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MGT 401 Business Internship
Integrative Analysis Report:
La Jolla Playhouse
Submitted By:
Michaela Fountain
San Diego State University
May 10, 2010
Instructor:
Michael Hergert

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Integrative Analysis Report: La Jolla Playhouse
Purpose
I was employed at La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, CA as an intern. La Jolla Playhouse is a
non-profit theatre that houses various touring plays, readings, and musicals, as well as produces
and showcases their own unique and original shows. The Theatre is composed of three stages,
which is intended to increase their potential as a non-profit organization. The organization
continually brings directors, choreographers, composers, and other theatre employees from New
York and Los Angeles to produce original shows that premiere at the Playhouse. The
organization also has a residency program, which allows the theatre to utilize UCSD theatre
majors and minors. The Playhouse is also an avid supporter for youth theatre, and annually holds
a play or musical that employs talented kids, as well as tours to local schools to promote arts
education. Many productions that have originated at La Jolla Playhouse have gone on to
Broadway, which has defined the Playhouse as a great platform for new ideas and talent. La Jolla
Playhouses’ mission is to provide a stage for local and national talent, and educate the
community about the power of theatre.
My position within this organization was the Intern for the Associate General Manager of
the Playhouse, Jenny Case. As her intern, my responsibilities included assisting Jenny with her
daily office duties. I was responsible for learning and understanding theatre employees’ contracts
by studying the Actor’s Equity Handbook, understanding payroll, learning about the Stage
Director and Choreographers union (SSD&C), understanding the UCSD residency program, and
learning the rules and regulations of the General Management department. After I studied and
understood these rules, I was able to assist Jenny with creating check requests for theatre
employees, writing various contracts for those employees, and creating payroll reports for
specific shows.
To satisfy the requirements for MGT 401, I pursued five learning activities throughout
my internship. Throughout this report, I will present what I’ve learned during my 3-month
experience at La Jolla Playhouse, as well as provide examples of my work within my experience.
Specific learning activities are described in my Learning Activities Course Contract (See
Appendix A). Secondly, I will describe how my knowledge of business concepts, acquired at
SDSU, influenced my experience at the Playhouse. Finally, I will conclude the report with an
overview of what I learned, along with my plans post-internship. My supervisor has also
provided an evaluation of my performance (See Appendix B).
Learning Experience Discussion
Learn About the Agreement Between AEA and LORT
My first objective in this internship was to learn the governing principles associated with
the agreement between Actors Equity Association and League of Regional Theatres. This union
handbook is the foundation of any theatre, because it describes the rules and regulations for
employing actors and for operating a theatre. I had to comprehend this agreement before
progressing with my internship, because my supervisor’s daily operations are based upon
knowledge of this agreement.

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I read this handbook within the first week of my internship, but continued referring back
to it during the first month of my internship. I was confident enough a week before February
26th to begin the process of writing check requests and payroll reports, as tasked by Ms. Case.
The LORT-AEA handbook dealt with the rules and regulations regarding actors (stage
managers, assistant stage managers, and other employees, except for directors and
choreographers, are considered actors in this case), such as the distinction between different
types of actors, the amount of performances allowed, the length of their workweeks, and
information associated with their contracts. This was useful because I had to know what type of
actor I was working with when writing contracts and what type of performance they were
involved with when deciding their compensation.
When studying this handbook, I proceeded to take notes on what my Supervisor and I
agreed was relevant to my internship experience, such as compensation, transportation, duties,
and housing. After I had taken notes on the handbook, my Supervisor would ask me questions
based on what I had read to make sure I understood the material. She would follow my pop quiz
with a realistic situation, such as creating a contract for a composer employed at the Playhouse,
who lives in New York, and will be the accompaniment pianist during the audition process, and
see how I would handle that situation. I feel I understand this agreement very well, especially
because of my note-taking and subsequent use of the concepts. The knowledge I’ve gained from
this book was frequently used in my daily tasks, so I now have a solid understanding of the rules
and regulations associated with theatre.
