Every year, the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) selects 30 high school students involved in their school’s theatre department as Performing Arts Ambassadors. These students are selected based on their thorough application, sample social media videos and overall theatre experience. 

So what exactly does being an Ambassador for DPAC entail?

The Role of a DPAC Performing Arts Ambassador

As a Performing Arts Ambassador for DPAC, students are expected to exhibit the following:

Great Communication:

Megan Rindoks, DPAC’s Director of Community Engagement, and Jose Rondon Jr., DPAC’s Community Engagement Manager, are in charge of the Performing Arts Ambassador program. As such, the two communicate with the Ambassadors via email. It is very important that Ambassadors check their emails as often as possible for updates, important messages and other information. A key aspect of great communication is also keeping in touch with Rindoks and Rodnon Jr. for everything, whether someone is running late or sick or whatever the reason may be.

Punctuality and Reliability:

It is extremely important that Ambassadors show up on time and submit content creation assignments (see the Content Creation section for more information) prior to the designated deadline. If an Ambassador submits their assignment late after the deadline, their content is not deemed relevant anymore. Relativity concerns are especially true if that show is no longer playing at DPAC.

Kindness:

Although this may seem a bit self-explanatory, it is still more important than ever for Ambassadors to show kindness while at DPAC. Exhibiting kindness at DPAC allows for a warm and welcoming environment and atmosphere to be created for guests/audience members, DPAC staff members and other Ambassadors. 

Quality Content:

After shadowing a DPAC staff member prior to a show, Ambassadors are responsible for creating and submitting a form of content creation. Content Creation at DPAC could range from a TikTok video to a blog post. This allows Ambassadors to create content for DPAC various social media accounts, as well as their website.

Content Creation

A fundamental and major part of the Performing Arts Ambassador program at DPAC is content creation. After their shadowing shift (typically in the Marketing Department), Ambassadors are responsible for creating and submitting some form of content creation to be posted to one of DPAC’s social media pages or the website. These content creation assignments include blog posts, vlog posts, TikTok trends or videos, Instagram reels or story posts and an Instagram takeover on the DPAC Heart of the Arts Instagram account.

Shadowing Shifts

The main aspect of being a DPAC Performing Arts Ambassador involves Ambassadors being responsible for shadowing a staff member of DPAC during their shifts in seven different departments. Those seven departments are as follows:

Event Services:

The Event Services Department at DPAC is responsible for making sure guests feel welcome, comfortable and enjoy their time while at DPAC. Guest Services, Photo Booth, House Manager, Supervisor in Training (SIT), Courtesy Shuttle, PC (President’s Club) Hospitality Manager and Screener are all important roles in the Event Services Department. These roles are essential in keeping operations at DPAC running smoothly. Ambassadors will follow those in Event Services around DPAC and assist them while they complete specific tasks.

Durham Wayfinders:

Unlike employed DPAC staff members, Durham Wayfinders are all completely volunteers. They serve as greeters to guests and audience members and helping those that need assistance. Assisting guests around DPAC’s lobby, distributing playbills for Broadway events, ATC attending guests as they walk to DPAC from the parking deck and assisting guests with accessibility needs who are dropped off in front of the building are the main duties of a Durham Wayfinder. Ambassadors will shadow Durham Wayfinders and help greet guests, distribute playbills and the like.

Marketing:

The Marketing Department works alongside all of the other departments at DPAC. This includes helping to put shows on sale for audience members, keeping an eye on ticket sales, and managing DPAC’s social media pages and their website. The Marketing team also arranges engagement and press opportunities, including meet and greets and television interviews. While shadowing someone in the Marketing Department, Ambassadors will shadow a staff member for one night on the opening night of an event where they will create various social media content.

They will also be responsible for shadowing Broadway Press Nights where they will have the opportunity to welcome local news reporters, DJs and content creators while they preview a performance.

Ticketing:

Aside from a few other specific departments, Ticketing is the epitome of customer service at DPAC. The Ticketing Department is responsible for making sure guests secure their tickets for events, answering phone calls and sometimes working in the box office window, among other things. While shadowing someone in the Ticketing Department, Ambassadors will be able to learn the ins and outs of ticketing directly from DPAC’s Ticketing Supervisor Peter Wallace. They will also work with DPAC Ticketing Supervisor Jaunita Harris in the box office and show team members on will-call support.

