Blog Question #1- What did you learn from your first week at your internship?
I learned how to better function in a professional environment. While I have had experiences working before, I’ve never been in a place where I was expected to be so professional all the time. I think that this has been a good experience for me, and I’ll get more comfortable with it (and the awesome people!) as the internship goes on.
Did anything surprise you?
One thing that surprised me was just how much I’m going to get to do during my internship. I went over my schedule with my mentor, Melissa, and I have all kinds of things planned out. I’m really excited and surprised that I’m going to get to sit in on rehearsals and learn about the production of Macbeth across the street! I’ve always wanted to see how professional theater is run, and having that access is amazing. I’m also surprised with how much I’m going to be working on the education part. I mean, obviously I’m interning at DCPA Education, but I’m spending a good 2 months every Saturday from 9-5 working in education with all different age groups.
Who did you meet and what do they do?
I met most of the people who work on the 3rd floor, or at least saw them. I met Andre, David, and Justin who I’m going to be shadowing on Saturdays during youth classes. I also met Alison and PEZ who are in the leadership positions of DCPA Education. I also met Claudia, who was so nice and offered me really good advice for staying in theater as well as being able to support yourself.
Did you engage in any code switching?
The first hour I was there I was meeting everyone for the first time and getting a tour, so I had to be way more professional than I usually am. But for the rest of the time, I was organizing the prop closet by myself so I was able to relax and just be by myself. I think that later on when I’m doing more things I’ll have to switch more, especially with the education piece because elementary, middle, and high schoolers have different needs that I’ll need to adapt to.
WEEK 2
What was the best thing that happened this week at your internship? How did it make you feel?
The best thing at my internship this week was getting to see a rehearsal of Macbeth and touring all the other theaters in the complex. I joined another high school, they were from Castle Rock so not my school! We went and sat in for an hour on a rehearsal for the production of Macbeth that is opening on September 15th in the newly redone Space Theater. It was their first tech rehearsal, so it was a lot of trying to figure out set pieces and placement, as well as technical aspects like the lift, spinning stage, fire, smoke and rain machines, etc.. We didn’t get to see any acting which kind of made me sad, but Allison said that she’d help me get hooked up with tickets to see it at some point which is really awesome! It was so cool to see a professional rehearsal and how similar it is to a high school production. While it may be more technically complicated, a lot of time is spent in making sure everything flows well and works for everyone.
After watching the rehearsal, David- one of the teachers at the DCPA- took me on a tour of the space. I got to go backstage and underneath the stages in the Stage theater and the Ricketson theater. The Ricketson is actually an old movie theater, so the backstage area is really interesting. They had to build columns and extend the walls in order to have wings on stage right. They also had to cut holes in the concrete wall behind the back curtain in order to move in set pieces. It’s really interesting because the way it’s set up is almost identical to my school’s stage! It felt incredibly familiar even though I’d never been in that space before.
What else makes you excited about your internship?
I’m REALLY excited about the fact that I could shadow one of the people in the costume and wig shops. I’ve always been super interested in costuming and I would absolutely love it if I could learn about what they do for professional theater.
WEEK 3
How do your actions affect your workplace?
This is a really tricky question because I feel like a lot of my current actions are shadowing. However I do think that all the organizing of the prop closet, costume closet, and dressing rooms did help. A lot of people thanked me for making it more walk-able and easier to navigate, so I think that that really helped them. I also think that all the painting I’ve been doing has been very helpful because everyone seemed way less stressed when I was able to do that and they could have more time to rehearse and work on more important things for Snowy Day. I think that my actions as an intern are to help other people do their busywork, which is really nice and helpful for those who need it!
Do you contribute positively?
I like to think I do! I always make sure to clean up after I’m done somewhere, and also be very respectful of the space I’m in i.e. not being on my phone while watching rehearsals, not dripping paint all over the floor, and speaking up and asking questions when it’s appropriate for me to do so. I think that there’s no reason for me to contribute negatively, so why would I?
How do your co-workers actions affect your internship?
