Looking Back on My Disney College Program

Growing up, I always told myself “someday I’m going to work at Walt Disney World.” It was always a dream, but entering college I finally found the platform to pursue that dream: the Disney College Program! I attended the on-campus presentation, applied online, and was soon accepted to be a Cast Member on the Disney College Program at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida!

Thinking about the entire process and internship as a whole, I have nothing but positive things to say about the Disney College Program. It was a journey that led to so many new and exciting opportunities to further both my Disney heritage and my career goals in general. With the myriad activities, learning opportunities and special events for Disney Cast Members, my internship was filled with experiences that allowed me to advance as a student and as a professional. Considering all that went into the internship, my growth as an individual is truly based on the resources available.

My internship with the Walt Disney World Resort began at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, a quick-service restaurant in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom Park. I worked as part of a multi-functional team that successfully runs North America’s busiest quick-service restaurant. It was in the first few weeks of my internship where I was introduced to the Disney Quality Standards. These business standards, also known as the Four Keys of the Disney Show, are safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. Safety is always put first to promote secure experiences for both Guests and Cast. Courtesy is providing friendly, personalized service to each Guest. Show is delivering flawless and captivating experiences for every Guest. Efficiency is striving for the most effective and efficient processes to provide quality experiences. These “Four Keys” work hand in hand in every part of our daily procedures, in each and every role across property.

Working at Cosmic Ray’s was a wonderful environment for developing transferrable skills I can use for the rest of my career. Clearly, time management always played a key role in delivering quality Guest Service in an efficient manner. Time management also went hand in hand with multitasking skills. There was always work to be done, and it was important to keep busy while performing numerous tasks at once. In all of this, it was important to remember the higher purpose: helping deliver the Walt Disney World vision of positive relationships with our Guests and making those connections last.

The first half of my internship provided me countless opportunities to develop these skills and put them into use on a daily basis. Each day presented new challenges and I thrived on working to find solutions to exceed Guest expectations. After a few months of my role at Cosmic Ray’s, I then transferred from Food and Beverage over to Entertainment, where I would have to learn how to put these skills to use in a new way.

As a Character Performer, the few seconds spent with a child become part of the story of their lifetime. Disney Characters, worldwide, provide joy, reflect the uplifting family values of The Walt Disney Company, and bring quality entertainment to people around the world. The transferrable skills I developed during my time at Cosmic Ray’s were important in successfully transitioning into my role in Entertainment, but were utilized in different ways. Time management now meant keeping track of set times to ensure characters were on time for meet and greet experiences. Partnering skills became a large part of daily operations. The partnership between Character Attendants, Character Performers, and Disney Photo Imaging Photographers helps ensure more impactful Guest interactions, as well as a consistent show flow between each interaction.

The Disney Quality Standard of “Show” became a very important aspect of my daily routine. As a Character Performer, the few seconds I spend with a child in a meet-and-greet interaction become part of their memory for the rest of their life. Every move and gesture I made as a Performer must be “part of the show” and help tell the story with which Guests are familiar.

A large part of my internship experience has been the educational offerings. Disney University and the Disney College Program Education Team offer a number of professional development, career exploratory and accredited collegiate courses. I was lucky enough to be enrolled in four classes: Marketing Exploration Series, Disney Heritage Exploration Series, Guest Relations Exploration Series, and the Entertainment Professional Development Study.

My Marketing Exploration Series course was a look into the marketing tactics of the various business units within Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Guest speakers from multiple lines of business, including Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club, spoke about the marketing strategies and campaigns used to promote growth while maintaining the core equities of the Disney Parks brand. The amount of time and effort put into such small details in these marketing campaigns, in order to maintain the rich content and uniqueness of the Disney brand, is astonishing.

The Entertainment Show Production Professional Development Study offered me an opportunity to explore how Walt Disney Creative Entertainment develops, implements, and maintains their productions. Specific topics included business planning and creative investigation, concept development, show development, production and opening, and operations. In-class activities allowed me to partner with other students to solve detailed issues pertinent to show production.

One of the most influential aspects of my Disney College Program was the opportunity to network with Disney leaders. I was lucky enough to meet the Entertainment Manager for Fantasmic and Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Melissa oversees the daily operations of both productions, among other live events, and serves as the shows’ stage manager during most performances.