I have provided my notes and analysis of the LORT-AEA agreement (notes on the
original and revised 2009 handbook), in Appendix C, along with a signature for completion
provided by my Supervisor.
Create Payroll Reports and Check Requests
My second learning objective included understanding payroll and other HR issues
specific to the unions of actors, stage managers, producers, directors, and authors. Writing check
requests and payroll reports was one of Jenny’s weekly duties, and is crucial to running a theatre.
Although Jenny didn’t write checks for theatre employees, a task designated to the Finance
department, she had to decide what they were to be compensated for and how much. All this
information comes from the handbook mentioned above, offering a guide to make salaries and
compensation fair and equal.
To begin this process, I had to learn one more handbook. I read and took notes on the
SSD&C (Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers) handbook. I had already learned the
compensation rules regarding actors, so this handbook covered the rest of the employees I
needed to learn about. After I understood these rules under these various unions, I was able to
write check requests and payroll reports, successfully meeting my target date of March 19th.
Check requests are prepared in order to have the Finance department generate checks
paid out to employees, such as actors and stage managers, for expenses during their stay, or
compensating them for a one-time job. Jenny taught me how to write a check request, using the
information from the handbooks, and then allowed me to compose them myself for the duration
of my internship. There were several codes I had to understand when writing the requests, such
as codes for specific shows, and for the particular job they were being compensated for. Also, I
had to specify the reason the employee was being compensated, and how much they were being
paid, so that there was no confusion when it was sent to the Finance department. When I had
completed the check requests, I would make a copy which would be sent to the Finance

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department for further review, and the original would be placed into a specific shows’ binder for
future reference.
Payroll reports illustrate a specific shows’ actor or other employees’ weekly salary. These
took me longer to understand because they were, at first glance, confusing in terms of detailed
expenses covered in the report. When Jenny taught me how to do them, we had to use a
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which provided calculations and explanations for a certain rate of
salary. Then, we transferred that data to another Excel spreadsheet which included the salaries
for each member of the show, the pension and health fee, and any miscellaneous fees. This was
challenging because the salaries would change weekly due to possible overtime and the constant
changes with the union rules. There was a blank area on the payroll reports, to further explain
any of these aforementioned changes, so there would be no confusion on why the numbers
changed. Payroll reports were made every week, copied, signed by the General Manager, Debby
Buchholz, the copy sent to the Finance department, and the original placed in a show binder.
I have included a copy of two check requests, as well as a payroll report that I created, in
Appendix D, signed for completion by Jenny Case.
Learn About the Agreement Between La Jolla Playhouse and UCSD
My third learning objective was to learn about the Grad Student Residency program,
specifically between La Jolla Playhouse and UCSD actors and stage managers. The majority of
the shows for the current season were employing Theatre Arts majors from UCSD, as well as
locals from the surrounding community, so it was important to learn the agreement between the
University and the Theatre. I was able to complete this task by the deadline of March 26th.
To complete a student Excel ratio report, I first had to review Rule 39 in the AEA
handbook, which deals with non-professionals.
Within the theatre industry, there are three categories of non-professionals: local jobbers,
equity membership candidates, and students. Local jobbers are residents of the community in
which the theatre is located that don’t intend to make a career out of theatre. Equity membership
candidates want to make a career in professional theatre and are interested in training to reach
their goal. Lastly, students come from the UCSD campus, in which La Jolla Playhouse is a part
of, to further their experience as Theatre Arts majors.
I also had to learn about ratios within a production. Within the AEA handbook, there are
tables demonstrating the amount of students, local jobbers, or equity membership candidates
allowed in a single production. There was also room to bank non-professionals, which meant
that for each actor employed for a production in place of a non-professional actor, the theatre
could keep a non-professional on the side in case they were needed. Also, a production was
allowed to float a non-professional, which meant that a show could employ a certain amount of
students on top of the cast already chosen. The ratios vary between theatres, La Jolla Playhouse
being a category “B” theatre, and the Pottiker (a stage within La Jolla Playhouse) being a
category “C” theatre.
