 Good afternoon, virtual world. My name is Erin Michelle Washington and I am a producing associate at American Conservatory Theatre. So happy to be here with our friends at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre with their third conversation in the series, Creative Careers. Today's conversation is called How to Apply Regional Theatre Fellowships and Internships. So as we go through our conversation today, you can use hashtag creative careers to ask any questions that you have that are burning, because I know we will have burning questions today, or you can use the HowlRound chat feature that's right on the website. So I'm so thankful to be here today. I was actually asked by Anthony, who's here representing the Berkeley School of Theatre, and when I was a fellow at HowlRound at Arena Stage, Anthony was in space with me. So thank you so much for having me. Oh, thank you for agreeing to moderate this panel. Erin, I really appreciate that. Such a lovely introduction. Erin and I, we are fellows together back at Arena Stage. And I am now the program manager here at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. And so excited today to talk to everyone about what it means to be a fellow and how to apply for internships at regional theaters across America. All right. So we have a cool crew of folk today. So I'm just going to let everyone introduce themselves. First we have Gretchen Faire. Hi, everybody. My name is Gretchen Faire. I'm the associate general manager of producing at the American Conservatory Theater. And I'm the fellowship coordinator. So I'm honored to be here. Thank you. We also have Sean at Arena Stage. Greetings. I'm Sean Maurice Lynch. I am the communities and training program manager at Arena Stage. Cool. Emily at Hartford Stage. Hey, everyone. I'm Emily Lawerson. My title is studio manager, but I'm also the apprentice and intern coordinator for all of our programs at Hartford Stage. Last but not least, Camila Long, Oregon Festival. Hello. Hi. My name is Camila Long. I'm the manager of special campaigns at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. All right. Thank you guys so much for coming and having this conversation with us. So today is going to go like this. I'm going to ask a few questions. We're going to talk about our programs, how you can get interest into our programs. And then if you guys have any questions, we're going to go to the virtual space and ask that. So I think my first question would be, what was your role to your career? I know a lot of us have been interns and fellows at different theaters. What was your role to your career? I guess I can start. I was an actor in Washington, D.C. and I ended up teaching a summer camp at Camp Arena Stage and from there I became a fellow and through my fellowship, I was a senior fellow and a job opened up and I applied for it. And from there I just got an arts administration and I kind of haven't looked back since. I've been doing education and devised theater for almost seven years now. Well, let's see. I started as an actor in college and then went into an internship program at St. Michael's Playhouse in Colchester, Vermont for two summers and through that learned about company management and house management and that really, those internships really helped me get to a place and to learn about those things. I didn't even know there were options for me at that point and totally changed my career and went into theater management because of it. Camila? Well, I got my, I started off as an actor as well. I got my bachelor's degree from Alabama, the Alabama State University. Oh, right. I went on to become a professional actress, got my equity card, decided to go to grad school, got my MFA in performance as well and started teaching and a professor at Alabama State University as well. Secondary school, teaching artist, community producer, director, now going into arts management. You asked. I love it. I love it. I love it. Sean, what about you? Sean, what about you? Well, I began my career and still am as an actor. I went to the Penn State University for musical theater and then I joined Kahoot to an arena stage with their summer camp program which got me into teaching artists and I've been doing that for I think almost, almost 10 years now as a teaching artist and then I joined the fellowship program at arena stage and now I have this position. So it's been a balance between being an actor and a teaching artist. And Emily? I guess I'll be next. So just like everyone else, I started off as an actor. I got my BFA from NYU, Tish, and did a lot of performing right out of school and that actually led me to Hartford Stage. I am a native of Connecticut and came back to the area and started working with Hartford Stage as an actor and actually through performing there, people noticed that I was really good with the kids in the shows and someone suggested, you know, have you ever tried being a teaching artist? So I went that route, did that freelancing and then kind of got involved in arts administration and education that way and my path led me back through Hartford Stage now on this end of it. Kind of a slightly different path, but it's been a lot of fun. That sounds phenomenal. With me as well, I started out as the first week of June so that they can plan accordingly through ACT. That is great. So what about Camila? Repeat the question, I'm sorry. What is, can you tell us a bit about the program, the apprentice program at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and what is the process to getting to be a part of that program? Well, I know you can begin the process at July 1st every year. You can start, we start taking, no, we start taking applications in March and the deadline is July 1st every year. So you'll go online and see what area you're interested in. I think the good thing about our program is that you actually don't have to have the job in mind to say just stage management. You can also create jobs here, you know, whatever you're interested in in the field of theater and who you're studying. So I got a little bit distracted my phone when I was doing it, but for me, I was the producing fellow and I say that because as a producing fellow, there was a hidden job in my fellowship and that was the casting assistant. So not only was I the producing fellow, I also became the casting assistant and I never dreamed that that would be something that I would do in that position. I didn't necessarily apply for it, but it was something that's there for you in our program. Phenomenal. Can you talk a bit more about like creating your own job there through the fellowship program? Yes. As the producing fellowship at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival allows you to be a sponge. Okay. So you get to be in the room with all of the senior leadership. So just thank me coming in from Alabama. I come to Oregon Shakespeare Festival and I get the opportunity to sit