I have successfully completed my first two weeks as an intern at the Guthrie! It has been an experience, to say the very least. It has been a whirlwind of prep, shadowing and rehearsals. My first few days were spent getting all of the paperwork ready for the cast and crew and figuring out more specifically what it was I would be doing while I'm here. At my first meeting with the PSM, I got into a discussion about looking for work to supplement the internship and I applied for an extra position at the Guthrie and have an interview for a paid job at the Guthrie tomorrow! Also, on that first day I met some of the other SM team members and secured three shadowing opportunities. I sat in the booth during a run of H.M.S. Pinafore and God of Carnage and quizzed the stage managers about their careers and their education. My third shadowing experience was trailing an ASM backstage on H.M.S. Pinafore and I have to say, that was the coolest! I got to meet several of the actors including Barbara Bryne (Jack's Mother), ride a huge hydraulic turntable and witness other secret kinds of theatre magic.
In my limited time at the Guthrie, I have had a chance to meet with props and scenery department heads, tape out the set and get the rehearsal room ready for a meet and greet and rehearsal. Last week was the beginning of the rehearsal process for Much Ado About Nothing; read-through, script work, character analysis, etc. It has been wonderful to watch such talented professionals work on the show. As far as I'm concerned, here at the Guthrie, there is a very steep learning curve. You are thrown into work and you just have to do it, which I'm finding to be extremely educational. I have become a master at making copies and coffee, but I have also been entrusted with other duties, like distributing the schedule and today I get to run a rehearsal room!
Today is my first Intern Workshop. I have no idea what to expect, but I'm excited to meet the other interns and to learn some new things about getting into the theater profession.
In other Minnesota news, I have no Internet access at my house so I have commute to Wi-Fi hot spots to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Now, I know that it isn't a big deal to drive down the street and sit in a coffee shop for several hours, but on my days off I just like to relax at home. In my lack of connectivity I have reawakened my yen for recreational reading. In the three weeks I have been here I have read 5 books and show no signs of slowing down. That is good news, but I only brought 9 books with me, so you can see where that presents a bit of a problem. Solution: yesterday I went to the Hennepin County Library and got a library card. It was a strange experience because it made me feel like a permanent fixture here rather than a visitor. Real grown-up stuff.
I am still going down the list of touristy things to do in Minnesota and on Saturday, I checked another one off. I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Arts... well, sort of. I arrived at the museum at 4:30, not knowing that they close at 5. I checked my bag and jogged around the museum for 30 minutes and then had to leave. In the short time I was there, I saw works by Calder, O'Keeffe, Gorky, Beckmann and others. I promised myself I would go back and leave myself plenty of time to leisurely enjoy the works of art.
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