Where is your co-op?
My current co-op is at the Tony Award-winning American Repertory Theater, one of the largest theater companies in Greater Boston. Its mission is to expand the boundaries of theater, and its leaders and staff are most excited when they take on unique and challenging projects. A.R.T. thrives at creating new musicals and plays, and reimagining old classics. It is a space for artists to produce new work that often lives on in NYC, the rest of the country, and the world. In recent years, they have created many productions that moved to Broadway including Pippin, Finding Neverland, Waitress, and The Glass Menagerie.
What kind of work are you doing?
I work in the education and community programs within the Department of Marketing and Communications. The A.R.T. engages more than 5,000 community members and local students annually in project-based partnerships, workshops, conversations with artists, and other activities. I’ve been part of the team who spearheads the way our audiences think and engage with our productions. This work spans everything from teaching theater classes for children to conceptualizing and crafting the lobby experience. I do research, written and designed for Toolkits– our educational packets for students. In general, I contribute to the day-to-day work of the marketing department: editing videos, designing posters, and researching future community partners that could benefit from subsidized tickets.
What was the biggest surprise about your co-op?
I didn’t realize I would become such a part of the A.R.T.’s community of artists and staff. We think that the comradery of the college theater environment will end in the professional world, but I realized that professional theatre is just as accessible and welcoming to new people and ideas. It is truly a unique aspect of Northeastern’s co-op program that I’ve been able to work full time in a theatre of this stature and meet all sorts of different people who do jobs I had no idea existed. It has opened my mind to the multitude of artistic and career opportunities available to me.
What has been your favorite part of the co-op?
It’s hard to pick one project. From researching how to ice fish, to taking care of more than 50 marigold and basil seedlings planted by our audience members and growing in our lobby, a life in the theater is as diverse as its season, and the A.R.T. takes us to many different worlds. However, I have to pick teaching Kids Company Jr. because of how much I am inspired by the energy of my class of five-year olds. They truly demonstrate how innate storytelling is to humans, and they remind me of a time when my imagination was free of fear.
What have you discovered about working in professional theatre?
I’ve learned that someone’s love of the theater can manifest in many different ways, not only being on stage. Speaking to donors, managing actors’ hospitality, or writing a press release all contribute to achieving the artistic vision. I have also discovered that big, successful theater companies still engage in a simple act that’s common to all storytellers: asking questions. Great theater talents like actor Mark Rylance, director Diane Paulus, or writer/performer Eve Ensler do not just know more, they ask more questions. Part of being an artist is to never be satisfied in the search for balance between engaging and challenging an audience. Asking questions is essential to every level of artistry.
What will you bring back to the classroom from your co-op experience?
Do not stop after your first good idea. I was used to thinking of a project as one idea that needed to be continuously refined. I have learned that a project is the process of creating, combining, and throwing away many ideas. For example, creating a poster. I used to change the same file until it looked exactly as I intended. Now, I start with one poster idea, then create a completely different one, then another. That process of allowing different ideas to have an outlet instead of being limited to first choices has truly expanded the boundaries of my work. I can now start a project knowing that I do not have the answer for it yet, and I’m open to letting the work show me what it can become.
Photo credit: Grant Terzakis
Where is your co-op?
My co-op is at SpeakEasy Stage Company, a mid-size non-profit theatre in the heart of Boston’s South End. SpeakEasy is committed to producing new plays and musicals that feature new talent. All of SpeakEasy Stage’s productions are Boston premieres, if not New England or world premieres. They describe their values as “collaboration, respect, inclusion, and joy.” During my co-op they produced Violet, Bootycandy, and Dogfight. It’s their 25th anniversary season.
What kind of work are you doing?
I work primarily as a member of the artistic staff. I assist in reading and assessing plays that are under consideration for the upcoming season or the Boston Project — a new works program geared towards telling local stories and reflecting our city on stage. We spent the year developing two fantastic plays by local playwrights culminating in a two-week workshop and staged readings of each play. I also help out with Actor’s Equity auditions and the marketing staff in tracking weekly sales and completing subscription sales.
What has been your favorite part of your co-op?
Getting to read new plays that we are considering for production. It is exciting to read a story that no one else has read, especially since many are set in the city where I’m living and going to college. Reading and assessing new work has definitely given me insight into how to appreciate the creation of new art. Learning to decide which plays have merit and are worth a second read will definitely help me in classes such as playwriting.
What have you discovered about working in professional theatre?
I always knew that working in theatre was a group effort, but I didn’t realize how much that applied to those working behind the scenes in the administrative offices. Even though everyone has his or her title and job, when it comes down to it, we are all theatre artists sharing a common goal. There is no delineation. When we were planning our big 25thAnniversary Gala hosted by the Governor of Massachusetts, all job descriptions were put aside and it was all hands on deck. A successful theatre can only be achieved by a team that supports each other no matter what, and SpeakEasy clearly has that. I’ve loved being part of this team.
