Making Art is Bitchin'

Evan mans the light board during a tech rehearsal of Good People

The following post was written by Lighting Design Intern, Evan Anderson.

When I was a sophomore at the University of Washington studying technical theatre, I got an email about an invited dress rehearsal of TheBrothers Size at Seattle Repertory Theatre.  In lieu of attending to my studies that evening, I coerced my roommate and a friend into going.  Little did I know that said production was going to be one of the most gorgeous pieces of theatre that I’ve ever seen; or that I would leave the theatre in tears, and that my passion for the art form would be refueled at a crucial time during my college years.  Shortly thereafter I found out about the internship program here at the Rep, and I waited patiently until my final year at the university was wrapping up to apply.

As I write, we are in the middle of tech for Good People and I am tasked with assisting the lighting designer, Charlie Morrison.  Aside from the first show of the season, all the lighting designers have been local so it’s exciting to work with someone new.

All last week, L.B. (my supervisor and the associate designer) and I were gearing up for the show, coordinating the borrowing and renting of equipment, purchasing color and gobos for the show and staying in constant contact with the crew and master electrician about what’s going on, light plot wise and relaying updates that we were getting from the designer.

Tech time!

As the lighting design intern my duties vary, and the task of describing an average week is rather daunting because I work in a theatre, specifically the production department so the idea of a “normal” day at the office is frankly pretty outrageous. 

For the time being, I’m the assistant lighting designer for Good People.  Thus far I’ve been tasked to generate a cue sheet and track color scrollers.  I’m also in charge of running morning note sessions with the crew where we adjust the focus of lights, add them, change their color, and troubleshoot wonky instruments.  When I’m not here doing 16 hour days during tech, we have a more manageable schedule, working 9-5 in the production office, gearing up for the next show, attending production meetings, reading scripts, and running errands throughout the building and around town.

The long and the short of it is that the design internship is fantastic, and I’m looking forward to opening Good People and starting the prep work for Boeing Boeing.  Making art is bitchin'.

A Truly Artistic Venture

Meet Casting Intern Gavin Reub

The following post was written by Casting Intern Gavin Reub.

A month back, Seattle Repertory Theatre wrapped up its first annual New Play Festival, and I am happy to say that it was a huge artistic success. Four brand new plays, a ton of local actors, a whole lot of love from the community, and four amazing playwrights– including a Pulitzer Prize-winner, a rising star, a local institution, and a super-hero rock cellist, were on display.  We, the interns, got to play an integral role in the festival: producing, assisting, managing scripts, educating patrons, and so much more.  It made me think about what an incredible force Seattle Repertory Theatre is, and what time and attention has gone into the incredible vision that is the New Play Festival.

I was leading a post play discussion at ACT (A Contemporary Theatre) for a group of supporters of The Seagull, which performed at ACT as part of their Central Heating Lab, when one woman asked the question we always love to hear: “How can I support more work like this?” At the time I was also involved in the initial rehearsals for Lizard Boy– Justin Huertas' new musical that was a part of our New Play Festival.

Gavin (left) during a brainstorming session
for LIZARD BOY

Not only is it difficult to find an institution, be it big or small, that devotes so much time and energy to new works, but it’s impossible to find one who cares more about the artistic growth than Seattle Repertory Theatre. Each of the new plays commissioned by the Rep was done so with no real promise that they would ever meet a full production under the Rep's roof. This isn’t just to protect the Rep, but to showcase its incredible desire to raise talent – both local and otherwise – even at the cost of their own profit. 

With Lizard Boy we literally started with a couple pages of scene writing and a song. By the end of the process we had concocted a whole entire musical, with elaborate harmonies, funny and touching scene work, and a concept that was both interesting and unique. Artistic Director Jerry Manning led our room, welcoming input from all involved (including myself, who sat in as script supervisor, and Jerry’s assistant), and helping to hone Justin’s vision. Jerry’s primary goal was not to come out of the process with a full script and a new production for the Rep's next season, but to help the artists in the room grow, and as he said on the first day of rehearsal, to end in a place where Justin could tell him “no.”  It was a process about unearthing the unique artist in each of us. 

Artistic Director Jerry Manning (far left), playwright
Justin Huertas (left), with actors and Gavin (right)

So back to that woman's question: How do we support work like this?  How do we support work that has been given the love, attention, and time it pleads for as it grows? Well, you have to seek it out. This kind of work doesn’t push its history on you when you witness it - pleading its process as its presentation - but you can feel something special lurking beneath the surface. When you find it, the energy is apparent.

Supporting a locally-grown play or process is just as important to the local culture and economy as buying local food, or donating to a local charity.  It sends a message to the city, and the nation, that we support art, and the continual refinement of our Seattle cultural identity.  It’s not as simple as reading a label, but it does have similarities to shopping at a farmer's market.  Know what you are looking for, when it might arrive, and where to go to find it.