with Bill Roush in every meeting. So I was afforded that opportunity. And are we still alive? I can't tell. Are we still on? Back. You're good. Okay. Okay. And so this allowed me not only to be in the room with them, it allowed me to see who in the room I mailed it with. And that just happened to be the casting director. So not only was I able to be the casting assistant, I was also able to produce midnight projects here as a producer and learn about that while I was here. So there was something else I did and also worked as an assistant producer on projects in the room. So mine was the producing fellow, but I had a chance to create my job based on the people that I was able to make connections with and began to build on what I wanted to do. That is phenomenal. And we'll keep continuing to talk about that, that space of creating out of the position that you go into a theater for. What about you, Sean? Can you talk a bit about the fellowship program at Arena Stage? So here at Arena Stage, our fellowship program is called the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship and Internship Program, which is named after a Tony-nominated African-American light designer who's also an associate at Arena Stage. And our fellowship is a seasonal fellowship that usually goes from mid to late August through end of May. And our summer internship is also through the summer months of June and August. Our fellowship is unique because it's really hands-on. We like to have our fellows actually be integrated as part of the staff. There's no real difference between them being anyone else inside our institution. And so our fellows get to lead programs and get to really be a part in cultivating what the season is going to be and how we execute the season here in Washington, D.C. That's great. Our program at our first stage is kind of similar to how they run it at Arena. We are also a season-long apprentice program. We start early September and run through May. We currently have 11 apprentices in nine different departments. And while they're with us, again, just like Sean was saying, they're fully integrated into the staff and are really important members of our team. So they're doing their everyday work within their department. And then we also have a series of seminars throughout the season that kind of show them a little bit more than what they're there to do. So if you're in education, you can also learn about lighting design. And we also have a project that each of our apprentices do. It's kind of like a capstone-style project, and they each design their own project that they take from start to finish. And that's what they're working on right now. We've got some really interesting unique ideas like podcasts or teaching students how to be theater critics, things like that. And then we also have fun activities, and we send them down to New York City for a networking day once a year, which is a really cool opportunity. So we really try to have a really well-rounded experience for all of them while they're here. This is phenomenal. I am so excited about what everyone is doing. Anthony, can you tell us about the Berkeley School of Theaters? Here at Berkeley Rep, our programs are very similar to Hartford as well as to Arena Stage and everyone else's. I think everyone kind of runs off the same model. We do have 15 positions, and they're very unique in that. Not only are they getting that kind of cultivated class feel, but they also like Hartford have a project to work on. And our fellows actually, they get to not only be mentor, but then they turn around and mentor our teen council as they produce a one-act festival. So the fellows serve as their mentors as these teens are putting on their own one-act festival, which is really, really cool. Our fellows as well, like all the other fellows at our partner organizations on this chat today, get to be an integral part of what is happening at Berkeley Rep. If we could turn the camera around, I wish we could. You could see five of the fellows are right now running the logistics of this screen. So I think fellow ships are something that are really important in nurturing the next generation of theater makers. As all of us that appear and via online, where fellows are interns at one point in time as well. So what do you think distinguishes your program? Gretchen, can you talk about, like what do you think is a touch tone part of ACT's fellowship program where I can say, oh, maybe I should go to Berkeley Rep to do this, but I should go to ACT to do this. I think that the opportunity for the fellows to work with the artists and the staff that come throughout the year for our shows is absolutely incredible. You know, just like all the other programs, the fellows are immersed into the work and they're there to learn from their mentors, from designers and directors who are visiting in town. That is really important. And then what they get to do is through that information that they're learning towards the end, they get to create their own project. They get to produce their own project in which they have to raise the money. They have to cast direct design, stage manage, and then they get to present the work of five days, five performances in our costume shop stage, which is the 49 seat Black Box Theater. And that's something that they look forward to all year. So everything that they've learned throughout the year, they get to put towards this project. And it's something that really empowers them so that when they leave, they know that they have created something so special that then they can move on to the next part of their life. I mean, the information and work that they do helps them become a stronger individual and they get to find their passion through the fellowship so that whatever their next step is, they have that strong foundation. That's fierce. What about you, Emily, at Harper's stage? I'd say we're quite a similar journey. You know, it's really important for us to make sure that all of our apprentices are really supported while they're with us. They're a very important part of our company and we couldn't do what we do without them in any of our departments. We really want to foster their careers while they're with us. We really see this program as that bridge between their educational career and their professional career. So we really aim to do activities that kind of help them not just learn while they're here, but also kind of determine what their next step is. You go to school, you study what you study, and you think that you're going to be on one particular path and sometimes things change. I think people already referenced that on our own panel. You were on one path and then something happened in your life and it kind of changed what you were doing and you said, oh my god, this is amazing. This is what I want to do now. So we try to do, open that world up to our apprentices while they're with us so that they can see all the different