What was the biggest surprise about your co-op?
The biggest surprise was how much responsibility I have. Although I had some typical intern duties such as answering phones and doing bank runs, I have also been able to work on projects that an ordinary internship would not provide, such as reading new plays and facilitating auditions for the upcoming season.
What will you bring back to Northeastern?
I’m an actor, so I’ve learned a lot about what it is like to be in the audition room on the other side of the table. Sitting in on professional auditions and witnessing many great — and some not so great — auditions have opened my eyes to how different each audition really is. I’ve discovered how much the director and producer really want each and every actor to do their best. Going into my future acting classes and Northeastern auditions, I will know that directors really do want me to do well, so I can stop being nervous and fully concentrate on doing my best.
Where is your co-op?
My co-op is at Huntington Theatre Company, a Tony Award-winning regional theatre company just a five-minute walk from Northeastern’s campus. The Huntington and Northeastern have a special partnership. The Huntington produces world premieres, champions modern interpretations of classics, and brings national artists to Boston. A dedication to community permeates all of the theatre’s work. In the microcosm of Boston, the Huntington acts as the center of the theatre community. Along with the large Huntington Avenue Theatre, it operates the Calderwood Pavilion, a performance space serving dozens of Boston-based theatre companies. In recent years, my favorite plays produced at the Huntington include Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Topdog/Underdog, and Mala.
What kind of work are you doing?
I’ve had a bit of a co-op sandwich. I began by working in the theatre company’s marketing department, then transitioned to the artistic team, and finally returned to marketing. In the marketing department, I write copy for press releases and social media to communicate what makes the play relevant to different communities. I also wrote a dramaturgical article that was featured in Spotlight Magazine, a publication for patrons. While working on the artistic staff, I was the assistant director on the world premiere of A Guide for the Homesick, directed by Tony-nominee Colman Domingo and written by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Ken Urban. I contributed to both the staging of the play and the evolution of the script.
What was the biggest surprise about your co-op?
I’ve often been told that good theatre is good questions, but I learned firsthand that notion extends beyond the Northeastern theatre community. When I first began my position in artistic, my title was “Assistant to the Director.” My job was to manage the organizational life of the director, field press inquiries, and make coffee runs. But I began emailing some open-ended questions about the play to the director. He took notice and found the questions useful. So when we began staging the play, the director told me to keep the questions coming. Soon, I was offering ideas about how to clarify characterization, actions, and staging. I was given this opportunity from asking some well-formed questions. So always ask questions! Even simple ones. You’ll be surprised by their power.
What has been your favorite part of the co-op?
The script for A Guide for the Homesick was in flux throughout the rehearsal process. The playwright would often come into rehearsal with dozens of new pages for us to hear. My favorite part was paying close attention to the slight changes in text and analyzing how it served the story. What are the key ideas in the scene, and how do we clarify them? How do these ideas need to be arranged to reveal our action? What is the best arc for a scene to communicate an idea? We spent a lot of time shaping the story, and it was always exciting to see how the evolution of the script affected the dynamics on stage.
What have you discovered about working in professional theatre?
Theatre, by necessity, requires fully dedicated, collective effort, no matter the department. In order to aptly market a production, an artistic team must be clear in telling the marketing department what makes the play meaningful to an audience. Marketing supports the artistic work, the theatre’s fundraising efforts, and the company’s educational programs. The best work can and will be created when people believe in this nexus of symbiotic support at all levels of the theatrical family.
What will you bring back to the classroom from your co-op experience?
I realized the value of fully immersing myself in a community. I found I could both serve and benefit the Huntington after forging relationships and becoming accepted into the company family. At Northeastern and in the future, I’ll try my best to contribute to the communities I belong to.
Lia is a new student blogger for Broadway World. Here’s what she had to say about her education at Northeastern and her co-op at AMC Networks:
“Attending school for theatre is one of the best choices I ever made, especially choosing Northeastern’s program. There are endless opportunities to perform, write, direct, research and find out what drives and motivates you as an artist. It is a B.A. program that provides students the flexibility to tailor their own learning and make their college theatre experience what they want it to be. My professors range from industry professionals to published authors to innovative researchers. At the moment, I am completing a six-month co-op at AMC Networks in New York City and learning a lot about the inner workings of the entertainment industry and its ever-changing landscape…I am passionate about arts having an impact on society and I believe in the power of the arts. As a theatre student, I am learning how important it is to demonstrate the world today onstage and on screen, as well as reflect the past, so we can create a better future…I can’t wait to share my college experiences with all of you!”