The Well-Rounded Approach

To Begin:

One of the things about being a LMST Intern is that you get a dynamic experience of the theatre. You have the chance to participate in many different avenues and gain a well-rounded respect for all aspects of theatre. As I said in my last blog we here at Lees-McRae are a family, and as a family we work together to see that things get done the way that they should. We are all working hard to see that these productions, not only entertain, but live up to the standards we have for our theatre program.

Now to branch off of that we have a few in our “intern family” that keep an eye on us to see that we are doing alright. These two people are known as head interns and they are Destini Fleming, and Corbin Pickett. I will be writing an interview blog for each one of these fine interns show casing some of the themes that they feel are important to express or ones that they wish to share. I also feel it’s a good chance to hear from those who have “done it” before and who continue to do so. To start I will be interviewing Destini Fleming. We will be discussing her ideas of why it’s good to be well-rounded in the theatre. My Comments to Destini answers will be in Italics below.

Q1. To start why don't you introduce yourself, and talk about your LMST internship and how its lead to being a head intern.

A1.  My name is Destini Nichol Fleming, and I am a rising senior at Lees-McRae College. Well, it will be my first senior year, since I have to stay an extra year to get my theatre arts education double major and English minor. This is my second summer working as an intern for LMST, and it has been a very rewarding experience both times. Last year I worked in all the areas- as an ASM, a props assistant, the management intern, in the box office, and in the front of house. I had to pull off the magic ability to be everywhere at once. This year, my areas of work have been narrowed down a bit- I am the Lead Management Intern and Box Office Staff this year. No matter where one is placed at LMST though, there will always be plenty of work to be done. It takes every member of this company to make these productions a reality. For me, summer theatre represents a place of learning and growing within my craft and as a person. After my first summer here, I became much more confident in what I am doing, what I want to do, and who I am. I think that is the most important thing that can be gained from being an LMST intern.

So as you can the magic of theatre at times calls you to places you may not have expected, and pushes you to do things that maybe you were unsure of. However, as you have stated it is something that has helped you grow confidence, in not only your work, but who you are. This leads me to my next question:

Q2. So would you say being able to do many different things in the theatre helped you succeed and if so could you talk about that?

A2. Doing many different things and wearing multiple hats happens all the time in theatre; therefore, it is definitely helpful to have that experience. I do not know if that has helped me succeed in a particular way, other than increasing my confidence. I guess that depends on how one measures success- if it is being evaluated based on something that is completed and over with, then no, I have not succeeded at anything, because I am not done. Being able to do many different things is definitely a pivotal part of my learning experience at LMST, though.

I would say that it has helped, in the sense that if your confidence has grown, then as you stated, you realize that you have, just like all of us in theatre, still so much to learn. I think being open to that is what will help you succeed. In fact I think being open to many things is what will aid the Theatre Artist in their endeavors. Which leads me to my next question: 

Q3. Do you think it’s necessary to be willing, and able to do many things in Theatre in order to make it as a career?

A3. Absolutely!!! That is one of my favorite things about LMC. Our theatre programs focus on being well-rounded in this craft. Though everything may not become one’s focus, it is crazy beneficial to have experienced and know how to work in multiple areas in this field. Have multiple abilities opens up job opportunities for that individual, and also creates an understanding and appreciation for all aspects in theatre, and not just one’s own concentration. It helps one realize that it takes multiple puzzle pieces to put together a show and every area’s work is equally important.

I could not agree more. We all work together in theatre to see that these productions come to reality and are the best that they can be. However, if I may play devil’s advocate, what about being too narrow, with a specialty degree and not being able to get that well-rounded experience? This concept leads me to my next question:

Q4. Is there anything wrong with having a specialty degree in theatre? I know as interns we get a taste of everything the theatre has to offer, do you think if you keep on a straight and narrow it might hurt you?

A4. There is absolutely nothing “wrong” with getting a specialty degree at all. My degree is technically a specialty degree since it is a double major in theatre and education. I don’t think one should let the specialty of their degree limit what he does. As long as you keep an open mind and are willing to experience and learn about everything in this field, I think you’ll be set as a well-rounded theatre student.

Those are my thoughts as well, the willingness to learn and to be open to the experience is pivotal in ones’ own growth. If you have a passion and you want to pursue it, then do it! Don’t let anything hold you back in your own desires. Have confidence in who you are and what you are doing. Just don’t shut the door on a wealth of knowledge that could make you grow even more. 

Q5. So to end this, what are your closing thoughts on being well rounded in the theatre, and the benefits of it?

A5. Experiencing as much as possible makes a theatre practitioner more understanding of all aspects in theatre and can help him in any area he desires to work. So, doing a little of all the things can go a long way.

In Closing:

I could not have said it better myself. Theatre is something where understanding its many aspects helps the artist grow in ways they may have not foreseen. This however is part of the learning experience that theatre has to offer.  If you are open, willing, and able, you will find all of the tools necessary for you to absorb this knowledge and at the end of it all become a well-rounded part of a theatre family yourself.