options and make informed decision about what their next step is. So Camila, what are some of the professional development events or things that Oregon Shakespeare Festival does for fellows? I think the master key or major key to the success of our program is the fair forums. Sharifa Joka, every Thursday all of the fair participants come together and we have a round table discussion where we are taught diversity, inclusion, and equity work and methods in terms. We learned about gender, what I have, microaggressions, how to use your power, authority, and influence in the room. Also how we can access the resources at the festival and what opportunities we have. So we get a chance every Thursday to all come together in one place and network with one another. Yeah, I think that was really paramount for me. And she also allowed her to help us in our journeys on an individual basis. And it's also a time where guest lecturers or artists who are on campus can come in and speak with us as well. So it's well thought out and planned, but I have to say by far the diversity and inclusion and equity training that we get in those fair forums change our lives in the room. Sean, can you speak to arena stages program or any professional development stuff that you do within the institution for fellows? Certainly, certainly. With our fellowship program, about twice every month we have workshops or meetings with senior staff members, so or department heads, whether that's whoever's in charge of our communications department or our community engagement department or meeting our artistic director, Molly Smith. And in those meetings, our fellows are able to, for one, hear about those artistic artists and how their journey to help them through their careers, but also ask any questions or concerns they might have about their position right now in the theater or where they see theater as a whole going forward. So I think that that program within our program is one of the key things that makes us unique is that there's always some type of conversation going on with our fellows on how to better insert the career. We also have a lot of communication with the other theaters in Washington DC because Washington DC has a lot of theaters, small and big, and so we have several opportunities where our fellows get to meet with other fellows from other places like center stage and have their own little forums and conversations on what they see their careers or how they want to advance the next generation of theater artists. Anthony, can you speak to professional development programs at Berkeley Red? Absolutely. We not only offer that curriculum, that kind of forum for the fellows to go in and learn and be mentored staff-wide, but that professional development is also providing those networking opportunities that everyone's talking about that really deepens the impact of that sustained time in one place. Our fellows spend almost an entire year here at Berkeley Rep and in that time you are building that network that you're going to take away with you to start theater companies or the people who are going to be able to connect you to their next job. So not only are you learning the ins and outs of regional theater and how a professional Lord theater works, but you're also building that network so that when you leave here hopefully you are connected in a way that you weren't before that could help impact and expand your chances of sustaining your career in the theater. I think that's one of the really special things that we teach. They're getting that year-long mentoring and learning everything from resumes and interview skills to actually sitting down like with some of our colleagues we're saying sitting down with the artistic director, sitting down with the literary manager, sitting down with the ground floor director and sitting down with every different department. I think fellows have such a valuable experience in that they get to see the ins and outs of the theater that many people don't get the opportunity to do. You could be in the theater for 20 years working as a professional in your specific job that at Berkeley Rep and these other organizations hold the accesses there and that's I believe what we provide and what all of these other institutions provide as well. So let's talk about access a bit. I remember being a fellow a couple of times and I didn't have a lot of money. My parents thought I was insane for even wanting to take some of the fellowship programs where I was not paid honestly a lot of money. Did not have housing from Alabama so I was moving to big cities to go into these programs. So what are your theaters doing around access around housing around raising the wages for internship and fellowship programs and because we know that when there is not a lot of access then there's a limited pool of people that can actually participate in even applying for a fellowship program. So I think that's something that you know the field is talking about but what are some of the things that your organizations are doing or thinking about along these lines of broadening the access for fellowship programs. I know at Berkeley Rep that's one of the things that we are currently facing and I'm sure as you said the field is talking about every day making sure we are reaching the people who not only have the the means but those who aren't necessarily always thought of and the first thought. So I know housing is something that is really really difficult especially when you're in large cities or even in smaller cities. Housing for fellows is something that's a big strain on the institutions but that is something that Berkeley Rep are really committed to. I know some other places pay more so they can subsidize that housing. So it's just a matter of like give and take of what the theater is able actually to do in that moment and also where are you looking for fellows? Where are you looking for your interns? How are you recruiting? What are your strategies of engagement? And I know we at Berkeley Rep are really looking to get FaceTime going and spending as much time with as many applicants as we actually can to help them strengthen their resumes, strengthen their interview skills, be able to be competitive when the application process comes to those who have been getting more traditional access. Hey Anthony. Camila OSF? Well one of the things they've done this in 2015 we had the first inaugural Paul Nicholson fellow which I think is great because it's a fellowship that allows the fellow to shadow the executive director this year and also they get the chance to attend the board meetings, have a relationship with the board, also spend time in the development office and also work with the financial officers just like an executive director would. So I'm really excited about them doing that this year. I don't think they've done that in the past. So you know it's a different aspect of the art and allowing access to the an