Rick Haug selected as Banse-Fay Intern

The seventh annual Jurgen P. Banse-Fay Production Management Internship Award at the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center has been presented to Rick Haug, a BFA Production Design major at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

Haug will serve his internship during the 2008-2009 season at Rockefeller Arts Center. The recognition also carries a cash award of $1,600.

The internship was established in 2002 in memory of Jurgen P. Banse-Fay, a member of the SUNY Fredonia Class of 1988 and Rockefeller Arts Center operations manager and technical director from 1991 to 1999. Mr. Banse-Fay died in 2001 at the age of 35.

The Jurgen P. Banse-Fay Production Management Internship is given annually to a junior or senior on Rockefeller Arts Center’s student technical staff who best exemplifies the work ethic, professionalism and friendly disposition displayed by Mr. Banse-Fay during his years at SUNY Fredonia.

The award is made possible by Rockefeller Arts Center’s largest endowment, held by the Fredonia College Foundation.

Eric Hadley, operations manager and technical director for Rockefeller Arts Center, said Haug was the obvious choice for this year’s award.

“During the year that Rick has been on our crew, his skill and talent have grown such that I had no problem promoting him to assistant technical director and appointing him to be next year’s lightshop supervisor,” Hadley said. “Rick’s levelheadedness and rock-solid work ethic are shining examples of what a Rockefeller Arts Center crew person should be. It was my honor to choose him as recipient of this generous award. He is truly deserving of it and I look forward to working closely with him next year.”

Haug, a junior from Manorville, N.Y., said he is honored to have been selected for the internship.

“It means a lot to me to receive this award,” he said. “I have heard a lot about Jurgen and the kind person he was from Eric.”

Haug’s credits at Fredonia State this past season included Victor/Victoria, Aunt Raini, The Rocky Horror Show and Hansel and Gretel with the Hillman Opera. Also at SUNY Fredonia, he has worked on productions of The Elephant Man, The Glass Menagerie, The Wizard of Oz, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), A Christmas Carol and with the Fredonia Dance Ensemble.

In addition to his work at SUNY Fredonia, Haug has spent the past four summers at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, N.Y., as a carpenter and rigger.

Haug was the recipient of two other recent awards at SUNY Fredonia ─ the Keith Cronin Memorial Award for Technical Production/Design Excellence and the Steve and Mary Rees Rising Junior Award.

Haug is the son of Virginia Schellinger and Richard Haug.

PHOTO CUTLINE: Rick Haug, right, is congratulated by Eric Hadley, operations manager and technical director for Rockefeller Arts Center, after being selected as the recipient of the seventh annual Jurgen P. Banse-Fay Production Management Internship Award.