For our annual spotlight on summer training programs in the theatrical arts, Back Stage and Back Stage West have combined their efforts in order to cast as wide a geographical net as possible across the great continent of North America. Twenty-nine far-flung writers cover, in varying degrees of depth, nearly 140 programs for actors, writers, designers, technicians, administrators, and more, located in 34 of the 49 continental states and Canada. Included are summer stock internship and apprenticeship programs, training programs geared toward theatrical professionals, and even summer camps for children. Whether you are looking to break into the business, sharpen your already considerable skills, or jump-start the career of your brilliantly talented issue, you should be able to find a program to fill your bill-- and quite possibly even in your own back yard.
THE EAST
Canada
By Jon Kaplan
Soulpepper Theatre Company
Soulpepper Theatre Company, Toronto's classical repertory company, includes as part of its mandate a training program for young theatre artists. In 2000, Soulpepper established its first young company, whose members performed alongside senior actors in "Twelfth Night" and "The School for Wives."
Led by master directors—previous directors were Robin Phillips and Laszlo Marton—and members of the Soulpepper company, the month-long program of classes and master classes focuses on training for the classical stage. Participants receive instruction in movement, dance, mask, voice, dialects and accents, Alexander technique, stage combat, singing, and text analysis.
The four-week training sessions begin in mid-May, with productions (TBA) running in the summer months and into the fall. Unlike other programs that charge a fee, Soulpepper's training program subsidizes its participants. Auditions for the young company will be held by the end of February. For more information call (416) 203-6264; the company's website is www.soulpepper.ca.
Theatre Ontario
Theatre Ontario, a central source of information on training, career opportunities, productions, and theatre resources in the province of Ontario, holds its 11th annual summer training program Aug. 12-19 at Brock University, in the Niagara region, near Buffalo, New York.
The adult course includes scene study, acting, two levels of directing, and musical theatre. The children's course offers classes in movement, Shakespeare, fight choreography, acting, and scene study. Both courses are taught by theatre professionals. The adult fee is $750 Canadian (plus taxes), children $630 Canadian (plus taxes). On-campus accommodation is included in the fee. Classes are usually small.
Application deadline is June 1. For more information, contact Theatre Ontario at 30 St. Patrick St., 2nd floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3A3, or call (416) 408-4556. The organization's website, which has a section on its summer courses, is .www.theatreontario.org .
New Hampshire
By David Frieze
Weathervane Repertory Theatre
The Weathervane Repertory Theatre, an Equity company located in Whitefield, NH, offers accredited, six-day-a-week internships in performance, direction, stage management, scenic design, technical design, instrumental music, choreography, and administration. Students receive specialized instruction in his/her chosen field under the supervision of a professional mentor, with a focus on the techniques and crafts practiced by the Weathervane Theatre in its 36-year history of alternating repertory and open staging. Seminars and workshops in areas such as scenic design, costuming, and performance are conducted by in-house professionals, visiting directors, and guest artists. Interns are also responsible for developing the Patchwork Players—the children's theatre wing of the Weathervane Theatre. During the season, four 55-minute shows are produced; the final show is a completely original collaborative effort, scripted and composed by the interns.
Tuition (including room and board) for the eleven-week program is $1,600. Applications and further information can be obtained by writing to Weathervane Repertory Theatre, P.O. Box 127, Whitefield, NH 03598 (Attn: WPA Intern), or e-mailing the company at info@weathervanetheatre.org.
Peterborough Players
Another Equity company, the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, NH, offers internships and apprenticeships to actors and designers for its summer season. Instruction here is strictly hands-on and production-based. Interns work backstage and on stage in the company's six mainstage productions; they also become part of the Second Company, performing in two children's plays (one of them on the mainstage). The season begins on June 4 (the first mainstage show opens on June 20) and runs throughout the summer. Up to 10 EMC points are available.
Interns apply by audition and receive a $75/week stipend plus housing; apprentices are unpaid and apply by form. For more information and applications, contact Keith Stevens, Managing Director, Peterborough Players, P.O. Box 118, Peterborough, NH 03458 (603-924-9344; fax 603-924-6359), or via e-mail at pbroplayers@monad.net .
Massachusetts
By David A. Rosenberg, Esther Tolkoff, and David Frieze
Williamstown Theatre Festival
Famous names love playing at the Williamstown Theatre Festival on the Williams College campus in Massachusetts, and youngsters looking for inspiration would have a hard time beating this institution. Last summer's actors included Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Burton, and Eric Stoltz; among the directors were Joe Mantello, Nicholas Martin, and Christopher Ashley. Known as an artist's theatre, performers like James Naughton, Frank Langella, Blythe Danner, Joanne Woodward, and Maria Tucci return year after year to a safe environment in which to stretch their muscles. Many productions have moved on to Broadway, such as last season's "The Price" and the incoming "Hedda Gabler."
Productions are mounted at the 520-seat Adams Memorial Theatre and the 96-seat Nikos Stage (named after the festival's founder, the late Nikos Psacharopoulos). Other productions and events include the outdoor Free Theatre, late-night cabaret evenings of comedy and song, Act I ensemble productions, a new-play reading series, a museum series in conjunction with the college, question and answer discussions, and the Greylock Theatre Project for disadvantaged youth.