opportunity to go in the room with the board and sit in through the minutes. People in the organizations don't have here, don't have the access speaking to what you said about that. All right. Yeah you shine at arena stage. Well at arena stage we we don't provide offer housing for our fellows but we do have resources to help potential applicants to get housing elsewhere but in this is our 25th anniversary for our fellowship program at arena stage and in that 25 years we've actually have increased our stipend weekly in stipend for our fellows and our internship program. So that's something that we're constantly looking into and working on is how do we you know stay competitive? How do we increase the stipends or how do we create new positions? We have a new technical direction fellowship position that we're going to start this next coming season. So it's something that we're constantly always evaluating and researching and we do I think it's about every two years we'll do a report on our fellowship program just to see where we are now and where we want to go and what steps can we take to try to include more applicants or of diversity particularly because that's one of our big statements mission statements here at arena stage just to include and diversify the theater. Great. Emily? Well you know it's the the same question across the board you know access is a big a big factor in all of this. We're happy at Hartford stage that we do have housing for our apprentices. It's actually only about a block away from our offices which is really exciting and that's really close to the theater too and we also provide parking which you know being we're not a huge city but being in a city that's a huge factor. Oh my god. Yes. So our stipends I wish were larger and we always are looking to find ways to expand on that but you know we we try to have other opportunities available and also in recent years we've made it so that our apprentices if they choose to can also get some extra work working in concessions bartending at the theater itself to earn a little extra money while they're here so you know wherever and whenever we can find those opportunities we try and expand on that and then it's just you know expanding on the apprenticeship itself and making that really exciting and thrilling and giving more opportunities while you're here. So I reference like our networking day that's something we've been doing for the last couple years. We take our apprentices down to New York City and line them up individually with professionals in the field so they can sit down with them kind of chew their brain you know whatever and really get a sense of you know their path and how their career works and what they can do to follow in their footsteps or you know create their own journey. So you know it's just expanding the opportunities that they have while they're with us. That's great so okay so we talked about access so then I remember my first day actually at Arena Stage I was very nervous um one of the first people I met was Molly and she came in and she was like hello I'm the artistic director so my question is because we've all been fellows or interns in these spaces that seem so big and grand um how do you help your the fellows and interns feel like they can call this place home? How do you help welcome them into the space and make sure that their time in space is not just oh go do a print job oh go over here and get my coffee and sharpen some pencils how do you help them feel like I am a young professional in space um and what if you have an experience as you as an intern a fellow that was positive or negative around that thought can you speak to that because I think that we're at a time in space where a lot of people are not entering internships and fellowships in the way that they used to and I feel like fellowships are a great space of learning so I really want us to get our folk back um so talk to us about how you welcome us into space well before any of our fellows even starts I get uh I asked for bios and a headshot or some sort of photo and I send it out to the entire staff so that they can see the people that will be joining them for the next year read a little bit about them I always ask for something fun it's not all about where they went to school and you know I we really want to get to know them um and then when they arrive uh the supervisors take them around walk them give them the tour introduce them um as the coordinator I make sure that I've touched base with everybody to make them feel welcome and then once all the fellows arrive we have a fellows orientation and we sit them down and we talk about the year and we talk about the monthly meetings we talk about the fellows project and it's really a safe place I want them to feel as if they can come to this um to ACT and um really um feel like they can grow they can ask questions they can ask for help um and so that's sort of where we start and so from then we have the monthly meetings where they get to meet senior staff and really talk and ask questions about their route so that they get to learn about all the other departments it's really important for them to feel welcomed so that because they will be with us for you know anywhere from nine months to a year anyone else can just jump on in well um something that we've been doing at harford stage is um we do the same thing that they do up there with an orientation and all of that um we when they move in we take them to a baseball game which is always fun things like that you know it's not all about just work right um we also we also have um a buddy program so each of our apprentices is lined up with a member of our staff and we do some events we have like a happy hour event and we'll do a potluck dinner partway through this season and then periodically those buddies will meet up with their apprentices and just touch base with them see how they're doing see any you know if they need any advice or guidance or anything so it's another point of connection and those buddies are people who are not in their own department so they can also learn a little bit more outside of their department and have someone to you know kind of touch base with that that that can lend them a good year and kind of guide them along the way so that's kind of an important part that we've been growing of our program i want to thank you all for the idea sharing that's going on right now because i'm hearing all these wonderful ideas from these other programs uh oh we here at berkeley rep they're very similar to some of the institutions that have talked in organizations so far but one of the really cool things that happens in the first all staff meeting of the season our artistic director tony to kony gets the fellows up in front of the whole staff and introduces them so they not only has that picture been circulated in that bio but also you actually get that facetime up there with the artistic director talking a little