Montana Actors' Theatre in search of 2021 summer interns and assistants

As summer approaches, Montana Actors’ Theatre is once again in search of interns and assistants to help with youth programs.

For college students and recent college graduates, MAT is offering several paid internships. Interested high school students can apply for assistant positions.

Intern youth programs include the touring KidsMAT summer children’s theater camps and the annual youth production. This summer’s youth production will be “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” originally planned for production by MAT last year.

The program will give the interns experience in areas including directing, stage management, lighting and sound, set design and construction, costuming and working with children and youths.

Assistants will help with KidsMAT camps. Camps are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Camp locations may include Havre, Chinook, Shelby, Box Elder, Rocky Boy, Hays-Lodge Pole, and possibly others.

Intern applicants must be available from early June to mid-August. Assistant applicants may be able to work part of the summer. Applicants must be sure to include any scheduling conflicts on the application.

Priority is given to students attending a Montana high school, college, or university or previous Montana high school students.

Angela Pratt, MAT’s youth director, box office manager and head of costumes, said the implementation of internship and assistant opportunities has been very pivotal to MAT’s continued success.

MAT started the intern program in 2015.

“It’s opened up so that we’ve been able to do more camps and incorporate more children. Before, it was myself running all the camps, or it was (Executive Director Jay Pyette) running all the camps. It’s almost impossible to do. I mean, we couldn’t travel and go do one up and down the Hi-Line like we do now,” Pratt said.

“With four interns, we can send two one way and two another way. It’s just been wonderful. Our program has expanded so much because of them. Then, being able to take on that youth production also gives a chance for mentoring and things like that,” Pratt added.

Pratt said children in MAT’s youth programs have responded well to the interns and assistants and vice versa. She added that the children often remember these relationships when they run into a former intern or assistant around town.

“I’ve been really impressed over the years as I watched the interns, even ones that maybe don’t think they’re good with kids, they learn how to do it and they kind of find a love for those students. That may not be the funnest thing for them in the world, but they definitely figure out how to get those kids to have fun and to learn things and keep the discipline the way it needs to be, all of those things. It’s been pretty cool to see,” Pratt said.

The deadline to apply for intern and assistant positions is Friday. 

For more information about MAT’s youth programs, people can visit the MAT website at https://mtactors.com . People with questions about the summer programs people can contact Pratt at [email protected].