Ask LaBricoleuse: how to find summer work?

I've had a number of inquiries of late, both in "real life" and via email, about how to find summer theatre work and internships in costuming.

First, let's talk about summer jobs.

Honestly, unless you work in NYC or LA, or wind up at a theatre that runs year-round, most everyone at every level in professional and academic costuming careers winds up working "away" for the summers (or adopting a second career, or other related work, but i digress). Many people will return to the same summer organization year after year once they find a place they enjoy--one of my colleagues has nearly 20 summers' work at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, for example. But how do you find options for summer work, if you've not settled on a "summer home" for yourself?

There are several places job listings get posted. You can try checking the costume listings at BackstageJobs.com and Playbill for theatres seeking summer costume staff. If you are affiliated with a university theatre department or have access to a library with a web subscription to ArtSEARCH, you can peruse their job listings online, or check their semimonthly print edition. You can also check the Employment section of websites of particular theatres at which you'd like to work.

And how do you find out the names and websites of summer theatres? The obvious thing is to ask your colleagues and coworkers and mentors and anyone you know in the field where they would recommend you apply. But, if you've done that and still want more options, your best bet is to track down a current copy of the Summer Theatre Directory, or even an older version, which will still be useful for contact information and types of job positions.

Regarding internships, because most regional theatres' seasons run fall to spring, its rare that summer internships with LORT theatre shops are available. Most all the theatres that do summer internships will mention that option in their job postings to relevant job boards, and in their listings in the Summer Theatre Directory. In terms of doing internships with LORT theatres during the academic year or traditional fall-to-spring season, you'll want to contact the Costume Director or Production Manager about possible internship opportunities.

Also, i'd like to pass on a couple of links from my pal trystbat:

There's an excellent article in the San Francisco Chronicle on ecology and theatre--how various groups in the Bay Area have made changes small and large toward a "green theatre".

And, particularly interesting for a parasol scholar like myself, there's some great info on Wearing the Future about innovative umbrella redesigns.