One of the highlights of TACT’s summer is the Apprentice Company: Young Leadership Initiative. We select young adults that our interested in becoming theatre professionals either on the stage or behind it. This experience provides a well-rounded glimpse of a successful, highly acclaimed, not-for-profit, Off-Broadway theatre company.
During the summer, the participants are given long term projects such as social media marketing, donor research and dramaturgy, as well as daily responsibilities in running an office. They have access to the TACT company of actors and other theatre professionals, as well as sitting in on auditions and talking to the directors. The program also invites guest speakers once a week to talk with the participants about different aspects of theatre. This past year, guest speakers included actors, leaders in theatre marketing and development, as well as literary professionals, all available for networking while also acquiring useful contacts for after graduation.
A few of our inaugural participants commented:
“I’ve come to have a deeper appreciation and respect for the administrative aspects of theatre companies—so much work must be done before a production can even think to begin.”
“We were hired to our respective departments, and fulfilled the duties and responsibilities within them, but in return TACT let us gaze into the theatre business and gave us some insight on being a professional actor, producer, literary professional, and much more.”
“I was granted close contact with the artistic side of TACT’s operations and was given the opportunity to observe the professional auditions held for TACT’s fall main stage production, which taught me more about the do’s and don’ts of auditioning than any class could”
Class of 2013: Andre Gonzalez, Kathleen DeSilva, Stella Brennan-Romano, Danielle Feder, Carolyn Kettig, Emma Thomasch, Kate McLennan
Class of 2014: Clark Kim, Radha Khatri, Sophia Cohen-Smith, Eleanor Beckman, Avery Deutsch, Lauren Panzarino, Kristin Papadopoulos, Kaili Turner
