NATCHITOCHES – Twenty-nine Northwestern State University Theatre and Dance students or recent alumni are performing across the country in professional theatre and dance jobs this summer. The students are working in 16 different companies or facilities in 12 states in a variety of performing, technical and business-related roles. 

“NSU students are talented, professional, have great work ethics and are sought after every summer to work with amusement parks, regional theatres and theatre festivals all over the U.S,” said Brett Alan Garfinkel, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at NSU. “With students working professionally over the summer, building their resumes and skills, these experiences help solidify a professional future for that student. That makes these summer jobs invaluable for the future of that performer or technician.” 

Garfinkel said students leave these jobs with connections to other companies, talent supervisors, agents and managers looking to hire them again in the future.  

“The networking possibilities alone are invaluable and may lead to something bigger down the road,” said Garfinkel. “I am so proud of all students willing to give up their summers to work in the field they so passionately want to be a part of.” 

Phoenix Woods and Kwincy Pierre of Lafayette will be performing at Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, Tennessee. 

Jay Trosclair of Bourg, C. Hope Chauffe of Lafayette, Piper Dearing of Jennings, Cortelina Encalada of Terrytown, Liz Bonnette of Lake Charles and Milton Garcia of Dallas are working at Peach State Summer Theatre at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. 

Raleigh Lusignan of Metairie, Aydin Mathews of The Woodlands, Texas, William Kielwasser of West Monroe, Madeline Grant of Woodworth, Valerie Henderson of Covington and Jaeda Barrett of New Orleans are working at Cedar Point Amusement Parks in Sandusky, Ohio. 

Vee Duran of Denham Springs and Caleb Barton of Marksville are at Thingamajig Theatre Company in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Khuyen Tran of Shreveport is at Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University and Damari Padilla of Lafayette is performing at Kentucky Kingdom Theme and Waterpark in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Preston Rasco of Natchitoches, Ava Schorr of Thibodaux and Morgan Heinzen of Opelousas were hired at Missoula Children’s Theatre Company in Missoula, Montana. Ashley Harkey of Gladewater, Texas is working at the Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore, Texas, and Collin Walker of Colfax will be working at Double Trouble Entertainment in Marquette, Michigan. 

Leslie Israel of Lake Charles will be working at Christian Youth Theatre in Lake Charles and J. Cole Becton of Lake Charles will be performing in “Texas! The Outdoor Musical” at Palo Canyon State Park, in Canyon, Texas. 

Charlysse Casma of Baton Rouge is performing at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This fall, she will be in the National Theatre Children’s Company touring Missouri and South Carolina as a performer. 

Elizabeth Cook of Alexandria will be at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan, while Dylan Freeman of Lake Charles will be at Grandstreet Theatre in Helena, Montana, and Savannah Mathews of Benton is part of the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. Mia Rodriguez of Marksville is working at Fort Totten Little Theatre in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota.

Gabrielle Marino of Lafayette has been hired by Ariel Rivka Dance Company in New York City as a new company member. 

Dearing and Encalada will be attending Florida State University in the fall semester working towards an MFA in Technical Production. 

For more information on the NSU Theatre and Dance program, go to nsula.edu/theatre.