By Nick Roman
My internship with Lookingglass Theatre Company this past summer was nothing short of amazing. My primary goal with this experience was to reinforce and leverage my professional background in arts education and develop new skill sets by working across several departments of the organization. Not only did I provide administrative support in operations for Lookingglass’ theatre education summer programs serving 300 families, but I also worked on a strategic plan with Marketing, data collection with Development, and observed weekly financial operations with the Business Office.
In professional settings, I experience fulfillment through service to others, so being the primary communication liaison between other interns and our Teaching Artists was a perfect fit for me. However, it was also the most challenging. I really had to hone my multitasking skills because my team and I constantly worked on four different theatre education programs, which occurred simultaneously for most of the summer. Multitasking with communication was not the only challenge of this experience, but also how communications were handled. Gail Berger’s course, Leading Creative Teams, came into play when I had to communicate using emotional intelligence across several channels.
My favorite experience was any time in which I worked in cross-departmental functions. For example, the Marketing department coordinated “Family Days” for 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas and turned to Education to draft developmentally appropriate audience engagement content. I thrive in a collaborative environment where I can adapt and assist my peers in multiple ways, which made working in several departments an enjoyable challenge for me. This prepared me to move forward in my career because I can effectively speak to professional experience across many sectors of the nonprofit world.
Lookingglass Theatre’s 31st season begins on November 7 with The Steadfast Tin Soldier: A Christmas Pantomime conceived and directed by Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen.