Denison students get a peek behind the curtain of Chicago theatre scene

Growing up in suburban Chicago, Nor Osborne ’27 recalls the thrill of going downtown to see a show at the historic Goodman Theatre.

Osborne developed a keen interest in the performing arts by age 6, and after arriving at Denison she wasted little time launching herself in the university’s vibrant theatre scene. She appeared in musicals and plays at the Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts.

So when Osborne became one of five Denison students selected for the inaugural Chicago Theatre Summer Internship Experience in 2026, it represented a full-circle moment.

Osborne not only returned to the Goodman — Chicago’s oldest and most prestigious theatre company — but spent eight weeks working in a variety of departments. She reviewed scripts, attended auditions, and met with actors, directors, producers, and technicians responsible for staging productions. She also went to shows across the city.

“If the 6-year-old me would have gotten to see all of what I’ve experienced this summer, her mind would have been blown,” says Osborne, a creative writing major minoring in musical theatre.

It’s that kind of reaction Denison Trustee and Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Susan V. Booth ’85 hoped for when designing an internship for students from her alma mater.

Booth is among the nation’s most respected names in professional theatre. She became the first woman to lead the Goodman Theatre in 2022 after two decades at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, where she guided the Tony Award-winning company to unprecedented growth and acclaim.

She understands the potential of a performing-arts internship, having served one in New York following her junior year at Denison. It sent Booth on the career trajectory she’s still following four decades later.

This summer, Booth along with several other Denison alums provided similar opportunities to Osborne, Mia Hennum ’26, Ryan Becherer ’26, Alex Kolb ’27, and Eve Jackson ’29. The quintet enjoyed an immersive experience, seeing what’s required to create productions and run a theatre. They got to peek behind the curtain at the Goodman and nine other Chicagoland theatres. They learned from experts in their field and made valuable contacts for the future.

“Ideally, by the end of their time in Chicago, they will have not only experienced a wide diversity of organizations with wildly divergent missions, but they’ll also be meeting with people who work in a lot of different practices,” Booth says. “After eight weeks, they will have a jump on understanding this field no matter where they go.”

Like many first-years, Jackson came to Denison with more questions than answers regarding her future. The beauty of a liberal arts education is it exposes students to broad-based learning, allowing them to take their careers in many directions.

During first-year orientation, Jackson knew there was only one thing she required.

“I needed to sing,” says Jackson, a QuestBridge scholar who excelled in the performing arts at her high school in Elmore, Ohio. “I didn’t want to bother my neighbors with my singing so as soon as the vocal rooms at the Eisner Center opened, I took advantage of the opportunity.”

Jackson did the same with her summer internship in Chicago. She canvassed the city, attending shows and meeting with an array of professionals involved in theatre while soaking up life in a major metro. Jackson and the other two undergrads received weekly stipends to cover costs.

Her appreciation for the efforts of Booth and other Denison alums, whose donations of time and funding made the internship possible, grew by the week.

“It’s been my favorite summer ever,” Jackson says. “I feel like I got a lot out of it, both professionally and also just as a young adult, being able to be out on my own in a new city. It really helped me form a new sense of independence.”

Jackson says she might major in politics & public affairs while remaining active in musical theatre and dance. She’s appeared in Denison’s production of Spring Awakening and participated in the Denison Dance Company as well as the musical theatre gala.

Jackson is mulling a career in nonprofits with an emphasis on social justice. She plans to incorporate performing arts in any career path she chooses.

Booth didn’t expect the students to leave Chicago with the desire to become the next Nathan Lane or Audra McDonald — or even work in theatre. That wasn’t the point of the internship.

“There’s more to this field than being an actor,” says Booth, who established the Susan V. Booth ’85 Endowed Scholarship Fund at Denison. “That’s a great pursuit, don’t get me wrong. But you can be a social activist with a background in the arts, you can be a policymaker with a background in the arts.

“And I am a firm believer — and I preach this ad nauseum — that the active inquiry into what makes us human, which is core to any artistic practice but particularly in theater, will set you up to be better at anything you pursue.”

Each week, Denison interns met with either Booth or fellow Denison Trustee Jeffrey Masten ’86, a professor of English and gender & sexuality studies at Northwestern University.

Masten took the group to Northwestern to see rare drama and theatre materials from the 17th to 20th centuries. They also toured the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where Masten introduced them to David Zivan ’88, the lead writer and editor of the company.

“I wanted to think with the interns about the variety of theatre-adjacent careers in the arts,” Masten says. “For example, how historical archives and production research such as I do could empower their creative work as theatre practitioners, or how David’s work as a writer and editor frames and elucidates theatrical experiences for audiences.”

At Denison, Kolb works as a stage technician in lighting and audio. In Chicago, he spent time with Goodman’s head electrical technician Patrick Hudson during rehearsals for Iceboy! a comedic musical starring real-life couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally.

Hudson handed Kolb a headset so he could listen to conversations between himself and the lighting designer. Kolb also watched Hudson run the lighting board.

“There was so much to observe,” says Kolb, a theatre major from Colorado Springs, Colorado. “I had my notebook and was able to ask Patrick questions and he generously answered every one of them. He even gave me cookies.”

Talent, experience, and expertise are traits employers desire, but this internship reminded students about the value of connections.

“It’s a networking game, and theatre is incredibly difficult to break into,” says Osborne, who would like to work in artistic administration. “This internship has helped me make connections with so many people who are, first of all, so kind, so lovely, and also have taught me, ‘You can do this. You are smart enough, you’re hardworking enough.’”

When they weren’t working or attending shows, the interns explored the city. They went to Chicago Cubs games, museums, festivals, art fairs, and architecture boat tours. Tickets to some activities were covered by Denison donors.

The students appreciated the spirit of generosity throughout their two-month stay. They also were amazed at the amount of interaction with Booth. On their final night together, she joined them for dinner at a downtown Spanish restaurant.

Booth shared stories about her time on The Hill and asked the students about their Denison experiences. The group provided feedback as to what went well and what might need tweaking for future interns.

“Susan is so intelligent, so poised,” Osborne says. “She introduced us to so many people. After every conversation I had with her, I walked away feeling more certain that this is the path I want to go down.”