Eastern Student Hanna Madler of South Windsor Works a Theatre Internship throughout Summer

2015 Oct 13

Thirteen high-achieving theatre students from Eastern Connecticut State University worked internships in theatres across New England throughout the summer 2015 semester. Among the interns was Hanna Madler '16, a resident of South Windsor who studies theatre and accounting.

Madler interned at Hartford Stage Company in Hartford, CT. Madler interned as an arts and administrative apprentice, dealing primarily with contracts for technicians and actors, and finance and accounting tasks in the office.

"The greatest challenge was working in an office, which is something I had never pictured myself doing," said Madler. "I think the best lesson I learned was to just take things as they come, because you never know what you'll end up learning about the process and about yourself."

Theatre Professor Chase Rozelle, a believer in 'experiential learning,' selected and helped the students obtain their internships by bringing them to job fairs and introducing them to his theatre contacts around the region. "An integral part of the theatre program is to provide practical theatre experience," he said. "Students come back excited with validation and opinions; they come back with ideas and conviction. They come back inspired."

Sometimes the value of an internship comes by realizing you do not like the job area after all. "I learned that I definitely cannot be in an office setting without a creative outlet," said Madler, "which is a really important thing for me to learn now, as a student."

Most of the internships engaged students in backstage/behind-the-scenes work, within the areas of design, technology and stage management. "The theatre industry is much more than acting," said Rozelle, who also serves as technical director for Eastern productions in the Harry Hope Theatre.

While the internship experience may affirm or reject a student's decision to pursue a certain career path, Rozelle says of the practical experience: "They come back with fabulous resumes and proof that what they are studying is relevant."