The 52nd Street Project

If you are interested in an internship, please read all of the below information very carefully before contacting us. Thanks.

The 52nd Street Project accepts three to eight Theater Interns each year. These interns assist in all aspects of theater production, classes and administration. We also occasionally accept Education Interns, who assist in all aspects of the Smart Partner mentoring program. These positions are extremely hands-on. The interns will work closely with the staff, with children in classes and rehearsals as well as with a number of professional actors, directors, and stage managers from the New York Theater community.

All intern positions offer an opportunity to:

Learn about non-profit theater and help out backstage with professional productions of children's plays.
Experience first-hand the day to day activities of a successful and established (20 years and going strong!) non-profit arts organization.
Work closely with middle and high-school age students from the NYC public school system.
Learn about after-school education and the administration of a mentoring program.
Accompany kids on field trips to Broadway and off-Broadway theater productions; other educational trips in New York.
Join a fun and creative community of working actors, directors, and designers in New York City.

Intern candidates should have: good organizational skills; some office experience; interest and experience working with youth; basic word processing and computer skills; a desire to hang out with kids.

Theater intern
Responsibilities include:

Working with the Associate Artistic Director in playwriting and acting workshops by assisting young people in the classes.
Assisting the Production Manager in all areas of production. Performances occur at Off-Broadway theaters around New York City.
Assisting the Executive Director and Development Director with administrative duties such as fundraising, marketing, and general office tasks.
Assisting the Education Director with administration and working directly with children in our after-school homework help program.
Participating on weekend and week-long retreats to the country where the artists and young people collaborate. Duties on these retreats range from running lines with actors to chopping onions for dinner to "kid wrangling" at the beach or at the bowling alley, etc.
Theater Interns may have the chance to work on productions as technical assistants, backstage crewmembers, or actors in small supporting roles. However, Interns do not direct, write, or perform main roles in our shows.

Education Intern
Responsibilities include:

Assisting children with homework and writing projects after school.
Researching and compiling educational materials.
Assisting with publication of the Project's kid literary magazine.
Acting as a resource for adults during tutoring meetings.
Helping to manage and update the database of participants and the New York City educational resources.
Helping to organize meetings and parties for kids and adults.
Other general administrative duties.
Education interns do not go on weekend writing/rehearsal trips with kids and artists, nor do they work on the productions.

The Small Print:
School year and summer positions are both available for the Theater Internship. The Education Internship is not offered during the summer. Internships usually run in typical semester blocks (September through December, January through May, June through August), though dates are somewhat flexible. We accept applications on a rolling basis until internship slots are filled; please contact us if you have questions about the timing of your application. Our selection process includes review of application materials, reference checks, and interviews (phone interviews may be arranged but in-person is much preferred).

All internships require a minimum of 20 hours per week time commitment (in addition to weekend and evening hours during productions) and are unpaid. We are happy to consider interns from places other than New York City who are willing and able to conquer the logistical details of getting here and staying here. We are unfortunately not equipped to help our interns with any of the difficult aspects of moving to New York. Interns are required to find their own housing (which in New York is no small feat), and be able to support themselves during their stay. These details must be arranged, or clearly in the process of being arranged, before we accept any intern.

How To Apply
If you are interested in the internship, please send a cover letter answering the following questions:

How did you find out about the internship?
Why are you interested in The 52nd Street Project?
What unique set of experiences, talents, and passions would you bring to an internship at the Project?
How would you benefit from an internship with us in view of your short and long term educational and professional goals?

Include with this letter a current resumé, and the names and phone numbers of three references (or letters of reference if you prefer). At least one should be work-related; if possible, include one reference who has seen you work with youth. We prefer hard copies (but will accept email and faxed inquiries) sent to the attention of Associate Artistic Director, Reg Flowers, at the below address.

Finally:
This is a really good deal! Because we are a small organization, the opportunity to see first-hand how a non-profit operates is exceptional. The kids are great, the staff is fun and amicable, and the position offers excellent exposure to a large number of artists in the New York Theater community. For more information about the Project's mission and programming, call the Project and speak to Reg Flowers, Associate Artistic Director.

The 52nd Street Project
500 W. 52nd Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10019
Phone:(212) 333-5252
Fax: (212) 333-5598
intern@52project.org