After I had finished studying that particular section of the handbook, I was able to create
my student ratio Excel report. This was very challenging because I had to make sure that we
utilized all the non-professionals that were necessary in the show, and used them within the
guidelines of the handbook.
I have included a copy of a student ratio Excel report that I created in Appendix E, along
with a signature for completion provided by my Supervisor.

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Write a Union Actor Contract
My fourth learning objective was to learn how to write a union actor contract. This
learning activity took all the experience I had with the aforementioned tasks, so that the contract
I wrote would be legal and legitimate in terms of AEA, LORT, and the SSD&C unions. Even
though my task was to create an actor contract, I did eventually learn how to create contracts for
composers (under the American Federation of Musicians union), choreographers, and others. I
completed this task by my deadline of April 16th.
Jenny had to write contracts continuously because there were numerous theatre
employees being hired on a day-to-day basis. A contract with an actor, stage manager, etc. was
the paperwork that determined a future relationship between the aforementioned employees and
the theatre. It was vital to present this information error-free, so there would be no chance of
confusion or lawsuit in the future.
To complete this task, I had to have knowledge on specific jobs and their responsibilities,
compensation, tasks, transportation, housing, the laws concerning show recordings, etc. All of
this information was described in all of the theatre employees’ respective union handbooks.
The General Manager of La Jolla Playhouse, Debby Buchholz, was a lawyer before being
hired at the Theatre, so she assisted with the legal jargon necessary within the contract. My only
job within this activity was to insert the information in each category in respect to the type of
employee I was writing about.
I have included a union actor contract that I drafted, in Appendix F, along with a
signature for completion by Jenny Case.
Analyze Stages of Production Contracts
My fifth learning activity was to evaluate production contracts in their various stages.
This task coincided with the fourth learning activity because I had to learn the cycle the contract
went through before its completion. I completed this activity by my assigned deadline of April
23rd.
When an actor, composer, sound designer, or any other theatre employee is hired within
La Jolla Playhouse, both Debby and Jenny draw up a contract using their knowledge from the
various handbooks, as well as their knowledge from previous contracts. After a contract is
completed, it is sent to the aforementioned employees’ agent. The agent will look over the
contract and make any changes necessary within the agreement. Corrections usually consist of
making a statement more clear than it previously was written. As mentioned earlier, there should
be no confusion as to the terms presented within the contract.
Once the corrections are clearly marked on the original copy of the contract, it is sent
back to both Debby and Jenny for final revisions. They will then finalize the contract, which will
be copied and sent to the agent, with the original being placed in a show binder.
For this activity, I looked over a contract that was created for John Gromada, whom was
to be in this season’s Surf Report. This contract was a challenge for the entire General
Management team because Gromada was not only going to be the Composer for the play, but
also the Sound Designer. This meant one contract had to be assigned to two jobs. Debby and
Jenny had already written up the first draft of the contract, which was sent to Gromada’s Agent.
His Agent had made many revisions, mostly making aware the two job titles associated within
the contract, and the contract was sent back to Debby and Jenny. Debby then finalized the
agreement between the Theatre and Gromada.

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I was responsible for merging the two documents (the original and the finalized), to show
what had been changed between the two, so the Agent had a clear idea going through the
finalized contract what was finally agreed upon.
Although that was my only task within this activity, I had to look over both contracts and
analyze what was changed and why it was changed. Some of the corrections were based upon
numbers illustrated within the handbooks, and some were to make the material more clear for the
Agent’s sake.
For my notes and analysis of this task, I have included a copy of the original contract, the
Agents’ corrections, the finalized contract Debby wrote, and the merged documents displaying
what was revised (See Appendix G). The merged document, which I created, has been signed for
completion by Jenny Case.