Melissa was gracious enough to give me a personal tour of both performance spaces. I was able to get a close-up, behind-the-scenes view of the inner workings of both productions. It was daunting to see how complex, (and at times, how simple,) each production ran. Melissa then invited me to shadow her during a performance of each show. I was able to sit in the control booth and take notes on how each performance is run. That, for me, was the most influential part of my experience in Orlando.

I look back on my experiences and I truly treasure the wealth of knowledge shared with me by passionate leadership teams and Cast Members. Looking forward, I can honestly say that my participation on the Disney College Program has been one of the greatest journeys of my life thus far. With my foot in the door with the Walt Disney Company, I feel very optimistic about a successful future with the Company, or any other path I may take in the future. Knowing myself, and my passion for Disney heritage, I know I will stay with the Company after college. Whether it be Parks and Resorts, or any other number of divisions of the Company, I know my graduation from the Disney College Program will help me secure a position with the Company.

No Ordinary Day at Hollywood Studios

So last Wednesday was perhaps the highlight of my College Program experience thus far. I was like a kid in a candy store: I got to tour the Fantasmic island and the Beauty and the Beast stage!

My day started out by meeting the stage manager outside the control booth in the empty Fantasmic amphitheater. It was really weird seeing it empty. Usually it is filled to capacity. We made our way around to the back of the island, and crossed a bridge so we were behind the mountain. It was enormous! We then climbed all the way up to the top, and worked our way from top to bottom.

The backside of the mountain was really cool. There were pyro cannons all over, and a lot of safety cables and such. The stage manager showed me all of the little secrets of the mountain, where certain character stand, and explained where the tech crew are positioned and what they do during the show.

We then passed the dragon. It was really cool to see it up close and personal. It is huge! Then we walked onstage, and she showed me where all the lifts are located. It truly is a massive stage.

From there, we headed into the basement under the stage. Luckily this area is air-conditioned. In the basement, we saw the cauldron, and the various lifts. I actually stood on Maleficent's lift, and saw how the safety pedals work.

We then headed back up and toured the steamboat. She showed me where the driver sits, and we then climbed up to the top where Steamboat Mickey stands.

Then, we headed into the maintenance/workshop area behind the theatre. Located here are costume/scenic storage, light/tech workshops, a rehearsal studio, a green room, a well as offices.

We went through the wig workshop, the light workshop, the rehearsal studio, the green room, and finally the costume room. That was my favorite room: so many character costumes, some of which you never get to see up close because certain characters never appear in meet-and-greets, such as Steamboat Mickey.

Our tour then came to an end, in the stage manager's office. But my day wasn't over yet! The stage manager mentioned that she would be calling the 4:00 show of Beauty and the Beast, and she invited me to sit in the control booth with her during the show, and then to take a backstage tour!

So I met her again inside the theatre and we made our way to the control booth. She actually gave me a headset to wear so I could hear all of the tech communication!

Following the show, we made our way backstage. Everything was already preset for the next show! The tech crew did that really fast!

She showed me all of the costumes, props, and set pieces. We then walked onstage and took a look at the newly-installed backdrops.

The whole time, I was just in awe of the exquisite detail and wonderful theming of everything around me. I was just so impressed with how creative and innovative everything was.

Well after a few more questions for the stage manager, it was time to say goodbye. I am so thankful for her taking the time to treat me to such a wonderful experience. If I don't have one more good day on my Program, it will all have been worth it because of my day touring the theaters at Hollywood Studios!

A Fantasmic Night!

Last week I was an extremely happy and lucky guy: I got to sit in the control booth during a performance of Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios!

It was definitely an out-of-this-world experience. The stage manager could not have been nicer when I met her the previous week, and when she offered me the opportunity to sit in with her during a show, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

I arrived at the Fantasmic theatre at 6:30 for a 7:00 show. I met the stage manager near the control booth at the back of the theatre. Inside the control room, I met Adam (in charge of show control,) Mike (in charge of fire,) Steve (in charge of lights,) as well as Dan (who is usually a spotlight operator.)

The control room itself was very cool. There were video screens and computer monitors everywhere, tracking everything from lights, temperature, wind and humidity. They check all of these things to make sure everything will be safe when it comes to all of the pyro and fire effects.

