more professionally. However, as I began to plan for this new focus, March 2020 happened and the world shut down for a prolonged time. The show I was in was on hold indefinitely, and as each month passed it began to feel like we may never be able to do theater again. My roommates and I used the free time to make 2 short series, an interactive horror film, and an online musical cabaret series that we did out of our kitchen. I was able to find a way to feel fulfilled, but I was very pessimistic that there would ever be a job in that field for me again. Flash forward to October 2021: The world began to open again, and along with it theaters once again opened their doors. The theater I was on contract with at the start of the pandemic reopened and I was able to be back in rehearsals. I no longer had a day job, and I was completely uncertain of what the next steps would be. I reached out to a theater I had worked at a few times years back about what was next for them. I somehow talked my way into coming in to help reopen the theater. Initially I was going to be part time doing small tasks around the theater- however since I began I’ve put together 4 cabarets, directed 2 MainStage musicals, oversaw and designed set backgrounds, costumes, props, and marketing materials for all the shows. I am currently overseeing the design of a 3rd MainStage production. I found a full time job that actually utilizes all the unconnected skills I had been worried would never may the rent.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m an east side guy. I hang out and work in the East Hollywood/Los Feliz area. I definitely would take them to “The Atrium,” for brunch, “Sidewalk Grill,” for a casual lunch, “Home Restaurant,” for happy hour, “Vintotecca Farfalla” for happy hour, and “Alcove,” for another casual lunch. I definitely would take them to some theater. Of course I’d take them to a show at Cupcake Theater, but in addition to that I would take them to see something at “A Noise Within,” “Pasadena Playhouse,” “The Road Theater,” and others. On a Monday I would take them to The Chapel at the Abbey for “Musical Mondays (Mumo,)”

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate this shout out to my close friend Jewell Valentin. When we were coming out of the pandemic I was ready to go back to a life in hospitality or real estate to try to make money again, and he always pushed me to go back to pursing artistic endeavors. He even came in to work on my last project with me. He’s very reminiscent of a much younger me, and sometimes old me needs to remember that the no’s and road blocks in my head are not important. He’s always there to remind me of that.

Website: http://www.braydenhade.com

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