Internship Program
Offset tuition by working shows — and learn how a theater runs.
How it works
Interning is a great option for Arcade Academy students looking to offset part or all of the cost of tuition by earning credits working with our house-management staff during shows. It's also a unique way to enrich your comedy education and see the theater from behind the scenes.
Interns take classes for free or half-price in exchange for working shows — box office, guest check-in, ushering, and more — alongside our House Managers.
Intern levels
Full interns volunteer eight (8) shifts; tuition is fully covered.
Partial interns volunteer four (4) shifts and pay half the full class tuition.
All interns receive one Arcade staff t-shirt per session (yours to keep), must attend a mandatory orientation, and need ample evening availability during Arcade programming.
What a "shift" looks like
A Friday night typically has 3 shows (8, 9, 10 pm): interns arrive at 7 pm and stay until about midnight, earning 3 intern credits. A Sunday night typically has 1 show at 7 pm: interns arrive at 6 pm and stay until close.
Once you sign up, our Operations Team will welcome you and schedule your orientation. Please note: if you're unable to complete your internship for any reason, you'll owe the full cost of your Arcade class.
Intern responsibilities
Each show at the Arcade is unique and different from the next — the same could be said of our intern experience. Teamwork is the key to making each performance go off as planned. Below is a small sample of what you may have to complete on any given show night:
- Provide outstanding customer service
- Be open and welcoming
- Communicate and work well with your fellow interns and house staff
- Ticket and merch sales in the box office
- Money handling
- Ticket scanning
- Show room set up
- Ushering
- Minor janitorial tasks
“Interning was an invaluable experience for me: not only did it save me money on the class, but it gave me a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how a theater runs. I got to know interns, house and stage managers, performers, and producers so much better throughout my time. Yes, it’s work, but I also got to see a huge variety of hilarious comedy shows!”
Apply to intern
Internships are offered for our 8-week classes across five sessions a year. To apply for a full or partial internship, fill out the application and our Box Office Manager will be in contact within 48 hours. Once your application is accepted, you’ll receive a promo code to register for your class.
Application questions: mreimer@arcadecomedytheater.com. Anything else about the program: operations@arcadecomedytheater.com.