COMM 4091 and/or COMM 4092
Internship in Public Relations and Customer Service offered through the School of Theatre and Dance.
The internship will have two major components: public relations primarily through social media; supervising students in a customer service environment.
TASKS
- Plan and coordinate social media campaigns for the School of Theatre and Dance. These will include, but may not be limited to, main-stage productions as well as other student/faculty productions.
- Assist the Managing Director with public relations activities including, but not limited to, writing press releases and directing graphic design.
- Function as Head Usher during McGinnis Theatre performances by training and supervising student volunteers and ticket takers.
- House Manager during Burnette Studio Theatre performances; preparing the space, managing ushers, coordinating with the Stage Manager, and adhering to fire/safety regulations.
- Maintain a log of hours worked and corresponding tasks throughout the semester.
- Nights and weekends are required.
ESTIMATED TIME REQUIREMENT
The intern is expected to spend 5-10 hours per week each semester in addition to the following:
Fall Semester – 2017
| Task | Dates | Production | Venue | Performance | Hours/perf. | Total hrs |
| Head Usher | Sept 28-Oct 3 | Sense and Sensibility | McGinnis | 6 | 4 | 24 |
| House Mgr | Tba | Night of Musical Theatre | Studio | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Head Usher | Nov 16-21 | Young Frankenstein | McGinnis | 6 | 3.5 | 21 |
| House Mgr | Dec 11 | Lights Up! | Studio | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Spring Semester – 2018
| Task | Dates | Production | Venue | Performance | Hours/perf. | Total hrs |
| Head Usher | Feb 15-20 | Hands on a Hardbody | McGinnis | 6 | 3.5 | 21 |
| Head Usher | Mar 22-27 | Dance 2018 | McGinnis | 6 | 3.5 | 21 |
| Head Usher | Apr 19-24 | Midsummer Night’s Dream | McGinnis | 6 | 4 | 24 |
Intern will need to be on-site at least one hour prior to curtain and remain throughout the performances.
McGinnis Performances are:
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday |
| 8pm | 8pm | 8pm | 2pm | 8pm | 8pm |
Night of Musical Theatre – 2pm and 7pm
Lights Up! – Mon @ 8pm
Random Acts – Sat @ 4pm and 8pm, Sun @ 1pm
The intern will work directly with the Managing Director and Patron Services Manager regarding all School of Theater and Dance patrons attending public events. This involves patrons from as young as 5 years old, to current students, to ECU faculty, to local residents including senior citizens. The students will interact with ticket purchasers and donors alike.
In addition to the tasks above, the intern will be invited (though not required) to attend meetings of the Student Government Association/Fine Arts Funding Board, Friends of Theatre and Dance, weekly production meetings, etc. to see for him/herself the inner workings of a performance venue.
MEASUABLE LEARNING OBJECTIVE
During the semester, the students will be informing and motivating patrons about productions; providing customers a comfortable, friendly, and safe environment; demonstrating sound business practices; and supervising other students as evaluated by the Managing Director.
ELIGIBILITY
Current ECU undergraduate student with no less than a 2.5 GPA.
Availability to work night and weekend shifts (a detailed schedule will be provided).
Preference will be given to students who have successfully completed THEA 4066 – Theatre Management and/or public relations type courses.
APPLICATION – email to: woodruffj@ecu.edu
Current resume.
Class schedule including extra-curricular activities.
Statement of why he/she is interested in this internship, its application to his/her career goals, what skills/experiences he/she can bring to the internship.
Qualified applicants will be interviewed in person by the Managing Director before the internship is awarded.