My new school schedule allows me to intern once a week now instead of once every two weeks, so be ready for new weekly posts!
Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with Sharon Maier-Kennelly (Manager of Corporate Giving) and Dani Wyeth (Director of Education). Both women take on vital roles at the Tower Theatre and represent what the Tower is all about. I had previously met with Sharon over Thanksgiving break, but I wanted to talk with her again to get more insight into her thoughts on the performing arts. Sharon has practically lived in the theatre world her whole life. She saw Annie as her first Broadway show when she was nine and was hooked on the magic of theatre. In 2004, she was hired to work at a theatre in New York called "Landmark on Main Street" and worked as the executive director (Ray Solley’s job at the Tower). She has been working at the Tower for a few years now and loves it! I had the opportunity to ask Sharon some theatre-related questions and she provided me with incredibly insightful answers. The first question I asked was simple: why is theatre important to you? Sharon simply replied saying “theatre is magic”, and I couldn’t agree with her more.
My next few questions were targeted towards the ups and downs of running a nonprofit performing center, and I wanted to see how similar her opinions would be to the other Tower staff members. To no surprise, they were pretty similar! In summary, she explained that successful theatres listen to the wants and needs of their community. Their purpose is to create shows that bring their community closer together.
My next question to Sharon was what makes the Tower Theatre special? She explained her perspective perfectly by saying that the Tower’s history holds a certain beauty. The Tower holds memories that represent the importance of performing. It is a true treasure of the Bend community.
My final question to her was what advice would you give to a younger person who wants to pursue a career in the performing arts? She first acknowledges that it isn’t the easiest business to be a part of. It isn’t the highest paying or most stable job out there. However, if you truly love doing it, and if you feel like theatre is a part of you, you should go for it. If theatre is the last thing you think about before you sleep and the first thing you think about when you wake up, it is what you’re meant to do. That advice meant so much to me and made me realize that theatre is what I’m meant to do. I am very thankful for Sharon and her willingness to pass down some knowledge to me.
After I met with Sharon, I got to meet with Dani Wyeth, the Director of Education. Dani’s focus is on using the performing arts to educate/interest students. Her program is called “Lesson PLAN”, and it stands for “Performing Live Art Now”. The program was founded 10 years ago and continues to come up with new ideas on how to give schools art during the pandemic. With this program, Dani is able to provide performances for schools that aren’t just in the Bend community, but all around Central Oregon. They have recently held performances for schools in Warm Springs, Tumalo, and more! Dani’s program is especially appreciated in schools that don’t have a designated theatre program. Even if you don’t go into the performing arts, theatre can be very valuable to everyone. The Tower supplies schools with a fun and new way for students to learn. I know firsthand how amazing Dani’s program is, because when I was in elementary school, I saw the performances that the Tower did! They were always the most exciting and memorable school days. I am so thankful that the Tower gave me those memories and it’s really exciting that students still get to experience the power of theatre through this program!
I had a wonderful time talking to both Sharon and Dani. Not only are they key staff members at the Tower, but they are also great mentors and were so easy to talk to. I am planning on working with them closely on some smaller projects in the future, so stay tuned for that!
Commentaires