Intern spotlight
Access Theater is thrilled to be in our 3rd year of working with the Williams College Alumni Sponsored Internship Program. Access Theater Artistic Director, Laura Lee is an alumna of Williams College, which enables Access Theater to participate in this fantastic program. The interns receive a grant through the program which enables them to work either in-person or remotely for 40 hours per week for 8-9 weeks over the summer. The interns get hands-on experience in the arts and Access Theater gets to benefit from the work of the next generations brightest, most dedicated and diligent up-and-coming creative leaders!
Please meet this fantastic group of Access Theater interns! Get to know the next generation of artistic and creative leaders! And Hire these Wonderful People!!
Allison Geis
Rising junior at Williams College (at the time of internship Summer 2022)
Major: English
Q&A
What areas of study are you pursuing in college?
I have admittedly been a little all over the place for my first two years of college, switching between majors until I got to English. I have always had a real interest in politics and psychology, but I think I realized that it actually comes from a place of wanting to understand people and myself and why we are the way we are. Eventually I made my way back to novels and film, childhood loves of mine that I had never even considered as a career option. I think what I am really pursuing now is storytelling as a means of making sense of the world we live in.
What artists, theater, film or other projects inspire you?
Right now I’d say I’m most inspired by what Jordan Peele is working on and movies like Everything Everywhere All At Once. Films that are blurring the lines between genres, defying expectations, and telling brand new stories that you can’t really compare to anything you’ve ever seen before. I love not knowing what’s going to happen next while becoming deeply invested in the characters and the story.
What do you hope to do in your future career?
I grew up in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona with parents that really didn’t like their jobs. My mom works in medical billing and my dad works at a distribution center for a big retail corporation. They would come home not even wanting to talk about their day because they found it so draining and dull. Because of his unhappiness, my dad tried to instill in me the idea that I needed to find a high-paying job regardless of the happiness it may or may not bring me. He thought he was looking out for me but, for better or for worse, that part didn’t really stick.
Based on what I witnessed, I decided that what is most important to me in deciding on a career would be personal happiness. I have found that I am most joyful and most myself when I am watching or working on films, reading novels, and creating art in general. I have used this as a guide that has led me to my college major, this internship, and my upcoming year abroad at Prague Film School.
While I feel like right now I am still just a kid figuring things out, I know I want to work in film and I am doing what I can to explore all of the departments and jobs that are make up the filmmaking process. I love the idea of reading scripts everyday and working in development. I would also like to explore sound design further after leading sound production in my first short film and taking a couple classes heavy in sound editing. I have even found that I have a love for writing realistic dialogue, so I’d like to practice this more, too.
While I spend my junior year abroad, I hope to find my place in the industry where my keen eye for detail, complete honesty, and unique perspective can be utilized. Ultimately, I hope to work on films or tv shows that star independent women and explore the complexities of family relationships and forging new paths. I see filmmaking as a way to better understand myself and the world around me and I would be lucky to have a career doing what I love.
Nate Kim
Rising sophomore at Williams College (at the time of internship Summer 2022)
Major: Economics and Spanish
Q&A
What has been your favorite part of the internship?
I love how this internship has changed my perception of the city. As someone who grew up in the suburbs, the city has not always been a place I enjoyed coming to. As a boy, my parents often dragged me to weekend shows that I had little interest in. When your friends are having sleepovers and you’re watching a play, it’s hard to appreciate the magic of theater.
Coming into the city regularly for work, though, has given me a new appreciation for what the city has to offer. I have especially enjoyed the food in the area surrounding Access Theater. Access Theater is quite close to Chinatown, so I often meander there during my lunch break and sometimes after work, picking up random (and cheap) bites to eat.
What has been the biggest challenge?
This internship has been on a hybrid schedule for me, where I go into the city to work two out of the five days of the work week. A big challenge for me, as a night-owl, has been waking up to commute to the city. To make it to work on time, I wake up around 8:15. This is quite a bit earlier than the times I wake up when I work virtually and on the weekends. The commute is certainly better working on Zoom!
Another challenge has been staying on task when working from home. When I am in the city, there are less distractions and as a result, it is much easier to stay on task. At home, it feels like my parents, sister, and dog always need something from me. I’ve definitely improved in limiting these distractions by moving the location where I work and letting my family know that I would not like to be bothered.
What areas of study are you pursuing in college?
Right now I am on an Economics and Spanish track. Economics has always fascinated me as a mix between math and social sciences. I thoroughly enjoyed Economics in high school and continued with similar classes in my freshman year.
My Spanish journey started in middle school and is something that I have loved for the eight years that I have been on it. More recently, I noticed significant improvements with the language as a result of one semester of college Spanish. My goal is to be fluent by the time I graduate, something that I believe is entirely possible. I also plan to study abroad and grow with Spanish even further.
What are some creative or personal products that you are working on outside of school and this internship?
After this internship ends, I am preparing to go to my grandparents’ house in Charlottesville, Virginia for the last time. Since before I can remember , I have gone to their house annually with my cousins, aunts, and uncles. After our final visit, my grandparents are selling the house so that they can move to Taiwan permanently. In memory of the house, I am making a video of some of the best times I have had in the house to the song I'll Be Seeing You by Isto. The trip is definitely bittersweet, so I am hoping that this video will help my family remember the good times at the house.
Nate in the Access Theater lobby.
Erinn in the Access Theater lobby.
Erinn McKenzie
Rising senior at Williams College (at the time of internship Summer 2022)
Major: English with an Africana Studies concentration
Q&A
Question 1: What are some creative endeavors you are working on outside of school and the internship?
This internship has made me prioritize creative projects, so I want to make an effort to work on my creative writing and my art. This summer, I started working on an art Instagram page and hope to start an art shop by the end of this year. I have been tapping into zines, digital art, and physical merchandising and want to share my art with everyone.
I also want to create and finish a lot of my short story ideas. My dream is to create a book with my short stories and publish them. One particular short story I’m currently working on is set in the 50s and details the long existential conversation between a down-on-his-luck drunken man and a mysterious yet naive woman until a twist revelation changes everything (no spoilers yet).
Question 2: What has been the biggest challenge?
A big challenge in the industry is feeling like I would be pigeonholed to discuss solely racial stories only. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to make Black-centric stories. One of my upcoming short stories is about a whirlwind Black queer love story. I just don’t want every story I write to be a “Black struggle story” whether my character is Black or queer like me. I love escapism and if a story idea comes in that discusses racial issues, I’ll let it be written. But that shouldn’t have to be all I write about.
There are amazing stories being told about the struggles within the Black experience but the Black experience is not linear. My experience is not the same as my mother’s and hers is not the same as my closest Black friend. There are more stories to tell and I don’t want people to rely on Black pain all the time. There is Black joy that needs to be celebrated as well.
Question 3: What artists, theater projects, film, or other projects have inspired you?
Currently and surprisingly, I’d say Beyonce’s Renaissance album. Her experimentation has made me change the way I pursue my creative works. I need to learn to take more risks rather than staying stagnant.
In terms of film, I am a horror movie enthusiast and it’s weird because, for years, I was really scared of horror movies but after watching Carrie in high school, I started to see how there is a lot of creativity when it comes to crafting these stories. It’s not always about a spooky ghost or an angry demonic presence. There are some great stories about generational trauma, class/racial divisions, the loss of innocence, etc. Other than horror, I always go back to Heathers and Stranger Things (season 1 specifically) for storytelling purposes.
