Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA
This summer I had the opportunity to virtually intern with the development department at the Barrington Stage Company—a professional, non-profit theatre company that produces musicals and plays, promotes new works, and engages with the larger Berkshires community through educational outreach programming.
When I began my internship, Barrington Stage was in the midst of transitioning towards a socially distanced and virtual summer season. The largest fundraising event of the year, the annual gala, was turned on its head as the pandemic forced the event to become virtual. During the first weeks of my internship, I worked with the development department to organize and market the BSC Bash, an online auction and live-stream that would replace the annual in-person event. I helped design the auction website, promote the event through a large phone-calling campaign, and collaborated with my team members to field questions and provide support during the live-stream.
It was so exciting to begin my internship experience with a large project. I was inspired by the development department’s flexibility in creating a new event to support the performing arts during the pandemic. After the virtual gala, the focus of my internship shifted towards supporting the Next Act Campaign, the Covid-19 relief campaign, created to fund the upcoming season. Besides supporting the campaign, my daily and weekly tasks included grant research, tracking incoming donations, sending donation reports to the administrative team, attending Zoom staff meetings, reaching out to donors, and even graphic design.
Although my internship was virtual, working online with the development team at Barrington Stage felt so natural and engaging that it was easy to forget that I was hours away from the actual theatre. I was in constant contact with the four-person development team and was able to Zoom call with my wonderful colleagues many times a week. I felt immediately welcomed into the organization and was always excited by the theatre’s newest projects. As my internship was coming to a close, the theatre was preparing for opening night of its outdoor, socially distanced one-man show, Harry Clarke! I am so inspired by the resilience and creativity of the theatre as it transformed completely in order to create art and engage with its community during this time.
This internship solidified my passion for theatre and the performing arts and has led me to consider a possible career in the non-profit arts sector. I have acted and volunteered in theatres for my entire life, but this internship with Barrington Stage Company proved that I could translate my passions into a career that could affect meaningful change on my community. While I may not pursue a career in development, after this internship I am strongly considering a future course of study in applied theatre and even working at a theatre company. I am so grateful for this opportunity. Especially during this challenging time, I am incredibly thankful for the ’68 Center for Career Exploration and the Kraft Family for making this internship possible.
Megamenu Social