2025 Artistic Internship Journal
Theatre Network of Texas
Throughout the summer, Joy will serve in multiple theatres across Texas alongside their professional staff. From serving on show crews to curating future seasons, from stage managing shows to sitting in on board meeting & managing new media & marketing – Joy is getting a broad overview of the inner workings of these companies while putting to work her theater education & experience for their benefit.
Below is a personal journal of Joy’s internship activity…
Part 1
I spent the first half on my internship with some really wonderful artists of all ages and experience levels. I had the priveledge of working with RoverDramaWerks in Plano. In working directly with the artistic director, I saw ALOT of theatre productions in the DFW area, read and evaluated scripts for the upcoming season, and sat in on meetings, auditions, and the like. I used my prior marketing expertise in managing and updating the company’s social media and my experience in children’s theatre to work with an area kids theatre workshop.
One of my primary areas of focus during my time with Rover was stage managing the rehearsals and performances for the 10 Minute Comedy Festival. With a variety of directors and actors in each show, we mounted 9 Ten minute plays into one full night of comedy!
Part 2
Hill Country Arts Foundation
The Point Theatre
July 2025 Update –
Last month, work at the first theatre in my summer itinerary came to a close and I began my tenure at a second. I got off to a great start at The Point Theatre (a part of the Hill Country Arts Foundation) immediately joining the set contruction crew for one show and starting to design the costumes for another – all from our idealic workplace situated right on the river.
Sadly, my work here has taken a sudden change of course due to the flood emergency impacting the area. Leading to loss of lives, missing persons and massive property destruction – including the theatre & scene shop, and art studios all on sight – the flood has brought our theatrical work to a halt.
July 15th – Our work here has now transitioned to disaster abatement. I’ve spent the majority of these last 10 days in this lobby – scraping, removing walls, bleaching. The progress we have made is incredible, and I have learned that theatre work sometimes means doing whatever needs to be done. Tomorrow, we shift gears and start work elsewhere – assisting another area theatre with getting their show mounted.
Though disappointed I won’t see the fruits of our Theatrical work at The Point – I wanted to share some of the the work we had started (set construction & costume design) during my first two weeks at The Point. I am reminded that as artists we are strong and art is resilient. The team here will keep creating at this theatre (long after I leave for another project and long after the waters have receded) but for the time being I am the hands and feet cleaning up what the flood left behind.
My final days in the Texas Hill Country were spent serving with Playhouse 2000. Our Point Theatre technicians pitched in to help this theatre prep their facility and finalize the tech for their opening of Lend Me a Tenor. I put some of my construction skills to work on scenery but also learned some new things.
For the first time, I worked on Lighting and Sound. I helped strike, clean, and restore all the ellipsoidal and fresnel instruments. Then helped patch & program the sound cues and then ran sound for a special event.
My internship concluded with a final post mortem meeting in Ft Worth with the TNT staff. We were hosted at the new home of FtW’s Stolen Shakespeare Guild. We received feedback on our work, coaching on career paths, and just had some fun together to celebrate a very full summer of theater work.
Now, I’m off to Oklahoma Children’s Theatre for a last minute contract leading theater summer camp. Then I’ll spend the remainder of August prepping for my final semester at OCU, including some advance work for the show I am directing (The Children’s Hour).
Joy Noel Stachmus 