BLOG ENTRY #1
I honestly didn’t know just what to expect starting my first week at the Newman Center. My initial feeling was undoubtedly utterly nervous. Here I was walking into a place that I had done auditions for countless shows and participated in countess workshops only months before. It was absolutely a terrifying dream come true.
Although I held an initial fright, I felt no real hesitation walking down the first floor hallway. I was pumped, I was exhilarated, and suddenly I was stopped dead in my tracks. I heard it long before I saw it, the sound of the dreadful ping pong. It was astonishing, I was walking into the first day of my internship and I was walking into the first day of a ping pong tournament. I loved it, and knew this was exactly the place I was supposed to be.
I rode the elevator up to the forth floor and was instantly greeted by my sponsor, Stuart. It was really refreshing to see him and to feel so comfortable in the offices. He led me to his office and showed me a cute little cleared space towards the back that would be my desk. Instantly, we decided to nail down more of a schedule since during my orientation Stuart’s schedule was still up in the air. We were able to work out the kinks and I got to meet some people as they were coming back from lunch. I met Michelle first, and we talked a little about how I would come in and help her with her charity education projects on days that Stuart was out helping with performances. I also got to meet Tim and Amanda who were both in charge of middle school education outreach as well as performers I saw in Shakespeare in the Park when they came to my school. It was very surreal to meet them in an environment where they treated me completely like an equal. Next, we went down to the security desk to get me a pass to open doors. That was awesome – I got a pass that says “Guest Artist” and my name that allows me open doors at my will. We also walked over to get me some parking passes (at a “Guest Artist discount) to ensure I would have no trouble getting into the parking lot. I felt so powerful and great holding the discounted ticket and my id card in my hand. It became official, this was going to become a home away from home.
Overall my first day experience was spectacular and even though I had help move some chairs and tables, the fun and laughter never ended. Everyone was genuinely excited to meet me, and make me feel welcome. I wasn’t too sure exactly what I was walking into, but I found a cool, calm, collected environment where I only have to do a minimum of code-switching, if at all. In fact the only time I found myself code-switching into a super professional voice was when I first met a new person, but immediately they would show me such a casual side that I really felt as though they respected me enough to already talk to me like an equal. It’s really going to be amazing to continue working at the Newman center and continue learning everything I can.
BLOG ENTRY #2
The second day of my internship was equally as spectacular as the first. I was able to park in the lot worry free with my newfound pass and walked in feeling super powerful with my ID pass.
As I got the fourth floor this time, I had some time to help Michelle while Stuart was finishing up a meeting. I began to cut out some snowflakes. Surprisingly, this was one on the most exciting parts of my day. You see, the project we were working on was to help out some elementary schools. There are these big bins that have inside of them: small scripts, costume pieces, laminated paper props, and worksheets. They’re really cool for younger theater activities. I helped cut out about 200 snow flakes so they could be laminated for the boxes. Cutting these was surprisingly calming and really fun. Each one was different and they were all so pretty that it really was a good time.
After finishing cutting I also had so much fun working with Stuart to take down trapezes for inspection. We got to go up on a big ladder and take down six separate trapeze things. It was crazy to see the fundamentals of how these small little ropes can hold a persons body weight. I had a really great time and was able to really learn a lot about the correct way to wire and loop rope for the maximum hold.
Overall, there really hasn’t been a part of my internship that I haven’t fully enjoyed and loved. Every aspect of it just gets better and better and I’m digging it. I can’t wait for the future and to start working on helping possibly assistant direct with a high school show. I am truly blessed to have this internship and cant wait for all it hold in the future!
BLOG ENTRY #3
This week held many unexpected amazing opportunities as well as some heavy lifting. At first I was able to really sink deeper into my internship and really enjoyed getting to know more people. This week started with Stuart and I walking around and seeing what needed to be done. There were different events happening in the Center and so we were in charge of taking the down and setting up whenever it was needed. This was really fun! I got to stack some chairs and also learn the most efficient way to move tables. We were able to discuss some pertinent thing I was learning in school and just had a really fun time.
One super awesome thing that happened was after we finished stacking chairs and whatnot, the event staff gave the Center the leftover catered food, so we got delicious burritos and drinks!
That’s really my biggest impact i believe, is being able to assist people in seemingly mundane tasks in order to help them efficiently move on to bigger projects of which I get to shadow.
