For many Iowa State performing arts majors, the summer offers an opportunity to see a glimpse of the world as a professional actor or designer.

Since the creation of the performing arts major, students in the program have been required to complete two summer internships. Students are currently working in theatres across the country.

Gregg Henry, director of ISU Theatre, said the requirements for the internship are “broadly defined.”

“[The internship] doesn’t have to be summer stock,” Henry said. “We accept extended master classes — any pure learning experience.”

Henry is no stranger to summer stock theatre. This summer he is directing a show for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival.

Henry said one of the most important goals of the program is to make actors work with a variety of people.

“We want [students] to work with people besides [ISU faculty],” Henry said. “If at the end of four or five years we’re the only names on their resume, it’s not enough.”

One student adding names to his resume is junior Sean Kehoe. This summer Kehoe is interning as an actor at the Northern Lights Playhouse in Wisconsin.

Kehoe is appearing in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Grease,” “Mr. Roberts” and a children’s play. Each production puts up over 20 shows during the course of the summer.

Kehoe said working under limited time restraints has been a challenge.

“I’m learning responsibility; there’s so much to do,” Kehoe said. “I work 16-hour days, and we put up shows with six rehearsals, so it’s given me a lot of experience.”

Kehoe said he is also learning to adjust to some of the differences in the professional world.

“The main difference between [professional] and university theatre is a little thing called a contract,” Kehoe said. “They expect you to do everything in there and are very picky about who does what job.”

Managing limited finances is another skill Kehoe has acquired.

“You really have to watch what you do with your money; you don’t get paid like a normal job,” Kehoe said. “A normal job might pay six dollars an hour, but we don’t make near that here. We’re here for educational value; you have to accept that and learn from it.”

Henry said summer internships can change students’ sense of confidence.

“There is always a major shift when the only thing they have to worry about is a play,” Henry said. “They’re not student actors — they’re just actors.”

Senior Jack Meggars is working with Henry at the Michigan Shakespeare festival this summer.

“This [experience] has been amazingly important,” Meggars said. “Professional experience outside ISU has been invaluable to me. Seeing professional work has fast-forwarded my education.”

Kehoe agreed that working professionally is very important.

“You have to be willing to reach out to do this [acting]; no one’s going to reach out to you and pull you in,” he said.