Early Career Professional Training

Nina Ariana and Hugh Dancy in
Venus in Fur (2011)
Photo by Joan Marcus

The Paul A. Kaplan Theatre Management Program provides a unique opportunity to learn about producing not-for-profit theatre both on and off-Broadway through intensive on-the-job training.

Program participants are assigned projects and responsibilities that contribute to the day-to-day running of the company. Additionally, support from supervisors and mentors ensure that participants are not only gaining valuable skills, but also receiving continuous advice and feedback.

The experience is further enhanced by an educational seminar series led by the industry experts on MTC’s staff as well as career development coaching with our human resources team. Program alumni go on to work in the industry at theatre companies producing on Broadway, off Broadway, and regionally; in casting offices, production companies, and theatrical advertising agencies; and, in allied arts and cultural organizations across the country.

MTC will not host interns during Summer 2024. Individuals interested in the 2024-25 Early Career Professional Training track should check this webpage in early April 2024 for more information.

Paul A. Kaplan

Paul Alan Kaplan was a theatrical producer and lover of theater. His Oscar parties and film trivia knowledge were legendary. He amassed a wonderful collection of Al Hirschfeld cartoons and Playbills. Pursuing his interest in show business, Paul was an associate producer of As Is, a drama about the impact of AIDS by William M. Hoffman. The play opened at the Circle Repertory Company in 1985 and moved to Broadway’s Lyceum Theater. He was also the executive producer of the 1986 movie “Parting Glances.”  He was a long-term philanthropic supporter of and volunteer at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center. Paul graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1977, where he wrote a review of the first production of Steven Sondheim’s Company for the college newspaper. For the next nine years Paul worked for the Stanley H. Kaplan Educational Center Ltd., named for his father. Above all, Paul was generous, fun, life-affirming, gregarious, and had a contagious laugh. Paul died in 1991 at the age of 36.

The MTC Experience

Early Career Professional Training Track:

Program participants will:

  • Take on projects and responsibilities that contribute to the day-to-day running of the company
  • Build relationships with their supervisor and staff members across the organization, ensuring that they are not only gaining valuable skills but also receiving continuous support and feedback
  • Work with a mentor throughout the season, who will offer them professional development and career guidance.
  • Participate in a series of educational workshops and seminars led by the industry experts on MTC’s staff, as well as career development coaching with our human resources team
  • Contribute to the success of MTC’s special events including opening night parties
  • Network with emerging professionals in the industry
  • Have access to affinity spaces
  • Receive complimentary tickets to productions at MTC and at other arts organizations

These are full-time non-exempt positions paid at $544.00 per week. The 2024-25 program dates have not yet been set, but we expect to begin in September or October 2024 and conclude in May or June 2025. Trainees  are eligible for a benefits package which includes: choice between two group health plans with options for spousal, family, and/or domestic partner coverage; basic life and long term disability insurance; paid time off (sick and personal), voluntary dental, vision, and flex savings plans for healthcare, dependent care, and commuting expenses.

All Early Career Professional Training positions are full-time and in-person, 34 hours per week. MTC’s office hours are Monday through Friday from 10am-6pm. Some positions will require evening or weekend commitments. The standard schedule for most Trainees will be Monday-Thursday from 10am-6pm (with 30-minute unpaid lunch break) and Friday from 10am-2pm. 

Trainee Positions Offered

Casting

The Casting department casts MTC’s full season of productions, as well as countless in-house readings, workshops, and special events. We collaborate creatively with each production’s director and the MTC artistic producing staff to fill each role and bring the characters into being. We strive for inclusivity in all of our work.

The Casting Trainee is an integral part of a small team dedicated to the plays MTC produces. This opportunity focuses on administrative and office skills, as well as critical thinking and time management practices. You’ll have access to MTC’s production history, as well as materials that map out how past casts have come together. You’ll work on putting together audition schedules, organizing actors’ headshots and résumés, and ensuring that audition sessions run smoothly. You’ll interact first-hand with agents and managers in the city and around the country, sharpening your office and email manner. You’ll gain knowledge of Breakdown Express and Eco-Cast, as well as video-editing software. You’ll also have your thumb on the pulse of the goings-on in theatre, TV, and film, as you get to know more actors and their projects. There may be occasional projects or assignments from the Artistic Office as well. By the end of the program, you’ll have polished your organizational, communication and problem-solving skills and be ready to work in many fields in the arts.

