Although it was never in doubt, there is absolute assurance now that the show will go onāShakespeare in the Sangres, that is.
The full contingent of four Summer Interns has arrived, and they are already settled in their apartments above Studio 2āan easy stroll to work.
About a score of younger theater students and performers/directors had applied for this yearās Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts (WCPA) internships in their summer productions and activities. The four who have been appointed are delighted to be here. Charlotte Compo, Aidan Duez, Vidur Katyal, and Kathryn Osburn come from a variety of academic and professional settings and each is enthusiastic about the summer season of live theater ahead for them and for the community.
Compo has returned for a second time, having served as a summer intern for the 2024 season, where, she says, her experience with As You Like It kind of cemented her affection for Shakespeare and the Valley. āI am delighted to return,ā she says, āand this gives me an opportunity to reflect on where Iāve been, and to prepare for where Iām going.ā Compo graduated from Boston University this year, after a stint in London the previous year, and will be headed to New York City after Shakespeare in the Sangres.
Duez studies theater arts at Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania, and will graduate next year. In addition to his interning here this summer, he has been, and will be, engaged in summer stock in Indianapolis, Indiana. āIām new to Shakespeare, and exited to have this venture, working in both productions here.ā
Katyal, whose early arrival was noted in the Tribune two weeks ago, is a 2025 graduate of Vermont State University Castleton, and rejoins Compo, with whom he interned here as well in 2024. āRehearsals are going well,ā he reports, āand Iām enjoying getting reacquainted with some of the same staff who were here two years ago.ā
Osburn is also a 2025 graduate of Vermont State University Castleton, and has been engaged with Missoula Childrenās Theater (MCT), a non-profit program in onsite production and on tour. āI knew of the program here,ā she says, āand am happy to be part of it now.ā Osburn will most likely return to MCT after her summer here with WCPA.
The four all have acting and/or directing responsibilities for 1776 The Musical (June 19āJuly 4) and Shakespeareās Julius Caesar (June 26āJuly 5). They also will have leadership responsibilities in Creativity Camp (June 29āJuly 10). Details, ticket information, and Creativity Camp applications and policies are available online at jonestheater.com, or by calling 719-783-3004.
Each of the interns shared a couple of common dynamics with the Tribune during our visit with them earlier this week: the openness and hospitality not only of the theater volunteers, but of the community at large, and the immense difference in lifestyle environment to which they adjust here.
Regarding the latter, Compo shared, for example, how difficult it is initially for her to sleep at night in Westcliffe: āItās so quiet! Iām sometimes baffled because this is the same country after all!ā Osborn added, accompanied by her colleagues all shaking their heads in agreement, āThis is one of the most beautiful places Iāve ever been.ā The four took in a bit of that beauty up close and personal with a Sunday hike on Comanche Trail, a hike that notably taxed their adjustment to the demands of exertion at higher altitude.
As for their reception in the community, Duez summed it up, saying, āIām happily surprised by how congenial everyone is,ā being more accustomed to urban anonymity.
These interns are more than pleased to be greeted by name in coffee shops and on the streets.
In turn, we might note how we will benefit from their artistic and creative labors as the summer theater season unfolds. Welcome, indeed!
ā W.A. Ewing
