Erin Klee
employment dance · theatre · interdisciplinary art
Erin began her career in the performing arts in 2000 – the summer after her first year at MacMurray College – when she quietly slipped into the construction shop of Madison’s University Theatre. She approached the person who seemed to be in charge and confessed her love of performance – and her sincere interest in (and total ignorance of) technical theatre. She offered to sweep floors, make coffee, or do any other menial tasks that would allow her to be immersed in the arts. He laughed – and immediately hired her as a spotlight operator for Falsettos (a musical about love and AIDS). Later that summer, she was hired for another project; she worked for the same Director and Stage Manager as the light board operator for Esperanza (the world premiere of an opera about Latino mine workers – adapted from the classic film, Salt of the Earth ). Emboldened by her work in Madison, she established several rules to guide her trajectory and provoke diverse artistic growth through her undergraduate years. She intended to follow three principles: 1) To spend each summer working with a different company (and in a different city) 2) To explore different styles of performance (musicals, opera, classical theatre, dance, puppetry, theatre for young audiences, nomadic installations, interdisciplinary art, etc…) 3) To work in a different technical area each summer (intentionally becoming a “generalist,” not a “specialist” – obtaining a diverse – and admittedly incomplete – knowledge of lighting, sound, dramaturgy, administration, directing, graphic design, and stage management…) She spent the next summers working in Berkeley, California; Toronto, Canada; and North Adams, Massachusetts.		Backstage in a dressing room at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York · 2006)
Reflection in the mirror of a dressing room at City Center (New York · 2006)	In 2003, she graduated from MacMurray College with three majors (Theatre, Psychology, and Spanish) and two minors (English and Liberal Arts); she earned special honours in Theatre and graduated summa cum laude. She immediately moved to Toronto and became the Administrator of DNA (a highly interdisciplinary dance / theatre / installation art company directed by Hillar Liitoja); she worked intensively with DNA until 2006, when she transitioned to New York, working with inspiring contemporary dance choreographers and interdisciplinary artists. Erin is currently exploring new career directions – and researching graduate programs for possible admission in the Fall of 2009. She is available for short or long-term projects in many facets of the arts (stage management, directing, administration, grant writing, graphic design, etc); please contact Erin regarding employment opportunities. To learn more about her history with specific companies, please review her recent employers in dance, theatre, and interdisciplinary art.