It is 10:30 at night, and I am driving along state Route 357 on my way to the Franklin Stage Co. My 14-year-old daughter is volunteering as a stagehand at the theater, working on their production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream."

My 9-year-old-son is bundled up and strapped in the backseat, sound asleep. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made the late-night trek to Franklin. Sometimes, as I wait for her outside, I doze off in the front seat of my car. Sometimes I get lucky and she catches a ride home.

It was all my idea. In fact, I pushed her to stay in contact with her high school drama teacher, who serves on the Franklin Stage Co.’s board of directors. I sent the e-mails, and I made the phone calls. So, I remind myself, I have no one to blame but me.

She has her working papers. She could have bused tables or filed papers and punched a time clock and gotten paid for her labor. When back-to-school shopping time rolls around, I may wish that I had nudged her in that direction.

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Probably not, though.

I have been a huge fan of the Franklin Stage Co., ever since I attended "The Heretic Mysteries." I would have been a fan even longer, if I had been lucky enough know about it sooner.

The acting is always superb and the set and costume designs never disappoint. Artistic Directors David Bridel and Carmela Marner partner with some of the region’s best visual artists to devise extraordinary sets and props and develop some great marketing pieces. They supplement their season with performances by writers and actors who present material that can be innovative and experimental or simply entertaining.

The Franklin Stage Co. also has a highly competitive internship program, where young people are afforded an opportunity to learn about all aspects of theatrical production under the direction of some extraordinarily talented artists.

By the time my daughter and I approached the theater, they were well staffed with their selected interns.

Still, I thought, as I helped her fill out applications to other jobs in the area, volunteering at the theater would be a great opportunity to introduce herself to the organization, build up required volunteer hours for National Honor Society and develop a serious work ethic in a highly creative environment.

She could always baby-sit for cash, I reasoned.

As it turned out, a staff change in the internship program meant that my daughter had the opportunity to step in and really prove herself. She has worked long hours as the company prepared to open its production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," and continues to fulfill her responsibilities behind the scenes for each show.

According to Bridel, interning at Franklin Stage was, for years, an informal arrangement that recruited the teenagers of family and friends. For the right young people, the theater was the perfect environment to learn and grow creatively and professionally.

"We found their contribution to be indispensable," Bridel said. "Since the beginning of the theater, we found that teens who had an affinity for the work would return every year and become quite central members of the team. They became production design managers for instance _ masterminding aspects of the play.

"We decided we would do well to formalize the program," he explained. "First we began to offer a relatively decent stipend to people who could commit to us for the whole summer. We asked them to be very responsible for major roles in executing the production.

"We were able to provide this kind of structure with the generous support of the Rasmussen family," Bridel added. "Art and Joanne Rasmussen have always been major contributors to the success of the Franklin Stage. The internship program is now named in their honor."

Bridel pointed out that many of their interns move on to include aspects of the theater into their higher education and career choices. "This is a notable aspect of the internship program that I am quite proud of. We’ve expanded their horizons regarding literature and theater. We give them a gift that they get to take on to the rest of their lives."

"It is true," I think to myself, as we speak. "My 14-year-old has spent a very educational summer with William Shakespeare."

As a more-practical, work-related matter, I know that her ability to make a significant contribution, supporting the cast and crew, is really the result of the theater’s excellent management of staff.

Too often volunteers and interns spend time wondering what to do at work and trying to look busy, while the learning aspect of interning is overshadowed by boredom. The Franklin Stage Co. has obviously found a way to provide a meaningful experience to young people, by employing them in important tasks.

Bridel explained that "Theater itself is about the art of communication and telling stories, and our interns are asked to become part of a chain of the communication and develop a sense of what it means to tell a story. Interns must be sensitive to the importance of even the most trivial tasks they do, every night, to help us tell the story."

Teamwork and attention to detail? Shakespeare and literature? Keeping a schedule and following direction? Artistry and excellence in a community-based environment? I didn’t just sign my daughter up to volunteer at the Franklin Stage Co.; I made an investment in her future.

Kathleen Frascatore is executive director of the Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts.