Thinking on your feet

It’s finally happened. The workshop for Quarry Theatre’s ‘Meditations on Nationalism’ has come and
gone. It was a really good turnout and no one got lost from my signage -- success!

Since this was a very important part of my internship to be apart of, I’ll walk you through the day.
I arrived fairly early to set up the signage to the theatre. If you don’t know what I’m talking about check
out my last blog where I talk about designing the signage and postcards. After setting up the signs I
helped set chairs in the theatre for audience members to sit in. I helped in any way I could while setting
the theatre and reception area for the workshop.

Last minute, we had an idea to set a donation basket on the table outside of the theatre. The
workshop was invitation only for actors, directors, and theatre community members who had some
connection to the theatre company. We were very thankful for their feedback but being a non-profit
we take any chance we can to raise money. I hopped on my computer to design a sign with the
Quarry Theatre logo that said,  “donations” and taped it to a wicker
basket I found lying around.

After the show was over we had a brief talkback with the audience. This talkback was for the audience
members to share their experiences watching ‘Meditations on Nationalism’ and a great way for the
Artistic team to reflect on the show. I snuck in the back during the interview to take pictures for
publicity. After the event, I edited the pictures so they can be used in future social media posts or
designs advertising the show.  

The postcards arrived in time for the workshop and they were a great way to advertise the show.
When the show was over, we handed the postcards out so people who attended the workshop have
a reminder of the show’s information.

During the dress rehearsal prior to the workshop I set up my camera and recorded the entire show.
This uncut version of the production was requested by the actors and artistic team so they can watch,
reflect, and ultimately change the piece to better represent the show’s vision. During that run of the
show, I was also able to get a lot of B-Roll to use in future promotional videos and a bunch of pictures
for promotional materials.

The biggest lesson I learned preparing for the workshop is the need for professionals in all fields,
whether their marketers, designers or theatre professionals, to be able to think on their feet. This
workshop has the same marketing needs that a business conference or meeting would have. I think
this is one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned thus far. For a moment, forget the definitions and
jargon you’ve learned in that freshman marketing class. While those concepts and terms are crucial
to maneuvering a job in marketing, they can’t teach you this. The ability to critically assess the
situation you’re positioned in is just the tip of the iceberg for success. The inherent nature of the
problem will continue to persist if you do nothing about it. It’s that simple. Do something, or fail trying.

Until next time...