Technical Intern Program keeps live theater alive - Students learn the ropes of being stagehands

ESCONDIDO — Without the men and women who work backstage, behind the curtain and on catwalks high above the proscenium, plays and musicals, concerts and dance programs would have great difficulty existing. Certainly, the spectacular lighting, scenery changes and special effects that dramatically enhance live theater, and that audiences expect and love, would become minimal or, worse, disappear. But where do new generations of stagehands learn their craft?

The California Center for the Arts, Escondido has a Stage Technician Intern Program, a unique hands-on course developed by Donna J. Flor, the Center’s technical director, in January 1997.

“I started the intern program to give people interested in the technical aspect of live theater a chance to work in a professional roadhouse environment,” explains Flor. “Instruction consists of a minimum of a thousand hours of training that includes individual, group and on-the-job training. Interns also receive invaluable learning experiences by working alongside union stagehands.”

Advancement through the program is dependent upon how quickly an intern can master skills and concepts, the amount of time he or she can devote to working at the Center and how many events are booked in the Center Theater and Concert Hall.

Completing the Stage Technician Intern Program can help qualify an intern for entry into the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the professional stagehands union.

In short, the Center’s Stage Technician Intern Program provides a unique learning opportunity to those who want to pursue a career in the technical side of live theater.

Interviews for the next class of interns will be held on Tuesday, January 23, and Wednesday, January 24. Applicants should submit a resume and letter of interest to: Donna J. Flor, Technical Director, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, CA 92025.

For more information about the Center’s Stage Technician Intern Program visit http://www.artcenter.org or call Donna J. Flor at (760) 839-4142.