I worked at NCCA for two consecutive summers, and I absolutely loved my time there. I think a few things are key for having a good experience: 1) read your letter of agreement/contract in full; 2) embrace the summer camp feel; 3) recognize what the full time staff readily acknowledge: that this small theater is a stepping stone for most people who come through, not their final destination. LOA/Contract: Yes, the pay is low. However, I knew this well in advance. I checked back in my email, and the three years I was offered a contract at Jean's, I received my LOA (with pay details) months before my contract started. If there's one thing I know, it's that NCCA (like many other theaters across the country) would love to pay their people more. However, the rate they offer is the rate they offer. It's unfortunate when one has to turn down a contract over insufficient pay, but it's much better for everyone involved if someone does that rather than agreeing to the rate and then complaining about it throughout the season. 2) Summer camp feel: No, there isn't AC in the housing. A lot of New England buildings don't have AC. Yes, you're housed in a ski lodge and may have several roommates (the most I had was three roommates in a room with 10-12 bunks); this information was given to me well before I signed a LOA. Yes, you'll need to pitch in with chores and keep your own space clean; I have worked at many regional theaters, and this has been the case at every single one. The ski lodge is a very worn down building, which was communicated to me when I first interviewed for my job. I did my best to keep it clean, but I also found it reassuring that I couldn't really "break" it. I guess it just depends on your mindset and individual needs. My phone interview, my LOA, and the welcome e-mail gave me all the pertinent info I needed in order to thrive at Jean's. In this line of work, you never know exactly what you're signing up for, but I certainly felt like I knew what to expect with regards to housing. All in all, I had a great time. 3) Stepping stone: When I first interviewed with Jean's, the artistic director let me know that it might be considered a "step down" from the places I had worked before. He mentioned that Jean's is many people's first professional contract and that they aim to give their people a great experience before they move onto bigger theaters. I really appreciated that transparency, but I honestly wasn't worried. I had a fantastic experience and got to meet dozens of great people both years. It's been fun to follow everyone's careers, and many of them have gone on to some incredible places and contracts. For what it's worth, I've had contracts that paid a lot more or were more prestigious that still couldn't quite match NCCA in terms of fun and friendliness. Finally, I just want to mention that the core team working at Jean's, a team which has only grown and solidified since I last worked there, is extremely dedicated, compassionate, and open to feedback. I not only witnessed this when everything was going right, but I also saw it during some really hard times (including a big covid season). I have watched every member of the team adapt to situations and handle criticism--fair and unfair--with patience and grace. I'm sorry that those who had negative experiences did not feel heard, but in my experience, anyone who took the time to voice their concerns to the team was treated with respect and understanding. Jean's is a five star experience with three star pay, so I'm going with four to keep it real.

Working at Jean's was my first professional theater experience outside of college, and it couldn't have been better. I was there for two consecutive summers; the people who work there are very passionate about their work, and I learned a lot from them. As far as pay goes, it seems par for the course compared to other summer stock positions I've viewed/been offered. The town of Lincoln is very nice; pretty much everything you need is within walking distance. The housing situation is a little crazy (you stay in an old ski lodge with most of the cast and crew), but I think that added to my experience; I met a lot of great people there, including my fiancée. For university students or people starting in the industry, I would highly recommend.

I’m happy to be reading some of these positive reviews for this theater from performers who worked here recently. It’s nice to hear that this theater is continuing to grow. I made some wonderful friends working for Jean’s! The people are the best part of this contract for sure. The stage manager is very kind, and the company had many positive people when I was there. We had a lot of good experiences hiking, swimming, and having fun overall! A contract is what you make of it. It sounds like the housing may have been updated since I worked there, but I had the same experience as some of the earlier reviewers. We were housed in a ski lodge without air conditioning, which was really tough for a summer contract. We had to keep windows open for air flow, which caused a big bug problem in the lodge. We also didn’t have any privacy since we were housed five or six per room. There were a lot of people sharing small bathrooms too. I went out for runs/walks a lot just to have some alone time. The pay was not great during my time, most performers and technicians took home about $200 a week. Maybe it’s a higher wage now! I didn’t really know the AD while I was there. He wasn’t very personable, and didn’t really take the time to get to know us. The rehearsal experience was okay! There were days we were called and not used, and we also didn’t have much say in the creative process. Not having mirrors for learning choreography was hard. Some actors were contracted as a lead in every show, some actors were contracted ensemble in every show. That’s okay, just important to note! Some performers are just looking for experience, others are looking for resume builder contracts. I think that both positive and negative experiences in this forum can be true. It’s important to talk about problems we encounter at a theater to give other performers a safe heads up before entering a new environment, just as it’s important to highlight the positive moments as well. I’m giving it three stars because the housing was rough, and the pay was really low. It’s a good contract for younger performers just starting out!

I have had absolutely WONDERFUL experiences working at this theatre, and I do hope to have many more. It is a truly lovely group of people dedicated to making lovely productions, and it's a wonderful and idyllic place to live and work as well. Gorgeous mountains and fresh air! The theatre space itself is also wonderful - a large proscenium, with great lighting, a new sound system, and sets put together with creativity and care. Whenever I had any questions, I always felt they were well-received and well-addressed. My time never felt wasted in rehearsal, and the scheduling was always incredibly well-organized. There is so much unkindness and insincerity in this business -- I have never experienced that at Jean's. It always feels like a positive environment where we work together on a positive and well-put-together project that adds joy to the community and those who participate. It upsets me to see reviews here that have more to do with the egos of these reviewers than with the theatre itself. The theatre is very transparent about housing/pay/contracts/roles/etc. This theatre does absolutely amazing work with nonunion (though fast-growing!) resources, and this company does everything possible to create positive experiences. I have so much love for this company and these people!! I'm excited to see Jean's continue making and growing each year.

