Introducing Melina

I met Melina back in 2012 when she enrolled as a brand new EYT student, blew us away at auditions, and ended up as our leading lady (Belle) in Beauty and the Beast, Jr.  She struck me then as committed and organized, seeming significantly more mature than her early teen years indicated.

I got to share the stage with Melina early in 2016, sharing a dressing room and talking way too much about the eerie similarities between our personalities.  We jokingly established that we are the same person, and decided it was best that we are a full 18 years apart in age so that no one generation had to put up with both of us.

When Melina applied to be an intern this year for EYT, she actually applied to work with Ty doing marketing.  However, I saw her application and called dibs on this hard-working young woman.  I have watched her through the years manage to graduate high school a year early, successfully balance work, theater, and school, and maintain a social media profile that conveys professionalism and dedication.  I knew I wanted a chance to work directly with Melina.

A few fun excerpts from her intern application (with spelling edited as that is not her strength) include:

• I have taken a financial literacy class, and I have gotten good at budgeting and saving my own money.
• I am planning on majoring in musical theatre at Weber State University and I optimistically anticipate sitting on a board for a theatre in the not so distant future as it is one of my long term goals. 

As I get the incredible opportunity to fit seven performances of Little Shop of Horrors (in Idaho!) into the busy EYT schedule, I am fortunate to have full confidence in considering my intern to be less of an intern and more of a partner - a peer.  I will not be at EYT on Thursday or Friday of week 1 or on Tuesday and Wednesday of week 2.  I will also be very difficult to communicate with on each of the upcoming weekends.  On these dates, please consider Melina to be the equivalent of double-cast.  We are both playing the role of producer equally!  Send her any questions you would have directed to me, and she will get you taken care of.

I hope you all enjoy working with Melina as much as I always have.  And learn this girl's name.  She is going places!  

Melina Wrathall (Producer Intern) - Melina has been participating in Empress productions since she was eight years old. Some of her favorite roles include Annie in Annie, Brigitta in The Sound Of Music, Jojo in Seussical, and Belle in Beauty and The Beast. However, her favorite experiences connected to the theatre have been, undoubtedly, the ones regarding the EYT program. And now she is back to be an intern and is loving every minute of it. She is grateful for the internship program that has allowed her to learn knew things revolving around theatre, as she hopes her life can revolve around theatre forever 😉 .