A Day in the Life of an Intern

Anika Waco arrived in Door County on June 2 to join Door Shakespeare in preparing for the season. Here she gives her first impressions of the County and the Company. Welcome Anika!

June 5, 2021

The Door Shakespeare 2021 intern team has been getting settled into their housing and job positions these past few days, readily prepping for the start of rehearsals next week. The four of us came from different parts of the Midwest, and when we met while moving in or on the first day of work, we instantly started throwing out names of mutual friends and discovering connections we had. Lexi has been our resident Baileys Harbor/Sister Bay pro, as she worked at Björklunden a previous summer, but I would say that the rest of us had far less of an idea of what to expect for the months ahead. As I’ve learned from my bit of time on the job so far, every day will be a little different, and I think it’s that level of variety and creativity that has drawn me to a career in the arts, especially a form as fluid and ever-changing as theatre. 

Our first day of work, the company convened in the Björklunden parking lot (probably the most scenic parking lot I’ve ever convened in, personally) and began the first round of our beloved daily temperature checks. After a few rounds of the usual get to know you questions, Amy welcomed us all to the space and to the summer with tears in her eyes. She was laughing at herself, but I think we all understood the sentiment. After the past year, gathering (safely) together with a group of people ready to create live theatre feels even more special than it ever has before. I had signed on as an intern for the 2020 season, and after seeing that and pretty much everything else related to my major and chosen industry halt or become virtual, I am just really, really grateful to be here, doing what I so easily took for granted my entire life. 

For the rest of the day, we put up the Door Shakespeare sign by the road and began the set up process at the outdoor theater – all those little behind the scenes things that you never think about needing to get done when you’re an audience member, but require many pairs of eager hands to create the experience we all love. Since then, the two production interns, Pia and Caulden, have continued working their sweeping, raking, and power washing magic at Björklunden, while Lexi and I have shifted to the office to begin our arts administration work. From learning the online ticketing system to calling Camp Will families, it’s already been so rewarding to be training at and working with a professional theatre company. 

One of Lexi’s and my favorite tasks so far has been our “postering missions” — traveling around Door County and stopping in every business we find to hand out and hang the Hamlet posters. I love exploring the area and meeting all of the local business owners and employees. So many people have mentioned how glad they are to be able to hang the Door Shakespeare poster back in its usual place after it was missing last year, and how nice it is that we have something to advertise again. It’s been really cool to see how much this organization is a staple in the community and how many people it brings together at the Garden each summer. My whole childhood, I used to come to Door County for a weekend every fall. It’s fun to be here again in a different context, and the charm and views continuously amaze me. That’s something Pia, Lexi and I were talking about over our first Friday fish fry — we’re hoping to hold onto the beauty throughout our whole time here and not get too used to it. I’m looking forward to the summer that lies ahead!

-Anika Waco, Arts Administration Intern