The ideal candidate is innately curious, open-minded, creative, detail-oriented, and communicative. A sense of initiative, ability to multi-task, and a positive attitude are a must.  Knowledge of theatre, ability to handle a high volume of telephone calls, and Microsoft Office Suite are required.

Previous casting trainees/interns have gone on to work in casting and agency assistant positions in NYC, as well as other administrative roles in other non-profit theatres.

Company Management

MTC’s General Management department is responsible for managing six shows per season at the Friedman Theatre and NY City Center Stage I from the day MTC confirms each play to the closing night of every show. The Company Management team within this department is responsible for making all our actors, directors, designers, crew members, and audiences feel welcome at the theatre every night and making sure each show is successful, both onstage and off.

The Company Management Trainee gains insight into the details of theatrical management on and off-Broadway by assisting the company managers with the drafting and execution of actor contracts, coordination of show/actor-related travel needs (transportation, housing, etc.), completing union reports, and the planning of special events for our productions, including first previews and Opening Nights. The trainee also works closely with our box office staffs, handling house seat orders for all shows and arranging all Tony Voter tickets for productions at the Friedman. They may gain experience assisting company managers at the theatre, for which occasional evening hours would be required.

We look for candidates who strive to strengthen their communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to multitask. Applicants must feel comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, and have a passion for theatre and arts management.

Previous Company Management interns or trainees have gone on to be Assistant Company Managers on and off-Broadway and to positions in the management departments of such companies as Second Stage, KGM Theatrical, Fifth Estate Entertainment, and Circle in the Square Theatre. Former program participants also have come back to work at MTC.

Digital Marketing

MTC Marketing is a fast-paced, exciting work environment.  We work with every department at Manhattan Theatre Club, along with our press team (Boneau/Bryan-Brown), our advertising agency (Serino Coyne), our web design agency (AKA) and various actors, directors, playwrights, managers and agents.  Marketing interns are a key part of opening nights, helping to facilitate press lines and aide Marketing senior staff.

The Digital Marketing Trainee is a key member of our five-person team, and will get a broad overview of marketing for Broadway and Off-Broadway. This is a varied position requiring excellent organization, communication and design skills. Primary responsibilities include managing departmental approvals for select marketing materials, creating email blasts, website and social media admin, capturing photography and video for social channels, resizing artwork/photography, and designing promotional graphics. Additional responsibilities include creating bespoke office signage, maintaining front of house displays and flyer stock at our three theatres, staffing opening nights, press events and gala nights, maintaining departmental calendars, and providing general office support to the department. The Digital Marketing Trainee will work with the Marketing Engagement Trainee to plan MTC Marketing’s monthly newsletter. By the end of the internship, you will have developed skills that would make you an asset to any arts marketing department, with real-world experience in marketing material approval processes, digital admin, basic visual design, and navigating the ins and outs of a busy office environment.

We seek passionate, creative, versatile individuals with a can-do attitude. Excellent communication skills are necessary, including copywriting. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite programs, including Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign, is preferred but not required.

Previous Marketing trainees and interns have gone on to work in marketing offices at arts nonprofits including Second Stage, The Public and Lincoln Center Theater.

Education

MTC Education prepares students to see our plays and inspire them to write their own; as a result, minds awaken, imaginations ignite, hearts open, and lives change. We work with over 2,000 young people a year in high schools and juvenile detention facilities throughout New York City, in northern New Jersey, and across the country. We promote creative collaboration and thoughtful dialogue in our classrooms and introduce young people to theatre’s miraculous power to transform an audience of diverse individuals into one harmonious whole.

