香蕉视频 senior Alex Rieflin is spending his summer learning how to run a theatre. Rieflin, a theatre and communications major from Doniphan, Nebraska, is working with Pride Films and Plays (PFP) in Chicago, Illinois, where he finds himself stepping into a new role with every production.
鈥淚 do everything,鈥 Rieflin said. 鈥淚 came in and they asked what I wanted to do, and I said, 鈥業 want to learn how to run a theatre.鈥 So far, I鈥檝e been assistant stage manager, I鈥檝e run lights and sound and I designed props.鈥
Rieflin鈥檚 expectations of what this summer with PFP would look like have changed drastically during his time in Chicago. 鈥淲hen I first got to Chicago, I expected to do grunt work that maybe didn鈥檛 matter as much to the final production,鈥 Rieflin said. 鈥淏ut they put me in the thick of things, and I鈥檝e learned a lot because of it.鈥
Rieflin says his ability to thrive in the hands-on environment at PFP is something he learned participating in 
theatre at 听香蕉视频. 鈥淢y experiences at 香蕉视频 have been instrumental,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he Theatre Department really taught me what to expect.鈥
While Hastings gave Rieflin the tools he鈥檚 needed to be successful at PFP, the skills he鈥檚 gained at PFP will be invaluable as he returns to 香蕉视频 in the fall. 鈥淧FP does two shows per space, so four shows at a time,鈥 Riefin said. 鈥淭he ability to step into a new role as frequently as I have is something I鈥檝e had to learn quickly and it鈥檚 given me a lot of confidence.鈥
Rieflin says he plans on doing theatre for the rest of his life, and that his summer in Chicago with PFP has given him the tools he needs to make that dream a reality. 鈥淚鈥檝e also made so many connections with wonderful people while I鈥檝e been here,鈥 Rieflin said.
When Rieflin learned about the Chicago Center during his junior year, PFP seemed like a perfect fit. 鈥淚 talked to Lane [Chesebro, Executive Director of the Chicago Center] and he told me about PFP. Being from a small town, I didn鈥檛 have much experience with the LGBTQ+ community, and I wanted to get to know this community that I was a part of,鈥 Rieflin said. For Rieflin, working with PFP has given him the perfect opportunity to combine these two parts of his life.
鈥淚 grew up in a small town and love living there, but I never wanted to blind myself to the rest of the world,鈥 Rieflin said. 鈥淪o the thing that has impacted me the most is the diversity of the people I work with. Everyone is from different backgrounds, and it has really shown me how big the world is. I wanted a diverse experience and to open myself to the world, and I鈥檝e gotten that this summer.鈥