Saint Michael's student Alan Hefferon of Jericho lands lighting internship with Saint Michael's Playhouse

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James Hefferon working as electrical & sound intern for Saint Michael's Playhouse

COLCHESTER, VT (06/16/2011)(readMedia)-- Alan Hefferon, a sophomore theater major at Saint Michael's College, landed a prized opportunity to work this summer at Saint Michael's Playhouse as an electrical and general technical intern. The son of James and Lynne Hefferon of Jericho, Alan graduated from Mount Mansfield Union High School before coming to Saint Michael's.

Saint Michael's Playhouse, which works under contract with Actor's Equity Association, is a regional theater company owned and operated by Saint Michael's College.

Mr. Hefferon's duties include setting and operating lighting for the theater. He has also been helping with set construction in the set shop. He described his work as a "crash course" into the world of professional theater.

Learning from the pros

"There are a lot of very talented theatrical professionals around," he says. "The atmosphere is hectic, but you never stop learning." Mr. Hefferon attributed the pace to the Playhouse's seasonal schedule, where a new show is put up every two weeks instead of one every semester, as in college theater.

He said that reviews from friends led him to apply for the internship with the Playhouse, which offers Saint Michael's College students internships in a professional theatrical setting each year. He highly recommends aspiring theater majors and anyone interested in pursuing a career in theater to apply.

"I love it. It's a fast pace but it's better to be busy than idle." Playhouse internships are highly competitive and highly valuable.

Playhouse background

Founded in 1947, Saint Michael's Playhouse features talent from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theaters nationwide and attracts approximately 16,000 theatergoers each season. An auxiliary enterprise of Saint Michael's College, the Playhouse is Greater Burlington's only actors' Equity resident theater company and operates under contract with Actors' Equity Association in New York City. At the same time, Saint Michael's College students have the opportunity to learn from the pros through internships in technical theater, costuming, lighting, set construction, publicity, and occasionally, on-stage roles.

Learn What Matters at Saint Michael's College, The Edmundite Catholic liberal arts college, www.smcvt.edu . Saint Michael's provides education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools to lead successful, purposeful lives that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael's College is located three miles from Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top 10 college towns. Saint Michael's is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nations Best 373 Colleges, and is included in the 2011 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Saint Michael's has 1,900 undergraduate students and 500 graduate students. Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other grants. The college is one of the nation's top-100, Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2011 U.S. News & World Report rankings.