HWS News
21 August 2025 Behind the Curtain: Learning the Art of Production
Anna Pedone ’27 and Azure Sage ’27 experience the teamwork, creativity and community that powers local performances during their internships at the Smith Center for the Arts.
The Smith Center for the Arts is a cornerstone of creativity and performance in Geneva, bringing together artists, audiences and community members from across the region. Through their productions, the Smith celebrates local artistry while preserving the historic building that has become a monument and source of pride for the community.
Through the FLX Internship Program, Anna Pedone ’27 and Azure Sage ’27 are exploring the creative and community aspects of local theater production while interning at the Smith this summer.
As an English major and dance minor, Pedone was drawn to the internship because it blended creativity with marketing, a field she is interested in pursuing. Pedone also has firsthand experience performing at the Smith with the Kinetic Dance Collective, a campus dance organization. While she has experienced the Smith from a performer’s perspective, this internship allows her to experience an alternate side of event production.
“It's interesting to see the behind-the-scenes stuff—what it takes to make a dance show happen—because I've always only just been on the stage,” Pedone says. "So, it's really interesting to see that part of it. I am happy I’m learning [it] through this internship.”
Along with observing the planning for events, Pedone and Sage have learned about the marketing and advertising processes that makes productions successful. Their experiences during this internship have made Sage more confident networking and connecting with new people.
“I've also learned a lot about fundraising for nonprofits,” Sage says. “It's a lot of networking…and allows for so much communication with other local businesses and potential donors.”
Susie Monagan, the Smith’s executive director, says that working with the theater's extensive staff exposes interns to the variety of positions available in the arts.
“There are many different inroads into the business of putting on shows,” Monagan says. “There are places for everybody, people who are good at expressing themselves in writing, who are good at expressing themselves one-on-one, who are introverts, who are extroverts. There are opportunities for all different kinds of people.”
As well as exploring possible career paths, Pedone and Sage’s work at the Smith gives them a deeper connection to the Geneva community. For events, Pedone says she works closely with longtime local volunteers, most of whom have been supporting the Smith for years.
“The volunteers definitely make me feel closer to the community… It's interesting every event kind of brings out a different side of the community,” Pedone says.
On the other hand, working at the Smith has exposed Sage to the expansive local arts community in the Finger Lakes.
“So many local people really appreciate the work that the Smith does,” Sage says. “There's just so much community involvement, and that's been really cool to see.”
Whether working alongside volunteers, assisting guests, or learning from the Smith’s dedicated staff, Pedone and Sage say they are discovering that a performance is about more than what happens on stage. It’s the creativity, collaboration and care behind the scenes that make each event not just a show, but a meaningful celebration of the arts and the local community.
