Origins and Evolution of the Kennedy Center

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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the nation’s cultural center. It hosts over 2000 shows a year. Now, The John F. Kennedy Center may have opened its doors on September 8th, 1971 with a world premiere performance of a Requiem Mass in honor of President Kennedy, but origins of a National Cultural Center dates back to 1958. President Eisenhower signed a bipartisan legislation in 1958 establishing a National Cultural Center for the United States. This idea of President Eisenhower would later become The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Now, The Kennedy Center is a non-profit organization, but the center has a very unique private and public relationship. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a national …show more content…

There are six board officers including Chairman David Rubenstein and President Deborah Rutter, thirty-five board members appointed by the President of The United States and, twenty-one Ex Officio board members designated by the US Congress. Also, five former First Lady’s and the current First Lady Michelle Obama are Honorary Chair board members. The mission of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is, “As the nation's center for the performing arts, the Kennedy Center is committed to increasing opportunities for all people to participate in and understand the arts”. The goals the Kennedy Center sets to achieve their mission are, “to commission, produce, and present performances reflecting the highest standards of excellence and diversity indicative of the world in which we live, and to make those performances accessible to the broadest possible audience through arts education”. One of the major challenges The Kennedy Center is facing is that there are some senior management changes. There is a new Vice President of Artistic Planning, Education, Operations and International Programming. Also, Deborah Rutter is only in her second year as President of the Kennedy center. The Center is in a time of change and growth. As new members join The Kennedy Center staff there is a challenge in creating a new and fresh view of the …show more content…

In assisting Deirdre Lavrakas I will help with scheduling rehearsal rooms, creating the weekly rehearsal room schedule for staff distribution, helping with labor budgets for performances in the Opera House and Eisenhower Theater, act as a production liaison for wardrobe and hair and make-up, and further my knowledge of daily and long-term responsibilities of a production manager. In participating in the Internship I plan to gain real life production management experience at one of the leading Performing Arts Centers in the world. I will be able to learn how a Union house functions by working with Local 22, 772, and 798 and reading their Collective Bargaining Agreements. I will be able to conduct interviews with some leaders in orchestra, theater, opera and ballet production world. Also, The Kennedy Center offers sixteen different Intern Seminars covering a variety of topics such as Special Programing, Research and Evaluation, Education, Development, Washington National Opera,

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