Theatre Archives Internship, Barrington Stage Company (Pittsfield, MA or Remote)

Posted September 3, 2025

Location: The June M. Guertin Archives at Barrington Stage Company (Pittsfield, MA) and/or Remote

Department: Archives and Special Collections (Artistic)

Reports To: Archivist

Duration: Fall Semester (approximately September 22 – December 19)

Hours: 10-20 hours per week (can be adjusted according to academic program requirements)

Compensation: Unpaid (academic credit)

Contact: [email protected]

Position Overview:

The June M. Guertin Archives at Barrington Stage Company is seeking two (2) motivated and detail-oriented Archives Interns to assist with collection management and special projects to organize, activate, and expand our collection of institutional and local history. These internships offer hands-on experience in digital and analog archival practices and contribute to the accessibility and longevity of our collection, representing over 30 years of professional theatre, arts development, and community-building in Berkshire County as well as local history extending through the 18th century. Networking with professionals in archives and related fields will be supported as part of this internship. Collaboration between both interns is encouraged. Remote and in-person internships are available.

Key Responsibilities:

Create accurate and detailed metadata records following archival standards
Organize, catalog, and check quality/functionality of digital files for efficient retrieval and use
Reconcile analog and digital inventories
Assist in research related to archival collections, if needed
Create Finding Aids for key record groups
Collaborate with the Archivist to identify materials for digitization and contribute ideas for improved archival practices.

Additional responsibilities:

These will be discussed and decided upon in writing prior to the internship start date. Exact projects will vary depending on whether the internship is remote or in-person, and be determined by the intern’s area of interest. Description of Specialty Tracks included below. Areas include Curation, User Experience, Digital Preservation, Inventory & Cataloging, Reference & Research, Outreach & Engagement, and Oral History.

Preferred skills and knowledge:

Current student or recent graduate in Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or Master’s program in Library Science, Archival Studies, History, Dramaturgy, or other related field
Interest in theatre, information science, archival work, and/or other aspects of this position
Comfort navigating and using office software such as Google and Microsoft suites, basic understanding of databases
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
Ability to handle delicate materials with care and adhere to preservation guidelines
Clear written and verbal communication
Willingness to try and learn new skills, accept constructive feedback
Enthusiasm for working with people from diverse backgrounds

Expected Outcomes:

Practical experience in a variety of archival tasks, increased confidence in future academic and professional work
Insight into a unique career path and practical reality of work as a “lone arranger” within a larger parent organization
Learn “soft skills” and experience with advocacy and community engagement
Contribute to preserving the history of a renowned theatre institution
Develop research and organizational skills applicable to a career in archives, libraries, museums, and other information management roles

Application Instructions:

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resumé or CV to Cassandra Peltier-Polston [email protected] (Barrington Stage Company Archivist) by September 8th. Please include “Theatre Archives Internship” in the subject line. Questions about the position or requested materials are welcome prior to formal application. Applicants will receive responses by September 15th and interviews will take place that week. Applications may be accepted after this date if positions remain unfilled; email to inquire about extended application deadlines.

Hiring Policy

Barrington Stage Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre company in the Berkshires with a three-fold mission: to produce top-notch, compelling work; to develop new plays and musicals; and to engage our community with vibrant, inclusive educational outreach programs.

Barrington Stage is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We strongly encourage candidates of color, and/or from diverse backgrounds/underrepresented groups to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The purpose of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy is to ensure equal opportunity in the conduct of all Barrington Stage Company business activities. In addition, BSC business decisions shall be made without regard to the following: race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, age, or U.S. veteran status. It is the policy of BSC to provide an atmosphere free of:

Religious bias.
Harassment on the basis of a person’s national origin.
Discrimination against any employee or applicant because they are a disabled veteran.
Discrimination against any employee or applicant as a result of their physical disability in accordance with all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) is intended to protect qualified individuals with disabilities against discrimination in employment and in the provision of services to the public. BSC is committed to compliance with the ADA and will engage in the interactive process with the candidate or employee to determine whether a reasonable accommodation can be found as soon as it is put on notice of the potential need for an accommodation. All employees are strictly prohibited from discriminating against qualified applicants or employees with actual or perceived disabilities, or patrons with actual or perceived disabilities. All requests for accommodation should be made in writing and directed to the General Manager.

Curation

Different formats/settings/modalities (Digital, Analog, Hybrid, multimedia; window displays, newsletters, social media, lobby exhibits)
For different audiences (local community, theatre patrons, youth, adults, scholars…)
Navigating union & copyright restrictions
Working with “live” collections shared by other company departments (e.g. costumes)
Collaborating across departments (development, production, artistic…)

UX (User Experience)

Different Modalities (Digital, Analog, Hybrid)
Website, Catalog, Finding Aids
Different user groups (internal vs external, academic/research vs casual, age groups, etc.)
Setup and traffic flow of public spaces
Create guides for different user groups to access and use resources more fully
Propose/recommend improvements & long-term development
- Identify projects, grants or other funding sources, partners/collaborators
- Mockups, wire frames, budgets
- Draft donor/stakeholder communications

Digital Preservation – 4 potential subtracks

(1) Still Image (2) Moving Image (3) Audio (4) Text

Working with, reconciling born digital and digitized analog materials
Digitizing priority collections/items
Following industry best practices, building on existing policies and procedures
- Setting timelines and procedures for integrity checks, backups, etc.
- Documenting work clearly
- Recommending updates to policies & procedures
Conducting inventories and creating finding aids
Identifying next steps & solutions for problem items including corrupted or unreadable media
Migrating media from obsolete formats
Collecting and recording metadata, creating captions/descriptions
Assisting with organization of institutional Google Drive, external hard drives

Inventory & Cataloging – 2 potential subtracks

(1) Library (2) Archives

Granular review of priority series within the collection
Record at least minimum data needed for DACS and other relevant standards
Research, reconcile, refile items as needed
Create finding aids
Update and/or create inventory database with multiple intuitive access points
Utilize and/or create standard vocabularies, both internal and external
Identify conservation needs and Rehouse as needed
Update labelling on storage containers and update inventory records as needed
Identify items for possible deaccession and complete applicable paperwork

Reference & Research

Compile frequently requested resources and data into usable, sharable formats for future reference
Assist archivist in resolving inquiries
Research and recommend systems to streamline the intake and response process for inquiries
Conduct research based on own interest and/or external requests
- May be used in exhibits, social media, website, or other public communications
Identify external resources to support institutional research (i.e. database subscriptions etc.)

Outreach & Engagement

Bolster current efforts including Oral Histories and local stories of BSC campus buildings, or identify new areas for community engagement
Identify relevant studies conducted by area orgs or similar institutions, distill key findings
Research potential programming, activities, or other output to engage public
Working closely with archivist, other departments and stakeholders:
- Develop short, mid, and long term projects in alignment with BSC mission and values
- Conduct outreach to potential partners, audiences to determine need and feasibility of archives- and library-based activities/resources
- Craft formal report(s)/proposal(s)
- If time and resources allow, launch/host activity or project

Oral History

Process current collection holdings
- Rename, index, transcribe previously conducted interviews
- Edit video and audio if within intern’s skill set or learning goals
- Create/update finding aids
- Ensure metadata standard compliance
Work with archivist and relevant BSC staff members to contact prospective interviewees
Conduct interviews with artists, staff, volunteers, community members following all legal/ethical and technical best practices