Devin Creighton, a senior theatre education and acting major at Illinois State University, reflects on her transformative summer with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. As an acting intern and recipient of the prestigious Sutter Scholarship, Devin performed in four productions, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest, and the Theatre for Young Audiences piece Who’s There?From voice projection in outdoor performances to maintaining physical stamina and stage presence, Devin embraced the challenges of professional repertory theatre with passion and discipline.Through her work with both seasoned professionals and young audiences, Devin discovered new layers of meaning in Shakespeare’s timeless works and deepened her commitment to making theatre more accessible and engaging. Her time with ISF reaffirmed her desire to pursue both teaching and performing after graduation, showing that artistry and education go hand in hand. “If it’s your passion,” she says, “go for it, even in small ways."