From Concordia to MAT

Acting troupe wraps up its first intern program

Montana Actors' Theatre will soon end its first internship program that brought four Minnesota college graduates to practice putting on youth productions.

Amanda Bohn, Collette Hagen, Sabrina Robertson and Cat Hubin all came to Havre from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, to get some experience under their belts.

Robertson is actually from Havre and is the stepdaughter of MAT Artistic Director Jay Pyette. Through him, she has been working with MAT since the eighth grade.

"I was talking with him over break, and they've been looking into doing graduate programs before," Robertson said. "It just kind of worked out well."

Robertson brought in the other three graduates to participate in the first MAT internship. She said MAT is looking at repeating the program next year.

The Parkview Apartments donated three months' worth of lodging for the graduates. Each of the interns received a $500 stipend.

Bohn said Havre is beautiful.

"The community here is very, very nice," Hagen said. "Very supportive."

From Havre, the women think they will move to Spokane to continue their careers. The city has a large theater scene, the women said.

The group of four women took control of all the Kids MAT camps this year and is in charge of putting together the youth production of "Dracula."

"We're basically in charge of making sure the show happens and everything between that," Hagen said.

They are taking up stage management, training the actors, building the set - everything needed for the production to go on. There are 16 actors for the youth show, which will feature mostly high school students.

"Dracula" opens Thursday at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10 for adults. The doors open at 7:30 to the lounge and seating.

"Dracula" will play at the Montana State University-Northern Little Theatre at Cowan Hall July 30-31 and Aug. 1 and 6-8.