Concept Integration and Application
Job Characteristics Model
The Job Characteristics Model was created by J. Richard Hackman and Greg Oldhma,
and states that “any job can be described in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, task
identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This model
demonstrates that if an organization is structured with high levels of skill variety, task identity,
task significance, autonomy, and feedback, then employees will be more motivated to perform
their jobs, and therefore will work efficiently throughout the organization. If an organization
does not provide strong levels of some of these elements, then employees may get bored easily
and feel less motivated to perform their work, which will lead to less efficiency throughout the
organization.
Skill Variety
Skill variety is defined as “the degree to which a job requires a variety of different
activities” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). If an employee is allowed to use more than one
specialization or talent throughout their organization, they will feel more accomplished and
motivated within their job. Performing one task, or utilizing one skill, such as a telemarketer who
calls people for eight hours a day, will dramatically decrease an employee’s motivation to work
hard in the organization. High skill variety does not only motivate employees, but it shows
employers the wide range of skills an employee is able to perform.
There was a significant amount of skill variety at La Jolla Playhouse because the
employees I observed had to be very skillful in many areas to perform the tasks at hand.
Throughout my internship, I observed Jenny providing customer service, writing contracts,
making travel arrangements for employees, renting apartments for actors, and working with
finances, such as payroll and checks. Jenny is able to present her diverse skills on a daily basis,
and she is able to utilize them to the benefit of the organization.
Task Identity
According to Judge and Robbins (2008), task identity is defined as “the degree to which a
job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work”. This concept proves that an
employee, who is involved with the entire process of a job, activity, task, etc., will experience
more accomplishment because they will be identified with the completion, and possible success
of that piece of work. An example would be a “cabinetmaker who designs a piece of furniture,
selects the wood, builds the object, and finishes it to perfection” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This
concept also states that an employee who carries out one aspect involved in the process will

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identify less with the piece of work, and therefore detach themselves from their involvement.
Jobs such as this, which are low in task identity, include a toy factory worker that places clothes
on dolls.
La Jolla Playhouse demonstrated medium task identity. Jenny contributed to the entire
process of creating contracts, check requests, and payroll reports. However, when writing check
requests and payroll reports, she was preparing the Financial department to pay the employees of
the Theatre. Also, Jenny was responsible for hiring actors for specific shows, once given a list of
chosen people by members of the General Management team, but never attended casting
auditions or was able to choose actors herself.
Task Significance
Task significance is defined as “the degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the
lives or work of other people” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This concept illustrates that jobs that
affect other employees or customers will motivate the employee more because of the increased
responsibility they have toward the success of the organization. Examples of jobs with high task
significance include doctors, nurses, teachers, and professors. They’re responsible for people’s
lives, and minds, which makes them motivated to be more efficient and productive. Examples of
jobs with low task significance include janitors and hostesses. These employees have no impact
on other people, or other employees, and therefore they are less motivated to be efficient and
productive.
La Jolla Playhouse exuded high task significance. Jenny determined the future
relationship between the Theatre and an employee, set the guidelines of their stay at the Theatre,
and was a significant factor in making a production successful. These tasks were not only
important to the employee, but also to the success of the Theatre. Besides Jenny, the entire
organization was responsible for creating a successful show, which would impact employees
(employees at La Jolla Playhouse, as well as actors, stage managers, etc.), and the community
that supported the Playhouse.
Autonomy
According to Judge and Robbins (2008), autonomy is described as “the degree to which a
job provides substantial freedom and discretion to the individual in scheduling the work and in
determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out”. This concept illustrates that an
employee who has complete freedom through how and when they perform their work, feels
responsible for the success or failure of the job, and therefore is motivated to work hard to make
it successful. Examples of jobs with high autonomy include a “salesperson who schedules his or
her own work each day and decides on the most effective sales approach for each customer
without supervision” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). A job with low autonomy will give the employee
less responsibility on the outcome of the project, and therefore will decrease their motivation to
carry out the work effectively. These jobs include fast food services and retail jobs.