My relationships with my co-workers has also been nothing but positive. I have loved everyone I’ve gotten to meet, and although I am still working on names, I have plenty of projects with all of them that are sure to help me familiarize myself with them and their lines of work!
I have no co-worker complaints and I even had the opportunity to meet the assistant stage manager for all DCPA shows.
This internship has truly been an amazing opportunity to learn how to push myself and never stop asking questions to help myself grow. I can’t wait for what’s to come!
BLOG ENTRY #4
In the workplace I have recently been responsible in helping to set up for multiple different events that the Newman center will be holding soon. I have been learning how to do the little things that setup the event (cleaning, moving theater curtains, finding borrowed furniture, etc…) as well as things to help with the actual events (lighting, sound, working computers, etc..) It’s been super amazing being able to learn everything to set up for an event. I honestly feel that I could almost run my own event! I keep learning more and more and I’m always surprised at all the small details that goes into a singular event. I never realized when I went to a gala or a theater even that it took dozens of people behind the scenes just to set it up.
I’ve begun to realize while working that my main contribution has been being around to help. Once I came to the conclusion that whether or not I was helping, the work would get done, I started viewing my position differently. My purpose is to aid everyone in the office and absorb as much knowledge as I can so that everyone can function at a higher rate than normal. Because I am there, everyone can delegate certain tasks to me that allow them to continue to do even bigger projects that I am then allowed to observe. I contribute my time and in doing so, help make the office more productive in every sense.
As for the more measurable day to day duties, I typically do whatever needs to be done. Sometimes I help with moving furniture for events, or even string lights in the theater. I really just do whatever I can.
BLOG ENTRY #5
I am really loving my internship so far. Going there every Wednesday and Thursday has really become the highlight of my week. It never stops being unbelievable that I can walk in and just scan my key card to get it into the building. I sincerely love it.
When thinking about my internship, I don’t really think there has been a single “low-light.” I’ve gotten to work on amazing projects with some amazing people and have been given awesome opportunities. An absolute highlight was being able to do the Hamilton event. I love Hamilton beyond words, so getting to be apart of a professional Hamilton event was spectacular.
Every day that I go to my internship, I am amazed at the continuous connections I am making with every single person in the office. Everyone has been incredibly chill and remarkably approachable. I have already become comfortable asking any person in the office for help or new tasks and have had interesting conversations with all of them. I just continue to love every single person I’ve met.
I think the major thing I can do to improve my performance is pace myself. Sometimes I have the tendency to really overbook myself and then I tend to lose steam towards the end. This would be what I think is my major setback. If I am able to try and maintain the same amount of energy at the beginning of the internship to the end, I think my attitude and performance level will increase, giving me the very best experience.
BLOG POST #6
Every single day at the office I am greeted by familiar smiles and welcoming voices. All of my coworker have gracefully accepted me as an equal and all help to give me the best experience ever. I always feel that I can discuss anything concerning my internship with everyone. I love being in that type of atmosphere. It’s really welcoming and helps me to focus on my work knowing I have a huge support system.
In the future, if I were to ever have my own intern, I would most definitely treat them very similar to how I am being treated. It’s a matter of making someone feel welcome immediately so they have a safe creative space to express themselves and learn. I would want to make sure that my intern had all the access to creativity that I do and would be continually pushed to be their best.
Above all, I have learned for this experience all the daily tasks that have to be completed in a working theater environment. I have learned how to take down/ set up trapeze stations, as well as theater curtains. I was actually very surprised to learn that all that holds up a big theater curtain is just shoelaces tied in knots at the top. I have also learned how to get your anger out by helping to destroy a set and learned a few things about doing instant repairs for costumes. I have also learned how to use many interesting machines like a lamination device and a spotlight. These opportunities seem boundless and I continue to be amazed every day at just how much you can learn in such a short period of time.
BLOG POST #7
The biggest difference I have found with working on my personal project vs. working in a creative business is that being a part of an an entire business has more to do with not just getting to do a full creative process the entire time, but working as a collaborative group to create a business has a lot more seemingly mundane tasks associated with it. There is a ton more things to do to keep a business together. You have do things with money that’s not just shopping around, there are records to keep and fundraisers to produce. Running a business is more about a full product, whereas doing the personal art project, you get a spectacular chance to be fully immersed within a creative project.
