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Internships at Magic Theatre

Quick links:

Artistic Direction Apprenticeship
Literary Management/Dramaturgy Internship
Marketing/Development Internship
Design/Production Internship

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My year at Magic has been one of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences in my life as an artist. I’ve learned so much from Loretta and everyone at Magic, and I think I’ve gained the skills I need to have a long career in the American theatre.

- Ryan Purcell, Artistic Direction Apprentice, 2009-10
Drama League Directing Fellowship, 2010
Accepted to Brown University, Graduate Program in Theater and Performance Studies, Fall, 2010

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The season I spent apprenticing under Loretta Greco at Magic Theater was by far the most affecting, accessible and dynamic experience in learning the nuts and bolts of running a theater I have had. I worked alongside some of the most knowledgeable and exciting artists working in the world of theater today. I wouldn’t trade in my nine months there for anything.

- Anjali Vashi, Artistic Direction Apprentice, 2008-09
Producer and Director

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I threw myself into my apprenticeship at Magic, and I was rewarded with a mind-bending education in literary management, dramaturgy and producing. At Magic you do the real work of theater; a Magic intern is not an observer.

- Jayne Benjulian, Dramaturgy Apprentice, 2008-2009
Director of New Play Development, Magic Theatre

Overview

Magic Theatre currently offers internships in Artistic Direction, Design/Production, Literary Management/Dramaturgy, and Marketing/Development.

A Magic Theatre internship is for you if you are planning a career in theatre. Magic Theatre interns are treated as full staff members:  they participate in every aspect of operating a mid-sized theatre company, from full participation in staff meetings and decision-making to sharing in everyday administrative and maintenance tasks. Interns receive hands-on training and experience while working side-by-side with top theatre professionals. The internship will be a rich, career-building experience, which will strengthen both your craft and your resume.

Interns will work primarily in their own departments and may be asked to work on special projects with other departments. All internships at Magic Theatre offer the possibility of future transition to paid positions.  (Two of the seven current full-time staff members began as interns.)

General Requirements

Magic Theatre internships are full-season positions.  Internships for the 2010-11 Season will begin on August 16, 2010 and end on June 19, 2011. They are full-time positions that occasionally require substantial weekend and evening time, especially during productions. Some flexibility may be possible (to be arranged with the intern’s department head).

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and possess a driver’s license valid in California. For all interns, good writing skills and computer competence (word processing and spreadsheets) are required. Interns must be able to thrive in a work environment that is characterized by changing priorities and demands. IT skills are an asset.

Interns are paid a small stipend ($100 per month for 10 months). Magic Theatre cannot arrange housing.

To Apply

Please submit the following:

Personal Statement

This statement should be 500 words or less. Please identify the position for which you are applying and tell us how you heard about the Magic. Then tell us what you think we should know about you that makes you the ideal candidate for this internship. Take advantage of this opportunity to reveal information about yourself that may not be represented in your resume or recommendations.

Resume

A resume of education, theatre training and experience, and any related work. Please include your email address and permanent contact information. Be sure we know where to find you during the summer months.

References

Please send us one letter of recommendation. It is preferred that this letter be enclosed with your application materials. If it is submitted separately, it must still be received by the application deadline. Please also send names of and contact information for two personal references.

Additional Materials

While we know that many writers in dramaturgy, literary management, and theater in general are also artists in their own right, for positions that request writing samples we ask that you submit samples of non-fiction prose. Appropriate samples could be (excerpts from) a college essay, theatre program notes, or journalism. Please emphasize quality, not quantity.

For the Artistic Direction Internship: A two-page writing sample.

For the Literary Management/Dramaturgy Internship:  Please include two writing samples with your application. One of your submissions should be a one- to two-page critique of a play. The other should be a two- to three-page review, work of literary criticism, or essay that demonstrates your writing and thinking skills about a work of art.