briefly about yourself to the entire organization as a nice introduction and then you know i feel like my job is to be that nurturer to be that person who's on their side no matter what through the good of the bad and to make sure that that welcoming is happening so the welcoming is happening from the dedicated staff member but also from the entire organization the fellows are integral to the everyday uh running of the theater and i want to hear other responses but i think we should really press upon that point can you say that last sentence one more time if you remember what you said the fellows are integral to the everyday running of the theater that is important i think sometimes in our field we forget we forget how important fellows are one thing that i try to do just in my job as a producer at ACT is to show that someone in an artistic staff like i take all of the fellows out to tea and coffee like every other week to just like have a communication to say i'm not hierarchical i'm not going to talk down to you you should feel like you can approach me at any time we can talk about life we can talk about art we can talk about theater um but i hope that and i'm speaking to all of the theater folk out there that we not forget how important our fellows and apprentices are because they're sacrificing their time to be with us um i just had to make that point camila can you talk to us yes um one of the things that we do is uh have the a fair mixer as well um but the main thing i think the magic is and i say again the major key is i felt like as a producing fellow i had all our access to the organ shakesman festival i didn't feel like there was a door that i couldn't enter i had the key card and i could go and that's what i did um uh and sherifa would say go did you read did you read all the plays did you go to the plays did you go to show you know we get over 20 i think 25 comp tickets so we get to see as many shows as we can see we get to see the art um also uh you get to uh you had the license to have dinner coffee or go and talk to anyone you wanted to like you said opening that up um the reason why i have this job now is because i could travel through the building and i would i i trickled down to development one day and they offered me chocolates so i would come down friday's yeah i would come down on friday's and uh get a piece of chocolate and and do a chocolate dance chocolate friday's and the development department was joining so i was building a and cultivating a relationship in the department that i had no interest in at the time didn't know anything about um and i just built this network in this relationship because i had this access and another thing we were taught is the resources resources sherifa would really talk to us about okay what resources do you have well did you get do this you know and if i wanted to bag off um of an opportunity she really she reaffirmed that for me and not just her you know others around me so it's kind of dangerous getting that type of access because you know when you yeah i had that much i felt like you know super woman around here so now i uh being in two different positions now i i don't have all that access but i do have the power i do have the power authority influence to build my own you know access to things that i want to you know get into around here but my key the key major key for me was network network network and use your access to cultivate relationships with each other um and and this is the last thing i think erin you are here for this we did our fair network conference this year our first in augury fair yes bought um all our fair participants from the united states to one place and we got a chance to really delve into each other's work and network with each other and we made history at the same time so yes that's all i have to say i love it that was great what's more to say that was um just like most it's it's about cultivating an environment that you know you you're able to just just learn and grow as much as possible um you know my uh anthony was was the head of my my fellowship at arena stage and you know he did a great job just opening the door for for me to feel comfortable um and being related to grow you know and and now that i'm in in this position we've we've added in um we have mid-season evaluations where it's a moment for fellows to sit one on one uh with someone who's not their mentor or supervisor because each fellow gets a mentor or supervisor which i think in itself is a great thing as well but it's an opportunity for them to sit and talk about anything they want to you know whether it's personal or it's professional and how to balance personal and professional which is something that we're we're sort of uh big about something i've noticed that a lot of fellows are working on as they're coming out of college on how to how to make that balance and so i think it's about just really uh like camille said just opening that access to everything you know no door is closed uh in the theater you know fellows can go into any door possible talk to anybody and we actually encourage them to talk to as many people outside of the department they're working in as possible in any given moment to to learn as much as you can because you never know when you're come back to that theater in another position and a conversation you have with someone else is going to be more beneficial than than you actually thought it would be yes so um as we're having this conversation i'm also thinking about just the application process um what is a strong application to you wow that's a really good question i think every department uh is looking for different things and looking for different people and then the qualities of a strong application not only is it just like kind of clear and concise the communication but also being able to share a little bit about yourself um our application process at berkeley rep and i think it mirrors many of the other application processes uh online usually a personal statement online portfolio for some positions and yeah that's a really about it and from there that's what's really hard because it's blind you're sending things in to the ether and being able to communicate those things about yourself that passion that personal statement letting your portfolio speak for itself as well because you're not behind it to be able to explain things i think that's can be kind of difficult sometimes so being a strong communicator verbally as well as on paper and then seek help seek guidance from the people around you to make have people look over your resume have people look over your application spell check is your friend uh your best friend is going to know more about you than you're going to put on paper they may remember that thing you forgot that you're good at make sure you seek out as many people as you can to look over your application before you hit submit and odds are you know someone in the theater who's