Writing Samples
SAMPLE COVER LETTER
To whom it may concern,
I have grown incredibly interested and invested in your Theatre Operations Internship. Jujamcyn Theatres carries the weight of some of the most relevant Broadway shows on its shoulders and I couldn’t be more excited to show you that I can be an essential asset to your Theatre Operations team this summer. My passion for theatre and my growing ambition has led me to an interest in Theatre Management/ Administration. The theatre has become a place that I feel comfortable navigating like the back of my hand and I feel as though I am incredibly qualified to do the same with your theatres.
In reading the description for this specific position I realize you are seeking someone who is flexible and has a wide range of capabilities. Having taken up several different roles within the theatre, I believe that all of these roles are challenges that I am more than ready to face. With my experience in Stage Management, I have gained the skills necessary to not only navigate a theatre, but also to manage several dozen people in a high tension setting. Throughout recent years, I have taken the position of Production Manager for a company called Rogue Productions. Rogue is a student-run organization, therefore, I have gained skills in scheduling, budgeting, and marketing. My busy mindset and drive to succeed have been key in my success as a Production Manager. I have also been placed in the role of House Manager for several local productions and have gained experience in communicating with other members of the House Management team as well as audience members. I strongly believe that all of these skills that I have gained through experience will be beneficial to your summer season.
I would love to have the opportunity to further discuss how my qualifications will benefit Jujamcyn Theatres! I will follow up via email next week. If you feel you need to contact me please do so at either 561-350-7054 or asp16h@my.fsu.edu . Thank you again for your time and consideration.
Best,
Alexandra Posner
This I believe Essay
Allie Posner
This I Believe
I believe in the power of creation. For me, a day without creation is a failed attempt at a day. At the end of a bout of despairing because of lack of creativity that school provides me, my personal mode of “self-care” has taken the form of baking. It's not always baking but on a chilly Wednesday night with nothing to do but procrastinate, baking has fulfilled my need to create. I consciously choose a recipe for 50 cookies. Do I need 50 cookies for any particular reason? No, however, I know that the people closest to me will eat them so my hands pull the things I know that I’ll need; sugar, butter, and flower. My active hands and the clear recipe I’m following keep my busy mind occupied while I create a sweet but not too sweet rendition of the sugar cookie. Knowing that this random selection of ingredients will turn into something that brings others joy is overall the reason I do this to myself. While sitting on my kitchen floor waiting for these cookies to brown just enough to ensure they won’t be raw on the inside I feel a sense of fulfillment that can only be brought on by a productive spurt of creativity. Turns out, I made the cookies not only for my friends to enjoy but to also feel a sense of purpose.
For as long as I can remember the need to create has been ingrained in me. Making scrapbooks with my mother and staying up all night with my friends' painting has been a part of me for forever. My life without creation would simply be different.
I value this power of creation because of every artist who has turned to creation to get themselves through a rough patch in their lives. The immense impact that comes along with meaningful creations such as Lin Manuel Miranda's Hamilton or even Netflix's Orange is the New Black makes me believe in the vast importance of creation. Being in college and being provided with my own platform to create has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life so far. Majoring in Theatre and EWM not only gives me the opportunity to create every day, but I have been presented peers who encourage original work and creation on a regular basis. Without the will to create we would have nothing and once you realize that you start to become a creator yourself.
A New Brain Performance Review
Allie Posner
A New Brain
Performance Response
Florida State’s recent production of A New Brain by William Finn was mostly meant to portray the healing power of music and art. Finn faced many of the issues that the lead character Gordon faces due to Arteriovenous Malformation. Specific to FSU’s School of Theatre, this show was so important to produce because of it’s sheer perfection in representation by displaying such a beautifully diverse cast. With an intimate space such as the Lab Theatre, A New Brain showcased several major themes such as the struggles that come along with having a sudden illness, relationship issues within a same-sex relationship without making the struggles about how the characters were the same sex, gun control, and homelessness. This stunning production’s attention to detail had each audience member completely captivated for the entirety of the run.
The world that Finn creates is that of a person with a serious brain disease. With this in mind, the perspective is very skewed and almost abstracted. Often times throughout the show, we see the world as Gordon sees it which is incredibly different than average.
Gordon lives a pretty busy and average life before he gets diagnosed with Arteriovenous Malformation. Throughout the musical, the most important thing in the life of Gordon is the healing power of art and music. The height of the show is when Gordon goes into surgery which is incredibly risky and the people who love him face one of the hardest moments of their lives not knowing if he’ll make it out alive. The resolution of the play rests in Gordon getting better and learning how to walk and live normally again.
With the clever direction of Tom Ossowski, then SOT’s production of A New Brain contained symbolic formations and beautifully arranged vocals and music. In reading the director’s note, I realized that a lot of the formations that the cast takes are reminiscent of scientific and medical images, which was incredibly impressive. David Greenhouse’ performance as Gordon matched with Aaron Mackenzie’s performance as Roger was absolutely beautiful. The vocal arrangements and executions for these two actors along with the rest of the cast were magnificent. The simplistic design with very detailed pieces and moving parts gave this dense piece a very effortless atmosphere. The transitions were worked into the music and songs beautifully. While the lighting was very well designed I couldn’t keep my eyes off the color scrollers. In using traditional lighting fixtures and not LED movers, I think the color scrollers and general washes against the grey reflective floor worked very well for this adaptive and flexible production. The sound and music composure was flawless overall. The use of the swings in assisting the small orchestra was very clever and added to the quirky nature of the show. Throughout the show I strongly believe that the clever technical elements carried the show and made it flow beautifully.
In portraying the story of Gordon, I think FSU did a great job in being sensitive with the subject matter and telling the story using a diverse cast and clearly having well thought through technical elements. I wouldn’t have changed anything I adored this production.