There was a significant amount of autonomy present at La Jolla Playhouse, especially in
Jenny’s job. She was free to perform her work as she saw fit, as long as her tasks were
accomplished in a timely manner. Even though she is the Associate General Manager, she has
complete freedom with some of her work because she has been an employee for nine years, and
her experience enhances her proficiency. In one instance, Jenny had to contact employed actors
about a show they were involved with that was being cancelled before rehearsals began. She was
responsible for the entire process of calling the agent, discussing what had happened, and
conversing with the actor to discuss future employment possibilities.
Feedback

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Feedback is defined as “the degree to which carrying out the work activities required by a
job results in the individual obtaining direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his
or her performance” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This concept states that an employee who
receives feedback from their superiors, or direct feedback from their product or service, will see
how they are performing within the organization, and therefore feel motivated to continue
progressing by changing how they do things, or by working harder in certain areas. An example
of a job with high feedback is the Geek Squad because their employees will fix computers and
receive direct feedback on whether their method of fixing computer problems works or not. If a
job has low feedback, employees won’t know what they’re doing wrong, which will allow them
to continue possibly making mistakes. An example of a job with low feedback would include an
employee who doesn’t see the end result of their work, and therefore doesn’t know if they
performed their work correctly and efficiently.
There was strong feedback throughout the entire organization of La Jolla Playhouse.
Feedback for the employees included seeing the results of a production, which they all
contributed to in some way. Feedback would include audience response, box office sales, and
show run time. Also, there was feedback by the employee’s superiors, especially by Mike
Rosenberg, the Managing Director at the Playhouse. Throughout my internship, I observed Mike
giving direct feedback to his employees on the floor, as well as organizing staff meetings that
discussed the current operations at the Theatre.
Conclusions and Recommendations
I believe that La Jolla Playhouse has followed this model almost perfectly. Creating an
atmosphere in which employees feel motivated to perform their work to the benefit of the
organization’s success is very important, and I believe that with the continued use of this
aforementioned concept, more people will want to work for La Jolla Playhouse, and there will be
decreasing turnover in the future. However, I would recommend increasing the amount of
responsibility given to one employee throughout an activity, such as the casting and hiring of an
actor, so there is strong task identity present within the organization.
Organizational Structure
Organizational structure is defined as “the way in which job tasks are formally divided,
grouped, and coordinated” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). According to this concept, there are six
elements to consider when planning an organization’s structure: work specialization,
departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization and decentralization, and
formalization. When these elements are designed properly, the organization will run more
efficiently.
Work specialization
Work specialization is defined as “the degree to which tasks in an organization are
subdivided into separate jobs” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This concept demonstrates that a single
activity is performed by a variety of individuals contributing to one aspect of the process. Each
employee can work on the task they specialize in, rather than performing the entire activity
themselves. This is important because there is a wide variety of skills and knowledge throughout
an organization, but not everyone specializes in the same task. When designed properly, there is
more efficiency because employees can focus on a specific task. At La Jolla Playhouse, there
was work specialization in regards to check requests and payroll reports. Jenny’s responsibility
was to write check requests and payroll reports in regards to her knowledge of the two
aforementioned handbooks. After she completed filling out the paperwork, she would send this

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information to the Finance department, so they could perform their step in the activity. Jenny had
no knowledge on writing checks for employees, or budgeting for shows, so she didn’t involve
herself in this step in the process.