hiring and they can look over it before you send it to these organizations and institutions so make sure you are already accessing your the network that you've already built so that you can begin to grow your network yeah it's really important to take the time to look over it because i've received applications where i've received cover letters to other theaters for the application that they're sending for you you really just need to take that time and really especially in that personal statement say something special say something that's going to make you stand out so that people want to continue to read because that's going to be really important but spell check i i could not agree more with everything he said and just make sure that uh you really need to stand out because we receive hundreds of applications it's a very hard process so anything that's going to help you get a little bit of an edge is going to be great for us so if if you did receive a cover letter that was not addressed to act like what would you do in that situation i actually i because it's a learning opportunity everything that we do is a learning opportunity i will send an email back to this person and let them know you know i i want you to know that we received your application you did send a cover letter addressed to a different um organization if you would like to reapply please re send it but you just need to know that you know we this happened it might happen to other applications that they've sent out so you know you're trying to help them to because again it's all about learning you don't want to you want them to learn from their mistakes so that they can never make that mistake again and it's really hard because sometimes you're the crunch of the application process so they may not have time to get back to it or you may not have time to send them that reminder so all of a sudden their application doesn't get considered for that year even though it was super strong but because of that one tiny mistake copy and paste jump in here because i i've had the exact same experience happen at our first stage and that's one of my pet peeves is you know proofread your material you know you just got to take a little extra time um and the way that i go through the applications and it's probably very similar with many of you is that i read all of them so i'm kind of like that first line and then send it on down the line so i really want to take the time and i actually have a rubric and i score each application and it's based on a lot of different factors you know education level skill level experience level your passion that comes through you know and and then of course the quality of the application itself so if you have any spelling errors or things like that um so if you make a mistake like that it's not an automatic out but it certainly doesn't it doesn't look great because you know it shows that overall um attention to detail which is really important in most of these fields so you know just take your time with it is one of the biggest pieces of advice that i would give i also think it's important to make sure that you you do your research of the theater of the department that you're interested in making sure that you have some some baseline of this whatever skill sets that might be required for for that position that you're applying it you know if it's a technical direction position but you have necessarily no technical direction skill sets it may not be the best fit for you there might be something else that's better for you so i think it's really important to to do your research so then you're not wasting your time or the time of the theater who's going through your your applications i know the arena stage we have we require a diversity statement which may not be the norm in every theater and so if you skip that diversity statement you know it kind of takes your application out um from our process because that's really important for for our mission here at arena stage so just make sure that you do your research and that you you check off you know every list or every requirement that that's being asked for before you submit your application so let's say if a person um does have a few mistakes on their application but the writing and and what their thoughts are strong and passionate they might not have the experience that some other people have um how often are people like that accepted into the fellowship program can i speak to that one um yeah i know specifically at osf they encourage people also who have no background in theater to apply you know uh so uh yeah um you don't have to have it and one of the things that Sharifa Joker talks about is going out and uh looking for people like uh when you're looking for your keys you know that you have to when you are intent on finding keys you have to keep looking and picking up the couch and the cushion to find them so sometimes you don't always find them in in the area of theater uh Sharifa found me how a friend of mine very dear to me told me that she was coming to town and that i needed to meet her it was not because i was not at the theater i came and crashed a dinner party based on the word of this friend and ended up in meeting Sharifa didn't know how uh i could apply or why i would of course i'm a theater practitioner but it's not the case for everyone so i know i got offered to that store i'm really trying to say erin washington i was hoping she would catch in uh catch on and and join chime in with me but she let me she left me hanging but um so you don't have to have the experience you can just be interested be recommended by someone and apply you can speak with Sharifa and she will find something for you and create in that way it's creating a more uh equity by inviting future generations of children or people who have not been doing theater and say hey you know what are some things you're interested in and how can this theater fit that for you because this is a business and there's plenty of areas for you to join in so yeah i remember um when i was at arena stage i was at the end of my fellowship with howl round and i didn't know like where i was going to go next really um if i would just go back to new york or back home to alabama and i went out with some of my colleagues we went to a bar and i wasn't going to go but i was like let me go um and i got to meet universes steven and mildred sab and we hung out and we talked and by the end of the night they were like yo we're going to organ shakesford festival uh do you want to be a driver for us and i was like a driver they was like you know how to drive and i was like yes and they were like well it's not like producing but you want to drive some black panther party members we're doing a show called party people and i was like yes so like literally you know not knowing where i was going to go going to a bar hanging out with these artists like i found my next step so i think it's important as camila's