Westport Country Playhouse announces its 2023 Joanne Woodward Internship class of four theater career aspirants who will enhance their professional skills and gain on-the-job experience working directly with Playhouse senior staff from June through mid-August. The four interns were selected from nearly 250 applicants.

Named in honor of actress, director, and the Playhouse’s former artistic director, the Joanne Woodward Internship program is one of the nation’s preeminent theater training opportunities for emerging professionals. Internships have formed a vital part of the Playhouse’s mission since 1946. Among the alumni of the Playhouse’s program is composer Stephen Sondheim.

Westport Country Playhouse’s 2023 Woodward Internship class:

Mandi Benjamin is the Camerota-Lewis education intern. She is from Trinidad and Tobago and has a BA in theater and dance from Trinity College, where she was assistant director of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Christopher Conte is the R and B Siegel marketing intern. From Darien, CT, he is a rising senior at Sacred Heart University with a double major in strategic communications, PR & advertising, and musical theater. He is involved with his university’s theater arts program, currently serving as the co-advertising chair. He has worked in many different areas of theater including acting, directing, costume design, and stage management.

Giovanni Orozco is the Adam G. Clemens equity, diversity and inclusion intern. From Dallas, TX, Orozco is a student at Southern Methodist University pursuing a BFA in theater studies. He has been cast in numerous productions that highlight who he is as an Hispanic artist.

Erin Reynolds, development intern, is a student at Norwich University in Northfield, VT, pursuing a BA in political science, with a minor in communications. She has always had a love for theater, attends performances in her free time, and has worked with artists in the performing arts industry.  She is from Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

In addition to immersive work in their respective departments, interns attend weekly seminars featuring a variety of guest speakers, including Playhouse staff members, visiting designers and artists, commercial producers, and more. Interns receive a living wage stipend and housing in Fairfield, CT.

The 2023 interns were hired through the Playhouse’s recently restructured recruiting process to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Hiring panels, comprised of the department’s manager, other department members, and a staff member from a different department, carefully reviewed all applications and asked identical questions of all candidates, creating an equitable environment.

In addition to the Woodward Internships, the Playhouse supports the program at Westport’s Staples High School designed for seniors to gain a comprehensive overview of an organization and real-world experience prior to graduation. This year’s Staples intern is Ian Patton of Westport.

Woodward Internship Program sponsors include Alisyn Camerota and Timothy Lewis, Adam G. Clemens, Anna Czekaj-Farber, Mary Ellen and Jim Marpe, Marianna and Mark McCall, and Roz and Bud Siegel.

Following an April production of the musical “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” the Playhouse’s 2023 season continues with a new adaptation of “Dial ‘M’ for Murder,” the suspenseful thriller of blackmail and revenge, running from July 11 through July 29. The complete schedule of events is available at westportplayhouse.org. All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

For Westport Country Playhouse information and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse) and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).