Author Topic: Post College Employment  (Read 10263 times)

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bemalk

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Post College Employment
« on: Nov 04, 2009, 05:50 pm »
I'm going to be graduating from college in May and was wondering if anyone could suggest theatres to intern, PA or ASM at?  I've been doing a lot of research but I was hoping to get more suggestions.  I'm looking for something that will last 3 months or longer and preferablly offers EMC points.  Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!
“Perhaps, therefore, ideal Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their crafts, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds.”

stagegal1

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #1 on: Nov 04, 2009, 06:19 pm »
You can look at the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, NH.  It is where I have worked for the past 8 years.  You can find contact information on the website at Peterboroughplayers.org

The internship runs June - August or September.  You can get EMC points.  You asm 6-8 shows, receive housing, and low weekly pay.  It is enough to live on if you are careful.
« Last Edit: Nov 05, 2009, 02:46 pm by stagegal1 »

megf

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #2 on: Nov 04, 2009, 06:48 pm »
Look up Goodspeed Musicals. The commitment can run anywhere from six weeks to four months for a single show. I spent a season there - PM me for specifics.

missliz

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #3 on: Nov 05, 2009, 02:00 pm »
The Surflight in NJ does EMC internships, though I did it and was very unsatisfied for a lot of reasons. If you REAAAALLLY want your points, it's a place to go, but I wouldn't recommend it.
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

KMC

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #4 on: Nov 05, 2009, 02:04 pm »
The Surflight in NJ does EMC internships, though I did it and was very unsatisfied for a lot of reasons. If you REAAAALLLY want your points, it's a place to go, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Unfortunate you had a bad experience - I know a few people who have spent time there and both had positive reviews and are both in AEA SM or ASM positions now.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

BayAreaSM

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #5 on: Nov 05, 2009, 02:37 pm »
You should also look into American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. I interned there, and it's a season-long commitment. You will be put on every-other show, so you constantly have work and get paid. Their website is Act-sf.org

Good luck!

Rebbe

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #6 on: Nov 05, 2009, 08:02 pm »
You can get points through most Equity theaters in the DC area.  Some hire non-equity ASMs or PA’s for one show at a time, which would probably be a month or two.  Studio Theatre has an SM apprenticeship that you can get points through, and provides housing and a small stipend.  Woolly Mammoth has a paid, season-long resident non-equity ASM position.  I'm sure there are others around here too.  I would say also, that if you haven't already, you should give some thought to how quickly you want to accumulate EMC points.  One season at a busy theater can get you most of the way toward the points you need to join Equity, but not everyone is ready to work as an Equity SM after only a year or so as non-eq.
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Aerial

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #7 on: Nov 05, 2009, 11:35 pm »
I did an internship that I greatly enjoyed at Trinity Rep in Providence right out of school.  It's a year long internship, with a small stipend and housing.  The intern is working pretty much continuously from August to May/June, so you gain lots of experience. 

loebtmc

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #8 on: Nov 06, 2009, 01:42 am »
make sure you check artsearch and backstagejobs.com. There are also lists of internships discussed in another thread (I will have to take a minute and find that for you, on break in a tech right now), and if you have an idea of what you where you want to start - musicals, straight plays, shakespeare - there are lots of apprentice/ internship programs to choose from

(I will look up that thread after this week's one-acts open)

bemalk

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #9 on: Nov 08, 2009, 02:41 pm »
Thank you for all of the suggestions, keep 'em coming! 

My ultimate goal is to go on tour for a few years, any suggestions on how to make this happen? What companies to look for?
“Perhaps, therefore, ideal Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their crafts, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds.”

Libby

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #10 on: Nov 08, 2009, 04:47 pm »
Hey, for small tours you could look into theatreworks (they will often hire non aea sms and make them sms). Also, I think there is a thread about starting touring etc.

Bigger tours are hard to get on since it's usually who you know having that connection rather than applying for one.

Even though you are leaning towards touring it wouldn't hurt to look/apply for everything and see what happens.


loebtmc

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #11 on: Nov 08, 2009, 08:01 pm »
have you done any searches in this site yet? You really should; many of your questions are answered, and it will be easier to get responses from people if they see you've made an effort on your end as well. You will find that most working SMs appreciate and reward initiative and are rather less interested in spoon-feeding, so please do that research on your own and come back with specific questions. For example, I asked you to specify areas of interest, so think abt why you want to to what, which will make our answers more useful and less general - and since many of your qqs have been answered with already, folks aren't going to repeat what they've already said (we have to do it so much with actors, we certainly appreciate not having to do it with each other!)

bemalk

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #12 on: Nov 10, 2009, 02:13 pm »
have you done any searches in this site yet? You really should; many of your questions are answered, and it will be easier to get responses from people if they see you've made an effort on your end as well. You will find that most working SMs appreciate and reward initiative and are rather less interested in spoon-feeding, so please do that research on your own and come back with specific questions. For example, I asked you to specify areas of interest, so think abt why you want to to what, which will make our answers more useful and less general - and since many of your qqs have been answered with already, folks aren't going to repeat what they've already said (we have to do it so much with actors, we certainly appreciate not having to do it with each other!)

I just want to say that I have done a good deal of research on this site and others but a lot of threads I have seen are a bit out of date, I'm not looking for spoon-feeding, just some suggestions on places to look at.

And I'm not exactly sure where or what I want to start with.  I just want to PA or ASM somewhere where I will have a good experience and learn a lot.
“Perhaps, therefore, ideal Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their crafts, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds.”

loebtmc

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #13 on: Nov 10, 2009, 03:54 pm »
thanks for clarifying. The general nature of your qq suggested that perhaps you hadn't checked around rather than you being undecided, because there was some detail abt internships/apprenticeships in a couple of threads for a while, and if you have checked those out, all is well.

But again, where do you see yourself? What do you want to accomplish? Do you crave musicals, live for Shakespeare, love being in the rehearsal room or running around accomplishing outside errands - there are too many options to point you in one - think abt what you love most. Once you share that, it will be easier to suggest a direction.

Also, where are you? Perhaps some of the local SMs can suggest arenas in your area, or warn you abt things to avoid.

bemalk

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Re: Post College Employment
« Reply #14 on: Nov 10, 2009, 04:34 pm »
I am in a small town in PA, near Allentown.  Unfortunately there are mainly community theatres around so not too many people to talk.

As to what type of theatre I would like to do, I am unsure.  As of now I just love to SM and want to experience working on any and all types of shows.  I am really open to just about anything.  I would prefer to get out of Pennsylvania though.  And anywhere that offers EMC points, housing and pay would be ideal.

I've listed below some places that I have found in my own research, has anyone worked at any of these or have opinions on them?
Kalamazoo Civic
Atlantic Theatre Co
Florida Studio Theatre
Portland Stage
The MUNY
PCPA Theatrefest
McCarter
Shakespeare Theatre Co
Signature Theatre
“Perhaps, therefore, ideal Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their crafts, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds.”