Through an internship with Overshadowed, you will:

  • Receive hands-on experience

  • Gain valuable insight about the day-to-day work of a small theatre company

  • Work closely with Overshadowed’s Artistic Director, Technical Director, Costume Designer, Stage Manager, and other department heads

We have bold, ambitious plans for the future, and we encourage you to become part of our company’s continued growth.

  • Summer Internship — May - August

  • Fall Internship — August - December

  • Winter/Spring Internship — January - April

Overshadowed offers year-round internship opportunities. Our regular season consists of four shows — typically three plays and one musical.

Each internship guarantees hands-on involvement with two shows. The summer internship offers the unique opportunity to be involved with our summer musical as well as a few theatre camps for students ages 5-18.

Depending on your school schedule, start/end dates can be flexible. Please let us know your availability when completing your application

Types of Internships Available

  • ▻ Learn what it takes to assemble a production team, cast a show, create a season, and raise money at a thriving theatre company.

    As an Artistic Administration intern, you’ll immerse yourself in various facets of producing and running a not-for-profit organization. Working closely with the Artistic Director, you’ll gain first-hand knowledge about the casting process, scheduling and organizing auditions; researching, reading, and cataloging plays; and preparing for and running a production. You will also find yourself contributing to our fundraising and marketing efforts, gaining insight into the world of fundraising and grant writing, and learning how to attract and cultivate an audience base. This internship also involves hands-on participation and direction of one of our two summer camps

  • ▻ The Costume Department of Overshadowed is responsible for the design and building of costumes for current shows as well as the maintenance of our costume room and the care of the wardrobe during our productions.

    Duties

    ▻ Designing, building, and gathering the costumes for our summer camps

    ▻ Assisting the designer for our summer musical

    ▻ Building costumes for the summer musical

    ▻ Assisting with alterations

    ▻ Assisting with the wardrobe and dressing during the productions

    ▻ Any other duties as assigned by the director and/or costume designer

    Skills

    ▻ Sewing skills

    ▻ Self Motivator

    ▻ Willing to take directions

    ▻ A willing attitude to help where needed

  • ▻ The Technical Department is responsible for the design and operation of light, sound, and special effects for each production.

    Duties

    ▻ Assist the technical director with creating a lighting plot

    ▻ Record and edit sound cues

    ▻ Hang and focus lighting equipment

    ▻ Learn basic programming skills

    ▻ Lightboard operation

    ▻ Follow-spot operation

    Skills

    ▻ Basic computer skills

    ▻ Previous light and sound experience

    ▻ Willingness to learn

  • ▻ The Scenic Department oversees the design, construction, installation, and strike of the set. Working with the Artistic Director, production director, artistic designer, set designer, and construction manager create imaginative scenes to enhance the overall production.

    Duties

    ▻ Provide assistance to the construction manager

    ▻ Help with the building and installation of the set

    ▻ Painting

    ▻ Any other duties as assigned by the set designer or construction manager

    Skills

    ▻ Must be able to lift 50 lbs

    ▻ Basic knowledge of set design and construction

    ▻ Must have a good working knowledge of basic hand and power tools

    ▻ Self-starter

    ▻ Desire to learn and develop additional skills

    ▻ Ability to work with a team

  • ▻ The Properties Department is responsible for the creation and procuring of hand and stage props for the production. The Stage Manager assists the director, as well as overseeing and coordinating all backstage operations.

    Duties

    ▻ Research

    ▻ Help create a property plot

    ▻ Property design and creation

    ▻ Work with the props manager to procure necessary items

    ▻ Assist the stage manager in coordinating scene changes

    ▻ Work with stage manager with oversight of stage crew

    ▻ Assist with special projects

    ▻ Set up and maintain rehearsal space

    Skills

    ▻ Basic computer skills

    ▻ Well-organized

    ▻ Simple craft ability

    ▻ Ability to work with a team

    ▻ Effective communication skills

The internship may qualify for college credit, as arranged with your college or university.

Most stipends are available for all internships. To be eligible for a stipend, you must have a valid social security number or, if you are not a citizen of the United States, a valid U.S. work permit.

The maximum total stipend for an internship is $1000. This amount can be reduced if:

  • Your internship is only part-time or half time

  • Your internship is full-time, but less than six weeks from start to finish

  • You do not complete your internship

You are responsible for your housing and transportation. We can, however, give you contact information for potential host families.

Working

While the demands of interning at Overshadowed can make it difficult to hold an outside job simultaneously, many interns manage to work part-time during the day. Remember — if you accept an internship, you agree to work the hours dictated by your department. Any outside employment should be flexible and should accommodate your internship schedule.

If you are interested, please provide the following:

  • A completed Application for Internship

  • Cover letter stating your desire to be involved with our organization

  • Your current resume

  • Three letters of reference — two from professors or academic supervisors and one personal or work-related reference

Mail the completed information to:

Overshadowed Theatrical Productions

Intern Program

333 Pierce Road, Suite 195

Itasca, IL 60143

You will be notified when we receive your application, and a phone interview will be scheduled afterward. If it's necessary, we'll make arrangements for an in-person interview at your school.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please call our office at 630.634.2100.

Thank you for your interest. We hope to have the opportunity to work with you to deepen your theatrical skills and experience.