Day In The Life: Set Teacher
We hope you are enjoying the final weeks of fall! On Location Education is excited to be back in full swing working on entertainment projects around the globe. This month on the OLE blog, we’re introducing a new series, Day In The Life, where we’ll be talking with OLE contractors for a behind the scenes look at a day spent educating young artists. For our introductory post, we are following Jess Balun, a studio teacher who is currently on the road with Les Miserables, through a day in the life.
ABOUT JESS: Jess graduated from Brandeis University with degrees in History and American Studies. She holds a Masters degree in the Teaching of Social Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University. After a chance tutoring job on an independent movie set, Jess began working with On Location Education in 2013 and began touring in 2014. OLE assignments have taken her across the United States and Canada, as well as Amsterdam and Seoul.
Starting The Day
I typically arrive 30 - 60 minutes before my students to give myself time to print out pages, grade assignments, and get set for the day.
Travel Days
We usually travel on Mondays to our next city. After we arrive, we have the rest of the day free to explore, stock up on groceries for the week, or have a nicer sit down dinner where we aren't rushing to make a half hour call.
Photos are from a recent stop in Cleveland, Ohio.
Life On The Road
After traveling Monday, Tuesday will be our first day of school, plus soundcheck, a company orientation meeting about the theater for the week, and our first performance. On Wednesday through Friday, we'll do about four hours of school each day with a show in the evening. On the weekends, we have one more hour of school, then two shows on both Saturday and Sunday. If we are only in a city for one week, Sunday night we pack up and do it all again!
Seeing The Sights
In Cleveland I visited the nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park with some friends. I love to walk around and going on a hike is even better. I also like to check out local coffee shops and bookstores. A trip to the post office brought me to one of the most beautiful buildings in Cleveland!
It’s Showtime
I also work as the backstage wrangler/child guardian. So, I arrive at the theater early to check the kids in for their half hour call time. I assist our hair and sound team as they get the kids into microphones, hair, and makeup and make sure everyone has all pieces of their costume. During the show, I bring the kids to and from the stage for their scenes and supervise their downtime. Sometimes we also use this time for making up school hours.
Ending The Day
After curtain call, we return to the dressing room. The kids change out of costume and mics. Then, I bring them to their parents at the stage door and we are done for the night.
Lasting Connections
I love seeing new cities and seeing friends and family around the country. I've been across the US and Canada, plus Amsterdam and Seoul with OLE. With only five students, I can become quite close with them and their families. Some are in college now, and it's been great to keep in touch.
Check back over the coming months as we interview industry professionals, explore roles related to on set education, and more. We look forward to another exciting school year, and are ready to provide services on your next project! To learn more and get in touch, explore the links below.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving,
The team at On Location Education