Scattered up and down George Carter Road are a series of cabins. When driving through the Pillow campus, it might be easy to miss these small, wooden houses next to the scenic views of the Henry J. Leir Stage or the iconic Ted Shawn Theatre, but to the Jacob’s Pillow staff these cabins are home from late May until early September.
Each year, arts administrators, stage technicians, students, and artists from around the world meet in the Berkshires to put on America’s oldest dance festival. This year, 33 interns and approximately 30 seasonal staff members moved to the Pillow in late May, joining about 40 year round members who live in Berkshire county. This summer would be a historic one: a 90th anniversary season, the reopening of the newly renovated Ted Shawn Theatre, and the first full-scale festival since 2019.
Widely regarded as the hub or center of the dance world, many staff members are themselves dancers or artists. Working at the Pillow is a milestone many dream of, knowing they will be fully immersed in dance.
“Jacob’s Pillow is always somewhere I really wanted to work. I think growing up as a dancer you hear about the Pillow in various moments throughout your life working with different artists… just knowing how many incredible artists over the years have been at the Pillow made it a very enticing place to work,” said School Programs Fellow Sophie Blue.
Each summer begins with Festival Setup Day, a tradition dating back to the early days of the Festival, when Ted Shawn’s male dancers picked up hammers and nails to build the campus we now know. Every staff member, regardless of department or status, comes together to move tables and chairs, hang lights in the Tea Garden, or sweep the studio floors clean.
For the next three months, most staff members work six days a week. Some wake up early to clean studios, while others work late into the night after the curtains close at the Ted Shawn Theatre. Behind the grandeur of the Pillow lies a dedicated group, often sacrificing rest, vacation, or seeing family to bring the festival to fruition.
At mealtimes, the Stone Dining Room staff work endlessly to ensure everyone gets fed. On hot days the kitchen reaches record temperatures, but the Stone staff stays put, serving lines out the door for all three meals. Staff, interns, and artists alike share meals in the Hunter House backyard. Pizza days and chocolate chip cookies are fan favorites.
Every Wednesday, Executive & Artistic Director Pamela Tatge welcomes incoming artists to the Pillow ahead of their performances. It’s a time for the entire staff to come together, gathered behind Hunter House, and introduce themselves to the week’s artists. Of course, cookies and lemonade are served, and photos are taken upon the beloved Pillow Rock.
Throughout the week, every department at the Pillow works hand in hand to bring the festival to life. Production members work through the evenings, providing lighting, sound, and technical assistance to every performance all summer long. To ensure every staff member and artist is housed, fed, and comfortable, the Company Management team can be seen running around campus, creating schedules, stockpiling snacks and supplies, and overseeing over a hundred individuals living on and off campus.
Media team members bounce around campus with cameras in hand, recording and photographing nearly every Festival event. The Community Engagement team often travels through the Berkshires and works directly with community members, determined to bring dance directly to Jacob’s Pillow’s surrounding community through workshops, offsite performances, and Morning Classes. In the Archives, staff members welcome visitors, create exhibits, and catalog all videos and photographs taken throughout the festival.
The Philanthropy team is responsible for planning special events, managing individual and institutional support, and greeting members ahead of each performance. In the Perles Family Studio, The School at Jacob’s Pillow is home to five distinct programs for budding talent, all under the supervision of a devoted staff. Tucked away in the Annex, the Marketing team creates signage, sends email blasts, and continuously updates the Jacob’s Pillow website. The Finance and Operations departments oversee all monetary and technical endeavors and Facilities maintains the Pillow’s historic campus. Driving around on golf carts and stationed outside of performances, the Patron Services team ensures every visitor is taken care of.
At the end of a long week, staff and artists meet once more under the restaurant tent, celebrating another week of performances by dancing the night away at cast parties. On Sundays, when the last matinee of the week comes to a close and the final audience members have driven home, campus is quiet once more. Staff members walk down George Carter Road and into their cabins, ready to do it all again the next week.
Written by Emma Garber. Published August 2022.
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