Summer 2023 Public Relations Intern
Lucy Kudlinski (she/her) is the Public Relations Intern. Lucy grew up dancing pre-professionally in Phoenix, Arizona. At the time of her internship, Lucy was working towards a Bachelor’s of the Arts in Dance and History at Barnard College of Columbia University. Lucy loves performing, choreographing, and writing about dance.
If you ask my neighbor in the Overlook Cabin, they’d tell you that my day begins at 7:00 am – that’s when my first alarm goes off. And hypothetically, that should be the case, but chances are I’ve snoozed until 7:30 am, clinging to a few more precious moments of sleep before I ultimately rip myself out of bed in a panic. I throw on a leotard and tights, and then speed walk to the Annex for an 8:00 AM call with Elise Linscott, the Public Relations Coordinator, to select photos from the previous night’s performance for members of the press. The next hour is filled with selecting photos in between slurping my coffee and shoveling oatmeal from the Stone Dining Room into my mouth. This is one of my favorite parts of the week, as I ooh and awe with Elise over the photos, reminiscing on last night’s show and reliving it through each moment captured. After putting together a press gallery of the photos for artists to review, I once again speed walk to Sommers Studio for community morning ballet class.
Morning Classes always bring a smile to my face. It’s one of the moments I feel most connected as a dancer to my intern cohort, a reminder that we are movement practitioners as much as we are appreciators and supporters. I also take joy in saying hi to the community members, like Judith or Leslie – who join for every morning class, rain or shine. I sweat my way through class (Berkshire humidity is nothing to scoff at!), enjoying the mind break before quickly getting ready for the work day.
From here, the day can go any number of ways – sometimes, it’s an orientation meeting with the visiting artist, where I’ll get to meet the company artists and discuss the press attending that week. Others, it’s a team huddle with the Marketing Department. If it’s a Wednesday, the campus is buzzing with anticipation of the Director’s Welcome. We bake in the sun by the Pillow Rock in a huge circle, sweaty but excited, each department standing ready with a fun sign as Nick Kowerko, the Board Liaison and Assistant to the Executive Director, rings a bell à la the town crier. After Nick’s signal, Pamela Tatge, the Executive and Artistic Director, welcomes the visiting artists and introduces the departments. It feels vaguely like a family barbecue, with a table of cookies and lemonade at the ready for refreshments. But before I can indulge in a chocolate chip, I wrangle the visiting companies for their press lineup photos. After the artists beam at Christopher Duggan, our Festival photographer, from where they’re posed atop the Pillow Rock, I promptly line them up for a headshot to be used for identifying the artists in photos. The pictures, though used only for Public Relations purposes, are always adorable– the artists are giggly and happy, arms slung around each other, excited for a week of performing at the Pillow.
The afternoon normally goes by with a flurry of activities: making and editing print programs, writing press releases, making story pitches to publications, and putting together press kits for reviewers attending performances. Oftentimes I attend a dress rehearsal in the afternoon – another one of my favorite work activities! – and get a secret glimpse into the performance. Once evening comes, I grab dinner to-go from Stone, and enjoy the outdoor performance on the Henry J. Leir Stage with some friends. It’s a welcome way to unwind from the day, and take a short break before jumping back into work. Before the evening performance, I stand at the ready with press kits, greeting reviewers who are attending shows that night. I love getting to talk to the members of the press; the reviewers often come from all different backgrounds and have exciting, unique stories to tell. Some have been coming to the Pillow every week for years!
If I’m lucky, after meeting the press I snag a bell ticket (or a last minute, unsold ticket available to staff) to the performance that evening. Sometimes it’s my second time seeing the show that week, like when Gauthier Dance was visiting; I managed to see the show twice, and could’ve easily gone for a third time! I’m always enchanted when watching dance in the Ted Shawn Theatre. It’s hard to remember that it was – and still is – a barn, until I look up and see starlight bleeding through the slats of wood above me. I always leave the theater with a smile on my face and a glow in my chest. My friends and I stand outside the theater discussing it, never looking for meaning but relishing in the movement. Sometimes we grab a glass of wine from the pub, ready to sip and gush as we relive the performance.
When I get back to my cabin in the evening, I’m normally achy and tired. But it’s a satisfying ache, one that reminds me of the fast, crazy, and fun day I’ve had!
This Pillow Pick was written by Lucy Kudlinski and published on August 1, 2023.