I think that my co-workers actions definitely impact my internship. Everyone at the DCPA is so nice and has treated me with so much kindness that I really look forward to coming to work when I’m scheduled. I’m really busy and have a lot of obligations that I’m not always super stoked about going to, but I genuinely get excited to go to the DCPA because how how supportive everyone is.
Which co-workers are you connecting with?
These past couple of weeks my main supervisor, Melissa, has been out of town getting married and going on her honeymoon so she hasn’t been at work at all. I’ve had to be with other people, and I’m really connecting with Andre, David, and Alison. Andre is who I’ll be working with for high school classes, David for middle school improv, and I’ll be with Alison for the next few weeks working on Snowy Day rehearsals.
WEEK 4
What are you responsible for at your workplace?
My responsibilities have kind of shifted now that I’m moving into only doing Saturday classes. I used to be responsible for whatever was asked of me, which was usually making copies, organizing the prop closet, and various other small tasks like flat building and studio set up. But now that I’m helping with classes, I’m assistant teaching and stage managing. It looks a little different for each class; I take more of a backup role in the 2nd and 3rd grade class, but I’m more involved in the middle school improv class and will be helping lead games and warmups. I’m probably most involved with the high school class though because I am stage managing for the production of Something Rotten that they are working on right now.
What do you think is your main contribution to your work site?
My main contribution thus far has just been lightening the workload for everyone there. Especially with the start of classes going on at the same time as Snowy Day it’s been a little crazy and everyone is in need of a little assistance. If I can build that flat instead of Andre, that helps him be more prepared for other things he needs to spend time on. If I can make those copies for Melissa, she can help people around and answer the emails she hasn’t had time to respond to. I think it’s really about making sure everyone has time to be successful with their jobs.
What do your day to day duties look like?
All my days have been different so it’s kind of hard to nail down day to day things. Some of the most constant things have been making copies of EVERYTHING, which is really kind of funny because somehow I’m one of the only people who’s figured out the 2-sided to 2-sided function? And it kind of broke everyone’s brain! I also have spent a lot of time organizing the prop closet, but less time now that I’m more busy with other things.
WEEK 5
How do you feel like your internship is going so far?
Its going great! Everyone at the DCPA is so nice and has treated me with nothing but kindness and respect, and they seem to really trust me which is something I value.
What are the highlights and the “lowlights”?
Some highlights are definitely classes starting. I’m now more involved in student teaching and stage managing and I feel like I’m really contributing to the DCPA instead of just being there. I also really enjoyed seeing all the stages of Snowy Day so far because I’ve seen it go from rehearsal, to tech, to previews, and now be a fully fledged production. I loved seeing how it’s done in professional theater and how fast paced it is compared to high school theater.
Some of the lowlights are that I spend a lot of time doing busywork. It’s decreased as classes go on, but sometimes I just get stuck organizing props or costumes and while I know that that’s an activity that needs to be done, it’s not as fun and it doesn’t make me feel productive and satisfied with the work I’m doing.
Do you feel like you are making connections with your co-workers?
I do feel like I am making more connections as the internship goes on. I’m spending 8 hours every Saturday, and I’ve really had the opportunity to connect with the people I’m assistant teaching and stage managing with. I’m probably the most close with David and Andre because I’ve spent a lot of time with them throughout the whole thing. I’m also getting closer to the people in teen company which is really cool because on the first day I was there there was definitely a kind of separation between the actors and the stage managers, but as it goes on and we spend 4-5 hours together every week we’ve had the chance to talk more.
What can you do to improve your experience?
I think I can strive to do more and to really push myself to contribute. The 2nd and 3rd grade class has really thrown me off because that’s an age group that I don’t normally work with, but I’m going to try to do more and read the stories and lead activities.
WEEK 6
How do people at work treat you?