I am proud to say that Seattle Repertory Theatre is one of those places you can find it.  The New Play Festival sends a message to the national art scene that we are going to be supporting the artists that make Seattle special.  It develops culture, and provides work that has been labored over for years by the playwright and the Reps artistic staff.  A truly artistic venture.

Stage Management: Staying on My Toes

Dear gentle reader,

Katie with props from AMERICAN BUFFALO

Hello there. My name is Katie Stevens and I am one of two stage management interns here at the Rep this season.

I found it very difficult to write this blog because when people ask me what I do day to day I must admit I stumble a bit because, well, not one day has been the same. I mean you consistently arrive at work one hour before rehearsal to make coffee, set up the laptop, sharpen pencils, make sure everyone has a full cup of rubber bands, get rehearsal costume pieces, and check in with the shops. Once rehearsal is over, you clean up the coffee, lock up the laptop, return the costume pieces, update paperwork, send out the notes and schedule, and go home. It's the hours in between top and end of day that are as mystical as a unicorn. As an intern working in the Bagley Wright you are the third on your team and your main job is to stand by and see what the stage manager, assistant stage manager, or director will need from you. Sometimes it's as vague as, "Go find that thing I left somewhere and I think it's green but it might not be," or "Will you look up that Greek word?" Other times it is as simple as, “ We need a comb, could we get a comb?” or “I need a cup of coffee.” To me these hours are gold and make the job exciting, you have to be on your toes and functioning at 110% otherwise things fall apart.

Chillin' backstage

I am about half way through my internship and I have learned so much from some amazing stage managers. How to always remain calm and collected from Ms. Cris Reynolds. Eleven ways I can be more efficient by just observing Jessica Carol Bomball. How to lose in Fantasy Football from Whitney Breite. Sometimes you just need to nod and say yes from H.B. I am so thankful to have worked with (or near) these talented managers and I cannot wait to see what happens next.  

Over and out,

Katie 

Former Interns Create New Work Together

Cast of UNDO. Photo credit: Truman Buffet

Before she was a Casting Intern at the Rep in the 2003-2004 season, Holly Arsenault stumbled upon the idea that would eventually develop into her first full-length play. “I was sitting at the Greenlake Bar and Grill with some friends, and I don’t even know how we got on the topic, but we started talking about how it would be funny if in order to get divorced, you had to go through a backwards version of your wedding,” she said.

Last week, twelve years after the idea initially lodged itself in Holly’s mind, her play Undo premiered at Annex Theatre. The play imagines a world where instead of signing papers and dividing assets, divorce involves a formal ritual witnessed by the couple’s friends and relatives.

A tight-knit team of former interns all contributed to the show's premiere. Erin Kraft, who was the Casting Intern in the 2006-2007 season and who now serves as the Casting Director at the Rep, directed Undo. “World premieres are always challenging because as you’re going, you’re not staging the complete vision of a playwright and you’re not staging something that you know has worked for centuries. As a director, you have the responsibility not to just to interpret a fixed document but to be there as a conduit between the playwright and her work and the actors and their work.”

Kaytlin McIntyre, who was the Casting Intern in the 2012-2013 season under Erin, served as the Assistant Director on Undo. “I saw a reading of Undo last year before it was even slated for production so I feel like I’ve had sort of a history and investment in this play that I haven’t had in previous new plays that I’ve worked on,” said Kaytlin.

Holly Aresenault (left) and Erin Kraft (center) during rehearsal.

The fourth former Rep intern involved in Undo, Doreen Sayegh, was the Costumes Intern in the 2010-2011 season. In addition to having the opportunity to design costumes for the show, Doreen has enjoyed developing relationships with the other artists. “The most rewarding thing in this show has been my relationship with Erin and Holly and the cast, and developing characters and their looks with them,” she said.

These four women are one example of artists who met at the Rep and went on to create theatre together.“So much of my ability to keep doing theatre is based in relationships that are grounded in my internship experience,” said Holly.  To read about another group of interns who teamed up to work on their own shows, go here.

Does this story make you curious about our intern program? Learn more about the 14 different internships we offer here (and by the way, we're currently accepting applications for next season's interns!).

Undo runs through February 16. Tickets are available here, and Pay-What-You-Can performances take place every Thursday.

Do you have a story about making art with fellow Repsters or other friends? Leave your comment below.

Behind the Scenes of the Roosevelt Playwriting Project

The following post was written by Production Management Intern, Katie O’Kelly.

When I made the decision to move to Seattle, I was excited about moving to a new city and working with a top regional theater, but also nervous for those exact same reasons.  I just graduated from a very small liberal arts college in a South Carolina town known for its greasy diner and BMW plant, so Seattle was a new adventure that I was counting down the days until I started.

One of the reasons I chose to come to Seattle Rep over other internships was the opportunities that they give their interns.  In my internship, I’m given tasks that are big and small.  These tasks range from writing designer contracts to ordering the much anticipated bagels for meet and greets to production managing my own playwriting series.  (You didn’t think it would escalate like that, did you?!) 

