“We are blessed to have so many local students offering their youthful energy and ideas to our current productions and future publicity campaigns. In turn, JPAS is glad to offer students this opportunity to work with a 44-year-old institution firsthand!”
- Dennis Assaf, Co-Founder and Artistic Director.
Jefferson Performing Arts Society is benefitting from hours of involvement of theater, marketing, and business students from three local universities this spring. Students are contributing their time and talents for A Comedy of Tenors as well as working on long-term marketing and publicity initiatives.
One Tulane University student, two Loyola University students and five Dillard University students are working behind-the-scenes for the production of A Comedy of Tenors, in roles ranging from sound and lights to costume creation.
According to A Comedy of Tenors stage manager and intern supervisor Reagan Lincoln, “It's wonderful to bring new people into the world of theater. They get to see firsthand the beauty of the creation, while getting a close look at all the cogs in the wheel that make a production fully realized. And how exciting to have three schools participating! For this show we need so many hands in different places. For example, Hunter has been gathering all the sound effects and has attended all rehearsals to play those effects for us--that's a true luxury in the rehearsal process. Our lighting interns have worked hard as well hanging and focusing lights. But it doesn't end there. Heaven will run our light board and handle any lighting programming that may arise. Jalen, Mekhi, and Nicole have come in during the day to sew. And it's all hands-on deck backstage with Lizzie, Kasey, Zach and Nicole switching between setting props, moving props, and dressing actors. I could not do this show without them!”
Intern Comments:
Additionally, 35 senior level undergraduate marketing/business majors from Tulane University’s Brand Management course, taught by local opera singer and actor Elizabeth Ulloa Lowry, are working on six marketing research projects designed to assist JPAS with various publicity, community engagement, and Covid-era challenges.
Professor Lowry is in the Department of Marketing, Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. Her selection of JPAS as a partner non-profit for the spring semester was inspired by the fact that she was cast in a leading role for Jefferson Performing Art Society’s A Comedy of Tenors!
"It has been a pleasure getting to work both on and off stage with the JPAS family this year. This experience has been so beneficial to our students, who are learning first-hand about delivering an extraordinary product at a very difficult time. We also hope the students' research and insights will be equally valuable to JPAS and its patrons," added Lowry.
Dillard University Interns:
Jalen Carr: Costume assistance. Heaven Edmonson: Light board operator.
Mekhi Hayes: Costume assistance. Kasey King: Assistant Stage Manager.
Zachary Paige-Westbrook: Grand drape assistance and costume changes.
Jada Williams: Assistant to the light board operator.
Loyola University Interns:
Lizzie O’Dell: Assistant stage manager, props.
Hunter Wainwright: Assistant Sound Engineer.
Tulane University Intern:
Nicole Lincoln: Assistant stage manager, costume repair, costume changes.