The Education Trainee is a key member of a four-person team dedicated to turning our aspirations and philosophy into practice in our classrooms and theatres.  This experience will help you refine your administrative and customer service skills (including gaining experience with Tessitura!). You’ll have access to an expert faculty of teaching artists working in our city’s range of high schools with observation opportunities that can be customized based upon your unique interests. You’ll sharpen your project management skills as you coordinate the day-to-day operations of TheatreLink, our distance learning theatre-making project connecting high school students across the country, in Europe, and in South Africa, and as the administrator of Write Now!, our after-school playwriting program for high schoolers, ensuring the program’s success from participant recruitment to final performance. You’ll be involved in the implementation of programming such as the Family Matinee, Teacher Workshops, and career development events. You’ll have the opportunity to form and cultivate relationships through our community engagement work with individuals employed at other not-for-profit organizations as well as our expanding community partners. You’ll complete research projects on a variety of topics, including background information on our plays, trends in the arts-education field, and expansion of our programs and partnerships within NYC’s many communities. By the end of the traineeship, you’ll have learned the ins and outs of how an education program at a large arts non-profit organization is managed and you’ll be equipped with a skill set that can lead to a variety of careers in the arts.

We are seeking naturally curious individuals who find joy in coordinating and managing complex, constantly shifting details. Successful candidates are highly organized, attentive, and proactive early career administrators. They believe in the positive impact educational experiences centered on productions of exciting new plays can have on young people. The Education Trainee communicates regularly with people from many different backgrounds, so individuals with customer service experience and/or multi-lingual skills should definitely consider this traineeship.

Please note that the Education position is only offered in the Early Career Professional Training track.

Literary

The MTC Literary Department reads and evaluates around 1,000 scripts a year, in order to consider them for production or development at MTC. With the Artistic Department, we curate a diverse and wide-ranging season of work for MTC’s stages. The Literary Department also puts together our annual spring Ted Snowdon Reading Series, a free, public reading series of new plays in progress; and commissions new plays from many writers each year.

As an MTC Literary Trainee, you will read and evaluate scripts; assist with and attend MTC play readings; cover readings elsewhere on behalf of MTC; share thoughts on MTC readings and productions; compile daily theatre news and reviews; maintain MTC’s play submissions database; update our database of productions happening elsewhere; attend weekly department meetings; interact with artists and with MTC staff across departments; and participate in the daily operations of a high-speed literary office. The Literary Trainee will hone their ability to read and analyze plays through a dramaturgical and producing lens, sharpen their oral and written communication skills, broaden their knowledge of the theater industry and new play landscape within and beyond New York, and obtain insight into how a major theater company programs a season and forges artistic relationships.

We are seeking highly organized, motivated, passionate theatre lovers with a keen interest in new play development and theatre administration, and with strong analytical, writing, and communication skills. Knowledge of Windows, MS Office Suite, and AirTable is strongly recommended.

Previous Literary trainees and interns have gone on to work at other non-profit organizations and agencies, such as Playwrights Horizons, La MaMa, Samuel French, WME, Bret Adams Ltd, and The Gersh Agency, and to complete graduate studies in playwriting and dramaturgy.

Production Management

The Production Department is responsible for the planning, budgeting, scheduling, staffing, and execution of the physical productions of all MTC Broadway and off-Broadway productions from initial concept through strike. Additionally, the Production office manages the technical execution of MTC Special Events, readings, and workshops. The Production department is also responsible for Facilities Management at MTC’s administrative offices and theatres; this includes daily and weekly operating tasks, capital improvement projects, and equipment projects, as well as repairs and improvements.

The Production Management Trainee plays an active role in supporting the Production Management team, production staff, creative teams, and the needs of MTC. With daily and weekly tasks and long-term projects, the trainee will be involved in creating and maintaining schedules and spreadsheets, assisting the department with the technical needs of productions, and coordinating the needs of designers. They also will play a supportive role within the MTC offices, offering general office support, and maintaining the needs of studios and office hospitality.

The Production Management Trainee will leave with a solid understanding of the intricacies of putting together the technical production both in the theatre and administratively, a knowledge of working with unions, and an overview of all the different aspects involved in putting together a production in New York City.

Excellent organizational skills and comprehension are a must in this fast-paced office. Applicants should be detail-oriented, self-motivated, have a working knowledge of MS Office Suite, and bring a positive attitude and a sense of humor. Individuals with a background in technical theatre or stage management should definitely consider this position.

