Blog #1: What did you learn from your first week at your internship? Did anything surprise you? Who did you meet and what do they do? Did you engage in any code switching?
I’ve learned so much in my first two weeks at Curious. I started at the same time that their new show The Happiest Song Plays Last was opening, so it has definitely been a busy few weeks. I’m glad it’s been busy because I’ve been able to have a range of experiences. I was able to go to opening night and see the show, which was phenomenal. I also attended a production team meeting for their next show, Constellations, go to teen night for Happiest Song, and watch a performance of their companion plays. On my first day, I was involved in a lunch meeting with my boss Jeannene, her boss Katie, a Curious board member, a volunteering writer named Kevin, Rhea, Lisa, Maggie, and Brynn. I had briefly met all of them before, aside from the board member and Kevin, but this was the first chance that I had to really get to know them and to learn more about their role at Curious. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss their goals, the progress they’ve made on the goals, and what they have left to do. The meeting taught me a lot about the inner workings of a theater company and the complexities of managing a theater company. My boss manages the social media and community engagement. I’ve learned a lot about the various things that are necessary to successfully market a professional show. As someone who is used to marketing a high school performance, I’ve discovered a lot of new tricks to successfully selling a show and engaging people in a company.
Everyone at Curious is incredibly welcoming and happy to have me there. They have made me feel very comfortable and at home at Curious. They’ve opened their doors to me and have offered me countless opportunities to be a part of their community. I have engaged in some code switching, but I feel like I’m free to be myself. However, since I am new and still trying to figure everything out, I’ve been a bit quieter than I typically am. With each day, I can feel myself coming out of my shell and being more confident in myself at Curious. I’m excited to see what the next few months hold for me and what other ways I will experience growth.
Blog #2: What was the best thing that happened this week at your internship? How did it make you feel? What else makes you excited about your internship?
My work schedule and my schedule, in general, have been a bit crazy over the past few weeks. I’ve been attending shows, events, and rehearsals at Curious on top of my regular hours. So, I always have a lot going on and it is all exciting to me! One of the best things that happened this week was a show I attended at Curious. I was able to go to a reading of the Companion Plays. They plays are written by students, who are part of the Curious New Voices program and who are aspiring playwrights. They write short plays response to the current show “The Happiest Song Plays Last.” Then, the shows are staged using professional actors and directors. It was inspiring to see other young artists thrive and pursue their passions. I also felt proud to be part of an organization that encourages and gives opportunities to young artists.
I also was able to meet the playwright, Meridith Friedman, of one of our upcoming shows “The Luckiest People.” My boss Jeannene, Kevin, and I talked to her to help us find inspiration for the marketing of her show. We also talked about what additional content would be interesting to include in the program for her show. It was really interesting to see what the interaction between a playwright and members of a theater company looks like. I’m also excited because tonight I am going to Curious because they are workshopping a new play that they might produce next season! I’ve got a lot of interesting activities coming up at Curious and I can’t wait to see what other opportunities I find there!
Blog #3 How do your actions affect your workplace? Do you contribute positively? How do your co-worker’s actions affect your internship? Which co-workers are you connecting with?
I think that my actions impact the workplace by lessening the workload of my co-workers and I do my best to be efficient and diligent. I also always try to bring a positive, upbeat energy with me to Curious which I think my co-workers appreciate. I want to make sure that what I contribute during my time at Curious is helpful and leaves a positive impact. I believe that I do contribute positively. My co-workers made me feel included immediately. They made me feel like a valuable resource and like part of the team. Their welcoming behavior towards me has made me want to be there as much as possible. They have all really opened their doors to me and have invited me to all that goes on behind the scenes at Curious.
Because Curious is such a small, intimate theater company, I feel like I have been able to connect with all of my coworkers, or at least the ones I see when I am at work. I have been able to connect with Jeannene, my boss, along with her boss Katie. Both of them are incredibly friendly and have really helped me feel included in their team at Curious. Maggie, Lisa, and Rhea are also at work at the same time as I am. I usually only see Rhea for a few minutes each day but she always says hello and asks how I am doing. Maggie, Lisa, and I all have desks next to each other so we spend a lot of time near each other. However, we don’t talk too frequently because we all have our own work to do and most of it doesn’t overlap. Still, they ‘ve also both very kind to me and have made an effort to build connections with me. The rest of my co-workers I don’t see very frequently, so it has been more difficult to make that connection. However, when I do bump into them they are very just as friendly and welcoming.