For the Marketing/Development Internship: Please include two writing samples with your application. One should be a persuasive argument of approximately two pages, intended to tell a story or make a case (e.g., for making a donation to Magic Theatre). The other should be up to two pages, chosen by the applicant.

For the Design/Production Internship: If the candidate has background and/or interest in theatre design, please submit a theatrical design portfolio. (Note that submitted portfolios will not be returned.)

We will not consider incomplete applications for any position. Finalists will be interviewed.

Submitting Your Application

Applications should be submitted by e-mail. Please create a single pdf file with all of your application materials and send it to interns@magictheatre.org. Include the position title in the subject line.

The final date for all materials to be received is June 25, 2010.

Applications will be considered as they are submitted, and acceptances may be offered prior to the submittal deadline.

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Artistic Direction Apprenticeship

The Artistic Direction Apprenticeship offers the opportunity to learn and develop the wide range of artistic and leadership skills necessary to work in the professional theatre. By working at Magic, a mid-sized theatre with a national reputation for new play development, the apprentice will have unique access to artistic and management leadership. Magic is large enough to allow the apprentice to work with top professionals in the Bay Area and the nation and, at the same time, small enough that an apprentice will have an integral and hands-on role in the day-to-day work of the theatre. Magic is a fast-paced, exciting, and fluid work environment, and the Artistic Direction Apprentice must seek and thrive in that kind of situation. The apprentice reports to and is mentored by Artistic Director Loretta Greco while working closely with other departments.

Responsibilities

• ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Participate fully in all activities involved in developing and producing new work; participate in Artistic staff meetings and season planning; organize and maintain the administrative side of the Artistic office; read plays; cover the Bay Area theater scene; assist the producer and assistant producer of the Virgin Play Series; participate in local casting; serve as resident producer for selected second stage events, including the First Monday series.
• ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Work directly with top Bay Area and national directors such as Loretta Greco, Rob Melrose, Robert O’Hara, and Trip Cullman. While each director uses his or her assistant director in a unique way, assisting usually includes some combination of observing rehearsals, working with actors on lines, providing support to stage management, participating in design meetings and note sessions, and serving as an artistic voice for the production in development events and pre- and post-play discussions with the audience. The Artistic Direction Apprentice will serve as an assistant director on at least one Magic Theatre show.
• DRAMATURGY AND MARKETING: Provide support for contextual events around main stage and new play fest programming; serve as a marketing brain trust with Artistic staff; help run and participate in Emerging Artists Lab.; produce First Mondays series.

Specific Requirements

• In addition to the general requirements for all Magic Theatre interns, the Artistic Direction Apprentice should hold a bachelor’s degree in a theatre-related field and/or professional theatre experience. Excellent collaborative, analytical, and writing skills are required.

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Literary Management/Dramaturgy Internship

The Literary Management/Dramaturgy internship at Magic offers the opportunity to observe and work in the field of literary management and dramaturgical research, script analysis and production support. The intern will participate in an array of activities associated with the functioning of a dramaturgy/literary department of a professional theater. In addition, the intern will work as an assistant producer for the Virgin Play Series, thereby gaining producing experience and skill development to complement work in the literary field. Interns work as assistants to, and are mentored by, the Director of New Play Development. They will practice skills relevant to the entire range of choosing and moving a dramatic work from the page through various drafts to the stage.

Responsibilities

• The internship begins with reading and reporting on new scripts, attending readings by other companies, and distributing scripts.
• Beginning dramaturgical work for productions will include conducting library and archival research as well as image research in libraries and on the web; dramatic text analysis; editing, compiling and printing drafts of a script; assisting in the writing, editing and proofreading of programs, study guides and other publications; observing rehearsals; participating in educational programs (Magic Theatre offers docent presentations before some performances and audience talk-backs after some performances); and performing general administrative and clerical tasks, such as copying and organizing materials and entering information into the literary database.
• Interns will coordinate and participate in meetings of the Literary Committee and the Emerging Artists Lab and, in coordination with the development/marketing intern, be the liaison with Producers and Adopt-a-Play sponsors, providing them with scripts, contextual information about the plays and other dramaturgical materials, and access to rehearsals.
• Interns will also develop skill in primary oral research and interviewing.
• As assistant producer for the Virgin Play Series, interns will practice skills required for a beginning producer, including assisting in casting and coordinating communication prior to readings, location scouting and organizing, and event management.

