We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
For the past five summers, the Montana Actors’ Theatre (MAT), located in Havre, has hired college students or recent college graduates as paid interns. These young adults manage and direct the KidsMAT touring children’s camps and the Youth Production. Applications for this opportunity are due April 30, 2019.
The interns hired will oversee two established MAT youth programs: the touring KidsMAT Summer Children’s Theatre camp and the annual MAT Youth Production, which this summer will be She Kills Monsters. Interns gain professional development, artistic opportunity, and practical experience in the performing arts with directing, stage management, lighting and sound, set design and construction, costuming, and working with youth. In addition to these experiences, MAT provides a generous stipend, housing, and travel compensation to its interns.
KidsMAT Children’s Theatre Camps are week-long acting camps in Havre and surrounding communities. Each camp runs Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a public performance on each Thursday in the evening. For some of the camps outside of Havre, residence in the community will be required of the interns—arranged for and provided by MAT—while others will be travelled to daily. Although camp dates haven’t yet been set, last year a theater camp was held in Chinook from June 18-21.
A summer-time educational performing arts camp for children grades K-8 KidsMAT creates an environment that encourages creative growth through theatre performance, management, and production. KidsMAT takes theatre camp to a new level by encouraging youth to take part in every aspect of the creative process. Through collaboration and with guidance, theater campers develop the story, create the costumes, build the set, and perform the play.
Under the mentorship of MAT Artistic Director Jay Pyette, the first KidsMAT camp begins in Havre mid-June. Any interns would have to be available from June through August 19. Applications can be completed online and accessed through the website bit.ly/mtactorsYPP. Priority is given to students attending a Montana college or university or previous Montana high school students.
About her internship in 2018, Katie Burke said, “MAT’s internship program provided me with theatre and education experience that very few theatres offer. It was amazing getting to work with kids of all ages while also directing a full length show. Passing the art of theatre on is so important to me, and it was exciting getting to be a part of that every day. KidsMAT really encouraged me to continue working with kids in the arts and really helped me get a feel for what directing and arts education are like. I’m so glad I got to be a part of this program!”
According to Pyette, children and young adults will fill all of the available roles in She Kills Monsters. The Youth Production aims to provide middle and high school-aged students the opportunity to participate in fully-staged productions. Participants learn every aspect of theatrical production and develop the discipline to create a polished, professional show. This year’s production will run for six performances, July 25-27 and August 1-3.
Registration forms for the camps will be available on the MAT website (www.mtactors.com) and in Chinook at the Chamber Office, Liquor Store, and Chinook Pharmacy.
For more information about camp costs and dates or for answers to any questions regarding these opportunities, interested individuals can contact Pyette at 406.945.0272 or jay@mtactors.com.