All of my coworkers are so nice to me. I swear there is like a nice-ness test that they all have to take before working there because I have been treated with nothing but respect and kindness. What I’m most surprised about is how much everyone remembers me. I met Tim like once and I haven’t seen him a ton because he’s working on Smart People, but sometimes I see him walking around and he always says hi and asks how I’m doing. I also have the same experience with the actors in Snowy Day, and even though they aren’t directly my coworkers, Zak always says hi backstage and it’s really nice.
How does it make you feel?
I love the way it makes me feel! It makes me feel safe and valued in the workplace, and the way they treat me let me know that they trust me. I’m able to be somewhat autonomous with what I do which I really appreciate because other places I’ve worked I don’t have that opportunity.
If you have in intern one day will you treat them the same?
Yes I will treat them the same. I feel like it’s important to be as understanding and patient with an intern, especially a high school intern, as they have been to me. Sometimes I’m late because of parking or the train was late or something, and they’ve never been mad at me for it because we know and trust each other enough that I was trying to make it on time. This makes me feel trusted and comfortable which is really important to me.
What have you learned so far from your co-workers and sponsor?
I’ve learned how to be in a team even though everyone’s doing something separate. Everyone at the DCPA has their own classes and separate responsibilities, but they all work together to prep for events and set up studios. Everyone there works so well together, and there’s never any big disagreements which is so nice.
WEEK 7
What is the difference between working on personal art projects and working in a creative business?
My responsibilities have definitely shifted. Performance art is a little bit different than visual art because it does have a timeline, but being in a professional setting instead of my school everything happens a million times faster. Snowy Day had like 4 weeks of rehearsal and then they were already in previews, whereas we finish blocking and aren’t even off book in 4 weeks. It was also the same with Macbeth, they had 5 weeks to fully block, memorize, and choreograph an amazingly physical show. It does make more sense because often they’re rehearsing 6 days a week for 8 hours a day, but the fact that they finished a 3 hour show in such a short time is mind blowing to me. I’ve also had a hard time in teen company because it all goes so fast that I can barely keep up. I’ve never stage managed before, and these are all kids who have been doing professional theater for years and can move fast through blocking and choreography, so it’s been hard for me to keep up with them.
What have you learned about working in a creative business?
I think I’ve learned that I like it, but only to a certain degree. I love the people who work there and what I get to do, but I don’t know if it’s for me. There’s just a little too much that wasn’t really what I wanted I guess? I’m having a hard time with Saturday classes because having to be actively engaged in everything for 8 hours straight is a LOT, and I’m working with age groups that I’m not all that familiar and comfortable with. I really don’t love working with the 2nd and 3rd graders, and the middle/high school students are truly the most theater kid-y theater kids I’ve ever met and it’s not my favorite. Like, I’m a theater kid but not to the degree they are and it’s kind of weird trying to teach and stage manage when you aren’t able to relate to the actors.
WEEK 8
How is your internship project going? Describe the progress of your project.
It’s going well! The show is fully choreographed, except for the tap battle which we’re doing next week. It’s now just about cleaning and polishing the show enough to present. I’ve learned a lot about stage managing and I think it’ll be really cool when the show is all put together.
How did the conversation about your project go with your sponsor? (If you haven’t discussed the project with your sponsor yet, how do you plan to do so?)
It went great. Andre was cool with it because he didn’t have a real plan for what I was going to do in teen company, and he seemed really excited that I knew what I wanted to do. He went over all of my responsibilities beforehand so I felt prepared going in on the first day, and I ended up actually co-stage managing with another volunteer there which has helped a lot because I have no experience and she has a ton of experience and Sophie has been really helpful throughout the process.
Did they have good insights into how to improve or expand the project?
Yes he did! I really had no idea just how much stage managers do because my school doesn’t really do a lot with stage management because we don’t have the resources to, and Andre was able to explain to me all the responsibilities that I would have in a way that made sense and gave me a better direction to take the project in.
How does your project bridge what you do at your internship and what you like to create for yourself?
I’ve always been interested in stage management, but I’ve never done it at my school because I didn’t want to commit myself and end up hating it. I appreciate that the DCPA has given me the opportunity, but I really don’t think that I like it as much as I thought. It’s a lot of busywork and you feel kind of forgotten because the actors take up so much of the space and the focus of the group.