Blog #4: Freestyle week. What has been your favorite part of your internship so far? What opportunities have you had that have allowed you to learn more about theater? What new skills have you learned or have you improved upon?
I’ve had countless new and exciting opportunities over the past month as a result of my internship. Everyone at Curious has been so welcoming and have invited me to all of the events going on in their space. Since this is the first time that I’ve been involved in a professional theater company, I have been trying to soak up every opportunity that is presented to me. My favorite part about this internship has been all of the experiences that I have had. These opportunities are things that I would have never experienced had it not been for this internship. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be at Curious right now. They just added another show Building the Wall to their season. The show has been receiving national recognition for its pertinent political commentary. There is a lot happening at Curious and I am doing my best to jump on every opportunity I can. Because it is my senior year, everything at school has been pretty simple. So, my internship has made me excited for my day and has actually allowed me to learn a lot in this last semester of high school. I’ve gained so much knowledge about successful social media marketing which I plan to apply to my school’s Drama Club. I know that being able to market something, whether it be a show or a company, will come in handy throughout my professional theatrical career. I’ve also further developed my passion for arts administration. It is something that is creative and logical, which is something that I am looking for in a career. Jeannene, my boss, suggested that working in arts administration is a good way to have a stable job while I’m not directing in the future.
Blog #5: How do you feel like your internship is going so far? What are the highlights and the “lowlights”? Do you feel like you are making connections with your co-workers? What can you do to improve your experience?
I am having a phenomenal time at my internship. I have learned so much in so many different fields of theater. Everything I have learned, I have been able to bring into other aspects of my life. One of the most valuable skills I have learned is marketing and social media marketing. Being able to market an event, a company, or a product is such a valuable skill. I’ve been able to bring this skill to my Drama Club and to other activities that I’m involved in. I have a lot of highlights and no lowlights. Everything has been going well! I’m really enjoying the work that I am doing. I’ve been able to do video editing, photo editing, to work on a social media campaign to recognize LatinasGive! grant recipients and I’ve learned how to edit their website. I have also been able to sit in on workshops with playwrights, production team meetings, and more.
My co-workers have been incredibly welcoming and have accepted me into their group. They have been open and have invited me to truly be a part of their team. They are all friendly and easy to talk to. I’ve been able to get to know them all and make personal connections along with professional connections. The directors, actors, designers, playwrights, and other artistic company members I have met have also been very welcoming. I’ve learned a lot from my interactions with them. I think that my experience has been great and there is nothing I need to do to improve. I just need to continue what I am doing.
Blog# 6: How do people at work treat you? How does it make you feel? If you have in intern one day will you treat them the same? What have you learned so far from your co-workers and sponsor?
I am treated very well at work. All of my co-workers have welcomed me with open arms and have made me feel like a valued part of the team. All of my co-workers are so supportive and are open to help me with whatever I need. They are all very easy to talk to. I am treated with the same respect as the other members of the staff. I have been invited to events with other members of the Curious artistic company. It feels really nice to be trusted to interact with other people as a representative of Curious. Going to work is very comforting and enjoyable for me because of the environment and the people I am surrounded by. I always feel calm while I’m there. If I ever have an intern, I will treat them the same way I’ve been treated. My internship has been such a valuable experience for me and I would want to provide my potential future intern with the same positive experience.
I’ve learned so much that it’s hard to put it all into words. My sponsor Jeannene and her boss Katie have taught me the most because they are also the people that I interact with the most. I have learned so much about successful social media and traditional media marketing strategies. I have improved my video and photo editing skills. I’ve learned how they manage their website. I am also learning a lot about all the work that goes into creating a playbill, which is what my project is focusing on.
Blog #7: What is the difference between working on personal art projects and working in a creative business? What have you learned about working in a creative business?
Before starting my internship at Curious, I didn’t know very much about arts administration and the work that goes into running a theater company. My knowledge of the business behind a theater was very limited, in terms of the professional field. Before interning here, all of my theatrical experience came from the DCIS Drama Club. I do manage a lot of the business and administrative parts of our school’s Drama Club. But, it is much different in a professional theater. Working in a theatrical field is different than other art forms because you can’t really work on things by yourself. You can work on your craft, practice your lines, and improve your skills but the true work of theater happens in a collaborative setting. So, there hasn’t been a huge difference for me in working at Curious compared to my other theatrical experiences. My work at Curious is truly an intensified version of a lot of the work that I am already doing at my school’s Drama Club.
I love working in a creative business like Curious. I have multiple interests so I really appreciate being able to work in a place that allows me to work in many different areas. Working in a creative business allows me to utilize and develop other administrative and marketing skills through a field that I love, theater.I’ve learned a lot about social media and other marketing strategies throughout my internship. I have also learned what happens in a professional theatrical setting and about what jobs are present in the arts administration field.
Blog #8: How is your internship project going? Describe the progress of your project. How did the conversation about your project go with your sponsor? Did they have good insights into how to improve or expand the project? How does your project bridge what you do at your internship and what you like to create for yourself? Has your relationship with your sponsor evolved as you have engaged in a creative dialogue about your project? Are there any challenges you are experiencing planning or doing your project?
My project is going well! It has definitely added a lot of extra work to my plate but that’s not a bad thing. I started my project near the beginning of March because there are many facets to it. The social media plan piece of my project was changed. Originally, I was supposed to complete the plan for Constellations but we had to change it to a plan for The Luckiest People. I have been working on my article and playbill plan, both of which have been going well. My sponsor Jeannene and her boss Katie are actually the people who helped me come up with my internship project. They gave me suggestions based on their needs and on what they knew my interests were. Jeannene and Katie’s advice and feedback have been essential in working on all of the facets of my project. They have provided me with a lot of knowledge and advice on how to complete my article, the playbill plan, and my social media plan. Without their assistance, I wouldn’t be able to complete my project. My project bridges my internship and my interests. It allows me to work on my interests and the skills of marketing, playbill design, and writing while helping and contributing to the needs of Curious. My relationship with Jeannene and Katie haven’t changed too much, although we are able to collaborate more on my project pieces. I’ve always had a very positive relationship with both Jeannene and Katie. Jeannene and I have worked together and talked nearly every day that I am in the office. We have always easily been able to communicate with each other. The only challenge I’ve had is time. I have a lot to work on while I’m in the office and I am extremely busy outside of my time at Curious. It has made it challenging to complete everything that I am expected to. Jeannene has been very understanding of my time constraints and has been helping me navigate those challenges.
Blog #9: What have you seen or experienced in your internship that has inspired you the most on your own artistic journey? Has this experience changed your artistic ambitions? How?
I have been inspired by the incredible artists that I have met through my internship. Working in arts administration at Curious has shown me a whole new side of working in the arts. Previously, I didn’t know that so many different jobs existed in a theater company. I have been inspired to pursue a job in the arts that allows me to follow all of my passions, both creatively and analytically. Recently, I went to lunch with Jeannene, my boss, and Katie, who is the Managing Director. At lunch, Jeannene told me that she believed I would be good at running a theater company and directing as well. She believed that I had the skills necessary to manage a theater company. She also felt that my personality and work ethic would make me well suited for running a theater company. It would also be an opportunity for me to have a full-time job while also being able to pursue directing. It was a career opportunity that I had not thought of before. I already do a lot of managerial work as the President of my school’s Drama Club. The artists that I have met through my internship have shown me that there are many different jobs that I would enjoy in the arts. They have inspired me to pursue my passions and find a professional career that allows me to do everything that I enjoy doing. This internship has helped me further develop my career aspirations. It has shown me what potential I have and what jobs I can pursue as an artist.
Blog #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!)? How has the reality of your internship matched or contrasted with your expectations? What is the most important learning you did during your internship?
This experience has been incredibly rewarding and has really affirmed my career aspirations. I have had so many opportunities at Curious. I have been able to interact with professional actors, directors, and arts administrators on a daily basis. Through my internship, I have been able to build a network of connections to the Denver theater community. I’ve learned so much about marketing and social media management. I’ve also been able to apply my skills that I’ve developed in other areas to my career in theater.I was able to develop skills that I had built at my school’s Drama Club and in other fields. Also, I was able to build a connection between my school, the Denver Center for International Studies, and Curious. I have gotten kids at DCIS to go to teen nights, had my boss come speak at my school, and had a Drama class go on a field trip to a Curious show. I have made a great connection with my boss Jeannene and with my other co-workers. The relationship I have established with them is one that I know will last. My entire experience was positive. It was the perfect combination of challenging and rewarding. It is really wonderful how welcomed I have felt at Curious. I have felt so at home there. Jeannene and my other co-workers really care about me and have given me an incredible experience.
My internship has exceeded my expectations. I learned so much about future possibilities for my career. I now know what options I have for my future and what I can do to build my own career based on my skills and passions. This internship has given me confidence in the decisions that I have made for my career. It has shown me what I am capable of and what I can pursue in my theatrical career. My time at Curious has given me the confidence I need as I enter into college.