Pushkin Staff: 2022 Summer Break Updates

Every year Pushkin closes for the first two weeks of August.  It’s a chance for our employees to recharge without worrying about what’s happening back at the office.

Some of our staff enjoyed a staycation, some made cross-country moves, and a lot of us traveled (let’s be honest, we’re auditioning to be on the next seasons of Not Lost and Car Show!).

Here are a few of our favorite responses to the question: “what did you do with your summer break?”

David Glover (Office Manager)

Pushkin HQ: What did you do over break?

DG: I spent 8 days at a friend’s family Cabin on Little Kennebago Lake, Maine. I spent a portion of each day improvising and working on the creation of a Show that premiered Aug 19th-21st at HERE Arts Center in Manhattan.

Pushkin HQ: What was your favorite thing about the break?

DG: The quiet, the night sky, and the kindness of strangers.

Julia Barton (Executive Editor)

Pushkin HQ: We just got back from our break, what did you end up doing?

JB: I went to Norway. It was the best!

Pushkin HQ: What was your favorite thing about the two weeks off?

JB: Getting the chance to listen to lots of new work beyond the Pushkinverse. Also, saunas.

Pushkin HQ: Why is it important for the entire company to take two weeks off?

JB: The break gives a cyclical rhythm to our “always on” media production lives. And afterwards, things that seemed insurmountable are suddenly a lot easier.

Maya Koenig (Associate Director, Operations)

Pushkin HQ: How did you spend your two weeks off?

MK: I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

Pushkin HQ: What was the best part of your break?

MK: Getting out of my NYC routine and cooling off in a Scottish summer.

Pushkin HQ: The are hundreds of shows playing at the Fringe, can you give us a couple of highlights?

MK: Yes! Muller’s Last Tape by Tim Honnef and Puppet State Theater Company’s The Man Who Planted Trees.

Jon Schnaars (Chief Business Officer)

Pushkin HQ: Did you do anything for our summer break?

JS: I went to Nags Head in the Outer Banks, NC with my family.

Pushkin HQ: What was your favorite thing about the break?

JS: Spending quality time with my sisters and our families.

Pushkin HQ: How do you feel about two weeks completely off? Why is it important?

JS: I feel great about it! It’s very freeing to know that the rest of the company is similarly on vacation and that you’re not going to be coming back to a pile of internal emails.

Catherine Girardeau (Executive Producer)

Pushkin HQ: How did you spend your two weeks off?

CG: I went on a road trip through Oregon & Northern CA.

Pushkin HQ: What was your favorite thing about the break?

CG: Climbing a mountain in Lassen Volcanic National Park, sleeping in a forest, and hanging with high school friends in my hometown.

Justine Lang (Director of Development)

Pushkin HQ: Did you end up doing anything over break?  

JL: Yes! I drove across America! From LA to NYC.

Pushkin HQ: What was the best part of your drive across the country?

JL: Seeing the arches in Utah.

Pushkin HQ: How did you pass the time on your drive?

JL: On our road trip across the country we listened to the “Mother Country Radicals” podcast and the audiobook of “Naked” by David Sedaris.