Marcus Simmons (Music Performance, Voice) went to Citta della Pieve, Umbria, Italy for six weeks during the summer of 2008 where he worked with the International Opera Theater as a musical/ technical intern. The company began rehearsals and performed a completely new operatic adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. During the production, Marcus was a rehearsal pianist, music coach/teacher (teaching the lead, for whom he was an under-study), and worked as an assistant stage manager and technical director.