The world premiere of Crown of Shadows, brought to you by The Round House Theatre in Bethesda, is nothing more than a fan fiction of Homer's Odyssey. Clearly it was inspired by the emotionally cliched genre of Stephenie Meyer more than by ancient Greece. Perhaps Telemachus and Calliope (the muse of epic poetry) would have taken each other to Prom if they hadn't been stabbed to death in the final scene.
Oh gods how I thus beseech you! How did you allow this atrocity to happen on stage? Why?!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Intern Inflation
Describe your Internship Engagement:
5-15-12
Five new interns came in today and now there are more of us than necessary. The ratio of work available per intern capita has become inflated. I have practically nothing to do anymore. I'm not checking in with the PR department because their allotted intern arrived yesterday. It's at this point that I'm beginning to realize that in spite of what they told me during my phone interview, I haven't worked on a complete project from start to finish since I've started because I'm assigned things to do on a day-to-day basis. This was exciting at first because every day was a new surprise but now I've run out of surprises. The wheels are spinning but I'm not going anywhere.
I knew going in that as an intern I would be at the bottom of the food chain but I guess I was hoping to participate in Studio operations in a more meaningful way. As I've said before, I do think it's fantastic that The Studio Theatre encourages the entire staff to attend first rehearsals, see all of our productions, and take advantage of special comp ticket offers through the League of Washington Theatres to see shows elsewhere in the DC area. The benefit of working at the Studio is being a part of its larger network.
Last Tuesday I went to a seminar hosted by one of the professors here in the UCDC Center and I went into this thinking that there wouldn't be very much that would pertain to me. This professor invited UC alumni panelists to come and give us advice on maximizing the potential benefits of our time as interns. Many of them emphasized that their jobs and/or previous internships were tedious and menial but that there is something to be said about being in a professional environment and having face-time with people in the office. After being at the Studio for several weeks I'm beginning to feel that this describes my experience. I'll just have to find other ways of productively spending my time when I'm not working on an assignment.
5-15-12
Five new interns came in today and now there are more of us than necessary. The ratio of work available per intern capita has become inflated. I have practically nothing to do anymore. I'm not checking in with the PR department because their allotted intern arrived yesterday. It's at this point that I'm beginning to realize that in spite of what they told me during my phone interview, I haven't worked on a complete project from start to finish since I've started because I'm assigned things to do on a day-to-day basis. This was exciting at first because every day was a new surprise but now I've run out of surprises. The wheels are spinning but I'm not going anywhere.
I knew going in that as an intern I would be at the bottom of the food chain but I guess I was hoping to participate in Studio operations in a more meaningful way. As I've said before, I do think it's fantastic that The Studio Theatre encourages the entire staff to attend first rehearsals, see all of our productions, and take advantage of special comp ticket offers through the League of Washington Theatres to see shows elsewhere in the DC area. The benefit of working at the Studio is being a part of its larger network.
Last Tuesday I went to a seminar hosted by one of the professors here in the UCDC Center and I went into this thinking that there wouldn't be very much that would pertain to me. This professor invited UC alumni panelists to come and give us advice on maximizing the potential benefits of our time as interns. Many of them emphasized that their jobs and/or previous internships were tedious and menial but that there is something to be said about being in a professional environment and having face-time with people in the office. After being at the Studio for several weeks I'm beginning to feel that this describes my experience. I'll just have to find other ways of productively spending my time when I'm not working on an assignment.
The Music Man at Arena Stage
Arena Stage's production of The Music Man was exactly as I expected it to be: campy, corny, clean, and wholesome.
The end.
The end.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Commuting to Work Today
I ended up oversleeping a little and I didn't leave the UC Washington Center until 9:55. I called in ahead of time to let the receptionist know that I would be a couple minutes late and to pass the message along to my boss. I got in this morning at 10:02 and my supervisor showed up about 10 or 15 minutes later. I noticed that more people than usual were coming into the office late. Apparently 14th street was shut down and city officials were blocking it off completely, even from pedestrians. This is fairly problematic considering that the Studio Theatre is on 14th street just below the road blockage. I was relieved to know that no one noticed my two-minute tardiness. The increased traffic over the unannounced street closure created quite a bit of drama in the office. Why? ...
...because Obama felt like eating a sandwich.
I wish that I was joking. But they closed the entire street down and wouldn't let people cross on foot to the nearby Starbucks because Mr. President wanted to buy a sandwich. In his defense that particular sandwich shop is exquisite. They use very fancy ingredients and the food is deliciously expensive. I ate there for the first time last week.
http://www.taylorgourmet.com/
Check out what the Washington Post had to say about it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/this-presidents-day-eat-like-the-obamas/2012/02/10/gIQAVJHCGR_gallery.html#photo=1
...because Obama felt like eating a sandwich.
