Backstage, Sydney Lang supervises a cast of kids clad as characters from the crazy, whimsical world of Wonderland. While that world and story comes to life onstage, she works behind the scenes, helping make theatre magic happen for audience and young performers alike.
In the summer of 2024, Lang worked as an intern with BAMtheatre, an “Award Winning and Nationally Recognized Educational Theatre Program in the Western Suburbs of Chicago” according to the website.
But First, A Bit About Sydney
Lang is presently a junior at Olivet Nazarene University, double majoring in theatre production and performance alongside vocal performance with a concentration in opera. She also is minoring in business studies.
At Olivet, Lang can often be found singing in assorted school of music performances, dancing with the dance team, and acting or helping behind the scenes in theatre. Just this past October, she performed the leading role of Katherine Brandt in ONU Theatre’s production of “33 Variations” by Moisés Kaufman!
The Internship Experience
“Internships provide students with an opportunity to transfer the experiential learning of their college work to the professional world, while still enjoying the support and guidance of their home department,” Michelle Hayford and Susan Kattwinkel said in their book Performing Arts as High-Impact Practice. “Internships also provide opportunities for networking, community-building, and the cultivation of mentors—practices that are necessary in all fields but most especially in the arts.”
Considering the significant value of student internships, Olivet encourages, prioritizes, and often requires students to acquire internship experience. For Lang, whose studies largely center around the arts, finding a good internship was important.
Fortunately, Lang had grown close with ONU Theatre’s last graduate assistant, Abriella Caravette, in her freshman year just before Caravette graduated with her master’s. Caravette landed a job as managing director at BAMtheatre, and as the summer of 2024 began to peek over the horizon, she shared BAMtheatre’s Instagram post about internships with Lang.
She applied, and in April, she did two interviews for two separate summer internships at BAMtheatre. Lang ended up getting both of them!
One involved helping run summer day camps, which she described as similar to Vacation Bible School. These days consisted of separate morning and afternoon sessions, and each week had a different theme, such as a “Barbie Showstoppers” theme. For these camps, Lang mainly helped handle the young kids. She also learned the choreography for these camps in case children approached her with questions or confusion.
For the other, Lang served as the assistant choreographer, assistant director, and stage manager for BAMtheatre’s mainstage production of Alice in Wonderland Jr. She helped teach dances to the kids, came up with audition choreography, ran dance auditions, and ran rehearsals in the choreographer’s absence. Additionally, Lang helped with blocking and formation notes for the director, props, set building and decorating, and supervising the kids during rehearsals.
Takeaways
Reflecting on her internship experience this summer, Lang expressed just how much she enjoyed her time. Though much craziness came with it, coupled with overstimulating and frustrating moments, Lang highly recommended working with BAMtheatre.
“It was so rewarding teaching the kids the dances and playing games with them. I didn’t think I would have any impact on them at all since they knew me for such a short time, but a few of the kids gave me gifts or drew me pictures, or would ask me to braid their hair and help them get ready, and I felt so proud watching them on stage,” Lang said in her internship reflection paper. “I loved getting to know the kids and watching them shine […] and I am considering applying for the same job with the company next year just so I can do it again.”
From new friendships, sweet connections with kids, learning from and working for a wonderful director, and even discovering a potential career path in the wonderland of kids and theatre, Lang is glad to have had the opportunity to intern with BAMtheatre.
I had honestly not given much thought to teaching children’s theatre before this. I had thought I might end up in higher education, or working with older kids, but it hadn’t really occurred to me that there were kids that loved theatre too. I loved my job this summer and I could very well see myself pursuing this.
Sydney Lang
BAMtheatre is located in Hinsdale, IL, near Chicago and about an hour’s drive away from the campus of Olivet Nazarene University.
More Experiences in the Field
For more communication student internship stories, check out Marina Prather’s theatre experience, two students’ experiences with Pathfinder, and Erin Fagan’s experience with United Way.
A Deeper Dive: Related Links and References
- The Hinsdalean: “BAM creates wonderland on stage“
- Performing Arts as High-Impact Practice: “Internships“