One of my biggest projects this year is being the Production Manager of the Roosevelt Playwriting Project.  You know, like a real life Production Manager. (Pretty neat, huh?!) With this responsibility, comes great trust.  Trust that you will obviously do your job, but also trust that you know what in the world you’re doing.  Well, when I started working on this project, I had no idea what I was doing.  There was no “manual” on what to do, no professor helping you, (and the list continues) but I’d like to think that I figured it all out along the way.

The Roosevelt Playwriting Project is a collaboration between Roosevelt High School and Seattle Rep. It’s a great opportunity not only for the students of Roosevelt High School, but also for the Lighting, Stage Management, and Education Interns, who get to show off their skills during this production. (And also for the Graphics intern who designs our posters!) 

The day of the Roosevelt Playwriting Project is a bit of a whirlwind.  We focus the lights, tech all four shows, have a dress rehearsal, and have the actual performance all in 12 hours! Though it’s a long day, it was a very exciting one! As the Production Manager, I served not only that role, but as the Assistant Stage Manager and Sound Designer, too!   It was a great learning experience working on the Leo K stage, but also a time that I got to show off everything that I’ve learned in college and as an intern.  Overall, it was one of the best things I’ve done in my internship and a fabulous opportunity for the interns to shine! (You can see photos from the show on our Facebook page.)

Party People: A Fundraiser’s Guide to the Theatre

Rachel enjoys getting to know donors at special events.

The following post was written by Development Intern, Rachel Ciborowski.

phi·lan·thro·py  /fəˈlanTHrəpē/  : goodwill to fellow members of the human race; especially: active effort to promote human welfare

When I tell people I am the development intern at SRT, the usual response I get is “What’s that?” The answer to that question is not simple, but revolves around the practice of philanthropy. I work on fundraising and donor cultivation for the organization, which includes raising money to meet carefully planned budgeting needs and goals. More importantly, I help foster relationships with donors and potential donors of the theatre in order to form lasting relationships that encourage them to participate through giving. The other response I usually get is, “Oh so you drink wine and go to parties all the time.” Although not entirely untrue, that’s like saying that all an actor does is walk around pretending to be someone else.

A typical day at the office includes updating accounts and event information through our ticketing software and coordinating with patrons and trustees. I do preparations for events we host, everything from submitting ticketing requests to buying decorations and cleaning up. Every day I watch members of the development team talk on  the phone and set up meetings to get face time with donors or “make the ask” for a gift to the theatre. Solicitation and acknowledgement letters go out like clock work to encourage donations and thank donors for their support. Set up for events can start weeks in advance, reserving spaces, tickets, and arranging staffing. On the day of, preparations usually include decorating and arranging snacks and wine for invited guests. At these events I am surrounded by colleagues and donors, drinking, chatting and getting to know the people this theatre depends on for financial support on a personal level. My cultivation opportunities come in the form of these events. I watch and learn as senior staff members interact with cohorts and I jump at the opportunity to start building my own relationships with people who appreciate this theatre as much as I do. I am learning how to be a steward of this theatre with others who are passionate about the organization from party prep, to partying, to cleaning up and following up with the people I interact with; it’s all in a day’s work. 

Thoughts Thus Far: Why I'm Loving It

The following post was written by Arts Management Intern, Kaeline Kine.

As the Arts Management Intern, I am under direct supervision of our Managing Director, Ben Moore.  Ben, who has been the Managing Director at Seattle Rep for 27 years, is an amazing mentor who constantly challenges me to step outside my comfort zone and experience new aspects of the theatre that I have never considered before.  I observe every committee meeting of the Board of Trustees, I sit in on the Senior Staff weekly check-ins, and I get to participate in Season Planning for next season and beyond.  I even had the opportunity to conduct the financial analysis of the not-for-profit performing arts sector in the greater Seattle area and, together with Ben, we created a summation report for local government officials.  All of these challenges—and many more—have given me the opportunity to discover new talents and interests of my own.

Perhaps the greatest opportunity I have found so far is the accessibility of the entire staff.  I feel very lucky to be working in an organization with such great support systems in place to welcome, teach, and connect with the interns.  I have been here for less than two months, but I’ve already been able to personally connect with so many staff members from various departments—and I know that the working relationships I am developing here will last far beyond the term of my internship.  Whether over a cup of coffee, a meal, a drink, or a walk, the chance to talk to other Repsters about theatre, careers, personal goals (and everything in between!) has certainly been a highlight of my internship thus far. 

The opportunities available to Seattle Rep interns are incredible.  We have the unique experience to take what is expected of us and create, mold, change, and develop goals for ourselves during our season-long contracts.  This means we take on projects within our own departments as well as beyond our “normal” daily tasks.  We are constantly reminded to take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow while we are here.  Along the way, we are supported personally and professionally by all the people who make this organization successful.