bringing out to think about the untraditional ways that we get into the spaces that we're in um that you know though our application processes need to be like on it but as artists we know that we bleed outside of the lines of formality and of perfection that that um sometimes the institution can make us feel like we need to have but not only as artists mean also arts administrators as well of course there's plenty of nontraditional arts administration jobs that are now bleeding into the theater i mean graphic design or uh patron services those types of jobs now exist in their fellowship positions dedicated to that and so we can't always go that oh you are an actor you're going to fit in this peg and you're going to be a teacher or you're going to be a director but sometimes maybe they they want to be a managing director or sometimes maybe they want to be a technical director who knows so how do you find those people we've got to go to the nontraditional avenues and start opening up that access is access is dead without inclusion so we've got to go and really reach for those things you're not a soundbite say that one more time anthony come on access without it's no access without inclusion um so we are in the virtual space are there any questions um our our friend dave has he asked any questions daniel i'm sorry daniel we are shouting you out this is jamie unshore she is our education fellow at the brookley rep school of theater come on in here jamie um so i actually do have a question um daniel jones asks what follow-up opportunities do does your program offer to fellows as they leave great question follow-up opportunities well you know towards the end of the fellowship we um have a networking and a resume workshop and so i think that that is really important and i think that something that is not as strong as it needs to be but could be is linkedin and um and that is a really um it's an interesting thing because the theater it's not really targeted for theater but that doesn't mean it can't work and so the more that we use it it'll be a better reference and resource for um everybody in our fellowship program and then when they leave they can see and grow through that um and then having a strong alumni program for your fellows so that if you have your fellows mixers um with theaters in the area invite alumni from that program to those mixers because again those are your that's your foundation and um you can see where the fellows have grown from that um you can also use that as a resource to um go to the fellows alma maters and really target for your future fellows because they've gone through the program there'll be a great resource so that they can then start building so that people automatically know you know that there are fellowship opportunities all over the country through your you know your current fellows anyone else want to pick up that question i think uh talk about jobs as well there and i know that's a really big thing people they take fellowships or internships hoping to get a job later at that theater and i know those stats vary all the time and here at Berkeley rep at one point recently it was almost 30 of the current staff were past fellows or interns from this theater so that's really great i know that one of the first passive applicator like jobs come up the fellows are the first people thought of and i'm sure that that is the case at almost any organization absolutely the case at harvard stage i think we've got currently we've got uh six full-time staff members who are past apprentices and three of our over hires are our past apprentices so yeah if when they're our job openings they're very often the first people considered um you know i mean they know how everything ticks so it's it's an easy path so uh we also do a resume seminar and networking and all of that um we also give them access to our art search uh account so that they that's right right so you know we were talking about access and you know we can't pay a lot but we give them these tools that they can use going forward to can you all of that that password i can give it to you erin do we have any more questions from one line okay thank you um this is from car post from duke university car asks um do arts administrators usually stay with one theater company or do they move around a lot and i guess i would open up that question to ask um do you think it's worth it to move across the country for a fellowship i think it's important um i've worked at now i think four regional theaters um all the way from the east coast to the west and i'm from the south um i learned a lot about structure the structure of the institutions of each of these spaces are all very different um leadership styles are all very different people in space are different um the way that people engage with their communities are different so it it's helped me to figure out in my own producing and projects how to create in a more holistic way um everything that i do now has a bit of a space that i've been in that is a part of my work um the way i interact with people in my everyday life is is influenced from this work so i encourage people to like go way far away from home go internationally if you have the opportunity and come back um you know in the fellow land you can bounce about just bounce about spend a year here a year or two here and then when you start to figure out where you want to put your seed in the ground um you know focus in on that and contact those fellowship programs that you've been a part of and say yo i'm looking for work um what do you have it can't hurt so have fun bop about and then plant your seed in the ground most definitely i don't think um most arts administrators or artists limit themselves to just one organization uh i think that was a way that did happen a long time ago but now you see people moving around and taking the opportunities that present themselves um so you have to be creative and you have to be flexible as well um i know myself i came from the east coast to the west coast and i grew up in the south starting theater down in georgia so it is it's all about where the opportunity is and you'll find your home you definitely will your home is that network that you build and it keeps expanding with every single opportunity you pursue yeah absolutely i mean i'm from the bay area um then i went to vermont and then i came back and then i went to florid state and then i came back to california and then i went to new york and then i'm back here because i decided that i wanted to make san francisco my home but i have who i am today is because of everywhere i've been and it's made me a stronger person in my personal life and in my professional life so don't be afraid to go out there find out where you want to be do you where do you want to live and through that you can say well what organizations are in that area or vice versa where the organizations you want to be you know uh new york is is is where