Four County Players is a place where friends gather and new volunteers are welcomed. Jacob Corbin’s was one of the theater’s fresh faces this fall. He served as an intern for A Charlie Brown Christmas, assisting director Jane Gargett throughout the production period.
“Jacob helped with set-builds and took notes for me,” Jane says. “He was always checking on props and helping with the set and clean-up without being asked. And during rehearsals, he would fill in for missing actors and then catch them up on the material they missed.”
As much as he was an asset to Four County, the internship was a learning opportunity for Jacob and a chance for Jane to pay forward the mentorship she benfited from when she was Jacob’s age. She says, “I welcomed the chance to work with a student intern because I am always ready to share my love of the theater with students. I had tremendous mentors as a teenager and young adult in the theater who helped me form my point of view as both an actor and a director, and I want to do that for students coming up in the ranks.”
Hear from Jacob about how he came to work with Four County Players and what he learned!
Jacob Corbin, center, is surrounded by the cast of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a senior at Madison County High School and part of the Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School. Most of my time is dedicated to being one of the captains on the MCHS forensics speech and debate on the local, state, and national level. I am very passionate and driven when it comes to forensics since it was the main thing that made me who I am today.
When I am not spending time on forensics I am often involved in serving as the announcer for school volleyball games and pep rallies. I also enjoy reading, acting, running, beatboxing, and investigating technology.
Tell us about the Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School.
I am doing this internship through the Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School, a program I have been a part of for all of my high school years. There are specific classes that you need to take for the BRVGS program with an internship for your senior year. This senior internship includes working with a mentor and completing a community service project. I am writing a research paper on that explores how theater positively affects social awareness.
How did you get matched up with Ja ne Gargett and Four County Players?
I knew I wanted my internship to revolve around acting and theater. I decided to approach Four County Players because I heard great things about the theater and thought it would be an interesting experience.
What has been a highlight of working on A Charlie Brown Christmas?
The friends that I have met! Each member of the cast and crew is amazing in their own way, and they welcomed me in with open arms. Everyone made me feel like I had a second home, which made this internship feel less like work and more like fun.
What has surprised you?
I was surprised by how much time it takes to develop a play. I have a more profound passion for theater after going through the entire process from costuming, to set design, to overcoming barriers that can come out of a performance.