Has your relationship with your sponsor evolved as you have engaged in a creative dialogue about your project?
I think we’ve gotten closer and we’ve been able to talk more because I’m the main point of contact for the actors and so I have to keep that line of communication open.
Art there any challenges you are experiencing planning or doing your project?
Really just the fact that I’m not enjoying stage managing as much as I thought I would. I’m kind of sad that I don’t like it, but I do think that it’s useful for me to know that it’s not for me.
WEEK 9
What have you seen or experienced in your internship that has inspired you the most on your own artistic journey?
The thing that has inspired me the most in my internship has been seeing how much all the people at the DCPA truly love their job. I think that there is this unfair expectation that artists need to be miserable and poor and not have any fun doing what they love, and that isn’t true at all. While doing a show is grueling and hard work, all the actors love being on stage and performing, and while teaching is incredibly difficult, all the teaching artists seem to have so much fun in class and really come alive. This has been extremely refreshing for me, because it reassures me that art is a viable career path that you can be happy in.
Has this experience changed your artistic ambitions? How?
I don’t know how much this has changed my ambitions. I still love performance art, so being at the DCPA hasn’t necessarily pushed me out of my comfort zone of art mediums I enjoy. I do think though that it has changed what area of performance art I want to pursue if I do choose to pursue it. Education has become a lot more appealing option to me, because you get to do what you love but also make money doing it. You don’t have to be the best actor or singer to be an educator, but you have to have the passion for theater and really enjoy it which is something I think I have. I definitely have crossed stage managing off my list because it’s not as fun as I thought it would be. I’ve found that I prefer being on stage as an actor, or directing, but stage managing is just way too much work for not enough reward to me. While being an actor isn’t everything, being tech is hard because you get almost NO recognition from anyone, and so it’s hard for me to invest so much when I know I won’t be recognized for it. I know that sounds conceited and weird, but I think that recognition for the work put in is important and you just don’t get that backstage.
WEEK 10
Has this experience been a rewarding one for you? Why or Why not (keep it positive, if you had negative experiences, focus on what you learned- make yourself look good!)?
I think it was rewarding for me, but in different ways than I expected. I definitely love my internship, and I’m glad I did it but I’m kind of wanting more and I don’t know what that would look like. I think that at this point, though I love theater, this kind of solidified that I don’t necessarily want a career in theater because it just doesn’t seem right for me. I’ve seen a lot of options through my internship, everything from an educator to an actor to a techie and stage managers, and none of these really spoke to me as much and I thought it would. I love acting, I love being on stage but seeing all the kids my age who really take it seriously, as well as adults who act professionally really kind of steered me away from it because I realized that it’s not as glamorous as I thought it would be. I mean, not that I was actively pursuing a career in acting to begin with, but now its for sure crossed off my list.
I do feel like I’ve been kind of negative my last few blogs, but that’s on the more personal side of things rather than on the internship side. I absolutely love what I’ve been able to do in my internship, and I’ve definitely warmed up to Saturday classes and I’m more involved and comfortable with them. The second and third graders are an age group that I was less ok with, but now that I’ve spent time with them I adore their energy and excitement. I also LOVE working with the middle schoolers now, they’re a crazy bunch, but they come in with so much love and excited energy that it’s hard to hate them. I’m sad that next week is the last week of class, but I know I made the most out of it.
How has the reality of your internship matched or contrasted with your expectations? What is the most important learning you did during your internship?
I think that the reality is definitely less glamorous than my idea of it, but that’s more about the world of theater than the internship itself. I think that that ties in with my most important learning, which is that ultimately theater isn’t for me, especially stage managing. I went into the internship really excited about stage managing, and was actively looking for opportunities to, but as I’ve been doing it I definitely don’t like it as much as I thought it would. I do value my internship, and I love every single minute I’ve spent at work, but it has kind of given me a reality check.