Specific Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for all Magic Theatre interns, the Literary Management/Dramaturgy Intern should hold, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree; advanced degrees and/or related experience are welcome. In addition, candidates should have outstanding writing, communication and organizational skills, experience in research, a strong background in literature, and a passion for dramatic literature in particular. Foreign language skills and video editing and/or production skills are assets. Candidates should have a special interest in the process of transforming a written play into a theatrical production. We are looking for people who thrive in a collaborative environment.

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Marketing/Development Internship

The Marketing/Development Intern will assist with all aspects of promoting, cultivating, and fundraising for Magic Theatre.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision and mentoring of the Marketing Manager, the intern will work on:

• OUTREACH: Contact businesses in the vicinity of the theatre to boost visibility to locals and find more local corporate sponsors. In conjunction with the box office, research group sales leads and initiate contact with community partners. Work with the marketing committee to strategize and sell program ad space. Distribute play-specific posters and postcards throughout the city.
• CONTENT CREATION: Write blog entries for Magic’s website.
• GENERAL: Participate in marketing meetings and brainstorm strategies and tactics to sell shows and enhance the Magic brand.

Under the supervision and mentoring of the Development Director, the intern will work on:

• FUNDRAISING MATERIALS: Assist in designing invitations, web content, and other materials.
• MAJOR DONORS: Prepare and disseminate invitations, acknowledgment letters, and other mailings; process contributions; participate in other solicitation and cultivation efforts.
• SPECIAL EVENTS: Assist in the logistical planning, setup, execution, and breakdown of fund raising events; participate in the planning and execution of Magic’s annual fund raising event.

In addition:

• ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT: Assist with general administrative and clerical tasks, such as copying and organizing materials; entering e-mail addresses and demographic data into Magic’s database; maintaining an organized work space in the Development office.

Specific Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for all Magic Theatre interns, the Marketing/Development Intern should be enrolled in an undergraduate college/university program or hold a four-year college/university degree, and be interested in a career in non-profit marketing or development. Candidates should have outstanding writing, communication and organizational skills and be able to demonstrate exceptional attention to detail.

Experience in an arts organization, video production skills, experience with database systems, knowledge of and enthusiasm for theatre is a plus.

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Design/Production Internship

The Production Intern at Magic Theatre will assist in all aspects of general production as well as costume, lighting, scenic, and sound design.

Responsibilities

• GENERAL PRODUCTION: Basics of theater management and upkeep; scheduling; budgets; facilities (basic maintenance of the operation). Serve as a liaison between Magic Theatre and the design and production teams. Help produce tech dinners and opening night dinners; coordinate with Literary Management/Dramaturgy Intern on liaison with Producers and Adopt-a-Play sponsors.
• COSTUME: Work with costume designers and costume assistants: assist with costume maintenance (e.g., laundry and repairs); help with costume alterations/fixes (requires sewing competence); escort designers on shopping trips/returns.
• SCENIC: Work with scenic designers and assistants: assist with painting, strike, load in, and scenery building; work closely with props designer.
• LIGHTING: Work with lighting designers and master electrician: assist with hang and focus, lighting strike; (possible) board operator on some shows.
• SOUND: Work with sound designers: assist with sound load-in.
• OTHER: Attend all production meetings (take and distribute notes); serve as an additional “hand on deck” during tech/previews.

Specific responsibilities will depend on the show and on the intern’s prior experience and demonstrated capabilities.

Specific Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for all Magic Theatre interns, the Production Intern should have one to two years of production experience. Ownership of or access to a car is strongly preferred. IT skills are particularly desirable for this position.