This year, we had two members of our internal team takeover as co-chairs of The Mentorship Program: Sophie Brubaker and Christine Schermerhorn! This dynamic duo sat down to reflect on their experience:
What was it like running the mentorship program?
SOPHIE:
The mentorship program is all about responding to the needs of the people right in front of you, and I couldn’t have done that without Christine. I’m looking forward to the growth of the program, as well as OUR own growth as new leaders of this program.
Running the mentorship program is a full body experience. Christine and I found ourselves in positions of new kinds of leadership, tough decision-making, being present every day with our group of mentors/mentees, and planning ahead.
It was such a gift to watch our mentors and mentees develop their dreams and goals right before our eyes in the 10 weeks. We watched mentees make major accomplishments, grow their dreams, become entirely prepared to make the move to the big city, and even make complete career shifts, and we celebrated them every step of the way.
Christine and I balance each other perfectly, and I could not have led this program without her joy, her gift of discernment, her attention to detail, and her consistency (and her laugh, of course). The best example of how Christine and I work is how we let our meetings run long while we set up our phones in the bathroom to put on all of our girlie makeup for the day and just talk about everything under the sun.
CHRISTINE:
Honestly, the mentorship program is different from week to week, which makes things pretty exciting for us! In the beginning, it is A LOT of getting to know prospective mentees via Zoom interviews.
After that, we have meetings where we gleefully scheme together to make sure that we have the BEST mentor/mentee pairings. It proves to be very entertaining because playing matchmaker will never not be fun. Before we know it, we are off to the races and covering the weekly topics with our mentees!
And the cherry on top? Working with Sophie. She is a dream! I hope everyone has a Sophie in their life because I get to laugh with her, bounce ideas with her, learn SO MUCH from her, and have a fresh perspective on this mentorship journey.
I couldn’t be happier!
What are your hopes for the growth of the mentorship program?
SOPHIE:
I am thrilled to get to be more and more present with our mentees as the mentorship program grows and changes. We’ve shifted to onboarding more recent graduates along with mentees still in college, and it’s been a perfect change for us. This session, I was able to see a production that one of our mentees stage managed in NYC, see another production that two of our mentors acted in, and I was also able to visit another one of our mentees on a trip to Dallas, TX. We also had multiple mentees visit the Off The Lane performance loft for community events and productions. It was so special to be so connected to our mentees, and I hope that Off The Lane can continue to grow to be an in person and virtual support system for our mentees and mentors!
CHRISTINE:
It has been so cool to see the mentorship program grow as much as it has already!
Having people from all walks of life around the country apply via word of mouth, Instagram, or Playbill.com is just a dream come true!!
Personally, it would be so cool to have the resources to have double the mentor/mentee pairings.
But maybe that’s just my being giddy seeing the mentors and mentees forge such awesome relationships.
What felt different for us about MP12 compared to other sessions?
SOPHIE:
I might sound like a bit of a broken record here, but we’re in the entertainment industry, so that’s really okay I think 😉 MP12 felt so connected. We had more mentees and mentors show up to our in person and virtual events than we’ve had in years. Christine and I really want to create a culture where our mentees/mentors know that we are so deeply interested in not only their participation in the mentorship program, but their LIVES. We want to celebrate their creative and personal endeavors (and show up to all that we possibly can) while our mentees and mentors are in the program (and after!!!). It’s really all about creating community, and that’s exactly what we set out to do with MP12.
CHRISTINE:
It’s not very often that I get to say something like this, but running the program really makes a difference for me! It’s not often that an opportunity to run a program comes along. Sophie and I care so much about the mentors, mentees, and the session’s impact on them so being able to make choices about ways we can deepen that impact means everything. Sometimes, it is just as simple as letting someone know that you are there for them and that you want to listen to what is on their mind. All this to say, that prior sessions felt involved in a very laser-focused way. I was one mentor with one mentee. This time around, I became co-chair and kept an eye on all of the pairings. Perhaps a little daunting, definitely different, and very rewarding!
Do you have a favorite moment from this session?
SOPHIE:
My favorite moment of this session was hearing everyone’s experiences and achievements at graduation!!! We heard everything from mentees newly working on Broadway to national tours to acting in standardized testing programs to investing in their own podcasts/content creation to getting ready to make the big move, and each and every mentor/mentee pair felt like their readiness for moving to the city and kick starting their arts career was fundamentally changed by their time in this program (and with their mentors). That was pretty dang encouraging for Christine and I.
CHRISTINE:
That is a great question! This session flew by in no time. I’m not sure what kind of time machine, sorcery, or whatever was involved in that but time moved faster! I think my favorite moment of this session was our Zoom “Graduation.” We’ve got just enough pomp and circumstance to make the occasion special, but the real star of the show is hearing the mentees share their experience with their peers. It means so much to me because it is one of the best reminders that we are all in the same boat. We are all just out here doing our best, taking baby steps, and (hopefully) enjoying the ride.
What would you tell future applicants about joining the mentorship program?
SOPHIE:
Apply!!!! We cannot wait to talk to you about your future. Whether this program is tailored to your specific niche, or whether Christine and I get to stretch the program’s muscles to meet your needs, we are so excited to do it and meet you and help you achieve new artistic goals!
CHRISTINE:
Listen, if you are a future applicant reading this…APPLY! Talk to us over Zoom in your interview. Don’t be afraid to share who you are and what your aspirations for your journey are. Be unapologetic about your artistic integrity and be ready to soak up all the knowledge from your potential mentor. As for the greater beyond, remember that this journey (like many others) is a series of baby steps. We don’t become Viola Davis, Maya Angelou, or George Lucas overnight. It takes tripping and falling only to get up and trip and fall again. It takes walking through what feels like a silent void with your artistic instrument wondering if anything is even happening, before hearing your own symphony singing back to you. And one of the greatest joys of that, is enjoying the day-to-day of that journey and appreciating each stage for what it is.