I have learned thus far from working in a creative business that sometimes it’s not about doing a creative project 100% of the time. The entire aspect of the job creates an atmosphere that makes every part of the job feel creative. Even when you are sitting behind a desk, or moving chairs you are doing it for some event, or some workshop. Every person in the building is creative and I love it! I love getting to know people that work side by side with Stuart who are also actors later in the evening. It’s amazing that they can go to work in an office, but make it seem like so much more than just an office. It is incredibly inspiring that everyone in the office have chosen a path that not only fulfills their desires for a creative lifestyle, but also their want to give back to their community through education. It is really something spectacular that drives these people to never stop learning or wanting to become more advanced at their craft.
BLOG POST #8
Overall, I’m inconceivably perplexed at my current internship inspired project. At first I was planning to do an entire short film with multiple aspects, but now I’m considering maybe doing a more avant-garde film. I am not sure exactly about what yet, but I like the idea of something with dancing and maybe spoken word? I think it would be very interesting to involve as many of my friends as I can and really create an amazing piece of collaborative work. I want to do something kind of different because my experience at my internship has been something special.
My conversation with Stuart went fantastic! He said that I could use the center to hold auditions or even film. I am really looking forward to utilizing the Newman center to create my project. He had some amazing ideas about using the stage and lights and whatnot. It was a really amazing conversation where we could bounce ideas off each other and whatnot.
Whatever turn this project takes, it most certainly will bridge my internship and my personal interests. I love anything with theatre and would love to do my project on the stage. I really think they by using the stage and my friends that this project will be perfect.
Overall I believe my project is going to sort itself out. I truly believe that continuing to talk to Stuart and just looking for the beauty in everything will help me create an amazing project. Hopefully it will turn out to be everything I want it to be and more!
BLOG POST #9
Overall the thing I’ve seen that has inspired me most of all with this internship is the way everyone I’ve met just lives their lives. I have met people all throughout the DCPA that have been on Broadway, or in movies, but have continued their work at the Denver Center. This is incredibly inspiring to me because for some time I have struggled with exactly how I want to go about doing my future in the arts. These people have been to the brink of stardom, of everything that so many people want, but they have decided to step back and spend their lives educating people and doing creative work for the community.
Getting to meet more and more people that have made a life for themselves in local theatre has been unbelievable. I am starting to understand how you can locally fulfill the needs for living a creative lifestyle. I never realized that there are very practical applications to being creative for your career. You can absolutely do everything you love, act and all, and still pay the bills. It has been a crazy ride learning all of these things and discovering more and more about how I can continue to be an actor with a steady income.
Another thing that has been super inspiring for me is getting to tour the full facility and seeing just how many people it takes to make a single production. I now know that I don’t have to stick with acting for the rest of my life to be a part of a theatrical production. It was amazing. The tour took me through the props and set design departments and truly inspired me to possibly explore other areas of theatre. There are so many out there! I kinda want to look into everything the theatre world has to offer.
BLOG POST #10
This experience has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. I am currently getting to run lights for a student performance of “Young Frankenstein” and learning more than I ever thought I could. This has been spectacular. I can honestly say that getting to work with all these people and seeing how to do these tech aspects of production has been unbelievably inspiring and fantastic.
In the beginning I can say that I didn’t really see myself moving as much furniture as I ended up doing. I realized about half-way through that overall it doesn’t matter what seemingly mundane tasks you are asked to do as an intern because there really are no “intern tasks.” Whether or not I walk into my internship every day the chairs I put away and the boxes I paint, they will all get done. Realizing this was a major part that I will continue to take with me everywhere I go. Even if a task seems small or unimportant, it really is vital to the complete the day-to-day tasks of the Center.
One of my most amazing moments of this internship had to be getting to go to the staff Halloween party. While I was there I got to meet so many people from a multitude of different background who had all fallen in love with Denver and wanted to help its arts community thrive. Getting to see all of these people around me being happy in their”desk jobs” have reminded me that a life of glamour and fame is supported by hundreds of hard working people who’s names may never make it into the light. It’s not about chasing the lights, or searching for validation. It is all about doing what makes you happy and searching high and low for the opportunities that allow you to do so.