Ask An Assistant: Chautauqua Ordway, (Development / Showrunner's Assistant)

Chautauqua Ordway,

Development / Showrunner's Assistant

Hi Chautauqua! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me! Tell us about the day-to-day of working as a Development / Showrunner’s Assistant to Jonathan Groff (Black-ish, Happy Endings).

The fun thing about working for Jonathan is that the days really vary. Some days, it’s a lot of calls and scheduling. Some days, we’re more relaxed. Some days we spend in his office working with writers. On those days, we can be doing anything from pitching story ideas, to revision, to joke punchup. Last year, I had some days on set while Jonathan was working on Everything’s Trash (created by the hilarious Phoebe Robinson) in New York. That was a huge learning experience. I’ve been really lucky to work for someone who wants me to learn and absorb as much as possible and who gives me opportunities to be creative.

Right now, though, we’re on strike, of course. Hopefully the studios figure themselves out and come to the table with a fair deal, because there’s a lot of work that a lot of people would love to get back to.

What attracted you to working for a showrunner? What’s your favorite part of the job?

I know that I want to write, and there are two things that make you a better writer: writing a ton and being around great writers. When the opportunity to work for Jonathan came up, I knew that I’d learn a lot—and I have. And it hasn’t just been from him. He works with incredibly talented people who I’ve been able to work with and learn from. My favorite part of the job is the writing sessions. We’ve been working on a few different things, and the environment has been incredibly open and collaborative. It’s been a treat!

Notably, you graduated college in 2020. How did graduating in such a tumultuous time affect your career path?

I did a lot of stuff in college, and I thought that some of it might’ve helped me get a job pretty quickly under non-pandemic circumstances, but a lot of media companies were either on a hiring freeze or laying people off. I didn’t know where to start. I applied to a bunch of places and could see that many of them didn’t even look at my application—they didn’t even open it. My plans to move to LA in June 2020 obviously couldn’t happen. It was a pretty grim time! I feel like in 15 years, someone’s gonna do a big study on what happened to our brains as a result of March-December 2020, and the findings will be bone-chilling.

I ended up having to postpone my move to LA until I got some sort of job. I ended up with an internship in November 2020. It paid $500/month, which shakes out to about $3.15/hour. Reprehensible! I think a lot of people in the Class of 2020 (and 2019 and 2021) had to really undervalue themselves and take what we could get. I’m not happy about it, but it did make me feel scrappy and unkillable, like a little cockroach.

I’m happy with where I am right now, and I found that once things start rolling for you, they keep rolling and rolling if you let them. I took the opportunities that I was given, even if they weren’t the ones I had imagined, because I figured that I could still use them to move towards my goals. I don’t know if I’d have that outlook and skill if things had been easier.

You’ve worked in many aspects of the ‘biz’ – as an apprentice for an SNL writer, an intern at Neon (Triangle of Sadness, Parasite), a digital producer for Kyra Media (a Gen-Z media company). Would you encourage like-minded Hollywood assistants to explore before settling into one place / company?

Absolutely! I actually don’t even fully encourage settling down at any point, ever. I really think unconventional routes can lead to success. I’m also 99% sure I wouldn’t have gotten my current gig if I didn’t have that other stuff under my belt. I had no real desk experience. I didn’t work at an agency. I didn’t do the stuff that most other people had done. I was shocked I got the job, but I think having a different background helped.

I learned a ton from my other jobs and got to see different areas of the entertainment industry. Being at Neon as they readied the release of Parasite was so cool. Producing social media content was remarkably less cool, but also allowed for me to have a hand in the creation of content from development to release—super valuable experience for someone one year out of school.

Do a bunch of stuff and you’ll find what you really love and you’ll find what’s most valuable to you. You never want to feel stuck anywhere. It’s boring, and it’s bad energy. Know what you like. Know what you're good at. Always be able to pivot!

Outside of work, you maintain a rich creative life. You’ve hosted live talk shows, performed stand-up comedy, and you create content on TikTok. How do you have time to balance it all? What advice would you give to fellow Hollywood assistants juggling a full-time job with creative pursuits?

This is the most flattering question I’ve ever been asked and I want to tattoo it on my face. So, thank you for asking!I promise that I’m not getting a bonus from portraying Jonathan in this light, but he’s a huge reason I have the time. When he hired me, he said, “You’ll have time to work on your own stuff. Take that time, and use it to work on your own stuff.” It’s a gift, and I am endlessly appreciative of it.

When I was at Kyra and before that, I would finish my work and carve out a couple hours to make a video, write, or both. Now, I write in between tasks, after work, on the weekends, etc. It’s gotten a little more rigorous recently because of the regularity of my talk/variety show, which is like writing a new hour-long show every other month.

My biggest pieces of advice for juggling the work with the creative is to work for someone who respects you as a creative person. They’ll give you that time. They’ll be supportive. They’ll give valuable advice. That’ll inspire you, which will help you write better (and maybe even faster).Also, be collaborative! I often write and film by myself. It’s a habit that came out of the pandemic, but it’s not great, and it tires me out. Writing alone is fine, but get some other eyes on your stuff. Ask for help when you’re filming. Get a friend to edit even if you can edit. If you have a trusted creative group of friends to lighten that load, it makes it easier for you to work, get creative stuff done, and still be a human being.

It's definitely important to maintain human being-ness. And where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years besides presumably still writing?

Retired. Just kidding.I want to write, I want to act, and I’d like to do both for a long, long time. It might be an ambitious timeline, but I’d love to be a showrunner. As a kid, I’d always sort of wanted to model my career after Donald Glover’s, but I probably won’t become a rapper, and I don’t think my writing is quite as dark. But I’d love to get the same amount of praise. I used to want to be like, rockstar-famous, but I’ve decided that’s too much. In 10 years, I want to be successful enough that I never have to tell anyone how to pronounce my name.

Finally, is there any other parting wisdom you’d like to share with your fellow Hollywood Assistants?

If you’re getting lunch on the east side, Dune in Atwater Village has the best hummus… but Kismet in Los Feliz has the best pita. Do with that what you will.

It’s hard to give any serious advice because I don’t consider myself to be that serious a person, but I guess I’d say: Don’t do anything that stops you from doing the thing you actually want to do. Oh man, that sounds confusing. But I mean, if you want to write and you don’t get to because you’re always either working or sleeping… that job’s not gonna get you to your goal.