By Brianna Cullen, Administrative Intern 2017
May 22, 2017. Our first day at Peninsula Players Theatre and the beginning of our internship at a place that has more history of which most of us were ever aware. I’m sure all ten of us, production and administrative interns, had our own idea of what to expect and what the summer might hold. I had my own ideas about what this place might look like since I had never been to the Theater in the Garden before. One thing is for certain… everything I had imagine has changed, and for the better.
One of the biggest changes was the interns I would live and work with on a daily basis. After everyone arrived, we sat down and talked about where we were from and how we learned of the internship. These interns, whom I would soon call my friends, came from all different parts of the country with homes based in Colorado, Indiana, Utah, Tennessee, Washington DC, South Carolina and Wisconsin. They would come from different college and university programs and theater experiences that ultimately made up the reasons we were selected to be a part of the Peninsula Players company.
“I was looking for a broad and comprehensive internship experience and Peninsula Players was recommended by my friend and previous production intern Matt Super,” said production intern Derek Foret. Derek is a recent graduate from Kenyon College in Ohio with a degree in mathematics, but has always had a passion for theater, specifically stage and production management. This season, Derek has assisted with scenic building, props, and in the box office.
As an administrative intern, my schedule can be different than my production intern roommates. Different days off and working in the canteen during shows, gives me and Mary Knight a different perspective of how Peninsula Players operates and what it takes to get a show up and running from an administrative perspective. One of the aspects that both me and Mary were eager to learn about was the marketing of such a historical theater.
“I have loved learning more about all the different ways Peninsula Players markets itself and its shows and have enjoyed assisting with some of those projects,” said Knight, a Medford, Wisconsin native who recently graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with degrees in arts management and public relations.
Our fellow interns were just as eager for all the different experiences they would have during their time here. As production interns, they rotate between each of the production shops including costumes, scenic, props and more. This element of the internship program is one of the biggest reasons why so many of the interns were interested in participating in the program.
“Getting to work in different departments and learning different aspects of theater work that I haven’t been able to see before has been incredibly fun,” said production intern Alex Rettie. Alex will be a senior at Utah Valley University where he is pursuing a degree in stage management. This season, Alex has been involved with the box office, scence shop and assistant stage managed, “Peter and the Starcatcher”. This exploration is a highlight for many of the interns’ experience with Players.
Finally, one the biggest and most rewarding parts of this internship has been making connections and friendships with so many working professionals throughout this industry. From actors to designers and directors; we get to learn, participate in workshops and visit with each other every day in order to further our careers in this industry we are all so passionate about.
Stefani Azores-Gococo, a production intern, shared her experience with working with these professionals on a daily basis. “There is a broad network of theater people, mostly from Chicago, with whom I have developed a working relationship” said Azores-Gococo, a senior at Loyola University pursuing a degree in costuming. So far this season, she has assisted with props, scenic building, costuming and is currently assisting in the box office.
Overall, this internship has been an experience that none of us will soon forget. The best part is that some of us still have a few more weeks to make memories and laugh with friends while others have two months left to experience Door County in the autumn. The experiences and connections we make here will last a lifetime. We can now say there is no other place we’d rather be this summer than on the shores of Green Bay, where the sun sets, the curtain rises and the stars shine.
Love & Be Loved