Production Management trainees have moved on to Stage Management and Assistant Production Management positions at other major producing theatre companies on and off-Broadway as well as experiential event production companies.

Special Events

As the Special Events Trainee, you will gain valuable, real-world experience while reporting to the Special Events Assistant and Special Events Manager. By working closely and in depth “behind the scenes” for each event, the trainee will become an integral member of the special events team and learn how a season of fundraising, cultivation, and stewardship events come together.

In conjunction with the Special Events Manager and the Special Events Assistant this position is responsible for coordinating all aspects of Manhattan Theatre Club’s special events which include but are not limited to Opening Night Performances & Parties, Patron Dinners, ADC Cocktail Receptions, Fall Benefit and Spring Gala Fundraising events.

The Special Events Trainee will assist the team by processing RSVPs, completing event confirmation calls, prepping and organizing all event materials in addition to general administrative tasks, and other duties as assigned.

We are seeking an enthusiastic, open-minded and detail-oriented team-player. This traineeship requires excellent customer service skills, an ability to problem solve, along with strong attention to detail and positive attitude. Interest in fundraising, events, marketing, and theatre are a HUGE plus!

Please note that the Special Events position is only offered in the Early Career Professional Training track.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for MTC internships?
  • We do not accept applications from high school students or those entering their freshman year of college.
  • A college degree is not required.
  • We strongly encourage individuals with work experience in fields related to specific internships to apply (e.g. customer service experience for Fundraising and Grant Writing). In your personal statement, be sure to connect your skill set from your previous experience(s) to the internship position(s) for which you are applying.
How many departments can I apply to?

You may apply for up to two departments for either track.

What is the difference between the Early Career Professional Training track and the Summer Internship track?

The Early Career Professional Training track is an intensive, hands-on experience in which participants will spend a total of nine months in a specific department. This track is geared toward participants who are looking to sharpen their existing administrative skills before taking on full-time employment.

The Summer Internship track is a hands-on experience that takes place from May – September. This track is suited for participants who are seeking an earlier introduction to arts administration in order to prepare for more intensive experiences such as our Early Career Professional Training track.

May I apply for both tracks?

As both tracks run at different times, you may apply for both. However, please read through each program description to ensure they are suited to you, your skills, and your availability. Ideally, a strong candidate will have completed an internship or equivalent professional experience before applying to the Early Career Professional Training program.

May I be hired for both the Early Career Professional Training track and the Summer Internship track?

You may complete the Summer Internship track and apply for the Early Career Professional Training track the following year or later.

You may not complete the Early Career Professional Training track and then apply for the Summer Internship track.

Does MTC hire part-time trainees or interns?

No, all trainee positions are set at 34 hours per week. 

What is the timeline for the application process?

We begin to schedule interviews a week or two after the deadline and as late as two months after the deadline. All applicants who submit a complete application by the deadline will be notified by MTC whether or not they are selected for an interview and/or internship position.

How many applications does MTC receive?

Every year MTC receives approximately 600 complete applications for the summer internship and approximately 250 for the Early Career Professional Training Program. For each track, we interview approximately 60 candidates and hire 9-12 trainees or interns. It should be noted that each position is not necessarily available every semester.

Does MTC hire international interns?

Yes, MTC does hire interns from outside the U.S. International applicants must secure an Exchange Visitor or Foreign Student visa to work at MTC; however, MTC is unable to sponsor visa applications. We can supply a letter of employment and/or description of training to a third-party organization that does sponsor the applicant. Inquire about visa application procedures with the U.S. Embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your place of permanent residence. Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) is also a good organization to contact regarding student work/travel visas.

Does MTC provide housing?

MTC does not provide housing or housing assistance to trainees or interns. We encourage individuals to look at the various crowdsourcing social media groups that exist for locating housing in New York City.

I’m interested in the summer internship, but I have to return to school in mid-August. Does that disqualify me?

Not necessarily. Please be transparent in your application materials about your availability (start and end dates) for the summer internship.

I still have questions…