Frisco Youth Theatre Spotlight #1

Hannah S., FYT Summer Intern

My Summer as an FYT Intern

How might theater be a part of your everyday life? Surprisingly, lessons learned in theater have a lot to do with your daily life. The confidence you need to walk into a job interview, the first day of school, be yourself, or maybe even something as simple as introducing yourself to a new coworker, kid at school, or neighbor. These are only a few lessons that theater can teaches us and a huge part of why I want to pursue a career in theater e

ducation. This summer Frisco Youth Theater provided me with an amazing opportunity to work alongside some of their fabulous directors and gain some experience in children’s theater education.

My first assignment as a FYT Intern was Wizard of Oz, a Two Week Production Camp, with Mr. Nick Mann. Immediately, I was put on registration and given a song to choreograph a dance for the kids. What many families don’t know is the amount of outside work the directors put into these shows. Yes, directors do a lot in those few hours we have to rehearse, however, those few hours are nothing compared to the all of the at home work that is put into these shows. As I would stay up late working on choreography for the kids, I learned very quickly all of the hard work the directors put into these shows to give each kid their moment to shine.

One of the main things you need as an intern is flexibility. If you have a certain expectation of what being an intern is like after one show, I promise you that expectation will change as you move on to the next show. My second assignment, as an FYT intern, was the Hobbit , a Two Week Production Camp, with Mrs. Becca Johnson-Spinos. Although the Hobbit was not a musical production, I watched the director add fun, creative music and dance to add a bit more personality and flare.

One of my biggest jobs during the first weeks of these two camps was to practice the scenes, dances, and songs with many of the younger children. As chaotic as it could get at times, the children enjoyed practicing their newest blocking and choreography. Every once in a while we would stop to play theater games that related to the current show we would be working on. One of the games we played, while I was interning for the Hobbit, I called “A Hobbit Adventure.” Basically, all of the kids were paired in twos or threes and I would narrate a made up Hobbit story and the kids would act out the story. Some of the things the kids would encounter on their Hobbit adventure were goblins, storms, creeks, bears, and many more. At the end of the story all of the kids would share what they encountered on their Hobbit Adventure. Definitely, one of the many highlights of the week.

Tech week. One of the most amazing and potentially stressful weeks of your life. I am very much a control freak and like to take on a lot, most often too much. I encourage all future interns to be aware of how much you can handle, to find your strengths, and communicate those strengths and expectations to your directors and show parents. For example, for several years I have taken basic tech classes at my homeschool group on makeup, lights, sound, etc… When there was a need for someone to do basic goblin makeup during the performance of the Hobbit, I shared that I had some basic experience in stage makeup. Often times if you are confident with the director and stage parent, they will take you up on your help.

Taking initiative when needed is a huge part of being an intern. The majority of the times the directors did not have a moment to answer all of my questions during rehearsal and I had to “improv” on the spot. Writing down any major issues or concerns I had during rehearsal helped remind me to ask the director questions I had after the rehearsal. In the end it is still the director’s show and the director has the final say, however, the directors appreciate opinions! There are absolutely no wrong questions or answers. As interns we are there to learn from our directors to improve both our theatrical skills and our personal character. 

Putting on a show takes a lot more effort than the actors or actresses get to see. Being a director is a very rewarding job, such as, the directors get to watch young children grow up in confidence and develop strong character. There is no doubt in my mind that the work Frisco Youth Theater is doing is, definitely, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. ;) We may not all be perfect, but all of the people and directors I have worked with have nothing but big hearts dedicated to encourage children to shine on and off the stage. Since day one as an intern, I have been able to be a part of so many kids lives, made so many wonderful friends, and shared so many wonderful memories that I will cherish forever.

-Hannah S.

Used with permission.