Working at the Pasadena Playhouse this summer was a great experience. As a Development Intern, I was very excited to work with a Development staff. I could see from my first day there that the Playhouse has a very active development vision and I was excited to be a part of that team. I enjoyed learning about different aspects of development and because I was an intern, I participated in all areas, such as Individual Giving, Event Planning, and Institutional Giving. The summer musical Can-Can had a fun, vibrant atmosphere and so I worked especially in Event Planning, helping with many special events, from Opening Night to private parties to Closing Night. I also helped with some of the beginning stages of planning the Fall Gala, which gave me great insight into organizing a large fundraising event. Working on different projects gave me great overall understanding of what Development staffs in non-profit organizations do and I believe that it is because of this internship that I am now more interested in non-profit development as a future career.
I am grateful that the Playhouse re-confirmed my love of the arts and my desire to work in performing or visual arts. The Playhouse was my first time working with a theatre so I definitely learned a lot about the theatre world. I especially enjoyed our weekly Intern lunch meetings where we met with different Playhouse staff members. Not only did I discover more about theatre in general, but I also gained valuable knowledge about how non-profit art organizations run in general. Definitely keep that program going!
I do recommend each intern having a larger, specific project that is more of their own and they can work on throughout the entire ten-week internship. I experienced a little of that at the end of my program and once I completed the project, the level of pride was definitely something I wish I could have experienced more throughout my time there. A larger project also gives the intern an opportunity to be mentored by the supervisor, providing more contact which can be helpful in both the short and long-term. Also, I recommend weekly or bi-weekly meetings between the intern and their supervisor just to confirm things are going well and to have an opportunity for questions about the job, organization, or non-profit arts in general.
I never really had the chance to thank everyone for their kindness and help. The staff felt close and I greatly enjoyed being a part of the Playhouse “family.” If there’s any way you can pass that along, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks also for the happy hour outing! I hope the Playhouse continues to thrive and I can come back sometime soon to experience it!
Thanks Kappy!
At the beginning of the summer when I began looking for an internship I never expected to be working for an arts related organization. I never studied theater or any type of art while in college, so coming to a non-profit theater was a new experience for me. I knew I wanted to pursue a career in marketing, so I wanted to see what it took to be successful in the field. Despite what I learned at school, I was not sure if I would enjoy a career in this field; therefore, I wanted to gain some real life marketing experience.
Working at the Pasadena Playhouse was a memorable experience because everyone there was always willing to help me out if I had a question, and everyone seemed to enjoy their jobs even though there were times when the unexpected took place. Even though I was born in Pasadena and have heard of the Playhouse, I never knew about the amazing work that they were creating or the opportunities that they provided for student to learn about the field. Working in a small non-profit organization meant that you would be performing tasks that are not in your job description, due to the amount of work that had to be completed to be successful and build a reputation. Even though I enjoyed working at the Pasadena Playhouse, I plan to search for a career in other fields in entertainment marketing, but I will always remember the experience I gained from the marketing staff and everyone else at the Playhouse. I enjoyed working with everyone and learning about how a theater is managed and creates high quality productions. Despite not planning to stay in theatre, I have become more appreciative of the arts, and I plan to visit the Playhouse and other art organizations in the future.
Yvonne
