BU’s Laura Horton Interns with Sight and Sound Theatre
Bluefield University senior Laura Horton recently completed an internship with Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson, Missouri, which gave her the opportunity to combine her passion for theatre with her passion for Christ.
A native of Hillsville, Virginia, and a graduate of Carroll County High School, Horton is double majoring in Theatre and Applied Music at BU. She’s a Presidential Scholar, a member of the Honors Program, and a member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society who has been named to the President’s List every semester at BU. In addtion, she’s a part of Student Government, Campus Ministries, the Worship Team, Women’s Discipleship, the Missions Club, and the Res Life team.
Horton said she enjoys campus life because it feels like a community and a family. She said she chose Bluefield because of the Presidential Scholarship she received. As part of her pursuit of a theatre degree, she is very active in BU Theatre productions as Miss Claus in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Professor Willard in Our Town, Marsyas in Philemon, Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Eve and Mama Noah in Children of Eden, and Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical. She has also served BU Theatre as a stage manager, costumer, light board operator, and music director. It’s all that experience, she said, that helped land her the Sight and Sound internship.
Sight and Sound is a faith-based theatre company that operates two theaters, produces and premiers a brand new show every other year, and designs all of its productions to travel, all for the purpose of taking stories from Scripture to life on stage. It is the nation’s largest organization of its kind and one of the top three theater destinations in the country. Horton said that since she was young she has wanted to be in Sight and Sound to discover the mystery and live out her dream.
“I love being able to do what I love as a Christian and to work with other Christians and being able to please God,” she said.
As part of her internship, Horton worked behind the scenes on the production of Queen Esther. She worked in wardrobe, animal care, lighting, and sound. She said she hopes to someday work full time at Sight and Sound as a member of the cast, acting or wardrobe departments.
“They don’t just look for talent,” she said about Sight and Sound. “They look for someone that is teachable and willing to learn.”
Photo courtesy of the BU Office of Public Relations.