Live from New York, it's ... a Rutgers–Camden Internship!

CAMDEN - An internship that continues past midnight on the weekend might sound like a nightmare. Unless, of course, you’re earning college credit at Saturday Night Live.

“I assist writers, cast members; I was even a stand-in for the Jonas Brothers when they were musical guests,” says McGough, a junior who is earning three credits for the Arts & Sciences Internship course managed through the Rutgers–Camden Career Center. 

A typical week at SNL for McGough begins Wednesday when he scours draft sketches to flag any lines that could become a legal issue. He then delivers finalized scripts to SNL cast members like Kristin Wiig and Jason Sudeikis. On Thursday and Friday, rehearsals begin and McGough witnesses what sketches get laughs and the OK for the live show by SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

“Until you see a sketch actually performed, you never know how it will turn out,” says the sole SNL intern to represent Rutgers out of a dozen students from across the nation.

When he’s not put to task at Rockefeller Center, the English major is enrolled in 18th Century British Literature and Advanced Screenwriting at Rutgers–Camden. While he won’t disclose the storyline for his 100-page screenplay, the working title is The Year of the Cougar, a buddy comedy McGough would like to eventually shop around. Lisa Zeidner, a professor of English who teaches the course, recommended McGough for the coveted internship the Rutgers–Camden student sought out on his own.

“Bryan has a hip, original way of thinking about the kinds of issues that beset young men, especially ones who grow up without a lot of opportunities, “says Zeidner, who frequently adapts novels into film, including her own book Layover. “One of the things I admire about his writing is that he's not afraid to admit something isn't working, and try something else.  Rewriting, and rethinking, is a lot of the craft of screenwriting, so if he can combine that kind of tough work ethic with his natural talent, he'll be able to make it.”

The 2005 Cinnaminson High School graduate might be reading professional scripts at SNL, but the writing in his Rutgers–Camden course is equally inspiring.

“It’s a cool class where everyone is really helpful toward each other’s writing,” he says. “Everyone’s story has potential.”

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