Teaching Pittsburgh Comedy for over 10 years!

Arcade Comedy Theater Internship Program

Interning is a great option for our Arcade Academy students looking to offset part/all of the cost of tuition by earning credits working with our house management staff during shows. It is also a unique opportunity to enrich your comedy education, experience the behind the scenes operation of an award-winning theater, learn customer service skills, make professional contacts, and become a more active member in our theater community!

How does it work?

Arcade interns are able to take classes for free or for half price in exchange for working with the house management staff during shows.

Interns work with our House Managers to accommodate customers during our shows by working the box office, checking in guests, ushering patrons, etc. In addition to helping our students save costs, internships are an opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes operations of the theater and get to know more members of the Arcade community. Internships also offer opportunities for growth within the organization; for example many former interns go on to become House Managers paid to work shows. 

If internships are sold out and you are unable to take a class without one, please contact our Academy Director Robin Hitchcock to see if arrangements can be made

FULL INTERNS:

  • Volunteer to work eight (8) shifts
  • Tuition is fully-covered

PARTIAL INTERNS:

  • Volunteer to work four (4) shifts
  • Pay 1/2 the full price of class tuition

ALL INTERNS:

  • Receive 1 Arcade staff t-shirt per session you intern, which is yours to keep!
  • Must attend a mandatory intern orientation
  • Must have ample availability during evenings with Arcade programming

“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!”

— Margaret O, former intern

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 compete 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

Additional Info

Once you have signed up for an internship you will be contacted by our General Manager welcoming you to our internship program and to schedule you for your orientation. Please note: if you are unable to complete your internship for any reason, you will owe the full cost of your Arcade class.

If you have any further questions regarding our Internship Program please contact our Academy Director, Robin Hitchcock.

Check Out Our Classes

Ready to jump in? Internships are offered for our 8-week classes, which are offered during five sessions throughout the year.