Datebook: Sacramento’s Capital Stage Company sent a mass email last month inviting applications to its apprenticeship program. The commitment: six months to one year, with full-time hours “encouraged.” The pay: $250 per month.
Cap Stage is hardly alone in offering poorly paid internships. The San Francisco Mime Troupe pays its full-time summer interns $100 a week, with the added indignity of requiring a $25 fee just to apply.
8 comments:
I appreciate the author finding a variety of perspectives from people who had completed these low or unpaid internships. There is a sort of forgotten perspective here which is people who couldn’t afford to take these internships in the first place and weren’t able to get into the industry, or managed to find full-time employment without these internships (maybe those people just don’t exist). I also wish they had told us what people were doing between gigs to make money, as it’s something I’ve had to deal with and look for guidance from people in similar situations. The mention of an internship that asks for a $25 application fee really showcases the way these places ask applicants to beg on their hands and knees to get tossed $75 a week and “the possibility of housing.” I understand theaters having limited budgets but it’s extremely frustrating to be offered so little while still being expected to present a high level of interest and dedication to the company.
I think everyone who has ever worked any kind of low paying or unpaid internship has heard that it'll pay off eventually and the connections you make at the place you work will go a long way finding jobs in the end. But the truth of the matter is that, we are in a struggling time where everything is so expensive and nothing is benefiting the consumer in this current financial climate. Wage transparency, with a decent living wage, and provided housing shouldn't be something worth bargaining for. It should be provided. If we want to make it an equitable industry, giving every person an equal chance, and paying our employees properly, we have to start with the internships that literally paid me $150 a week. Or the ones who are so lucrative and successful but only if you can afford to pay for your own apartment. It's not fair and we need to change that, like yesterday.
I think this is one of the most frustrating ideas within the entertainment industry, at least for me. I can’t afford to take an unpaid or even low-paying internship. There are no amount of connections I will make that will keep me from being homeless and hungry so it is just not an option for me. And because of that, I am missing out on opportunities, connections, and jobs to put on my resume. This ultimately means that my friends who are able to take advantage of these opportunities have a leg up in the industry in addition to having income privilege. I appreciate seeing some companies being more ethical in how they employ people for summer stock opportunities. It makes me feel like I will have the support I need to be okay in pursuing my passion. I am working on securing a summer internship, paid. But if that does not work out I will likely be forced to get a regular summer job. I have received several grants and scholarships that also make it possible for me to pursue high education without having to worry about the cost. At the end of the day, ideas like these ones increase diversity in the entertainment industry as a whole not just for low-income individuals. This is important and is something that we should always push for.
Y'know, one of the universities that I interviewed at had a whole talk in one of their intro sessions about "box-pushing", and the idea that at least to get started, you'll have to push boxes for little pay and long hours. While I get that idea is pretty standard in the industry, a LOT of prospective theatre artists simply cannot make any kind of living on the amount that internships in this industry pay. I come from a pretty poor family, and one of the things that continuously drives me to improve myself is that I simply can't afford to take an internship that either doesn't pay, or doesn't pay well. It isn't sustainable for me, as I don't have any kind of safety net to fall back on. I barely have enough money to go to school, and practically all of that is paid for by grants, scholarships and loans. Having to find housing, food, transportation, and more for only $500 a month? That's utterly absurd, and incredibly prohibitive to new artists entering the industry. That whole reason is why I'm staying home to work this summer, and getting some experience in live music instead. At least they pay well.
It’s been almost 2 years since We See You White American Theatre published their list of demands, one of which being to end all unpaid and underpaid internships. Even before that, it’s been discussed for years how exploitative, classist, and unfair these “opportunities'' are. Yet, they are still being widely offered shamelessly. Being a student, I often feel conflicted about even hearing out these “amazing” internships that pay way less than minimum wage because they potentially offer many connections that can help me later on in my career, experience, and something to put on my resume. That’s when I remember that I’m in a privileged position that I can even consider dropping everything to take it when many other people aren’t in that same position. It’s also saying that I’m okay with not getting paid my worth and I’m okay with the system they put in place. It’s on theaters to pay people for their time and expertise.
It is reassuring to hear that there are some in the industry working to end unpaid internships. Having a no or low paying internship should not be a right of passage into the industry. It’s exploitative and exclusive. Persons who do not have other means of support are excluded from these internship experiences, which as the author points out were highly beneficial to her career. As mentioned by another commenter, the article fails to include the lived experience of people who couldn’t afford to take no or low paying internships. What is the impact on their career trajectory? As part of the recent focus on racial justice, “We See You, White American Theatre” has demanded an end to unpaid internships.
One possible solution for companies who have a greater financial constraint made by the author is an important one: it is better for companies to provide high quality pay to fewer people, like hiring fewer interns and paying them more.
A summer ago I was introduced to the controversy of unpaid internships in theatre through a panel of stage managers discussing their experience in the industry. It shocked me that so much could be asked of people for no compensation in return other than the idea that "the opportunities it provided" was enough. I didn't understand how people could live sustainably like this. I appreciate the variety of perspectives the author provides from people who had completed these low or unpaid internships. There is a sort of forgotten perspective here which is people who couldn’t afford to take these internships in the first place and weren’t able to get into the industry, or managed to find full-time employment without these internships. It makes me think of all the capable, talented, people who were unable to pursue careers in theatre because of how this industry's entry-level jobs currently work. What could these people have created, what are we missing out on?
The way internships programs are conducted has been long outdated in our industry, just as most of the practices in the industry. For as long as I can remember, I have known about unpaid internships because I was appropriately cautioned. I was always very concerned about how I would break through without being able to take such a position. As a first-generation student who pays for their tuition independently and lives without any support from their parents, the answer is I simply wouldn’t be able to. I am rather grateful we saw a change to this system, and that it happened at a semi-fast pace from last summer to now considering I was searching for summer positions. However, there is a long way to go and many companies are holding out still. I caution those pursuing summer jobs to contemplate taking jobs with low wage. Although you may be able to afford it… what system are you buying into? And how are you creating further systematic barriers for others.
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