Eastern Student Megan Velasquez 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 Megan Velasquez '16, a resident of South Windsor who studies theatre and English.

Velasquez interned at Emerson Theatre Collective in Mystic, CT. As a stage management intern, Velasquez led rehearsals and supervised child actors through theatre workshops.

"The most challenging aspect of my internship was working with the kids," said Velasquez, "but the most rewarding part was seeing how much fun they had."

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."

"Internships are extremely valuable to students our age because we get the chance to experience a little bit of the real world while still in school," said Velasquex. "It gives us an advantage after graduation, because in a way we know what to expect of the working world."

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."