Get out there and Do Stuff

I understand the networking emphasis in the internships now.

Natalie, my mentor/boss/Naked Theatre member, has really pushed me to meet new people and get out there and find something to do in theatre. After emailing 8 or so companies seeing if they needed volunteers and getting nothing back it was discouraging that I can't give away my help. She then said she might be able to get me in with Chicago Dramatists. Chicago Dramatists is a company that deals with new plays and playwrights. The put on shows and classes with local playwrights. Natalie had become a good friends with the managing director while she was an intern there so she sent my resume to him. It took a while for him to get back to me because they were so swamped with work, but he did and wanted me to call or come in for an interview. I called the office repeated trying to catch him at a good time which was impossible apparently. I knew my help was needed if he didn't even have a chance to talk to me on the phone, so I sent an email instead and an intern got back to me. I went and got interviewed for an hour or so and became part of the team right then and there. Persistence payed off (which we also learned when talking to the press in Naked Theatre).
I am now an administrative intern at Chicago Dramatists. Answering phones, printing, organizing, letting people in for classes. They trust their interns a lot. Brian gives us little jobs to be in charge of to make his work easier. Like I am working on taking in new rental requests and replying to and organizing them. He has the final say in who rents their space but it is cool to be trusted with such responsibility.

Natalie also sent me links to websites for what shows are happening in Chicago theatre (theatreinchicago.com) and theatre job/audition postings (leagueofchicagotheatres.org).
I was just watching for something to do after see You in the Mourning was done. I saw a request for a lighting assistant/ followspot operator and was like 'I could do that.' I sent in my application in and they got back to me right away that they were a new opera company, Verismo Opera, they had no money in their first or so year and they needed some help. I interviewed with the assistant director Jennifer Cox (eerie right? JCox) and got the position and also said I would help with anything else they needed aide with. She was really grateful for my enthusiasm. Now this was just going to be like an I come in on tech week and work with them thing which I was fine with. I just wanted some more quality theatre time. But a few days ago I get an email that the company has had a shake up and they lost their director and their lighting designer along with them. Jennifer was promoted to director and the first person that came to her mind for the lighting designer was me. She knew that I had no true experience with designing but they are just a small company and she liked the excitement I had just for the followspot job and working with opera, something new to me.
Without hesitation I said yes. I love a new challenge and part of my theatre philosophy is being able to do any and all jobs if you are asked to do so. I have very limited experience in designing lighting other than watching others do it and typing in and tweaking cues. Verismo has limited resources, equipment, and apparently the space is tricky too (lots of windows, 8 dimmers, only 2 light trees to hang from). More challenging but also makes me more comfortable that I don't have to create something extravagant with as many lights as possible. I'm really looking forward to this new experience in this realm.

Update: I don't post enough so already things have changed. Verismo's owners have decided to shut down the show due to lack of funds. They had poured to much into the previous production and couldn't afford to do another when they lost a major donor. It was really sad to find this out. I was really excited for this new challenge. I was at the production meeting the day before they canceled show and the people seemed fun with a lot of big ideas. The show was Madame Butterfly and they were going for like a collision of East and West look. I hope that someday the company will be salvaged.
As for me, I'll find something to do. Maybe more stuff with Dramatists than just what I do now. Who knows. All I know is I like the theatre scene here and can't wait to be more integrated into it. You just have to get out there and start doing things and great opportunities may find you.