Meet Our Interns: Olivia Chiroiu

PlayCo: Okay so my first question is taking it back to the beginning of your life. What was your dream job when you were younger and how did that change?

Olivia Chiroiu: I knew very early on that I was very into the arts and I loved writing. I was very creative and I didn’t appreciate the art of more formal modes of writing yet, but I knew I loved writing and knew I loved reading. I always dreamed about being an author. That was my big dream. I was reading the typical stuff, so I was like I'm going to be the next Suzanne Collins or JK Rowling, god forbid. That type of mainstream success, creating a whole franchise, saga, a world...

PlayCo: You wanted to build a whole world.

OC: A whole world, yes. I loved that. So, I definitely really thought I was going to study English or Literature. I had phases. I wanted to be an art teacher at some point. I wanted to be a piano teacher, even though I was not that good at piano, but I idolized my piano teacher. It was never going to be the doctor or astronaut though.  I just knew that wasn’t my path.

PlayCo: So when did it fully form into your Financial Economics and Film Studies majors?

OC: I grew up and realized I appreciated doing more quantitative stuff and thinking more analytically about things. I started doing surprisingly well in those types of classes. I was like okay, wait, hold on! Any piece of media, both nonfiction or fiction about the entertainment industry and the business behind that, and the types of decisions that have to be made, I was always so interested in that. I was so inspired by creatives, and artists and filmmakers, but I never wanted to be the one behind the camera. I was a visual artist growing up, but I started to appreciate getting inspired by others and wanting to be around them. So I just thought why not combine them, and be on the more behind-the-scenes side of the industry?

PlayCo: Did you know that you wanted to be a double major or did you start out with one? Did you start out with a completely different major?

OC: I came into college freshman year wanting to major in psychology and economics because I really like behavioral psychology and decision science. I really like thinking about why people consume what they consume, and things like that. At some point I thought I was going to go straight into becoming a therapist or psychologist because I always liked psychology. However, then I realized I liked pop psychology, I liked learning facts that were the results of experiments that had already been done, not necessarily conducting those experiments myself.  So I got disillusioned with psychology, and then I kept Economics, but I was just like I can’t give up this humanities side of myself. I love analyzing media, art, literature, but also film; film has that visual component which I also like.

PlayCo: Are you someone who sees a lot of theater or do you mainly focus on film? Where do you feel like they intersect?

OC: I just love meaningful spectacles. I just love seeing the manifestations of creative minds, just making you feel something. Some of the most visceral responses to art I’ve had have been theater. One of my favorite pieces of media, not just theater, but overall, was Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The theatrical performance of it changed my life for some reason. It was so raw.  It wasn’t the biggest, it wasn’t The Lion King or one of those shows known for its amazing costumes and sets, but something about the way that it connects to the audience really spoke to me. I chose film over theater, but it was never me privileging film over theater, because I hold space for both of them. Some of my favorite artistic experiences have been theater as opposed to film. Theater’s just very raw because it’s literally something that is  put in front of you. So I love both. I love both.

PlayCo: What’s a favorite show you have that is currently running? And I'll throw in a favorite film that recently came out!

OC: Not because I saw it recently, but it is still technically on Broadway, so I’ll say Hadestown. The music is incredible. I saw it the first time in 2022, and it was just that same feeling of “I can’t believe that this came to be. Just the combination of the turntable, and the way it’s used, the immersion it creates, the way that even though the audience knows it’s coming, we all gasp when Orpheus looks back. And just the music. It was truly an incredible experience. I had to come again with my mom because I needed her to understand why I came home raving about it. When I see something like that I just want to share it with everybody because that’s what I feel like art and music is for. Every experience is going to be new because of the people you see it with because we always respond to it just a bit differently. So, I’m going to say Hadestown. And then my favorite film that I saw. Recently or of all time?

PlayCo: You can do one or both.

OC: Okay, both are really hard, and I am always afraid to say something basic, but who cares? It’s not going to be revolutionary, but I just want Bottoms to be the direction of comedy moving forward. Just so sharp, so snappy. It’s just smart and camp and stupid, but like smartly stupid. It’s just everything that I need in a movie. It makes me so optimistic for the future of film. And seeing it in a theater with everyone else who just got it, and who were all reciting the Nicole Kidman AMC ad together beforehand, so I knew I was in for a good time. It was just the perfect movie-going experience.

PlayCo: That’s a good one. How about of all time?

OC: Ugh, of all time. This is also going to be basic, and it’s also pretty modern, but that’s because I love the direction. It’s so cool to see certain artists who have this very contemporary view. So I’m going to say Everything Everywhere All At Once. Again, it’s that perfect balance of insane insanity, but with such a core of humanity. I think it’s so singular, nobody else could’ve made that, but yet so many people had something to take away from it. So, I just loved it.

PlayCo: What is the biggest challenge you see in the entertainment business?

OC: I think it’s really hard to grapple with the people who somehow undervalue the arts and entertainment, even though they consume it every single day of their lives. Either through underfunding or just diminishing those people. That is the root of so many challenges that gave rise to the double strike because the actual people behind things that people consume every single day were being undervalued and viewed as expendable when that’s absolutely not the case. Everything’s just consuming each other now, all these companies are cannibalizing other companies, and it’s just, it feels like even though it’s inevitable,  it’s just sapping an industry that should be so innately creative and human. So that’s a challenge, but there are so many voices who are continuing to reaffirm the importance of not only entertainment and art, but also the importance of having humans firmly in that world.

PlayCo: How did you come to find PlayCo? What has been your favorite part of working here so far?

OC: I came to found PlayCo through the Navab fellowship program at Columbia. It’s clear that they handpick the companies that they choose to work with. They have formed really meaningful relationships with these companies. People I talk to, career advisors, when I even mentioned PlayCo, they remembered students who had great and really insightful internship experiences through the program and just in general. I was very excited to get this opportunity to get work at PlayCo.

My favorite part of PlayCo, even though it’s still early in the summer and early in the journey…is I just love how collaborative everything is. I really feel like my voice matters, even as an intern in my first two weeks. Everyone’s working towards a common goal, and people truly care so much about the art and connecting meaningfully with communities. That global voice was something that was so important to me as the daughter of immigrants and as someone that grew up in the city, and knows the importance of diversity and representation. There was so much care put into the entire experience behind a production, ways to make it accessible and have it last for future generations and views.