The end of week one.

Today I was a member of an assembly line. Almost everyone who works in the office sat around a table and we folded, stuffed, and sealed hundreds of envelopes to send to people that support the theater. We discussed the conclusion of Lost and different ways to stage The Winter's Tale, while finishing our work before lunch. This is probably the best example of why I keep referring to ANW as a "team." It was a tedious task, but everyone participated without complaint. And now I have a new trait to add to my resume: excellent envelope sealer.

ANWintern.

Summer with Shakespeare

You should definitely check out the videos and information about Summer with Shakespeare. It's a kids camp that does scene work, textual work, combat.... the list is endless. I'm really excited for it, and it's actually one of the reasons I wanted to work at ANW this summer. Shakespeare, I believe, should be experienced at an early age and continue to be explored with time. I can say that my first reading of one of his plays is completely different than a third or fourth reading. The stories are so thick with details that it would be impossible to "get it" the first time. I'm really interested to see how younger people respond to Shakespeare and deal with the language.

Go to ANW's home page and click on Education for more details!

ANWintern.

This, I would have LOVED to see

To the left is a picture of Freddy Douglas who played Hamlet a few years ago in ANW's production. I didn't get to see the show but I was reading about it in one of the study guides on the website. Shameless plug: Anyone who loves the classics or wants a comprehensive guide to classic plays should really check them out. They have SO much information in them and would be a great place to find research materials for a paper or supplementary reading for a play. Just go to anoisewithin.org and click on Education and you'll find them.

Anyway, Hamlet was performed with a really small cast and Douglas played Hamlet and his dead father. So he delivered the lines for both characters, even when they were talking to each other. Brilliant. Creative and simply brilliant. The neat thing about the classics is that they can be interpreted and performed in so many different ways. This company is continuously inventing, which keeps the plays fresh. I would bet that this is part of the reason why so many students and teachers come to see them.

I'm really glad I got to see a show here. But even without a mainstage production over the summer, ANW is developing and has classes and workshops. Check out the website. I mean it.

Oh and one more thing before I sign off - please feel free to leave comments!

ANWintern.

(Photo Information: Freddy Douglas in Hamlet)

A Staged Reading

This evening, ANW hosted a public staged reading of a play and I got to greet people at the door. The audience community was generous, friendly, and thrilled to be at the show. They waited outside early and were eager to take their seats. I was personally introduced to many patrons and some said they were reading the blog! (Thank you!)

There is this sense of happiness that fills the office and extends to the theater. I feel like I'm really a member of a team. The shows could not happen without generous supporters as well as people behind the scenes. I am beginning to see how important each individual person is to this company.

So far I've been making phone calls, recording numbers, cataloging items and doing organization work -- and I love it, even when things get tedious. I want to finish my assignments so that I can keep doing more. You would think that a college student would want more than anything to get out of an office - I don't. I guess it's because I can see that I am significant here, that my work is really making a difference. It's a really rewarding feeling.

ANWintern.

Women Rule the World

I got to sit in on a staff meeting today. Though not everyone who works at ANW is a woman, there were only females at this particular meeting. Of course our society is a lot more accepting of both genders in power positions, but to be able to really see women in executive positions was just refreshing. These people are doing what they love and are extremely successful. I hope to be so lucky in my future.

ANWintern.

Day 1

First day of work. Nerves. Excitement. Anticipation. Mostly excitement.

I had no idea what to expect. After writing down three different sets of directions and packing a few extra pencils, I was on my way. After quite a bit of typical Los Angeles traffic I arrived just a few minutes early and checked out some of the flyers and posters outside of the theater/temple. The space is really neat - it's just a little bit spooky and mysterious, which is really fitting for the classical theater that is A Noise Within. Shakespeare in a dimly lit eight-story building, I mean, it's perfect.

Work began and my nerves calmed down. I felt welcomed right away. There are some "internship guidelines" that really scare you about your first day of work: dress nicely, ask intelligent questions only, don't bring snacks that make a lot of noise... Nowhere does it say to be yourself. HELLO, that's why you were hired! All the rules about making a good first impression are important, yes, as long as you don't lose yourself in the process. Yikes, now I'm preaching. What I'm trying to say is that I felt at ease in my environment because I didn't have to change myself. Everyone in the office laughed, we had communal cookies, and we got a lot of work done as well. I felt like I was I was already a part of the family, and it was only my first day.

The end of the day came too quickly. I left grinning from ear to ear.

ANWintern.

Meet ANOISEWITHINtern

My very first blog entry.

Let's start with the basics...

I'm a big sucker for Shakespeare. My favorite of his plays is probably King Lear, despite the fact that I cringe at the thought of blood. I've read Hamlet more times than I can remember. I love Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet even though I've got plenty of issues with the story itself. I've checked out some other classical works as well. Sure I'm a bit of a geek, but these plays have really shaped the theater as we know it today. Anyone who loves the stage should explore them. For me, spending a summer at California's Home for the Classics is a perfect fit.

I also love dark chocolate. And pad thai. And Betty and Veronica comic books. Sometimes I make a really good effort to windsurf -- but I'm not the most coordinated.

And most importantly, I'm the Education and Marketing Intern.

So there's a bit about me.

Oh and the picture is from a show I just saw at ANW called Awake and Sing! It was a really moving show and the production was beautiful.

Well, here's to a fantastic summer.

ANWintern.

(Photo information: Daniel Reichert and Molly Leland in Awake & Sing!)