Think It, Do It, Blog it

like the angle of being free from editorial oversi...

2012-01-29T15:16:36.834-05:00

like the angle of being free from editorial oversight. It Should make things very interesting. I'm interested to see the different dynamics between artist and producer.

We need to find better ways and this sounds like o...

2011-12-14T05:19:52.198-05:00

We need to find better ways and this sounds like one. Remember, one day the resident will be YOU

Yehhhhh!!!! We are ready for this!! professional art organizations

I had such an amazing time at the event, and I thi...

2011-10-03T22:34:26.471-04:00

I had such an amazing time at the event, and I think what CTG is doing is vital to the arts community in Los Angeles, especially as we usher in an era of new arts managers. It is so refreshing to feel supported and valued as I enter the job market, and to be able to connect with such vibrant, talented people. The free play wasn't bad, either. :) Cheers to CTG-- and Patricia and Leslie, in

After reading the white paper, I am so inspired. I...

2011-10-03T18:06:44.924-04:00

After reading the white paper, I am so inspired. It was such a great compilation of what students need/want in a internship along with how those desires can possibly work with what an organization is willing to offer. As a student, being able to read about what types of interns these organizations are looking for I know I am headed along the right path because just as much as we, the students,

Thanks again for the invite to the roundtable. As ...

2011-09-02T19:58:40.625-04:00

Thanks again for the invite to the roundtable. As I mentioned then, at the Fountain Theatre, perhaps due to our intimacy and triumvirate approach to management, expending energy to obtain, train, and oversee interns has proven to be unproductive for us. It has nothing to do with the eagerness or talents of the intern, or our abilities to manage, but when you're wearing multiple hats on a

Ebony Repertory Theatre Thank you CTG for invitin...

2011-08-31T14:12:49.970-04:00

Ebony Repertory Theatre

Thank you CTG for inviting Ebony Repertory Theatre to participate in this dialogue. The concept of preparing individuals to manage and administrate arts organizations is exciting. To my knowledge, these programs are just gaining popularity amongst academia and students.

I have been working with interns for the past 10 years and I find that the

I have been most lucky to have had wonderful inter...

2011-08-27T19:02:49.342-04:00

I have been most lucky to have had wonderful interns over the years, and have been grateful to be a participant in developing career paths, and continuing communication with the students that have worked with me. These discussions were very valuable, and I hope that a program can be developed that will allow students to create very focused proposals, rather than simple applications, that will

Thank you Center Theatre Group for hosting this fo...

2011-08-27T17:43:46.048-04:00

Thank you Center Theatre Group for hosting this forum. One other thing that was discussed - at least with the smaller ensembles - was the notion that it might be incredibly beneficial both for the intern and the host company if the internship included a CTG "observership." The idea was that interns would spend time at CTG observing the best practices of an organizationally

Like many others have said in their posts… working...

2011-08-19T12:41:21.772-04:00

Like many others have said in their posts… working with interns is challenging. However, don’t we have the responsibility to share our knowledge and give back? At Little Fish Theatre/Shakespeare by the Sea we have dedicated ourselves to taking the time necessary to support an intern, so that they become a productive member of our summer staff. It takes time and a great deal of energy, but it has

It was an absolute inspiration to listen to and ex...

2011-08-15T15:53:38.992-04:00

It was an absolute inspiration to listen to and exchange ideas with all the participating organizations; thank you for the opportunity to participate and learn. We were unbelievably fortunate to have two stellar, and I mean stellar interns this summer. The key was taking the time to interview and have a meaningful discussion about expectations on both sides, our mission and any concerns either

It was my honor to be part of such an inspiring di...

2011-08-05T18:02:42.573-04:00

It was my honor to be part of such an inspiring dialogue. The discussion had a ripple effect within our company, as well. Our biggest challenge in finding interns is challenge #1 listed above: finding people with the right mindset and the passion for our specific kind of theater. We hope to initiate a formal program that will keep the door open for these individuals throughout the year.

One of the ideas that came up for us during the CT...

2011-08-05T16:22:22.225-04:00

One of the ideas that came up for us during the CTG meetings was that there are no cookie cutter models for internships. Every theatre offers a unique set of opportunities, experiences, and requirements. As a "vagabond", i.e. homeless, theatre ensemble, we cannot offer interns the opportunity to work in a large organization or participate in a traditional theatrical season. What we

We ALL want the cream of the crop of emerging prof...

