section_path: Career/2004–2009: Career beginnings
section_name: 2004–2009: Career beginnings
paragraph_text: 2004–2009: Career beginnings
  
  Plaza trained and performed improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre since 2004. She also performed at the Laugh Factory and The Improv. Plaza named Amy Poehler as an inspiration for her decision to perform improv. She described her experience at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre as "intoxicating", explaining: "It just truly felt like we are in an underground – literally, underground – theatre doing an art form that is so fucking hard, and just so fun when you get it right." While she was in film school, she had an internship at Saturday Night Live for the 2004–2005 season, and then became an NBC page. During this apprenticeship she appeared in an episode of 30 Rock in 2006. Though being a page at 30 Rockefeller Plaza was a lower position than her SNL internship, it is a "legendary" and highly selective program. She was also in two short films in 2006, Killswitch and In Love. In 2008, she was part of an Improv Everywhere sketch where she and others took an entire desktop computer and monitor to a Starbucks in New York City. Plaza had a recurring role in Maggie Carey 's web series The Jeannie Tate Show, played the role of Robin Gibney in ESPN 's Mayne Street (2008), and appeared in the first episode of "Terrible Decisions with Ben Schwartz " on Funny or Die.
  
  In 2009, she made her feature film debut in Derrick Comedy 's Mystery Team. She then played a standup comic and Seth Rogen 's love interest in the black comedy-drama film Funny People, directed by Judd Apatow. As she did not have experience performing standup, she signed up for open mic nights at comedy clubs and bars in New York City to prepare for the role. For her audition tape, she performed and recorded five minutes of standup comedy at her friend Donald Glover 's standup show. When Plaza flew to Los Angeles for Funny People, the film's casting director Allison Jones asked her if she wanted to attend other meetings while she was in the city. Jones set up a meeting with Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, who were developing Parks and Recreation. At the meeting, they told her the idea for the show's pilot and that they were considering giving Amy Poehler 's character an assistant who was a doltish blonde. Plaza pitched them instead the character of a smart intern who is at the department only for college credit and does not care about the job, which Plaza thought would be an interesting, comedic contrast with Poehler's character. They liked the concept for the character and created April Ludgate. Plaza, who said that in real life she was like Poehler's earnestly hard-working character, took inspiration from her younger sister for April's apathetic disposition. Plaza played the role from 2009 to 2015. She received praise for her performance, and April was considered one of the show's breakout characters.
  
  Plaza trained and performed improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre since 2004. She also performed at the Laugh Factory and The Improv. Plaza named Amy Poehler as an inspiration for her decision to perform improv. She described her experience at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre as "intoxicating", explaining: "It just truly felt like we are in an underground – literally, underground – theatre doing an art form that is so fucking hard, and just so fun when you get it right." While she was in film school, she had an internship at Saturday Night Live for the 2004–2005 season, and then became an NBC page. During this apprenticeship she appeared in an episode of 30 Rock in 2006. Though being a page at 30 Rockefeller Plaza was a lower position than her SNL internship, it is a "legendary" and highly selective program. She was also in two short films in 2006, Killswitch and In Love. In 2008, she was part of an Improv Everywhere sketch where she and others took an entire desktop computer and monitor to a Starbucks in New York City. Plaza had a recurring role in Maggie Carey 's web series The Jeannie Tate Show, played the role of Robin Gibney in ESPN 's Mayne Street (2008), and appeared in the first episode of "Terrible Decisions with Ben Schwartz " on Funny or Die.
  
  In 2009, she made her feature film debut in Derrick Comedy 's Mystery Team. She then played a standup comic and Seth Rogen 's love interest in the black comedy-drama film Funny People, directed by Judd Apatow. As she did not have experience performing standup, she signed up for open mic nights at comedy clubs and bars in New York City to prepare for the role. For her audition tape, she performed and recorded five minutes of standup comedy at her friend Donald Glover 's standup show. When Plaza flew to Los Angeles for Funny People, the film's casting director Allison Jones asked her if she wanted to attend other meetings while she was in the city. Jones set up a meeting with Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, who were developing Parks and Recreation. At the meeting, they told her the idea for the show's pilot and that they were considering giving Amy Poehler 's character an assistant who was a doltish blonde. Plaza pitched them instead the character of a smart intern who is at the department only for college credit and does not care about the job, which Plaza thought would be an interesting, comedic contrast with Poehler's character. They liked the concept for the character and created April Ludgate. Plaza, who said that in real life she was like Poehler's earnestly hard-working character, took inspiration from her younger sister for April's apathetic disposition. Plaza played the role from 2009 to 2015. She received praise for her performance, and April was considered one of the show's breakout characters.