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Undergraduate Research Opportunity with UCSC Shakespeare Workshop & Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Spring Quarter 2024

Application Deadline: Sunday February 25, 2024

The Humanities Division is excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for Humanities undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to conduct research led by Professor of Literature Sean Keilen supporting Shakespeare Workshop and Santa Cruz Shakespeare.

Undergraduate research connects Humanities majors and minors to faculty-led research projects in the Division and it provides a valuable opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and develop skills to make an impactful intellectual or creative contribution to their field. Students gain practical experience and professional training that builds on their studies in the Humanities. At the same time, faculty benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise.


UC Shakespeare SC Workshop

About The Project - Shakespeare in Santa Cruz: Performance History, 1981 to Now

The goal of this project is to explore the records of Santa Cruz Shakespeare in McHenry Library for information about past productions of Hamlet and As You Like It and to write brief histories of those productions for use in community education programs sponsored by Shakespeare Workshop and in playbills and other publications associated with the upcoming summer season at Santa Cruz Shakespeare.

Position Description:

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

  • Archival Research [40%]: reading the records of Shakespeare Santa Cruz at McHenry Library for information about past productions; seeking information about production history beyond the archive (for example, in local newspapers and other media outlets or publicly available departmental records) and from relevant UCSC faculty and staff; keeping detailed notes
  • Writing [40%]: drafting and revising content about local performance history for the purposes of community education and outreach
  • Collaboration [20%]: meetings with Professor Keilen to discuss the scope and progress of the project

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

  • You are a declared major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division, and you are in good academic standing. [required]
  • You have studied Shakespeare’s works at the college level.
  • You have the ability to write clearly, concisely, and to deadline.
  • You are well-organized, manage your time wisely, and have the ability to work independently on complex academic projects.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

  • You are curious about theater history.
  • You are familiar with recent productions at Santa Cruz Shakespeare.

What You’ll Gain From This Experience

  • Experience working with a unique archive of professional theater history in our region.
  • The opportunity to work one-on-one with Professor Keilen in developing future projects using the Shakespeare Santa Cruz archive.
  • The opportunity to contribute your research and writing to the mission of Shakespeare Workshop and the Santa Cruz Shakespeare summer season.

When: Spring Quarter 2024 (April 1-June 14)

Hours: 10 hours/week

Compensation: $18/hour

Location: On site as needed (McHenry Library) and remote

Reports to: Literature Professor Sean Keilen


How To Apply

Apply on Handshake by submitting:

  1. Your resume
  2. A short cover letter (no more than one page) answering these questions: Why this job? Why you? Why now? Be sure that your letter describes your experience with Shakespeare, whatever form it takes.
  3. A writing sample (no more than four double-spaced pages) that demonstrates that you can write clearly and concisely for non-academic readers about a topic you have studied.

Please address your cover letter to Literature Professor Sean Keilen.

  • COVER LETTER TIP: consider how this position will further your undergraduate studies as well as your professional career once you have completed your education.
  • REVIEW these resume and cover letter resources to ensure that you are a strong candidate!

APPLY HERE BY SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2024:

APPLY NOW

Please contact Experiential Learning Coordinator Kylie Rachwalski at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.


NOTE: This internship is compensated through either student employment with UCSC or through a scholarship award. If you’re a financial aid applicant, the scholarship award option would be incorporated into your aid offer to meet your budgeted cost of attendance. A student must have room in their financial aid package to receive an experiential learning scholarship award. In most cases the award will fill any gap between your aid and budget, or the award will reduce your loan obligation. Once factored into your aid offer, the award is paid through to your UC Santa Cruz student account. If you owe fees for the term in which the award is applied, the award will apply to those fees first. Any remaining funds will be issued to you via direct deposit or by check, depending on how you are signed up to receive refunds. A student must have room in their financial aid package to get a department award. If the scholarship award is for summer, you need to be enrolled in 6+ units.

This undergraduate internship is generously supported by The Mellon Foundation.