Summer Stock Discussion

Since most people coming to my blog from Google are searching for "summer stock", I thought I'd post some observations on my own experiences with the beast. I've worked at some really cool places, and some really lame ones. Here's what I can tell you:

1. Most theatres will work you 50+ hours per week for the entire summer for a flat fee, or for something in the neighborhood of $300/week. If you're an intern, you may work as many hours for free. If you need to make bank this summer, do not work summer stock. Unless it means you get to sublet your extortionist Williamsburg apartment and live rent-free for a few months.

2. Most theatres will put you up in student housing or an apartment, the quality of which will vary from mouse-infested shithole to cozy middle-class digs. If you're quite lucky, you'll have a room to yourself, and may be within walking distance of the venue. If not and you have no car, befriend a couple folks with cars really quickly. You don't have to love them, but you'll be needing their help to get out once in a while. You may not have laundry facilities or a working toilet. It gets dicey sometimes.

3. Most summer theatre companies become grossly incestuous really quickly. Think "The Real World" for people who are mostly lacking social skills. Put eight 20-something nerds together in a house, and...yuck. If you are a nerd looking to get laid this summer, then summer stock is the gig for you. If you have a strong gag reflex, look into temping or something instead.

4. Most summer stock gigs are an elaborate excuse for people to get trashed for a whole summer without worrying about maintaining any sort of reputation (see #3).

5. You can actually learn a lot from summer stock, especially if the venue employing you doesn't know what the hell it's doing. You may go through hell, but usually you'll come out of the whole experience with some new skills (see also #3). Some places actually have really great TD's and MEs and what-have-you, and you can learn a good deal from them too.

6. Use the opportunity to network. I know it's a terrible word, but "networking" is important, especially if you plan to be freelancing for a while. Theatre's a small world (I run into people I know in NYC all the time- in a city of 8 million + tourists, I see at least three people a week that I know from college, from summer stock, or from random gigs elsewhere).

That's about it for now. Who else has comments or tips for newbies?

Summer Stock

EDIT --JANUARY 2010---
Text "haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross for earthquake relief efforts. It will show up on your next phone bill. They desperately need help- hundreds of thousands may be dead. Their capital city is in ruins.

UPDATE: Nobody has anything to say about working at these places? Help your fellow techies out and leave some comments! I know where you live (thanks sitemeter).

Hey folks- I'm going to try to make this list as comprehensive as possible, so if you know of a cool place currently hiring that I've left out, send it on over!

It's the time to start sending out resumes for summer work. Many of the following theatres will pay your airfare, room and board for the summer. Many also offer theatre production internships for those of you just starting out. Most are looking for everyone from props master to paint crew to lighting designer.
No guarantees as to the quality of their respective websites, but these links should all take you directly to the employment pages of the following theatres.

Arkansas:
Opera in the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
California:
PCPA Theatre Fest, Santa Maria California
Santa Rosa Summer Rep, Santa Rosa California (Mostly internships)
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, San Fran, CA
California Shakespeare, Orinda California
California Musical Theater, Sacramento California
Music@Menlo, Atherton California
Colorado:
Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Boulder Colorado
Rocky Mountain Repertory, Grand Lake Colorado
Creede Repertory Theatre, Creede Colorado
Central City Opera, Central City Colorado
Connecticut:
Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam Connecticut
Buck's Rock Camp, New Milford Connecticut
Florida:
Florida Studio Theatre, Sarasota Florida
Idaho:
Idaho Repertory Theatre, Moscow Idaho
Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Boise Idaho
Illinois:
Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Normal, Illinois
Northlight Theatre (Summer Camp), Skokie Illinois
Steppenwolf, Chicago Illinois (unpaid internship only)
Northbrook Theatre, Northbrook Illinois
Iowa:
Des Moines Metro Opera, Des Moines, Iowa
Kansas:
Music Theatre of Wichita, Wichita Kansas
Kentucky:
Jenny Wiley Theatre, Prestonsburg Kentucky
Kentucky Shakespeare, Louisville Kentucky
Maine:
Tripp Lake Camp (Summer Camp), Poland Maine
Acadia Repertory Theatre, Mt. Desert Maine
Camp Laurel (Summer Camp), Readfield Maine
Massachusetts:
New Rep, Watertown Massachusetts
Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown Massachusetts
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Becket Massachusetts
Barrington Stage Company, Barrington Massachusetts
Mass MoCA, North Adams Massachusetts (Internship Only)
Michigan:
Interlochen Center for the Arts (Summer Camp)
The Barn Theatre, Augusta Michigan
Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Minnesota:
Great River Shakespeare Festival, Winona Minnesota
Missouri:
The Muny, St. Louis Missouri
The Starlight, Kansas City Missouri
Opera Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
Montana:
Missoula Children's Theatre (Touring), Missoula Montana
Nevada:
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Incline Village, Nevada
New Hampshire:
Papermill Theatre, Lincoln New Hampshire
New Jersey:
Surflight Theatre, Beach Haven New Jersey
New York:
Gateway Playhouse, Bellport New York
Depot Theatre, Westport New York
The Hangar Theatre, Ithaca, New York
Merry Go Round Playhouse, Auburn New York
Long Lake Camp, Adirondack Park New York
SPF NYC, New York New York
Lake George Opera, Saratoga New York
Adirondack Theatre Festival, Glens Falls NY
New York Stage and Film, Poughkeepsie New York
French Woods Camp, Hancock New York
Stage Door Manor (Summer Camp), Loch Sheldrake New York
Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Cold Spring NY
Cortland Repertory Theatre, Cortland New York
Forestburgh Playhouse, Forestburgh New York
The Theatre Barn, New Lebanon New York
Glimmerglass Opera, Cooperstown, New York
The Mac-Haydn Theatre, Chatham New York
Bristol Valley Theatre, Naples New York
North Carolina:
Lees-McRae College Summer Theatre, Banner Elk North Carolina
Pennsylvania:
Camp Lindenmere (Summer Camp), Henryville Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Center Valley Pennsylvania
Philly Shakespeare, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Mountain Playhouse, Jennerstown Pennsylvania
Rhode Island:
Theatre By the Sea, Wakefield Rhode Island
South Carolina:
Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston South Carolina
Texas:
Texas Shakespeare, Kilgore Texas
Utah:
Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cedar City, Utah
Utah Festival Opera, Logan Utah
Tuacahn Center for the Arts, Ivins Utah
Vermont:
Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Weston Vermont
Virginia:
Virginia Shakespeare Festival, Williamsburg Virginia
Wolf Trap Theatre, Vienna Virginia (Internship only)
Busch Gardens, Williamsburg Virginia
Washington:
Columbia Gorge School of Theatre (Summer Camp), White Salmon Washington
West Virginia
Theatre West Virginia, Beckley West Virginia
Wisconsin:
American Players Theatre, Spring Green Wisconsin
Peninsula Players, Fish Creek Wisconsin (Internship Only)

More to come....

If you've worked at any of these theatres, please comment on this post about your experience there.