Departmentalization
Departmentalization is defined as “the basis by which jobs in an organization are grouped
together” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This concept demonstrates that when similar jobs are placed
together in a department, usually by function, product, geography, process, or customer, the
organization will run more efficiently. An organization can either be highly departmentalized, in
which there’s separation between groups regarding their different functions, products, etc., or it
can transform into cross-functioning teams, in which departments begin merging with other
departments. La Jolla Playhouse is considered to have departmentalization with cross-functional
teams. The organization is divided into departments by function, such as finance, company
development, artistic development, stage management, company management, etc. Even though
it’s departmentalized, there are a lot of cross-functioning teams present. Jenny, for example, is
part of the General Management department, but began working for Company Management
because it required similar knowledge to that of general management.
Chain of Command
Chain of command is defined as “the unbroken line of authority that extends from the top
of the organization to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to whom” (Judge & Robbins,
2008). This concept suggests that an organization with a clear chain of command will be more
productive because employees will know who to report to in case of an issue. According to
Judge and Robbins (2008), this concept is becoming less relevant today because “of
advancements in information technology and the trend toward empowering employees”. This
was apparent at La Jolla Playhouse. The structure of chain of command was still evident because
I observed employees going to their superiors (i.e., Jenny Case reports to Debby Buchholz) for
questions and concerns, but there was also freedom to whom employees spoke to, such as going
directly to the Managing Director, Mike Rosenberg, and what information they obtained, such as
financials and company records.
Span of Control
Span of control is defined as “the number of subordinates a manager can efficiently and
effectively direct” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This concept states that organizations with larger
and wider spans of control will run more efficiently and be more productive then organizations
with smaller and narrow spans of control. However, managers that operate within smaller and
narrow spans of control will be able to control their employees more effectively. Because La
Jolla Playhouse is a small organization, it operates with a small and narrow span of control.
There are very few top managers in the organization that control just over 200 employees.
Centralization and Decentralization
Centralization is defined as “the degree to which decision making is concentrated at a
single point in an organization” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This concept demonstrates that a
manager makes decisions without receiving input from subordinates. In contrast, decentralization
demonstrates that a manager includes subordinates in the decision-making process. According to
Judge and Robbins (2008), decentralization in an organization is preferred because “action can
be taken more quickly to solve problems, more people provide input into decisions, and
employees are less likely to feel alienated from those who make the decisions that affect their
work lives”. Decentralization is prevalent at La Jolla Playhouse. The Managing Director, Mike

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Rosenberg, conducted meetings daily to discuss issues within the Playhouse and get feedback
and input from lower-level employees.
Formalization
Formalization is defined as “the degree to which jobs within an organization are
standardized” (Judge & Robbins, 2008). This concept proves that organizations with high
formalization will operate in a highly structured, uniform way. La Jolla Playhouse is highly
formalized. There are various rules and regulations to abide by, specific procedures when
performing tasks (although some freedom is allowed), and there’s detailed job descriptions
present for each position.
Conclusions and Recommendations
La Jolla Playhouse seems to be structured in a way to benefit the organization and
employees, simultaneously. The organization is designed to maximize efficiency and
productivity among employees, as well as perfect the service it provides to the community.
According to this management concept, however, organizations with small and narrow spans of
control are least preferred due to their expensive costs and lower productivity. I disagree with
this because I believe La Jolla Playhouse operates very efficiently, while keeping their costs low.
Job Analysis
Job analysis is “the process of getting detailed information about jobs” (Noe, Hollenbeck,
Wright, & Gerhart, 2008). Key elements of job analysis include job descriptions and job
specifications. It’s important to have clear job descriptions and job specifications to ensure that
an applicant understands the tasks involved in their prospective job, as well as the requirements
to perform the job correctly.
Job Descriptions
Job descriptions are defined as “a list of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job
entails (Noe et al., 2008). Job descriptions are used to clearly define a person’s role within the
organization, so that when applying, they have a clear vision on what is to be expected. At La
Jolla Playhouse, my internship description included working on the following projects: “aid with
first rehearsal duties and contracting actors and authors, assist in coordinating out of town
auditions, assist in contract drafting and offer process, manage union and counsel files regarding
Actors' Equity and LORT…” (“Internships”). When I applied for my internship, I knew exactly
what I tasks I would be performing during my 3-month stay. This description was very accurate
to what I actually worked on, and I didn’t experience any surprises within my daily
responsibilities and duties.
