A Letter From Our Sponsor...

Fran Kao, Education Programs Manager and the interns' fearless leader here at the Rep wrote the following letter to the entire staff because of an event the interns hosted as ambassadors for the Rep:



Hi Seattle Rep Staff,

I was going to enter this into the cue sheet but just could not wait to share the joy.

Last night our interns did us proud and the Seattle community felt the rewards of their work and care for the art presented on our stages.

Background info:
Seattle Rep, along with numerous cultural and arts organizations in Seattle, is presenting Susan Lori Parks 365days/365plays.
(Basically a play a day in major metropolitan areas of the nation)
At the end of each month a marathon is done that reprises all the plays of the month.
Last night Seattle Rep hosted the marathon for the month of January.
Having now been involved in this giant collaborative process since November 2006 it is proven itself time and time again as a very positive community effort and the coordination of that community in terms of information flow, logistics and production is as challenging as it is rewarding.

What does that mean for a presenting organization (in the case of last night SRT)?
It means we CHOOSE how the experience will be for the participants AND for the audience, and do so with very little info if any ahead of time.

Our 06-07 INTERNS not only stepped up to fill a void in our organization in terms of producing this event but they ALSO CHOSE to bring a high level of care and organization to the preparation and the flow of the evening.

What was the result?
All participates were well cared for.
Each organization's theatrical needs were met with ease and grace.
Our audience got to experience 28 plays in under 2 hours with a sense that Seattle Rep fully embraces works developed by outside organizations on our PONCHO forum stage.

In my experience (and maybe your's too) community driven work with lots of small under-staffed organizations can be taxing and messy but well worth the effort.
Last night our interns showed me that a large institution (like SRT) can indeed create an environment that is welcoming to all, supportive without being controlling and the plethora of performances/artists/artistic styles can be a streamlined experience for audiences (which in the case-Susan Lori Parks- is plus in gaining insight into her writing.)

Every time we do community based events we will learn more and more
Last night we all learned a lot from our interns.

Angelina, Chris, Dante, Deb, Emily, Erin, Jenn, Katie C., Kati S., Sarah, Tammy and Winnie -INTERNS YOU ROCK!

Thanks for reading pass it on to those without email and share the joy

-Fran

Frances Kao
Education Program Manager
Seattle Repertory Theatre