Production:

At DPAC, the Production Department is responsible for all things that involve backstage and behind-the-scenes. They work with touring productions of shows and events to make sure that all things maintain and run as planned once they arrive at DPAC. Ambassadors will shadow and work specifically with DPAC’s Production Manager Brian Hunt. This allows for Ambassadors to directly go backstage and see and learn firsthand what goes on before a show at DPAC.

Business Operations/Management:

The Business Department at DPAC deals with all of the contracts that handle touring productions and rental events. They also make sure that people operate within their designated budgets for shows and events. Essentially, those in the Business Department handle all things related to money at DPAC. When shadowing someone in the Business Management Department, Ambassadors will shadow DPAC’s Senior Director of Events and Business Operations Samantha Yancey. They will learn about topics including contracts, show-night responsibilities, rental bookings and more.  

Community Engagement:

Also known as DPAC’s Heart of the Arts, the Community Engagement Department is in charge of incentivizing affordable ticket prices, setting up programs for the youth or for educational purposes, charitable gifting and working alongside the Durham Wayfinders. When tasked with shadowing someone in the Community Engagement Department, Ambassadors will be responsible for working at community tables such as the Enter to Win table. They will also have specialized content creation assignments.

Orientation and Media and Content Creation Bootcamp

On September 1, 2026 all of the DPAC Ambassadors for the 2026-2027 season met with Megan Rindoks and Jose Rondon Jr. to discuss what the upcoming ambassadorship would look like. The Ambassadors introduced themselves to everyone in the President’s Club at DPAC. Later, they were given a tour of DPAC around the lobby, the auditorium, the stage and different areas backstage. At Orientation, the Ambassadors were also given badges with their name and a performing arts pin that they are required to wear during all shifts at DPAC. Ambassadors also took their professional headshots, which were uploaded to DPAC’s website and Instagram account.

On September 12-13, 2026, Ambassadors met again with Rindoks and Rondon Jr. at Mutual Tower, where a lot of offices and meetings are held for DPAC. The Ambassadors also worked with the heads of the DPAC Marketing team and were trained in a Media and Content Creation Bootcamp. Here they learned the ins and outs of content creation at DPAC, interviewing and video editing/production, and media safety, ethics and digital responsibility among other things. Ambassadors also learned about what it means to create media for DPAC and what DPAC branding looks like. They were responsible for creating both individual and group social media content with the help of their fellow Ambassadors

Additional Opportunities

Post-Show Meet and Greets:

After specific Broadway events and shows, all 30 DPAC Ambassadors will be invited to meet and ask questions to the cast and crew of that specific show.

Interviewing Actors:

Sometimes, Ambassadors will be invited to interview actors from a Broadway show before a show begins.

Free Shows:

After working a showing shift prior to a show, all of the Ambassadors who work that show will then get to see that show for free in a booth seat and will get a complimentary concession pass for certain items. This applies to all shows including concerts, Broadway shows, comedy shows, one-night only special events, etc.

Holiday Parade:

Every year, that season’s Performing Arts Ambassadors at DPAC will be invited to walk in the annual Durham holiday parade. This allows for the Ambassadors to represent DPAC in a unique and different way compared to something such as content creation.

Holiday Party:

In December, DPAC hosts all 30 Ambassadors for a holiday party with pizza, games and prizes. This holiday party will occur after a typical shadowing shift and will proceed attending that day’s DPAC event as a group.

Season Wrap Party:

At the end of that Ambassador season in May, all 30 Ambassadors will be invited to attend a Season Wrap party at DPAC. There will be games and prizes, as well a time to reflect on the past Ambassador season. Ambassadors will also have the chance to talk to DPAC staff members regarding adjustments to the next year’s program.

The Performing Arts Ambassador program at DPAC is a wonderful opportunity that allows for high school theatre students to gain professional experience and begin to flourish a pathway towards a college study program/major and eventually a career in the performing arts.