Ask the Intern: Silviana Abreu at ATG Entertainment

The moment when the lights go down in the theatre, the crowd gets quiet, and the performers appear on stage can feel like magic. But there’s a lot of careful choreography that goes into giving audiences that spellbinding experience, and Silviana Abreu is a part of it all this summer through her internship in theatre operations with ATG Entertainment, the owner of seven Broadway houses. The Media, Culture, and Communication (MCC) major is getting a taste of customer service, house management, pre-show assistance—skills she hopes will serve a future career in producing and marketing. 

Here’s more in her own words from her interview with NYU News about this hands-on role and her advice for breaking into the business:

CURTAIN RAISER: My primary responsibilities include assisting with major customer service systems, such as lost and found, across all seven of ATG’s Broadway theatres, and working walk-in shifts, helping the theatre manager to ensure a smooth entrance process for patrons.

GETTING THE PART: I found this internship on Playbill Jobs and applied directly through ATG’s LinkedIn page. I work on campus for the Tisch Drama Production Resource Office as an office assistant and house manager, so most of my skills transferred directly from that role, in addition to my previous theatre industry internship experience.

EIGHT SHOWS A WEEK: It’s been very exciting to work at Dog Day Afternoon as they near their closing. Since it’s one of the theatres where I’ve been working most consistently, it’s also been great to get more comfortable with how everything operates there. I’ve learned so much about other areas of the Broadway business just by being at the theatre every night.

By being in the venues, I’ve been able to see a couple of shows as well. As a big theatre kid, it will forever be cool to be in the house before a show, when it's mostly empty, and watch all the departments go through their pre-show processes to get ready for the performance. I’m meeting new people every day and collaborating with them in various capacities. I’m also excited to continue developing my house management skills and bring these experiences back to my on-campus job.

T FOR THEATRE, T FOR TEAM: ATG hosts weekly social events in the office, which have been really fun so far and have provided the perfect opportunity to mingle. Through both my daily work and these social events, I’ve gotten to meet people across various departments, both in the corporate office and at the theatres. Depending on the day, we may also do a group lunch in the office. This is my second internship with a Broadway theatre owner, and it has been incredibly exciting and interesting to see how differently things operate between the two companies. I definitely want to work in producing and marketing for Broadway in the future.