We’re thrilled to offer 3 paid internships this summer! We recently sat down with Mara Flynn, our Production & Facilities Manager to reminisce about her time as an intern here at Parkway Playhouse and how that opened the door to her position today.
What made you interested in being an intern at Parkway Playhouse?
Prior to being an intern, I was a volunteer during the 2018 season and I loved my experience and wanted to do more at The Playhouse. And, as a history major I loved the historical aspects that the theater has.
Describe what a day of your internship looked like.
It varied day to day but we would mainly focus on what the next upcoming show was. Some days we would do a little bit of everything which was my favorite part! We could help build sets and props in the morning and then help with sound or lights in the evenings.
What did you love most about being an intern?
I loved the knowledge I learned while building sets! I went in not knowing a lot about carpentry and came out learning a lot more! I also loved how we got to collaborate with our fellow interns and other designers to create something magical.
What was your favorite experience as an intern here at Parkway Playhouse?
My favorite experience working as an intern was working on the show Amelie. It was a really cool set we got to help create and I got to help with the lighting for this show and worked the sound board. I wasn’t familiar with the show before and it has become one of my favorite theater experiences! I also had an amazing experience doing quick changes for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.
How did being an intern open the door to other opportunities?
I took the knowledge that I learned over the summer and that helped me use it at college and I became one of our main technical students. It has also helped me get the job here! I was able to take my well-rounded knowledge of all kinds of technical theater and apply it to my Production Manager job. I now understand that it is integral to at least have a basic understanding of all types of theater to be a good Production Manager. Being on the sound board that summer helped me understand the ins and outs of sound mixing and sound production and I helped install our new sound system and now I am our main sound board operator.
What do you love most about your job now?
My favorite part of my job is getting to Production Manage our Junior shows and getting to work with our new sound system!
Tell us what you hope this year’s interns will gain from this experience.
I hope that they learn a range of experiences from all different types of theater! I hope they are able to find a certain specialty that they enjoy and wish to go into that field.
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