Internships
NOTE: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently not accepting internship applications. We hope to reinstitute our internship program again at a later date.
Why Intern at TimeLine?
First, learn more about TimeLine on our About TimeLine page.
Chicago has an extraordinary legacy of theatre companies that started small, dreamed big, and matured into prominent institutions. We invite you to become a part of one of the leaders for the next generation.
In larger theatres, interns may feel buried underneath the sheer magnitude of daily activity and the number of staff members in each department. TimeLine operates with a smaller core staff, but we have ambitious plans for the future and we encourage you to become a part of the company’s continued growth. Interns will have the opportunity to help out on multiple projects and see their work produce valued results. Through an internship with TimeLine you will:
- Receive hands-on experience
- Gain valuable insight about the day-to-day work of a mid-sized company
- Work closely with TimeLine’s artistic, marketing, development and audience services staff
Become a part of the excitement at TimeLine and build skills for your future work in the theatre!
Requirements
Internships are unpaid positions; however, academic credit might be available. Check with your school faculty and TimeLine for more information.
Internship hours are flexible. We require a minimum commitment of 15 hours per week, but interns may work up to 25 hours per week. The majority of office hours occur usually 10 am – 6 pm Monday through Friday, although there are often meetings as well as production and event work in the evenings and on weekends. We do our best to work around each intern’s class and work schedules, so check with us about your availability, and we can determine if it’s a good fit.
No two days are the same here, and we ask interns to be willing to adapt and take on new projects—to be inquisitive about our overall operations, and to display an eagerness to roll up your sleeves and approach each project with enthusiasm, attention to detail and a commitment to excellence.
Schedules and Deadlines
NOTE: Start and end dates are negotiable, but application deadlines are firm.
Summer Internship: Approximately May 1 – August 31
Application deadline: March 1
Fall Internship: Approximately September 1 – December 31
Application deadline: July 1
Winter/Spring Internship: Approximately January 1 – April 30
Application deadline: November 1
Areas of Concentration
TimeLine offers three different internship areas of concentration. Note that interns in any concentration may take on projects from other areas as needed. Each internship has different application procedures, outlined below. Please only apply for one, although you may indicate a second choice in your application if you would also be interested in another concentration.
Artistic Administration
Production
Marketing / Administration
Artistic Administration Internship
Learn what it takes to assemble a production team, cast a show, and raise money to produce and build an audience base.
While artistic excellence and theatrical innovation distinguish us onstage, it also takes astute management to become a successful not-for-profit organization. As an Artistic Administration Intern, you’ll receive hands-on experience and gain valuable insight about the day-to-day work of a growing company and learn how the artistic leaders of the organization work in close collaboration with the Managing Director, Marketing Director, Development Manager and Audience Services Manager. You will also receive first-hand knowledge about the casting process, scheduling and organizing auditions, researching, reading and cataloging plays, and preparing for and running a production. You’ll contribute to other aspects of the organization as well, including fundraising and marketing efforts and various special events for our audience and donors.
To apply for TimeLine’s Artistic Internship, please send the following to Nick Bowling, Associate Artistic Director, via email (SUBJECT LINE: Artistic Internship) at nick@timelinetheatre.com:
- A cover letter that expresses your interest. Please specify your availability, what other activities you will be doing at the same time (i.e. going to school, working a part-time or full-time job, etc.), and why you are interested in getting involved with TimeLine.
- A resume listing your experience.
- Your contact information.
Back to Areas of Concentration
Production Internship
Learn what it takes to design a show, assemble and manage the team that makes it happen, and keep everything running smoothly from the first design meeting through closing and beyond.
As a Production Intern, you’ll work closely with the Production Manager and be involved in every stage of a production’s life cycle. You’ll gain first-hand knowledge about the design, rehearsal, and tech processes; hiring and managing staff; staying on top of budgets; maintaining work spaces that are safe and support the work on stage; and generally being at the center of a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
To apply for TimeLine’s Production Internship, please send the following to Maggie Fullilove-Nugent, Production Manager, via email (SUBJECT LINE: Production Internship) at maggie@timelinetheatre.com.
- A cover letter that expresses your interest. Please specify your availability and why you are interested in getting involved with TimeLine.
- A resume listing your experience. Please include any production/stage management experience, as well as any areas of technical knowledge or skill.
- Your contact information.
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Marketing / Administration Internship
Learn what it takes to attract and build audiences, work with the media, operate a Box Office and manage a thriving not-for-profit corporation.
While artistic excellence and theatrical innovation distinguish TimeLine Theatre onstage, it also takes astute management to become a successful not-for-profit organization. Growth is the result of aggressive goals in earned income (ticket sales) and donated revenue (individual donations, foundation support & corporate support). As a Marketing / Administrative Intern, working closely with the Director of Marketing and Communications, you’ll help implement a comprehensive marketing and media relations plan, playing a role in direct mail campaigns, neighborhood grassroots promotions, newspaper & radio advertising, e-mail marketing, ticket sales, special events, social media, an ever-expanding website and much, much more.
To apply for TimeLine’s Marketing/Administration Internship, please send the following to Lara Goetsch, Director of Marketing and Communications, via email (SUBJECT LINE: Marketing Internship) at lara@timelinetheatre.com:
- A cover letter that expresses your interest. Please specify your availability, what other activities you will be doing at the same time (i.e. going to school, working a part-time or full-time job, etc.), and why you are interested in getting involved with TimeLine.
- A resume listing your experience.
- Letter of Recommendation
- Writing Sample
- Your contact information
Back to Areas of Concentration