Access Theater, New York, NY
This summer, I interned for Access Theater, a small NYC-based theater company which aims to provide spaces, support, and resources for up-and-coming artists in the area. I began this internship with no previous theater experience, but my hope was to explore the world of theater while gaining knowledge about what it takes to facilitate events and programs for a theater company. Over the summer, my fellow interns and I were tasked with several different projects, ranging from administrative work to music supervision to developing a curriculum for an education program. These projects often consisted of heavy research, compiling information and data, collaboration with one another, and daily check-ins with our supervisor and the director of the organization. I spent some time learning about a current film being produced by Access Theater, finding film festivals to which the film could be submitted, and creating a pitch deck for another of their films being made. I also worked with my peers to put together a foundation for a theater curriculum in collaboration with after school programs in the city. I feel like I have walked away from this experience with a deeper understanding of the world of theater and how all of the different parts work together.
As an art major, it was really fun to allow myself to not only be analytical but find creative solutions as well. Especially with projects like finding film composers or creating a pitch deck for a film I knew hardly anything about, I was able to tap into my own personal creativity to produce something while learning about film. Another large project we focused on was compiling data of every show and rental at Access Theater since the start of the company. This was a tedious task, but the other interns and I collaborated to problem solve this and figure out ways to most efficiently find and organize things. While I may not have any room for a theater course in my final year at Williams, I would be excited to go back into the world of theater in some capacity. I feel that I have gained a well-rounded experience through my experience, learning about multiple aspects of the theater company such as the business side, creative side, administrative side, and film production. Since this internship was remote due to the pandemic, it would also be fun to gain some experience in the world of theater in-person! Some of my most memorable moments are sitting in on a virtual talk with Judd Apatow, discovering tons of new film composers, and developing a theater education curriculum for middle school and high school programs.
It is with great thanks to the members of the Class of 1951 and the ’68 Center for Career Exploration that I was allowed the opportunity to work for Access Theater this summer. I am greatly appreciative of this experience, and will walk away from it with both fun memories and newfound skills.