Chess Abalos

Special Projects was not my department of choice when I was a Newbie, and it was not my second choice either. I got an email assigning me to it after getting rejected for a performance role in We Aren't Kids Anymore. I had no idea what SPro's exact responsibilities were, just a few vague thoughts based on recruitment materials, and I was beyond nervous. But I jumped in anyway because I wanted to be in blueREP so much that I would have leaped through a flaming hoop to join. I never thought I would like it much, but, surprise, I learned its ways and grew to love it. SPro caught me off-guard when I first joined, and it continues to shock me even as I oversee it as SPro Head. It is, by far, a most delightfully unpredictable experience. As a Newbie member, I would get shocked by gig collaborators suddenly emailing after weeks of having no work because we were waiting for a reply. I would be amazed when an orgmate would make an unexpected joke during an interview. Countless unforeseen moments made me smile as a SPro Newbie, even if a few sudden events made work a bit harder. As SPro Head, the unexpected increased drastically. I get sudden questions from SPro members or people from other competencies and departments. I have made numerous documents and files that I sometimes find out I do not need. But, best of all, I always get surprised to see my SPro members suddenly appear while I am typing up something and hear them give me suggestions and ideas. Flexibility is key to working in the Special Projects Department because of its spontaneous nature. We rely on so many internal and external departments and factors, making it hard to predict what will happen next or how well an idea will turn out. But we deal with it, redirect and go on our merry way. I learned to rebound and dust myself off over and over again by being in this department and I realized, through it, how wonderfully and magically surprising blueREP can be.

Sofeea Catignas

I was a member with many interests. I did work across all 3 competencies and really tried to explore the departments I could with my time in the org — you would all know, there are so many to choose from! I hopped from Performance, to Stage Management, to Special Projects and in this way, I was able to learn so much more about the building blocks of a production. Special Projects was the one that differed the most out of all my roles, but it was also one of the most fulfilling. The department serves many roles (it can feel like PR and Promotions or HR at some point), but that’s exactly what makes it a place of growth and learning. You could lead a team, learn how to organize events, create workshops, lead and perform for gigs, and talk to talented and distinguished people in the industry all the while prepping for a big production, too. In SPro, you get to make connections and gain experience in so many different aspects of theater and marketing. You get to find and create opportunities for growth for the members of the org through workshops and gigs. You get to build rapport, camaraderie, and friendship in the events you plan. In a nutshell, the department is a catalyst for exploration and I hope it continues to encourage members to try new things, learn more about what they love, and have fun while doing it! blueREP functions on the core values of PECPG: passion, excellence, commitment, professionalism, and growth. These are exactly what fuel the Special Projects department in creating moments to remember. Triple Threat, OrSem Gig, Find Your Light, Caf Raids – we’re so excited for more to come.

Rianna G. Ronquillo

Initially, Special Projects was an experiment for me. Entering blueREP durings its pioneer online era, as a Newbie in the production competency, Theatre Management work wasn’t really something I’d consider doing. But after a little persuasion from people I loved working with, I decided to give it a try. To say that SPro helped me learn more about theatre would be an understatement. My work in SPro allowed me to appreciate the works that go behind the success of a production. To me, it was more than just marketing the show to blueREPpers and people outside of the organization. Special Projects is really the best team to be in if you want to learn everything– harnessing and curating your own creative process, executing those ideas and making sure the vision is correct, thinking of how to appeal to people, and collaborating with an array of unique people; those are things that allow us to grow. Special Projects was definitely true to its name– it was special. SPro work, especially online, was very complex. It can feel like one thing at first, then an entirely different, separate thing the next. At first, SPro to me was just the online packages and the gigs; do that and basically the work was done. But after my stint as a SPro Head in We Aren’t Kids Anymore, Special Projects really is multi-faceted. In a way, you’re Public Relations, Corporate Relations, Documentations, and even Design and Publications. Because the online setting changed how SPro operated, the department made it so that the jobs were diverse and multi-faceted, while we stuck to our deliverables, we eventually bled into jobs of other departments too. That specific aspect of SPro allowed us to go beyond the boundaries of what we thought it could be, and that was what was very fascinating about it. If you’re up to the challenge of working yourself to surpass limits, collaborating with an amazing team of people, and falling in love with the inner works of a production, Special Projects might just be for you. In SPro, we dive into an array of responsibilities– roles we learn a lot of things from and learnings we get to apply even outside the sphere of theatre. If you like the chase, the unpredictability, the uncertainty, and get a rush from good pressure, Special Projects is the perfect place to be.