Dan, a 2nd year student at the CIP Brevard Center College Internship Program (CIP) and Eastern Florida State College, has grown up with a love of the theatre.
When he was 12, he attended his first production, The Lion King, with his family. At 13, he participated in a school production of Jekyll and Hyde.
"It was astounding, breathtaking, and opened my mind to so many infinite possibilities. The theatre exists to push boundaries and change our view of the world. I came to understand theatre as a form of magic... magic that encompasses so many things, worlds, and ideas. Using this magic, the company takes you to another world and, for a moment, you are not in the theatre. You are an observer of a traveler in a foreign land. You feel the rush of joy that comes from riding a magic carpet or the wind in your face as you sail across the sea. You in that moment are infinite. This is why I love now, and will always love, the theatre."
In addition to seeing the Lion King, Wicked, Newsies, Jersey Boys, Billy Elliot and many more musicals on Broadway, Dan also had the amazing opportunity of attending the Tony Awards last year.
As a patron of the theatre, Dan has truly enjoyed interning for the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts under the mentorship of Karen Wilson, Director of the Theatre for Youth Program. He assists with creating maps and reports in preparation for upcoming youth events and assisting staff with any event day needs (setting up posters, booth set-up and take down, etc.).
Karen praised Dan for always being punctual and flexible. He is always "willing to do anything" and stays late if needed to get the job done. For the Teacher Appreciation Showcase, Dan returned in the evening outside of his normal shift to make sure the event was a success. Karen has learned that Dan performs best when given one task at a time with clear directions and she strives to make this a great learning experience for Dan. Many thanks to Karen and Executive Director Steven Janicki for providing this opportunity for Dan to develop his general job skills and explore career possibilities! For more information about the King Center, go to http://www.kingcenter.com/.
