Skyhawks’ Big Break
Stonehill students learn the art of stagecraft at theatre company founded by faculty member.
Since being hired by Stonehill College in 2022, Professor of Practice in Visual & Performing Arts Derek Martin has created a professional pipeline, through which Skyhawks have access to internships at Americana Theatre Company. Operating out of Plymouth, Massachusetts, the non-profit, which Martin founded in 2011, produces two shows annually and supports educational programming year-round.
“Internships at Americana are flexible depending on a student’s background,” Martin said. “In addition to having students perform in our main stage shows, we might also have them take on the role of an assistant stage manager.”
During summer 2024, interns worked on a production of Murder on the Orient Express, a show that the Stonehill Theatre Company also staged during the spring 2024 semester.
“We actually used some of the props and part of the set from the Stonehill production,” said Martin, who played “Colonel James Arbuthnot” in the Americana show. “It’s been great to work together and share resources in this way.”
Murder on the Orient Express, which was performed at the Spire Center for Performing Arts in Plymouth in July 2024, featured several familiar faces from Stonehill, including Instructor of Visual & Performing Arts Aubrey Elson as “Mary Debenham,” Erin Friday ’02 as “Princess Dragomiroff,” Abby Kramer ’22 as “Greta Ohlsson,” Brendan Hone ’26 as “Waiter,” and Ariana Barbosa ’27 as “Nanny.”
Other campus community members worked behind the scenes. Jenny Da Silva ’24 served as a production stage manager, while Rosalie Martin ’26 was a costumer.
“Stonehill students are proactive and always bring something to the table,” Martin said. “One of the company’s mantras is, ‘Whatever we can do to make it better, let’s try to make it better.’ I found the students had a ton of energy and passion when it came to fulfilling that goal.”
Brendan Hone ’26 (center) and his fellow thespians put on a show.
Reflecting on his work on the show, Hone, a secondary education and English double major from Kingston, Massachusetts, said he benefitted from having great mentors at Americana.
“The other actors took their time to offer me guidance throughout my time there,” he said. “And Professor Martin was outstanding. As busy as he was, he made sure that the other interns and I were able to learn how a professional theatre company is run.”
In addition to their work on shows like Orient Express, interns spend at least a week leading Americana’s summer camp for K-12 students. They teach young people about blocking, designing props, making costumes and more. Most recently, interns helped campers stage productions of Finding Nemo and Seussical.
“I’ve been doing theatre since I was in elementary school,” Hone said. “Since I was little, it’s always felt magical to me. Getting to step out of your own life for a little while and create art is such a unique experience, one that I think everyone should get to have.”
As he continues creating opportunities for students to embrace the magic of theatre and share it with audiences, Martin also hopes that they take away something practical from their internship.
“Working on our shows not only helps students earn a professional credit before they graduate, but also gives them the chance to network with professionals and gain insight into what it takes to put on a show,” he said. “All these things give students a leg up before they go out into the world, whether they plan to act, work for a theatre company, or start one of their own.”
The cast of "Murder on the Orient Express" takes a bow on show night.
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