When Olivia Reiss ’26 recently saw an audio engineer opening with Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven, New Jersey, she knew she was qualified for the role. The only problem? They were looking for students enrolled in graduate programs. She went to Muhlenberg’s Director of Career Coaching and Education Caitlin Bach for advice.
“Caitlin encouraged me to apply anyway,” says Reiss, an English and theatre double major. “We had a wonderful conversation about the job disparity between men and women because men just apply for everything while women let their own insecurities stop them.”
Reiss first sought out Career Center support as a sophomore: She had found an interesting internship with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF), which is held each summer at nearby DeSales University, but she needed coaching to help craft her resume and cover letter.
“That first meeting with Caitlin Bach changed the course of my life and I am forever grateful for it,” says Reiss, who got the internship and returned for a second season last summer.
This job is particularly exciting because of its length. Job security is a hard thing in theatre, so the length of this contract is really appealing.
She would’ve been welcomed back for a third summer after graduation, but she was interested in an experience that would last longer (PSF ends in August). Bach helped her explore other possibilities and expand her network before counseling her on the Surflight Theatre opportunity. Within hours of submitting her application, Reiss had an interview, and two weeks after that, she had a job offer.
At Surflight, Reiss will be overseeing an intern who runs the audio for the children’s shows while she runs the audio for the mainstage shows. The role begins shortly after commencement and ends in September, with a possible extension through December.
“This job is particularly exciting because of its length,” she says. “Job security is a hard thing in theatre, so the length of this contract is really appealing.”