I wish that I was joking. But they closed the entire street down and wouldn't let people cross on foot to the nearby Starbucks because Mr. President wanted to buy a sandwich. In his defense that particular sandwich shop is exquisite. They use very fancy ingredients and the food is deliciously expensive. I ate there for the first time last week.
http://www.taylorgourmet.com/
Check out what the Washington Post had to say about it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/this-presidents-day-eat-like-the-obamas/2012/02/10/gIQAVJHCGR_gallery.html#photo=1
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Congresswomen Update
The most recent things happening with our little theatre project include finalizations of our original script, the installment of mirrors, and laying out vinyl dance floor for our brand new dance studio and rehearsal space. I am helping the costume designer compile a list of all the items we need to acquire. Our director wants us to get back to him by the end of the week with our research on free and/or cheap inventory that we can rent or borrow from local theaters, our internship sites, or elsewhere.
Our show opens in about a month so I'm glad we are moving into an actual casting and rehearsal phase. We only meet once a week though, and because our director never made a syllabus for the class I have to ask the actors if they feel like showing up to rehearsals outside of our assigned class time. I feel like this process lacks structure but I don't have the authority to put it into place. The professor/director has that authority but chooses not to assert it because he feels that parameters and limitations are restrictive to the creative process. I still don't know how much money we have to play with but he's asking me to create a budget anyways. I guess it comes down to differences in philosophy. I take more of an outside-in approach to art whereas he's more of an inside-out creator. He doesn't want any maximums, caps, or roofs and I get the impression that his least favorite word in the whole world is No.
Sometimes I feel like I am in the dark. I never really know what he wants me to do because he'll tell me that he wants everything from here to the moon and back again, and it's hard to keep the whole thing grounded. I imagine that I will get better at guessing what he wants in the next couple weeks. One of the other students, who has worked with him in the past, has suggested that I learn how to frame things to make it sound like my idea is better. Or better yet, learn how to lead him into thinking that my idea is actually his idea and that it's brilliant because he's the one that thought of it.
I have a lot of respect for my director and I know that he is a great artist but certain aspects of my work feel a little bit like babysitting. The comparison to a child is not meant to belittle him but rather to emphasize his unbridled optimism and enthusiasm for his life's work.
He's told me repeatedly that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission and I'm still trying to decide if that works for me.
Our show opens in about a month so I'm glad we are moving into an actual casting and rehearsal phase. We only meet once a week though, and because our director never made a syllabus for the class I have to ask the actors if they feel like showing up to rehearsals outside of our assigned class time. I feel like this process lacks structure but I don't have the authority to put it into place. The professor/director has that authority but chooses not to assert it because he feels that parameters and limitations are restrictive to the creative process. I still don't know how much money we have to play with but he's asking me to create a budget anyways. I guess it comes down to differences in philosophy. I take more of an outside-in approach to art whereas he's more of an inside-out creator. He doesn't want any maximums, caps, or roofs and I get the impression that his least favorite word in the whole world is No.
Sometimes I feel like I am in the dark. I never really know what he wants me to do because he'll tell me that he wants everything from here to the moon and back again, and it's hard to keep the whole thing grounded. I imagine that I will get better at guessing what he wants in the next couple weeks. One of the other students, who has worked with him in the past, has suggested that I learn how to frame things to make it sound like my idea is better. Or better yet, learn how to lead him into thinking that my idea is actually his idea and that it's brilliant because he's the one that thought of it.
I have a lot of respect for my director and I know that he is a great artist but certain aspects of my work feel a little bit like babysitting. The comparison to a child is not meant to belittle him but rather to emphasize his unbridled optimism and enthusiasm for his life's work.
He's told me repeatedly that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission and I'm still trying to decide if that works for me.
Business Model and Mission at the Studio
Describe your Internship Engagement:
(4.23.12)
About two weeks ago my program coordinator back in Irvine flew out to Washington, DC in order to attend administrative meetings and talk about the future of the program. She had arranged with me beforehand to come and visit my internship site and talk to my supervisor, Sarah, about my role within daily Studio Theatre operations. The main reason for her visit was to see how I was doing and get a feel for how likely or unlikely it would be for future UC students to get their internship at the Studio. Since the arts program is such a young addition to the coursework and opportunities available through UCDC the administrators are making every effort possible to make connections with theaters, museums, and other art venues for future UC arts students. So far I've been very happy to hear so much talk and effort from the Higher Ups about the arts program and developing these connections.
It turns out that Sharon was planning on bringing a couple other program coordinators from California with her. There were four of us all together and when we arrived the Director of Administration, Sarah, took us through the building and gave them the same general orientation that I got over a month ago.This ended up being really cool because I got to re-experience some of the awe I felt when I first started. The tour is a chance for Sarah to brag about how nifty the Studio is and highlight its key successes in terms of the Studio mission statement.
