Beyond the Classroom: Emma Cavage (CFA’22)
My Internship at Theatre Aspen’s Summer Apprenticeship Program
In CFA’s Beyond the Classroom Series, music, theatre, and visual arts students at BU share their work experiences. These Terriers express how the resources at BU prepared them for success beyond the classroom.
Summer 2021 was an unforgettable summer for Emma Cavage (CFA’22), a BFA Theatre Arts major. Emma traveled from Boston to Colorado to work at Theatre Aspen’s Summer Apprenticeship Program. She led and produced a weekly children’s event, transforming storytime reading into musical performances and skits. She also learned a lot about herself, realizing that directing is her number one passion, feeling empowered by women mentors, and understanding the importance of work-life balance. A lot of her joy over that summer came from the friendships she made. Read on to hear from Emma as she shares her internship story with CFA.
What’s your role in the internship? What are your responsibilities?
I was the Producing Apprentice. I mainly worked on specific projects; such as, producing a weekly “Storytime” event for children, assistant directing “The Summer Cabaret Series,” and helping implement “The Solo Flights Festival.” I generally assisted the Executive Producer, General Manager, and Director of Artistic Planning, and also did various administrative tasks. Additionally, I helped out in the Education department on “Willy Wonka,” worked on special events, and was a substitute Production Assistant in the “Rock of Ages” rehearsal room.
How did you find out about the internship?
I saw a post on the BU Theatre Bridge website about Theatre Aspen. I then talked to a mentor of mine, Victoria Clark, about the Apprentice Program. Victoria put in a good word for me with the Executive Producer, and she spoke highly of the company, their leadership, and the theatre they produce. Also, when I got to the interview stage of the application process, I was really pumped to see a BU School of Theatre alum interviewing me. Dani Taylor (CFA’17) is an MFA Production Management alum and is the current General Manager of Theatre Aspen.
Any notable accomplishments from the internship?
My biggest accomplishment from the Apprenticeship is definitely “Storytime” – a weekly children’s event that I lead-produced. It was pitched to me as “just another storytime reading,” but I transformed it to include musical performances, skits, and recruited friends and colleagues to help contribute. I wanted it to be a holistic storytelling experience, and it quickly grew in popularity around town. I am also really proud of the work I did with “The Summer Cabaret Series.” I assisted Broadway Choreographer Abbey O’Brien, and from that experience, I learned so much about directing and being a woman in creative leadership positions. The Cabarets were not only a blast to work on with my friends and with Abbey, but a great learning experience of how to be a good assistant director, and from Abbey I saw the importance of every detail on a stage, and how the smallest tweaks can really change a show.
Did resources at CFA or BU help you prepare for the internship?
The BU Theatre Bridge posting about Theatre Aspen is what put it on my radar. I am so grateful that we as BFA students get an email every night with various job postings, auditions, and resources for young artists.
How did the coursework at CFA connect with your internship?
BU School of Theatre is also very fast-paced, and the program and faculty expect a lot from us. I am grateful for this because it helped prepare me for the style of “summer stock theatre.” Theatre Aspen was incredibly fast-paced, and we were always doing ten things at once, and I feel like BU’s theatre program prepared to me excel in an environment such as this. Also, I am not a dancer at all but had to work a lot with choreography this summer. My movement curriculum with Yo-EL Cassell (Head of Movement at BU) gave me enough language to “fake it” and pretend I understand dance! During my sophomore year I worked as the Associate Production Manager on “Photograph 51,” and last year my friend Sydney Meyer (CFA’22) and I produced “Dry Land” through the CFA Seed Grant Program; both of these experiences prepared me to work in a Producing Department. Working with Sydney and the CFA Seed Grant Program taught me about the accountability and dedication that producing theatre requires.
In what ways do you think the internship has prepared you for your work beyond BU?
Working with Abbey O’Brien and Britt Marden really shaped me this summer. Abbey is a director and choreographer, and Britt is The Director of Artistic Planning at Theatre Aspen. She produces, works with casting, and is a general artistic leader. I know in my career I want to be a director and producer, and having the chance to learn from these two women, in particular, taught me a lot. Seeing women in creative leadership roles is so important to young women in the arts. Abbey was hard on me, and it caused me to really rise to the challenge and be incredibly present in the rehearsal room. She taught me so much about being detail-orientated while directing, and I generally learned a lot about working on musical theatre. Britt taught me so much about being a level-headed leader, a compassionate leader, and about how to make a show actually happen. Helping her work on the “Solo-Flights” new work festival taught me a lot about talent management and producing theatre festivals. While in Aspen, I was given the chance to not only lead-produce but assist producers, which were both invaluable experiences in molding me into the producer I am right now. I want the main focus of my career to be directing musical theatre, so working on “The Summer Cabaret Series” was a blast and really helped me grow.
What did you learn about yourself?
I learned about self-advocacy. I was not supposed to work as an assistant director on the cabarets, but I asked for the opportunity and the leadership allowed me to switch focuses at times. I learned that as much as I love producing and I want it to always be a part of my career, I am a director first. It’s really important to me to constantly be in rehearsal rooms and be working that creative muscle. I also learned how important it is to have a work-life balance. I as a person often get so streamlined into work, I forget to look up and breathe. As much fun as I had working, a lot of my joy this summer came from the friends I made. I made a lot of great relationships, but I made four best friends who I know will be in my life forever – we visit each other all the time and talk every day. My relationship with these girls taught me the importance of friendship and fun, in regards to having a good work-life balance. Much love and endless gratitude to Giuliana, Jess, Vanessa, and Liv for coming into my life, encouraging me to look around and breathe, and pushing me in the best ways.
Any advice for current CFA students beginning the internship process?
It’s really simple: just apply. Apply to as many places as you can, and do not be afraid to reach out to people you know who have worked in certain places. I am so grateful for the previous connections I had that helped me gain this experience.
What’s next for you?
I recently directed “Lizzie: The Musical” for STAMP (Senior Theatre Arts Major Productions) at BU School of Theatre! This production was for my BFA thesis. We had an amazing team work on it, and I was so excited to share it. The performances were held in late February and early March. Next up, I will be working at Lyric Stage Company as the Assistant Director on A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder under Spiro Veludos; performances will be April 15-May 22. After that, I am hoping to work at a summer stock theatre again, and I am then moving to New York City in the fall. Feel free to connect with me on Instagram (@em_cav) or via my website!
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