The options I knew I had after graduating:
-Summer stock
-Graduate school
-A show internship
-A season internship
-A job?!
-Moving home and saving money before moving to a city
-Moving to a city I liked and figuring it out when I got there.
I immediately ruled out grad school because I knew I couldn't do any more school soon after graduating. If I attended grad school it would be later. I didn't rule out any of the other options.
What I did:
First I created a website that I could constantly reference in emails, applications, etc. It has resumes, portfolios with pictures, and an idea of what kind of work I am interested in. I created it with weebly which is free and really easy to use. I didn't pay to make the website. i did however buy my domain name so that it wouldn't have weebly in the website address. www.stephaniepfreed.com.
Then I decided I would be an au pair in London and spend my free time seeing theatre and meeting people.
Then I nixed that idea.
I created an excel document exploring all of my options. Let me clarify for those of you who have never spoken to me - I am incredibly neurotic. I like spreadsheets and lists, tabbies, color coding, and all that jazz. An excel document isn't necessary to apply for jobs. It was for me.
A project Kate had me do as part of an independent study junior year was to explore and keep track of directing options I had after I graduated. (Thank you Kate!) so that document was my base. The fact that I had something to start off of was very helpful so all throughout college always keep your eyes peeled and bookmark things or add them to a document. Don't freak out - I'm not saying you should be searching for jobs starting your junior year. Just keep a casual list of things that interest you.
The excel document ended up having 50 jobs in it. I found jobs in all kinds of ways. I basically sat on the internet and clicked a lot. (It was a great way to avoid doing homework). First I would search for things I was interested in, like "Directing Internship" etc. Then I would just keep clicking. If I really liked a theatre I would click on other theatres their artistic director had worked at and look at their opportunities. I looked up people I liked, thought were talented, respected and clicked on theatres or opportunities from there. Basically. Everything.
I submitted applications for 24 different things. It was like being in college again: cover letters, resumes, references, sometimes recommendations. I submitted applications for a variety of opportunities in a variety of locations because after graduation I just wanted to do theatre and keep learning. I didn't have a specific goal in mind. I didn't want to limit my options. I plan on doing theatre forever. I don't need to achieve my top life goal right after graduation. Take your time.
I applied for several season internships/apprenticeships/fellowships in Education, Artistic areas, Directing, and Electrics/Lighting.
I applied for a few kid's theatre summer camps as a counselor and/or teacher.
I also sent letters of interest to a few theatre companies in DC and NYC that I really liked simply telling them I was graduating and would love to get involved in their work in whatever way.
At the last minute I decided I wanted to apply for Summerstock electrics work, simply to get out of the area.
I submitted applications starting in the fall of my senior year all the way through April - deadlines varied. A lot of them were in January or March.
Waiting... Response?
Some companies never even responded to my application.
Some responded with generic "filled position" messages.
Some let me know I was being too ambitious by offering my lesser positions at their company.
Some interviewed me.
A few offered me a position.
I also spent the time I was applying for jobs networking in DC, which had caught my attention as an interesting theatre scene. (See the Why DC? post that I will write eventually.)
In the end I had a couple of options that I was actually considering.
1. I could be a counselor at a big Children's Theatre in NC.
2. I could pay to be an electrics intern at Williamstown Theatre Festival.
3. I could accept a paid electrics position in New Jersey.
4. I could accept a summer or season long unpaid directing internship in NYC.
5. I could Assistant Direct for Jeremy Skidmore unpaid in DC (How did I get this? See New Jerusalem post I will eventually write).
6. Go to USITT and fight for a summerstock electrics position
I decided that I wanted to live in DC so it made sense for me to just go there right after graduating and start networking so I threw all my paid opportunities to the wind (with gracious emails or phone calls of course) and accepted my assistantship in DC.
I made this decision on May 1st.
Graduated on May 8th
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