Real-World Experience and Alumni Connections: The Colorado Shakespeare Festival Theatre Management Internship

Internships give students a chance to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and put it into action. In these real-world experiences, students earn credits towards their degree, and the College of Performing and Visual Arts has been coordinating internships in programs like Graphic Design and Music Business for years.  

In 2023, a new partnership with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) made a Theatre Management Internship possible, largely through UNC alum and CSF Managing Director Wendy Franz. This past summer was the third year of the immersive career-like experience during the CSF summer season. UNC Theatre Studies and Theatre Education student Sarah Ausloos was awarded the internship. 

“I was drawn to the opportunity to work with an extremely well-renowned festival with professionals who graduated from UNC,” Ausloos said. 

As part of the internship, Ausloos got to see the inside process of renovating the outdoor theater where CSF performances take place each summer. She saw how the organization launched the theater’s reopening through a strong social media campaign. She also worked with the design and production teams for each show and was handed some in-depth organizational projects after Franz saw how  spreadsheet savvy she is. 

 “The biggest thing that I’ve learned is that sometimes, you just need to do it yourself. If there’s a project you’re passionate about, don’t wait around for an opportunity to present itself to you. You have to find the opportunities to create,” Ausloos said. 

Franz explains that hands-on experience like Ausloos received is crucial for students who want to work professionally in live theatre. 

“This internship gives one student per summer a fully immersive learning opportunity in which they get to work as a member of the administrative operations team, working beside CSF leadership, being privy to high-level conversations and decision-making and getting access to the full spectrum of departments and moving parts that contribute to making the festival run,” Franz said. “As an organization, CSF benefits from the fresh perspectives, new ideas and genuine enthusiasm that the UNC interns bring to the working relationship.” 

As a UNC alum herself, Franz experienced solid career preparation first-hand. Her degree focused on both directing and theatre design/technology, and after finishing school,  she felt ready to work as a stage manager, sound designer and director.  

 “My design training from UNC continues to be essential to me as a director,” Franz said. “It is so helpful to speak the same language as the designers I’m working with on the production team. As a producer, having first-hand experience with all the jobs our employees do to make our productions possible informs leadership decisions I make every day.” 

The CSF Theatre Management Internship and connections like Ausloos and Franz now have are just a couple of examples of the UNC alumni network in action. More than 130,000 UNC alumni make up the global Bear Network, representing all 50 states and more than 90 countries. Together, they carry forward the university’s spirit of curiosity, creativity and connection — mentoring students, opening doors and continuing to make an impact in their communities and professions.