Job Specifications
Job specifications are defined as “a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other
characteristics that an individual must have to perform a particular job” (Noe et al., 2008). Job
specifications demonstrate that there are certain attributes a person must have to be able to
perform the job correctly. At La Jolla Playhouse, my job specifications were specified as
follows: “an undergraduate student interested in arts administration…must have excellent written
and verbal communications skills and computer skills including Excel…personal vehicle, a sense
of humor and flexibility to do a wide variety of tasks are important…” (“Internships”). This
description allowed me to evaluate whether I was capable of performing this job. I realized I had
all the necessary qualifications, such as communication skills and computer skills, and therefore
applied for the position.
Comments and Recommendations

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La Jolla Playhouse has created a very descriptive job analysis for every position available
within the organization. With the qualifications, responsibilities, and expectations provided, I
was able to analyze my capabilities and willingness to perform certain tasks against their
requirements. There are no recommendations I can provide for the organization based on this
aspect because I feel their job analysis is accurate and clear.
Personal Reflection
Within the last three months, I have learned an incredible amount about the industry I
would like to work in. Never having had a desk job before, this was my first experience being in
the office setting every week, dealing with employees, such as actors, who I never saw or met,
and handling challenging tasks that if done incorrectly, could financially harm the Theatre.
Throughout my experience, I had to learn how to deal with large amounts of money,
converse with important clients with a stake in the company, and handle documents that included
personal information. I learned what satisfaction comes from having this level of responsibility.
Although I thought La Jolla Playhouse was an efficiently run organization, there’s one
aspect of the organization I would change if I were allowed. The organization still uses binders
to keep records of shows and employees for future reference. I would like to see them move
toward a computer database that houses all that information. It is more expensive than their
current method, but it would increase the amount of space in their warehouse, and would make it
easier for all employees to find records. I suggested this idea to Jenny Case, and she has made
efforts to put more documents in the computer.
This has been a great opportunity for me because I’ve learned the basics in working
within the theatre industry, and can now be more prepared when seeking a job after graduation
from college. I had always thought the General Management department of a theatre to be
dealing with actual productions a lot more, but now I realize that the job consists mainly of
writing contracts, check requests, payroll reports, plus generating and answering emails. This has
given me insight on my future prospects, because I’ve learned that I wouldn’t want to necessarily
work in that department for my future job. I want to be more involved in the production of plays,
musicals, events, etc. Even though I realized that this certain profession with this industry isn’t
what I had expected, I still had a very rewarding experience.
Conclusion
La Jolla Playhouse is a very challenging, and very rewarding, place to work. The
Theatre’s main goal is to educate the community, including theatre-goers and non-theatre-goers,
about the significance of theatre as an art form. Each aspect of the organization is an important
part of making the Theatre a successful non-profit organization. I completed 105 hours of work
during my 3-month stay, which included learning the rules and regulations of the AEA, LORT,
and SSD&C unions; creating payroll reports and check requests for specific shows and
individual employees; creating ratio reports for UCSD students, and community residents;
evaluating the stages contracts go through before their completion; and, writing contracts for
various theatre employees hired daily. Besides these five learning activities, I also involved
myself with other departments, such as Company Management and Public Relations, and was
able to exceed my expectations in working within the theatre industry.

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References
Internships - Internships. (n.d.). Welcome to La Jolla Playhouse. Retrieved May 8, 2010, from
http://www.lajollaplayhouse.com/about-the-playhouse/internships
Judge, T., & Robbins, S. P. (2008). Organizational Behavior (13th ed.). Alexandria, VA:
Prentice Hall.
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P.M. (2008). Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.