Backstage Arts Internships

BACKSTAGE ARTS INTERNSHIPS

Using musical theatre as a means of engagement, our goal is to create a strong organization which provides a consistent, high quality experience for everyone involved onstage, backstage, in the audience, and in the community. For over 13 years we've worked in the Madison community - bringing musical theatre to audiences across the city, partnering with other organizations, and providing valuable learning opportunities for performers and technicians.

Our internship program provides exposure to technical theatre careers as students learn about the production process from design to final product. Backstage Arts Students work with theatre professionals who serve as both educational mentors and production staff for Four Seasons Theatre. Internship areas include Stage Management, Wardrobe and Hair/Makeup Crew, Lighting, Set Construction, Sound Design, and Props.

Current Interns:

Martha Anderson (stage management) is a freshman at Madison East High School. She started backstage with Four Seasons Theatre as a member of the run crew for their December 2015 production of The Light in the Piazza. Training with Martinique Barthel-Steer, Jo Chalhoub, and Aileen Wall, she was an Assistant Stage Manager for Man of La Mancha, Big Fish (co-production with Theatre LILA), and Spamalot and is currently part of the production team for The Spitfire Grill.

Lukas Daniels (sound) is a senior at Waunakee High School. As a backstage sound tech for Four Seasons Theatre, Lukas has trained with sound designers Brian Anderson (Overture Center) and GW Rodriguez (UW-Madison Department of Theatre and Drama). He’s a member of the crew for The Spitfire Grill and worked backstage for Man of La Mancha and Spamalot.

Alumni of the program include:

Brian Cowing, Artistic Associate of Four Seasons Theatre, started as a Choreography Assistant on West Side Story (August 2007) and Thoroughly Modern Milie (August 2008) while a student at Middleton High School. A graduate of Oklahoma City University with a degree in musical theater, directed and choreographed Spamalot, She Loves Me, and South Pacific; directed Les Misérables; and choreographed Big Fish (co-production with Theatre LILA), among others.

Mackenzie Pitterle interned with Four Seasons Theatre while completing her Arts Administration degree at Viterbo University and is now the Annual Fund Manager for Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, MN.

Man of La Mancha, August 2017. Photo Credit: Sarah Marty

The Light in the Piazza, December 2015. Photo credit: Sarah Marty

Spamalot, August 2016. Photo credit: Sarah Marty