91��ɫ

For theater students around the country, summer is the time to intern on professional productions, building valuable experience and connections for future careers.

91��ɫ theater students, however, have a tougher time finding summer work as many productions begin in May, when the University — being on the quarter system — is still in session.

So when Steven McDonald, chair of the 91��ɫ theater department, heard from his friend and former student Carolyn Miller — now a New York producer looking to debut an off-Broadway show in Denver this summer — he made her a deal. 91��ɫ could offer her access to the Newman Center’s Byron Theatre at a reduced rate if the production would provide opportunities for 91��ɫ students to work on the show.

The result is “Reunion,” a pair of interactive concerts running July 26 through Aug. 26 at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts. Twenty-one 91��ɫ theater students are involved in the production — on stage and behind the scenes — and five alumni are on board as well, in roles ranging from lighting designer and set designer to dramaturg.

“It’s the big leagues. It’s really interesting to see how things are done,” says senior theater and business major Tess Neel, an assistant stage manager on “Reunion.” “Part of being on the stage management team is you get to sit in on production meetings and stuff like that. It’s been really cool to see how big professional shows run.”

Taking a cue from recent hit shows in New York, the “Reunion” productions — one is set in 1969, one in 1985 — are interactive, immersive experiences that mix live music and improv comedy. Audience members take on the roles of attendees at a high school reunion, complete with a live band playing the hits of the day. After choosing a fictitious identity, guests “can grab a drink, meet old — and new — friends, and dance to a rocking band as they relive — or rewrite — their past,” Miller says.