At about 10 minutes before showtime, the stage manager did a headset check to make sure everybody on headset could hear her. She also did a spot check to make sure all of the spotlight operators were in position and ready. Dan, who was supposed to be spot 4, sat in the booth because the instrument wasn't working.

The stage manager then waited for a call from the backstage manager that the green room was clear. Looking at the stage, the SM could tell that it wasn't quite dark enough yet for Mickey's entrance to work, so she held for 5 minutes. She then called places/5 minutes to showtime.

Soon, the show started with that famous musical intro everybody knows. Mickey popped up onstage, and the fun began. It was really cool to see the show with a perfect view of everything, as well as to be able to look at different backstage and onstage views from various cameras around the theatre, on screens in the control booth.

The SM's job was mainly to warn and call spotlight cues. The sound, lights and water effects are all pre-cued in the show control system, and it was Adam's job to make sure everything was synced up. Mike controlled all of the pyrotechnics and fire effects, following his own prompt book.

During the run of the show, I did witness some conflict resolutions. At one point, it appeared that one of the monkey performers fell down on the floating barge, so the SM called backstage to find out what happened. It turned out to be a costuming issue, and was nothing serious. Other minor conflicts that arose were also due to costuming issues, so the SM made notes to try to fix these problems before the second show that evening.

I did learn that the SM is trained backstage first, so they know how everything works. There is a lot to coordinate backstage, since many of the show's effects involve safety precautions for both actors and crew.

The show finally came to a close, and it was pretty much a smooth, flawless run (minus a few costuming issues.) The dragon worked, and all of the sound and lights were on cue.

I am most definitely thankful to the wonderful stage manager who helped set up this amazing opportunity for me. It was a night I will never forget!

Summer Fun

Summer is in full swing here in East Lansing! Immediately following the end of classes, I started a one-week gig as a stage manager for the 14th annual Young Playwrights Festival at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. I stage managed three of six plays, written by high school students and chosen by a committee to be produced in a collaborative effort between the Department of Theatre and the MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts and Creativity at Wharton Center.

Following a week of long days of rehearsals at the Auditorium and the Pasant Theatre, the Young Playwrights Festival had two successful performances. Then I dove right into my summer class and my summer job, stage managing the Summer Circle Theatre's 50th anniversary season. This summer, "Blithe Spirit," "The Drunken City," and "Alice in Wonderland" will all be presented on the banks of the Red Cedar River in the annual free outdoor theatre production.

Rehearsals for all three shows are going quite well. It's fun jumping from show to show on a daily basis, because each show is unique and I get to work with three different directors. The cast of eight actors performing in these shows is so much fun and makes the long days go by so much faster. The first of the three productions, "Blithe Spirit," opens in less than two weeks, and then it's a weekend of "Drunken City" and a closing weekend of "Alice."

With the end of Summer Circle will come the end of class for the summer, and THEN I will finally get to go home, spend some time with my family and get ready for my Disney College Program! In less than three months I will be on my way to Florida to start my semester at Walt Disney World! I definitely can't wait!

Until then, there's rehearsal, class and summer fun. I'm definitely enjoying this summer and all the fun it has presented me so far.

"Cause everything is RENT!"

What an interesting experience working on Rent has been. As assistant stage manager, I have been with the production from the beginning, and have seen the show through the entire rehearsal, tech and production process. From the start I knew this would be a great experience, given the director was a personal friend of playwright Jonathan Larson. It was interesting to hear Scott, the director, talk about his days living in New York with Jon and actually being there during the time Jon was writing Rent. He had many funny and charming stories to share with the cast and crew about his days in New York, struggling as an actor, and how so much of Jon’s life was incorporated into his work.

As many people know, the rights for Rent are extremely well guarded by the Larson estate and the publisher. There are a number of rules that come along with this show that most productions don’t have to deal with. Yet Scott had ideas for this production – ideas that most other productions would get in trouble for attempting. He wanted to rearrange the order of the second act, because he felt the voice mails interrupted the dramatic action and made Angel’s death seem less significant.

But the Department of Theatre warned Scott about attempting to do such a thing, especially with their issues regarding the production of Tommy last year. Scott said not to worry, because he would get it cleared with Jon’s parents and would show the publisher that he had the right to do it. Well I’m not quite sure exactly what happened, but he never ended up getting it cleared with the Larson family. I think he felt bad for pestering them about it, and just decided to make do with what he had. He did end up cutting almost all of the song “Contact,” but don’t tell anyone!