2011-08-04T20:06:14.715-04:00

We ALL want the cream of the crop of emerging professionals to join our working ranks; however, we need to realize that “the cream” is among the chosen few. It is unrealistic to expect that each theatre will be served with talented emerging arts managers on a regular basis! The cream does rise to the top and as a result many of the best go to the top—to those theatres with the best pay and

I loved the possibilities that were discussed. The...

2011-08-04T17:32:20.620-04:00

I loved the possibilities that were discussed. There is a great need for what I call "business artists" to take on the challenges of running theatres and other non-profits so that artists can do what they do best--create the art. Los Angeles needs to nurture the business artists of the future so that our arts community can continue to thrive AND be a more integral part of the overall

This conversation that was initiated by Center The...

2011-08-03T20:59:30.805-04:00

This conversation that was initiated by Center Theatre Group has stoked a lot of ideas within our company. We currently take interns on periodically, but not through any formal program due to the small nature of our operation. However, in our attempt to grow we can see the benefit for both parties of bringing on a graduate student for a length of time and immersing them in our day to day

I'm really inspired by what The Blank is sayin...

2011-08-03T20:56:23.610-04:00

I'm really inspired by what The Blank is saying. We are definitely in the trap of needing more help but not having the time to seek the help because we are so shorthanded. It really is a catch-22. But also as someone who benefitted greatly from my own internships in grad school, I know it can be absolutely worth it--from the perspective of the student AND the theatre. Also, I want to

We echo the Blank's experience of finding the ...

2011-08-03T19:40:05.446-04:00

We echo the Blank's experience of finding the right person for our right environment. But it took us a while to discover the value and importance of this synergy to the organization. The 'time suck' is the investment needed in any personnel decision. Since 2002 24th Street Theatre has had 5 interns that we then later hired as staff. It is because we took the time to really assess,

We have been using apprentices at The Blank for ne...

2011-08-02T14:16:22.845-04:00

We have been using apprentices at The Blank for nearly ten years, and I think I can safely say that we have developed a way of using this young fresh talent to the benefits of The Blank AND the students. We have found that if the right environment is created it can be a terrific opportunity for both. Yes, it is difficult to manage interns/apprentices but we discovered that the effort it takes to

Hey all! Hunter Bird here from the student discus...

2011-07-07T16:13:13.722-04:00

Hey all!

Hunter Bird here from the student discussion. This program was, without a doubt, a valuable insight into where I'm going to take my next step. I'm an undergraduate student working in both theater direction and theater management, and this focus group not only helped me understand what experiences are out there, but it also put me in a room with likeminded students

I think Terrance's comment related to the size...

2011-06-30T19:57:38.194-04:00

I think Terrance's comment related to the size of an organization or its amount of staff is one worth noting. I agree with his opinion in this matter.

The responses of the graduate student panel that you've listed on this blog shows a clear interest in high caliber mentorship... and that word seems to come up more often than even compensation surprisingly.

In my

We completely agree Kevin! I felt personally overw...

2011-06-30T18:56:59.850-04:00

We completely agree Kevin! I felt personally overwhelmed, but now have a stack of business cards on my desk!
-Patricia

What I think is the most important element of any ...

2011-06-29T20:22:53.793-04:00

What I think is the most important element of any internship, theater management program or producing program is the ability to mold the program to fit the student and not the other way around. Show business, both non-profit and for-profit, provides an incredibly vast array of opportunities for someone seeking to be behind the scenes and the more you can focus on someone's assets and

When I was first exploring graduate programs the A...

2011-06-13T11:16:29.432-04:00

When I was first exploring graduate programs the AAAE website was an invaluable resource. It would be truly exciting to have a similar national organization specifically for internships. TCG does seem like a good fit, especially considering that many individual company internship programs already use ArtSearch to advertise.

It's true that some leadership skills simply cannot be

I am so glad to join the student focus groups to d...

2011-06-09T01:01:53.596-04:00

I am so glad to join the student focus groups to discuss about internship program model for theater management. I have to say there is very big difference between school and real world for a theater manager, much bigger than designers. Even CalArts is try our best to make an environment like a real world but it is still not. We can learn a lot from school but like budget, marketing, public