The Producer

Margaret White '11 currently works as a production assistant and student leader for the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), a festival of 30 new musicals that is held every fall.

Q What do you do for the New York Musical Theatre Festival?

A As a student leader for the entire festival, I'm in charge of publicizing the shows on college campuses in and around New York. I'm also the production assistant for one of the shows, "The ToyMaker." I got this job because my voice teacher, Bryan Putnam, is the writer of the show.

Q Have you ever done anything like this before?

A I've had a couple of internships, with a theater in New York and at a producer's office, and I've done a lot of shows on campus. But my most relevant experience came from a job I had earlier this summer as a production assistant for a concert called "The Joe Iconis Rock and Roll Jamboree," which introduced me to some of the things I do at my current job.

Q Have you had any interesting encounters with actors?

A Unfortunately, I have not met any super-famous actors yet. But it was really interesting to sit in on the auditions for "The ToyMaker." There were so many talented actors, and in the end it came down to little things like what the actor looked like, or whether or not the person made eye contact while greeting us.

Q How does a Princeton junior find time for a job in New York during the school year? What survival strategies would you recommend?

A My only advice: Do your reading on the train! I'm used to commuting because I had an internship in the city last spring. It's a lot, but if you can juggle it, it's incredibly rewarding.

Q The festival ends on Sunday. After that, how will your life change?

A In general, it will be a lot less back and forth. It's bittersweet: It will be nice to breathe, but I love the city and the work that I do.

Q So, let's be honest: Are you a true musical theater geek?

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A I grew up in New York, so I've been seeing shows for as long as I can remember. There was a point where it just kind of took over my life. Now, the only songs on my iPod are showtunes. I really love musicals because they are a combination of so many art forms: Theater, music, dance and art all come together in such interesting ways.

Q Do you prefer to be behind the scenes or on center stage?

A When I was little, my dream was to be on Broadway, but at this point I've decided that I don't want to perform professionally. I still take singing lessons and perform on campus, but in terms of a career, I would prefer to work behind the scenes. ated me.

Q What's your favorite musical?

A One of my favorite shows is a musical called "[title of show]," which was on Broadway last year. The writers play themselves, and the play chronicles its own creation. It means a lot to me because it's about the life of artists. The show started at NYMF, and that's how I found out about the festival and became interested in getting involved.lessons and perform on campus, but in terms of a career, I would prefer to work behind the scenes.

- Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Allie Weiss '13.