theater is but it's not the only place it is you don't have to learn about theater in new york city it's everywhere and um that's such an incredible thing so you know it's don't be afraid just go for it diversity of people and diversity of thought and i think that's what happens when you start moving and seeing and expanding i think it's also anyone else want to pick up yeah i think it's also worth noting that um you know with this particular field there's a because there's a lot of movement um you're very often going to come across people wherever you've been so you know if you've worked say at harvard stage and then you move on to you know you go out to chicago or something you may come across somebody that you worked with before because there's so much movement across the country so it's great to explore all the different opportunities and connect with people whenever and wherever you are because you never know when you're going to come across them again it happens a lot in this industry and yeah and i would like to piggyback and say there is no textbook way to do this and to create what works for you so i would say yes as an arts administrator you probably will go to a different theater and and that's okay one more question okay we have one more question and this is from carter low from american university um carter asked do you have any recommendations for those switching from more artistically focused paths directing acting playwriting to more administratively focused paths and especially hiding how highlighting how those experiences in the arts um can prepare them for fellowships in um more administrative roles i was actually just talking this morning um something that's really interesting is learning taking the time to learn about all the other different aspects of theater so i've done internships in lighting and costume and um stage management and acting and i think uh as an arts administrator in in theater management that's given me a strong foundation in the language that i need to communicate with directors and designers and production management so i think that learning a little bit about everything is really important and it just makes you a better manager and a better leader anyone else want to pick up that yeah i think i to me um definitely um coming into the development world coming from producing and being an actor being a director a teacher and then development you know i never saw that coming but i feel like um the fellowship had everything to do with me being able to um make those connections and i feel like one of my strongest tools is connecting with people and networking so through my network networking and connecting and my personality someone in development saw that as a perfect person for development and that the only thing i was lacking was the tools um as far as learning about donors prospect research and once i get those things under my belt this person felt like this would be a great opportunity for me and i never thought about that so i feel like um yeah but anyway yeah having a fellowship and being able to go into different departments and find out if that's something that you would like to do um is a great way to start doing that and then seeing where you want to land you know i really want to encourage everyone watching especially if you're in college or undergrad or grad school start going and applying for those internships before your senior year start building your resume and your sophomore and junior year so that you are a more attractive candidate uh you know when you talk about how do you get those skills from acting and directing to quantify into transitioning it's about starting a little bit earlier but also finding where those applicable skills lie as an actor i found out when i was on national tour with the national players and only that i liked teaching workshops you know i loved teaching Shakespeare workshops that's where i started to develop my love of education and my belief of that you know but i had to start that process earlier on so that i could find that love and come back to it so start early if it's easy to do it when you start early it gets a little bit harder when you start late this has been such a phenomenal conversation we're actually at the end of our of our time but before we go um i like to do something in the alabama tradition the woman who's who taught me theater dr tania stewart um would always teach us to honor each other so um i would love for each everyone for each from each theater to just give one short word of encouragement to the many um people that are thinking about applying to your theater what's a word of encouragement that you could give someone today um don't ever feel like you can't ask questions ask the questions that you need so that you can make sure that you're making um the right choices decide where you want to be it's not it's you're never wrong when you ask the questions be present i had a mentor teach me that and it was reinforced uh through my fellowship at arena stage be present listen be mindful doing those things it really opens you up to all the opportunities that are out there and it could only create good i would say uh don't be afraid kind of similar to what you were saying is that um like the approach when you go on an audition let that five minutes that you're in the room be your five minutes let your time in your apprenticeship or fellowship be your time get what you want out of the program and if if the traditional path of that program doesn't get you what you want ask for what you want because very often the answer is going to be yes we can do that for you you know don't be afraid well i would say don't be afraid to direct and produce your own life and know that you are mighty and that if you believe in yourself you can do anything you want to you can do all things show one one thing that uh the first meeting i had in my fellowship program our our costume director said was a root where you're planted and that's something that's always stuck with me i think it's very important just to wherever you are wherever you go whatever you choose the root where you're planted and then branch out as far as possible and touch everything possible i would say to close us out you're enough um the skills that you currently have are enough you can go into space and be yourself um continue to have an openness to learning but just know that where you are right now is just right so have a good time anthony thank you for watching uh we want to thank our sponsors for creative careers american express and thank you howl round tv and and all the folks at howl round and we want to invite you to our next creative careers panel it will be titled discussion of theater arts administration with the managing director of berkeley rep susie medec and that is on monday february 22nd at 5 30 p.m pacific time so thank you so much for watching thank you everyone for being a part of this thank you thank you