Week 2:
1st Stage Theatre

December 26, 2013

In the spirit of Christmas, I want to discuss the support I’ve had from everyone in the D.C. area. Christmas time really is a magical time of year, and I’m incredibly grateful for all of my newly formed friends. It seems that everyone wants me to succeed. I’m beginning to master tasks and my directors are letting me run things by myself as well as learning new tasks.  The theatre has bought me two tickets to go see shows in the city. I have an opportunity to job shadow one of my coworkers at another theatre on Friday. People insist on sending any extra food home with me. I also received a printer because one of our volunteers didn’t want it anymore. Yesterday, a member of the board even invited me over for brunch with her family.While none of these things necessarily teach me a new skill, it is nice to feel that my community accepts me and wants to make me as comfortable and happy as possible. I’m incredibly blessed to work with such kind, generous, wise individuals.

Speaking of wise individuals, this particular theatre is a great place to intern because the theatre was designed as a place that works to harbor youthful vigor with experienced wisdom. That’s part of the idea behind the name “1st stage.” (It was also the first professional theatre to open in Tysons Corner, Virginia.) So far, my experience has been that the staff takes me under their experienced wings, not only in terms of learning the ropes within this specific job, but also in a broader sense, by helping me explore the theatrical landscape of the D.C. area.

Tomorrow, I’m going to the Kennedy Center to see Elf! I’d love to see how they adapted that movie into a stageplay. I’m also excited to see the inner workings of the Kennedy Center, which is one of the most famous theatres in the United States.

This weekend, coming up, will be the final weekend of our play and then we’ll strike (tear down) the set and then we will push ahead with rehearsals of Souvenir and more time on making sure I understand the details of the inner-workings of the theatre.

I’ve discovered that, as I suspected, working for a non-profit  makes me really happy. The fact that we produce something valuable for the public is exciting and inspiring. The main thing is to never see a task as something “beneath you.”  If it contributes to the business, then it’s something worthwhile, whether that’s sweeping the floor or taking prospective donors out for coffee. And it’s incredibly rare to get to the wine-and-dine stage without sweeping a few floors and stuffing envelopes and fixing printers.

Merry Christmas, everybody!