2026 Internships

An intern at Santa Cruz Shakespeare is a student who engages in a supervised, education-focused learning experience designed to provide exposure, mentorship, and training in various aspects of theater production. Interns at SCS serve in unpaid roles that primarily benefit their learning, are closely overseen by the SCS education department, and complement, rather than replace, paid staff. Internships are structured to provide meaningful skill development, observation opportunities, and a clear educational purpose.

2026 Internships

Administration and Marketing
Costume Design
Directing and Dramaturgy
Technical

How to Apply

Complete the Internship Application Form
Complete additional requirements as listed below depending on your area of interest.

All applicants must complete the internship application form, which includes the names and contact information for three references, along with a brief description of their relationship with the referrer, and a personal statement that should be 500 words or less. The personal statement may include the following: your career objectives and how you expect to achieve them, your experience and/or education in theatre, and the qualities you possess that recommend you as a candidate for an internship. Your personal statement should reveal information about you that may not be represented in your resume or references. Please complete any additional materials for your specific apprenticeship as applicable (see below).

You may apply to multiple internships, just make sure to tailor your application for that specific internship.

Application deadline: Saturday, January 31st by 11:59pm PST.

Please note that while we will not review applications until February of 2026. We will be notifying applicants for interviews and making final decisions by April 2026. For more information or to ask questions, please contact us at intern@santacruzshakespeare.org.

Key Summer Dates:

Shops Begin Work: June 2, 2026
Rehearsals Begin: June 9, 2026 for most interns; and June 2, 2026 for some interns.
Season Closes: August 30, 2026

Additional Required Materials

Costume Design Interns

Costume Design Internship Applicants should submit an electronic portfolio of work either with the online application, by providing a website address, or by emailing a file to intern@santacruzshakespeare.org with the subject line "Costume Design Internship Application".

Directing and Dramaturgy Interns

Directing and Dramaturgy Internship Applicants will need to submit a proposal, no more than 1 page in length, pitching your concept for a Shakespeare play. Be creative! Submit to intern@santacruzshakespeare.org with the subject line "Directing and Dramaturg Internship Application".

Reminder: These internships are unpaid but please check with your university about funding opportunities e.g. Praxis or Porter Fund (UCSC).