I have worked at Jean's two winters in a row and feel so lucky to call it an artistic home. It is a non union theater growing it's programming, so you will still see things that can be improved upon. Luckily the artistic and production teams are passionate about improving those things when they get feedback and as they grow in resources. Being near the White Mountains is incredible, and both times I was there I had amazing housing. We also had access to a company car. I felt very well taken care of by our stage management team and well-trusted by our director (who is also the Artistic Director). Schedules are made to be as accommodating as possible, I was never in rehearsal unless I needed to be - I felt like my time was really respected. I'm so excited to see this theater continue to grow; it is a small team wearing a lot of hats, trying to make it a better and better place to work and see theatre each season.

It’s a very fun, very rewarding summer stock theatre. It’s a place that gives performers who want to advance their career during/post college, a chance to do just that. I met some of my best professional friends/mentors at Jean’s. It was my first theatre gig out of college and it taught me so much about myself as a performer and how to work with others in the industry. If you are considering going to work at a theatre, ANY theatre, but think you’re too good to be there, just don’t work there. Simple as that. Many regional theatres are struggling post COVID and are doing the best they can with what they have to offer. Jean’s is filled with WONDERFUL people doing just that. Good people who are trying their hardest to provide exceptional theatre to an area that could use it. They’re also providing young people JOBS in theatre. Jean’s is a great place to gain some experience and make great friends along the way!

I strongly advise against working here. My experience this past summer was incredibly disappointing, filled with poor management, unsafe conditions, and a general lack of professionalism. During tech week for one of the shows, nearly the entire company contracted COVID-19. Despite the outbreak, rehearsals continued with masks required, and one cast member who was immunocompromised—who had communicated this concern—was dismissed without regard. While COVID was spreading the actors/crew were tasked with cleaning the house, and were not provided with COVID tests. After explaining how this is not acceptable - I was provided with an expired COVID test. Adding to the issues, the company brought back a director from a previous year known for being difficult to work with, which created an unsafe and chaotic environment. The director appeared unfamiliar with the show and left the actors to direct themselves. On one occasion, an actor became seriously ill during rehearsal, yet production never checked to see if they were okay, even after the actor expressed that they felt faint and on the verge of passing out. The lack of basic care and concern for the cast’s well-being was shocking. The housing was outdated, uncomfortable, and poorly maintained, with no air conditioning, making it unbearably hot during the summer. Rehearsals took place in a basement gym, which, while convenient in terms of location, lacked basic resources like mirrors—making dance rehearsals particularly challenging. Some positive aspects included the charming town of Woodstock, which was only a 5-minute drive or 25-minute walk away and featured many coffee shops and quaint stores. Lincoln has a nice coffee shop right by the lodging which was nice. The company also provided a company car that could be checked out, which was a convenient perk. Additionally, actors were able to use the pool at a large resort right next to the theatre, which was a nice bonus. However, these amenities ultimately did not outweigh the many negatives of the experience. Another positive aspect of the experience was the company’s swift action in terminating an actor who had been harassing others. However, this was one of the few instances where the company acted responsibly. When an actor was injured during a rehearsal, it was brushed off, and the lack of support from the artistic director—who refused to acknowledge the cast at the end of the summer—further reflected the overall disregard for the well-being of the team. The pay was abysmally low, and it felt like the company takes advantage of young, eager college students willing to work for incredibly low compensation ($250/week) in exchange for "experience." This resulted in a myriad of actors seriously debating quitting. Ultimately, the contract was not worth the cost, both financially and professionally. The only redeeming aspect of the summer was the wonderful cast and crew, who were supportive and made the experience more bearable. Unfortunately, the lack of professional leadership, unsafe working conditions, and poor treatment of the cast and crew make this an opportunity I cannot recommend.

Working for this theater was quite the experience. I’ll preface that I’m thankful to have worked here, because of the wonderful friendships that I made on contract. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. However, the contract itself was not great. The artistic director is terrible at communication, and sent us our contracts only days before we were set to arrive. He wasn’t very personable, and there was not a collaborative environment for his shows. He blocked us down to our pinky fingers in every scene, there was almost no creative input welcomed on our end. When we had questions or concerns, he shut us down. He soft-offered roles over email to actors or talked up a specific track to them, but then followed up with different roles over Zoom. The housing situation is wild. You’re housed in an old ski lodge, with anywhere between three to six people per room. It’s dusty, dirty, and moldy. The nice thing about it is that the rehearsal space is on the bottom level, so you only have to go downstairs from your room to rehearse. The highest they pay is $275 a week (pre-taxes). Many younger performers made $150-$200 a week. It’s not a livable wage, especially in an expensive tourist town. You could pay more for groceries in Lincoln, NH then you would in bigger cities like Chicago or New York. Unlike many other summerstock theaters, they don’t distribute the roles evenly. If you’re a lead, you will be a lead for every show. If you are ensemble, you might play a supporting role, but you will not be a lead. If you’re not in a leading track, it’s really not worth it for the pay, the housing, or the treatment. Don’t get me started on the lack of professionalism from the costume team. They need a new marketing manager, because one of the shows that season always had only a handful of audience members, while the bigger name show was always packed. They also have you do a show outside for a weekend. Expect lots of sweat, bugs, and rain. The saving grace of the theater is stage management. The stage managers were kind, accommodating, and so professional. They kept things moving smoothly always. We were so thankful for them. The people were really what made this contract. Again, I made so many close friends through Jean’s, and I’m very appreciative of that. However, I don’t think I’d ever work here again.