Rockapella
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Music in the Air VI
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Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway
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Performing Arts Grad Handles Multiple
Projects Like A Pro
Performing arts graduate Jessica Burger is a multi-tasking professional who has earned
her stripes this summer while working on multiple projects at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California.
As a summer intern at the playhouse, Jessica split her day between the development office and the public relations department. “There was never a dull moment,” said Burger, who graduated from Clemson last year and is earning a Master of Arts degree in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “On the development side, I helped research prospective individual and corporate donors. For the public relations department, I practiced my writing skills and spent a lot of time tracking press clippings.”
The ability to handle multiple projects at the same time is a skill Burger honed at Clemson while a Productions Studies in Performing Arts major. “The education I obtained from majoring in production studies gave me such a varied and broad appreciation for all aspects of theatre and music. What is so great about Clemson’s performing arts program is that you can direct a one-act play, perform in the orchestra, take an acting class, and learn how to build sets, all in one semester. The program taught me how to be involved in multiple things at once, and that has helped me deal with the fast pace of graduate school.”
Carnegie Mellon’s graduate program in arts management is housed in the Heinz School of Policy, Management, and Information Technology. The program focuses on business and managerial aspects of the arts with classes in Arts Marketing and Public Relations, Law and the Arts, Financial Analysis, Statistics for Management, Human Resource Management in Creative Enterprises, Fund Raising for Arts Managers, as well as other related topics.
As part of the program, all students are required to complete a summer internship 
between their first and second year. Burger spent her internship at the La Jolla Playhouse. The first of three shows of the playhouse’s summer season was a world premiere musical of Carmen, directed by Franco Dragone of Cirque du Soleil. The other shows were after the quake and The Deception.
“It was an incredible experience,” said Burger. “I was able to apply a lot of what I learned last year to my work.”
Playhouse public relations manager Jill McIntyre said, “Jessica was a gem. We wish we could keep her.”
During her final year, Burger will complete her course work and her final project. In lieu of a thesis, she will work with 10 other students on a System Synthesis Project in arts education. Burger and her colleagues will spend a semester researching problems in arts education, conducting analyses of various arts education programs, and making recommendations on their findings.
The System Synthesis Project is similar to the Capstone Project students have to complete as production studies majors at Clemson,” Burger explained. “Both experiences require working with others. Each partner must contribute to the success of the project. These skills are so important in today’s arts industry.”
When Burger looks ahead, she sees her future in Washington D.C., or New York City. “After graduation, I hope to find a marketing or PR position with a theatre or performing arts center. My ultimate goal is to become a managing director for a theatre that produces cutting-edge and innovative works, much like the La Jolla Playhouse. I would also love to teach theatre some day.”
When she looks back at her time at Clemson, she fondly remembers the close-knit community of the Brooks Center. “It felt so much like a family, and I really miss the people and the southern hospitality,” she said. “I made great friends during my four years at Clemson, and I hope to remain friends with them for years to come.”
