Internships

Become an Intern

HART Theatre offers a wide variety of internship opportunities. We are interested in working with our students to create an internship that is perfect for their needs. Check out our internships below and know that we will customize any internship to fulfill your curiosities. 

HART Theatre is a nonprofit organization, and experience within the nonprofit sector is invaluable. As an intern, you will complete those duties listed under your specific internship type but you will also help the theatre all around. This could include helping with concessions, painting sets, organizing costumes, and more. Every day is different!

To apply simply email our Artistic Director, Candice, at Candice@haywood-arts-regional-theater-hart.wp13.staging-site.io

TYPES OF INTERNSHIPS

House Management

This position will learn the responsibilities of running the front of house, and they are often the first face our patrons see when they come to the theatre. This internship may be ideal for hospitality and tourism majors or those seeking supervisorial experience. 

• Arrive 1 – 2 hours before performance to mark off any reserved seats, double check bathrooms for supplies, check house for stray trash, check with box office about house, check flashlights, prepare concessions, prepare for volunteers, etc. 
• Check with Stage Management to confirm top of show and late seating procedures, running time, time and length of intermission.
• Schedule and oversee roughly 4 to 6 volunteers a show. 
• Check in ushers and train to seat patrons, distribute programs. Assign an usher in the house to alert you to any problems. 
• Communicate with SM and close house at proper time and remain in house to seat latecomers
• Prep for intermission, double check bathrooms, assist with concessions if necessary.
• Facilitate end of intermission and reseating house, tidy lobby, re-check bathrooms.
• End of show, ushers to open doors, collect any programs patrons return, and then clean house of any litter. 
• Complete house report (house count, times, observations) and give to Stage Manager to include in performance report. 
• Become familiar with box office procedures. 

Marketing/Communication

This position will learn how the theatre operates in relation to marketing and creating a positive presence within our community. This internship may be ideal for many majors such as marketing, communication, and hospitality and tourism and also those interested in learning nonprofit operations. 

• Work with Staff and Board to meet the goals of the theatre in terms of ticket sales and donations. 
• Prepare reports showing marketing and promotion activities and results.
• Help develop and execute specific plans for each production – releases, web postings, mailings, graphics, etc.
• Create and distribute materials such as rack cards, brochures, web pages, special events promotions, etc.
• Engage with local businesses and organizations to increase awareness of and attendance at theatre events. 
• Develop social media concepts to market upcoming shows and maintain theatre presence online through engagement.
• Participate in the development of the newsletter.

Production

This position will work in a variety of technical areas as needed by the production schedule. This internship may be ideal for those interested in trade careers, set design, performance arts and entertainment, and technical design and production. 

• This internship will be tailored to the interests of the intern as they relate to the current production schedule which may include scenic construction, painting, properties and set dressing, costumes, makeup, electrics, and sound. 
• Interns will work with both hand and power tools and are expected to follow all safety guidelines.
• Interns should expect to wear work clothes, hard toed shoes, and be able to lift and carry objects, climb ladders. A driver license and access to a vehicle may be helpful. 
• Production hours will vary and may include evenings and weekends. 

Stage Management

This position is responsible for facilitating the production through the little details that make the show a success. This internship may be ideal for those interested in directing or managerial experience. Stage Management Interns will likely gain more insight into the artistic side of theatre than any other interns in the program due to time requirements. 

• Facilitate communication between the director and the cast (10 to 30 performers).
• Send out nightly reports for rehearsals and performances.
• May assist with auditions, prepare the audition space, and make sure there are necessary materials (pencils, paper, water, scripts, etc.)
• Attend rehearsals and prep the stage (sweep/mop, set up set pieces/furniture).
• Take down blocking, line notes, etc. 
• May be asked to run lines with an actor. 
• During tech and dress rehearsals and performances, interns may be backstage to facilitate the performance, this will involve prepping the stage as above, setting up prop tables and preparing any consumables, working with and supervising crew members. 
• Depending on the intern’s experience and the production, interns may be the only crew. There may be additional duties required for some productions. 

Artistic

This position is tailored specifically to the intern and the needs of the theatre. Depending on the intern’s preferred medium, this could include costume, set, murals, and/or backdrops design and production. This internship may be ideal for visual and fine art students and those interested in creative hands on work. A portfolio is required at the interview. 

• Responsibilities are determined later based on the intern’s ability and production needs. 

Education

There are two types of education internships available at Hart. Teaching interns and Audience education interns.

Kids at Hart

Kids at Hart offers classes to children and teens. The internship is closely supervised by an experienced teacher and is tailored to the skills and interests of the student: acting, production, directing, etc. Classes may be organized at the elementary level (5-11) or secondary (11-18) or with other requirements. This internship may be ideal for education majors and those who enjoy working with children.

•   Supervise classes of 5 to 15 children.
•   Develop lesson plans.
•   Facilitate activities to help meet educational goals.
•   May put on their own productions.

Audience Education/Dramaturgy

This internship is responsible for researching and contextualizing the “world of the play”. This requires good writing skills and a willingness to research and conduct interviews as appropriate. This internship may be ideal for history, literary, and library science majors. 

•   Study the script.
•   Create a glossary of unfamiliar terms used in the production for the director, cast, and audience.
•   Research any historical figures mentioned in the play.
•   Provide historical and visual research for each production.
•   Presenting research to the cast, crew, and, if needed, the audience.
•   Draft materials to help contextualize and give background to various audiences at HART. This could be included in a newsletter, sent to a local media outlet, included in the program, given to actors and crew working on the production. 

High School Year-Long Internship

HART Theatre is thrilled to be able to offer exciting internship opportunities for high-school-aged students to experience the many career options theatre offers. These internships help provide our Western North Carolina area high school students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in multiple areas of the theatre to determine if a career in Theatre is right for them!

Local high school students get the opportunity to closely work alongside seasoned professionals at a Regional Theatre adding 6 shows to their resume in one year. They will gain first-rate training in various elements of the theatre arts while working on-stage, backstage, in tech positions, alongside professional artistic teams, and shadowing administrative roles.

HART Theatre will select two high-school-aged students as interns to work on all 6 shows for their mainstage season May 1 – October 16. These interns will interact with members of the production crew for the duration of the internship. HART will work with the student to determine what commitment level they are able to give on each show with their school year. For example, opportunities like social media, box office, and production management offer a more flexible schedule than opportunities in stage management or performance.

How to apply for the Internship Positions

All high school students with an interest in theatre are welcome and encouraged to apply. Candidates will be chosen based on their passion and work ethic as opposed to skill or experience levels. All students must be at least 15 years old to apply.  Students who successfully complete the internship will be provided with a $1,000 scholarship to put toward their future studies.

The 2022 High School Intern positions have already been filled. Applications for the 2023 Season will be available in January of 2023.