Last Friday the college announced plans to reinstate the two intern positions in the Theater department. The positions were cut as part of the College’s decision to eliminate all internship positions next year.
The two theater interns build sets and operate all the backstage equipment in the theaters around campus. Since the interns are the only people other than the department’s Technical Director who have the carpentry experience to build sets, cutting them would have had serious implications for next year’s theater season.

The positions were reinstated after a vigorous campaign by the department, with efforts that included a petition. Additionally, Paul Moser, associate professor and chair of the department and others asked the college administration to look at the costs of getting rid of these two intern positions and the impact that it would have on the department. A rally was planned for last Friday, but was cancelled after it was announced that the intern positions were reinstated.
“They have agreed that these [intern positions] are essential,” Moser said. Although it is yet unclear if the department will actually hire new interns next year because of a lack of funds, the positions themselves have been reinstated.

The two interns, Scott Henkels and Keith Friedlander, had been disappointed when they heard that the positions had been cut. Although Henkels was already planning to move on to graduate school after this semester, he still saw the cut as having a harmful impact on the department. Friedlander had not yet made a decision about whether he wanted to renew the nine-month contract for a second term, but he also said that the loss of the internships would be hard on the department, because they are such a necessary part of the backstage work for shows.

“[The College’s administators] are listening...and trying to be as supportive as they can,” Moser said.