The part I find most interesting about the Studio mission statement is the claim that "No theatre of comparable budget size operates such exclusively intimate spaces." So far I find that to be pretty true. Their largest theatre only seats about 200 people. The fact that a key component of their mission is apparent in the design and function of the Studio Theatre building itself seems significant. From the three shows I've seen I can easily say that the work they produce embodies a sense of intimacy in their choice of plays, their excellent theatrical craft, and in the environment they create. It makes me feel like the answer to my professor's question "Is the agency for which you intern actually doing what it claims to be doing?" is "Yes, absolutely."
Sarah's tour also reminded me of another interesting aspect of The Studio Theatre; everything is all under one roof. They own the entire 4 story building and remodeled it about 10 years ago to fit the needs of a growing theatre company. This means that they aren't spending money to rent space off-site. They also own small apartments to house the year-long apprentices and visiting guest artists. The decision to buy and own instead of renting is a great move for a long-term plan. When it comes to business and money I've been impressed so far. Most of The Studio's revenue comes from annual subscriptions purchased by loyal patrons and other single ticket orders. Before coming here I thought that this was completely unheard of. I mean who buys theatre tickets anymore? I thought that theatres had to rely on large donations and grant funding in order to exist. The fact that the Studio is able to donate their tickets to other organizations says a lot.
In the end I was very satisfied with how this visit concluded with my coordinators and I'm eager to continue sharing the value of what I do with them and the administrators here in DC. I'm hoping to get our final production of The Congresswomen project filmed so that everyone can see it and pass it along to perspective students. I also anticipate that my final paper will be published somewhere on the UCDC website like last year's group. that will result from the Arts Core Class discussions and the journaling collected through this blog.
(4.23.12)
About two weeks ago my program coordinator back in Irvine flew out to Washington, DC in order to attend administrative meetings and talk about the future of the program. She had arranged with me beforehand to come and visit my internship site and talk to my supervisor, Sarah, about my role within daily Studio Theatre operations. The main reason for her visit was to see how I was doing and get a feel for how likely or unlikely it would be for future UC students to get their internship at the Studio. Since the arts program is such a young addition to the coursework and opportunities available through UCDC the administrators are making every effort possible to make connections with theaters, museums, and other art venues for future UC arts students. So far I've been very happy to hear so much talk and effort from the Higher Ups about the arts program and developing these connections.
It turns out that Sharon was planning on bringing a couple other program coordinators from California with her. There were four of us all together and when we arrived the Director of Administration, Sarah, took us through the building and gave them the same general orientation that I got over a month ago.This ended up being really cool because I got to re-experience some of the awe I felt when I first started. The tour is a chance for Sarah to brag about how nifty the Studio is and highlight its key successes in terms of the Studio mission statement.
The part I find most interesting about the Studio mission statement is the claim that "No theatre of comparable budget size operates such exclusively intimate spaces." So far I find that to be pretty true. Their largest theatre only seats about 200 people. The fact that a key component of their mission is apparent in the design and function of the Studio Theatre building itself seems significant. From the three shows I've seen I can easily say that the work they produce embodies a sense of intimacy in their choice of plays, their excellent theatrical craft, and in the environment they create. It makes me feel like the answer to my professor's question "Is the agency for which you intern actually doing what it claims to be doing?" is "Yes, absolutely."
Sarah's tour also reminded me of another interesting aspect of The Studio Theatre; everything is all under one roof. They own the entire 4 story building and remodeled it about 10 years ago to fit the needs of a growing theatre company. This means that they aren't spending money to rent space off-site. They also own small apartments to house the year-long apprentices and visiting guest artists. The decision to buy and own instead of renting is a great move for a long-term plan. When it comes to business and money I've been impressed so far. Most of The Studio's revenue comes from annual subscriptions purchased by loyal patrons and other single ticket orders. Before coming here I thought that this was completely unheard of. I mean who buys theatre tickets anymore? I thought that theatres had to rely on large donations and grant funding in order to exist. The fact that the Studio is able to donate their tickets to other organizations says a lot.
In the end I was very satisfied with how this visit concluded with my coordinators and I'm eager to continue sharing the value of what I do with them and the administrators here in DC. I'm hoping to get our final production of The Congresswomen project filmed so that everyone can see it and pass it along to perspective students. I also anticipate that my final paper will be published somewhere on the UCDC website like last year's group. that will result from the Arts Core Class discussions and the journaling collected through this blog.
Interviewing SCR pt. 3
I got the internship!
More details to come later when I receive my contracts in the mail.
More details to come later when I receive my contracts in the mail.
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