This production was also special to me because it was a chance to work with a few actors with whom I’ve previously shared the stage. I performed in Seussical the Musical and The Wiz with actors Kellyn Uhl and Michelle Meredith in a community theatre back in high school. So it was fun to be able to work with them again in a college setting. Plus, both of them – as well as the entire cast – are extremely talented, which made the experience just so much more enjoyable.

Another element of this production that I appreciated was the director’s statement that “this is not the Rent from Broadway. This is not Rent the movie.” He told the cast not to listen to the soundtrack or watch the movie (or filmed version of the final Broadway performance.) He wanted to start from scratch, and take a fresh look at the material, instead of giving audiences the “standard” Rent that most would expect. No, Mark would not be wearing his famous striped scarf. No, Angel would not be wearing the famous Santa jacket. This was not to be a recreation of the Broadway production.

He wanted it to be a period piece, so the designers examined the script and pinpointed a year – 1994/1995. A central theme to the design concept was the idea that even when you’re not in focus, your life continues. Scott wanted a beehive-like community. For costumes, the designer wanted authentic clothing; she wanted it to look how the characters would have found and dressed themselves using what was in their closets.

Yet another interesting element of this production was the incorporation of video and projections. It was a great concept, and was wonderfully executed by the designer and film team. It was neat to be able to experience the filming at the Com Arts studio in front of a green screen, and see how it transferred so well onstage. All in all, Rent has been a truly wonderful experience from start to end, and I feel quite fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with such talented actors and designers.

Remembering Speech & Debate

This past January I had the opportunity to stage manage Speech & Debate, an open-stage production for the Department of Theatre at MSU. Open-stage productions are completely student-run, so the show was directed by senior BFA actress Michelle Meredith. Michelle and I have known each other for a while -- we acted together in a couple community theatre productions in high school. So it was great to get a chance to work with her again!

It was the first show where I felt I had everything under control and figured out, having

assistant stage managed Palmer Park and stage managed Freshman Showcase.

I also took on the responsibility of prop master and projection designer. I was able to combine my love for organization and stage management with my creative side. I even designed the show's logo and poster.

The play itself held a lot of sentimental value to both myself and the rest of the cast. It dealt with a lot of "taboo" topics which most of us could relate to in our own lives. The character "Diwata" also referenced the musical Once Upon a Mattress, which was the first show I ever performed in with director Michelle Meredith.

I'll always remember that magical feeling that comes with being an actor on opening night -- but I've learned that that feeling also comes when you're a stage manager (or director, designer, etc.) It was so rewarding to see all of our hard work come together and create something important.

And to cherish those memories, we videotaped a couple of our favorite scenes from the show!

Scene 7: "Duo Interpretation"

Scene 9: "Group Interpretation"

Remembering Palmer Park

I've been meaning to write about my experience working as the assistant stage manager for Michigan State University Department of Theatre's production of Palmer Park this past October. So here goes...

Palmer Park was my first production with the MSU DoT. I was a bit hesitant at first, being a freshman and not knowing anybody involved. Boy am I glad I took advantage of the opportunity.

The whole process was extremely enlightening. I was able to sit in on auditions and see the casting decisions being made by the director. It was interesting to learn how directors see things and how auditions look from the other side of the director's table.

It was also very rewarding to work on a production that held personal, sentimental value. The play takes place in Detroit right after the race riots. There were numerous cultural and historical references that were quite relevant and meant something to either myself or my family who grew up in Detroit.

Another rewarding aspect of this production was that this production was the United States premiere of the show. It had been performed in Stratford not long before. Since this was the US premiere, the playwright, Joanna McClelland Glass actually came to see it. Now that was a perk! We got to actually meet the playwright of the show we were performing!

A lot of research and dramaturgy went into the rehearsal process of the show. We took a field trip to the actual neighborhood of Palmer Woods in Detroit and were lucky enough to be able to tour the inside of one of the houses. We also saw the house in which the playwright lived, and we toured other famous landmarks which make appearances in the script.

I am so fortunate to have been able to work with the director, Chaya Gordon-Bland, and the stage manager, Sarah DeBoer. Both were simply wonderful to work with and I am so proud to be able to say I was a part of this production.