KINGSTON, RI – April 14, 2025 – Erin Grafing ‘24, major, is one of three alumni to earn a place in the Trinity Repertory’s 2024-2025 internship program; the most URI graduates to participate in the program in one year.

Trinity Repertory Theater is the largest, most successful, and prestigious non-profit theater in Rhode Island. The theatre department operates an extremely competitive internship program for college graduates, allowing them to work alongside seasoned professionals and gain valuable real-world experience in their field.

Growing up in theater, Grafing came to URI as a theater major, officially setting her concentration in stage management and technical design during her sophomore year.

“I originally wanted to get more into lighting and then I was offered the sound board,,” Grafing said. “That experience and seeing that there’s so much more to sound design, and in theater specifically, is kind of what drew me in. I realized there was a lot more in that field that I wasn’t aware of.”

Grafing began her apprenticeship with Trinity Rep in September, shifting between show preparation and show call. During the day, Grafing works on building and setting up sound systems in preparation for production. During show call, she works as the soundboard operator for their current production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

“I am the one who’s playing all the cues in terms of the show,” Grafing said. “So I’m going to be there and I’m going to make sure the sound cues happen when they’re supposed to happen in the show, with the help of the stage manager.”

While her experience from URI aided in building her career, Trinity Rep has allowed her to apply her education to real-world opportunities. Grafting has since been able to further her experience with different types of sound equipment, furthering her knowledge in the field.

“The combination of my teaching in the lecture style and then getting to execute that in the actual scene and do the things is kind of what made everything finally start to click in my brain,” Grafing said. “It’s also developed my confidence a lot…Getting to know all different aspects of theater kind of helped me find my niche, but also helped prepare me for what I need to expect with my position and where I intend to go.”

This story was written by Erin Malinn, class of 2028.