PlayPenn

The pre-conference retreat ended on Sunday – it was intense! Each day the Playground area filled with playwrights, directors, designers, dramaturgs, and interns, and over the course of the weekend we read through every play as a group. Afterwards there was time for questions and comments. Hearing the plays read out loud gave them a lot more life than when they were just floating around in my head, and it was exciting to actually meet the people who wrote the scripts! Bill and I gave all the dramaturgs the folders we had spent the last few weeks putting together, and they all seemed very pleased with them!

Friday night we all went to the Philadelphia Art Museum after the day was over and had the chance to hear some jazz, look at some art, and get to know each-other better. Saturday night we went to a party on Boathouse Row where there was lots of wine and good food! Pictures will soon follow…

Today was the first day of getting ready for the conference, which meant that I got to finally go to the Adrienne Theater on Sansom St. and see where all the plays will be taking place (as well as where I’ll be every day for the next two weeks!). More excitingly, I got to meet my five fellow interns, (Maddie, Jess, Mark, Allie, and Jessica) and John Flak who will be in charge of telling us what to do.  

The Adrienne Theater!

 

Our first task was to remove dozens of heavy boxes from Flak’s basement and then unload them at the theater. Despite the over-100 degree heat, we managed! We also painstakingly labelled coffee mugs, folders, and amassed piles of delicious Trader Joe’s snacks for later in the conference. A computer was set up, rooms were cleared, and floors were vacuumed. Luckily the theater was air-conditioned! 

Tomorrow we meet again at ten, and the next day the pre-conference retreat begins…