An Iowa College in the Liberal Arts Tradition
Internship Stories
Internships allow you to enhance your skills and apply classroom knowledge to a professional environment. They provide a supervised short-term experience in a career field of interest. Internships focus on the learning that takes place as a result of the work you are doing.
There are many internship opportunities for Luther musical theatre students. Learn more about different dance internships from Visual and Performing Arts faculty or visiting the Find Internships page. Other internship stories from students in theatre, dance, and art can be found on the VPA website.
Matthew Espey
When: Summer 2017
Where: Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Clinton, Iowa
Major: Theatre
Matthew has interned with the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre since high school. While interning, he performed in mainstage productions each summer. Another duty was working in the costume shop, scene shop, and box office. Matthew and other interns also attended workshops about acting, dancing, and singing which were led by professional performers. At the end of the season, the interns put on their own show showcasing what they learned.
Once Matthew began his studies at Luther, he was promoted to administrative and secretarial duties for the company. This allowed him to gain even more professional experience. Matthew loved having a voice in running the theatre. Even with these extra jobs, Matthew was still able to perform in the mainstage productions as an actor. These experiences and the connections he made were very rewarding. Matthew is most grateful for the influential and professional artists he met at the Showboat. After all, in theatre, connections mean everything.
Trevor Haren
When: Summer 2019
Where: Des Moines Playhouse Theatre
Major: Theatre
Trevor Haren is a theatre major with minors in management and musical theatre. This past summer, he interned at the Des Moines Playhouse Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa. While there, Trevor served as a theatre education intern. As an education intern, his job was to teach theatre classes to kids in grades K-9. He also helped run the weekly camps put on by the playhouse, and assisted with lighting, sound, and props. Trevor really enjoyed being exposed to different age groups and it taught him about the ins and outs of working in a community theatre setting. The thing he loved most was his ability to watch his students grow in their love for theatre every week. He is very excited for his future and cannot wait to continue to study theatre here at Luther.