Offered are both intern and apprentice programs, which have attracted more than 2,000 individuals since the theatre's founding in 1955. "Both interns and apprentices can apply for college credit," said general manager Deborah Fehr. "They're all here for our 11-week season, staring in May. We do 11 major shows and many small ones. For instance, whoever auditions can be in the cabaret—if they can sing—everybody from apprentices up through the Equity company. They can also audition for plays, although very few actually get cast, unless we're doing a large-cast show."
Internships are administrative or technical positions, not acting. Applicants are asked to choose their area of specialization from among the following: design, technical production, general and company management, directing, box office, publicity, photography, literary management, and community outreach through the Greylock Project. Chosen on the basis of experience, recommendations, and an interview, interns are responsible for their own board and pay $500 for housing at the college. Fellowships are available and college credit may be arranged. Apprenticeships are offered for youngsters (17 is the minimum age) who wish to combine practical work with classes in acting, voice, and movement. Presenting scenes, attending seminars, and working in various technical and administrative departments are all part of a vigorous and demanding schedule. Running from June 3-Aug. 19, the apprentice program costs $2,550 for room and board, plus $450 for classes. A limited number of scholarships are available.
Williamstown is three hours from both Boston and New York in the cultural heart of the Berkshires, an area also home to Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, Barrington Stage, and Shakespeare & Company. Interns are required to submit two letters of recommendation along with their theatre resumes and a cover letter to Internships, Williamstown Theatre Festival, 229 W. 42nd St., Suite 801, New York, NY 10036.
Apprentices should submit two letters of recommendation, along with a short statement of qualifications and interests, a brief summary of theatre experience, a recent photo, and a non-refundable application fee of $30. Scholarship applicants need to send a statement of need and a detailed description of personal and family financial conditions. Send to Apprentice Admissions at the above address.—D.A.R.
Berkshire Theatre Festival
The venerable Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, Mass. offers two separate programs that stress individualized attention. There is a summer Performance Training Program for actor/apprentices and an internship program for those interested in behind-the-scenes work. College credit is available, but must be arranged by the student and his or her college in advance.
There are two theatrical spaces at the Festival—the Main Stage, a 415-seat Equity house, which mounts four productions each summer, and the Unicorn Theatre, a 122-seat non-Equity house, at which three plays go up every summer. The Festival also operates the all-apprentice Theatre for Young Audiences, which performs two full-fledged productions for children per summer at such nearby locations as the Berkshire Museum.
In 1930, Katherine Hepburn played bit parts in one of the Festival's earlier incarnations. Major theatrical stars have held leading roles. In recent years, Joanne Woodward taught a master class to apprentices.
According to Allison Rachele, administrative director of education, 15 apprentices are chosen every summer. They must be between the ages of 18 and 25. During the course of the 12-week program, running from June 3-Aug. 26, they take intensive classes every morning. These cover such areas as scene study, voice, movement, improvisation, and stage combat. Master classes are held as well.
Three and a half hours of an apprentice's day are devoted to either rehearsal for a Theatre for Young Audience play or a "BTF" play. Apprentices have the opportunity to audition (if needed—most summers they are) in Unicorn productions. They often understudy Main Stage works and can receive Equity Membership Candidate points for this. This summer, the Main Stage's first production, "HMS Pinafore," will use several apprentices in non-speaking roles. A production of "My Fair Lady" is also planned. The other two productions will be announced in the coming weeks.
The application deadline is April 15. For information, write to either Allison Rachele or Peter Durgin at the Berkshire Theatre Festival, P.O. 797, Stockbridge, MA 01262, or call (413) 298-5536, or e-mail info@berkshiretheatre.org and indicate that the e-mail should be directed to either Rachele or Durgin.
After dinner and before the shows, apprentices staff concession stands, direct the parking of cars, or do backstage work. During the shows, they strike and change the sets.
Applicants perform—or send videotapes of—two contrasting monologues, which should not total more than five minutes in time. "The key thing I look for is range," Rachele stresses. Most applications come in to the theatre, but Rachele will also travel to the North England Theatre Conference in Natick, Mass. and the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Jacksonville, Fla. in search of apprentices.
In addition to preparing their monologues, applicants must write an essay explaining why they want to participate in the program, and describing where they are in their development as actors. They must send a headshot and resume, along with three letters of reference. There is a $20 application fee.
"We try to gear classes to areas apprentices have expressed interest in," says Rachele. "If several people want to work on their voices, we'll make a point of including more voice training."
Tuition for the apprenticeship is $2,300. This includes classes, room and board, and tickets to other nearby cultural events. (The Berkshires is the scene of a lively theatrical and musical community.) Financial aid is available. To apply for help, applicants must send the financial aid forms filled out for their colleges or else inquire as to alternative ways to apply.
The production internship program lasts 14 weeks, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Production manager Peter Durgin is in charge of this program, in which some 20-25 interns specialize in an area of their choice—stage management, carpentry, scene painting, props, costumes, or electrics and sound. There is one production management intern who learns "coordination" work (of schedules and many other things). In addition, there are three to five general production interns every summer who rotate between all of these areas. Four or five administrative interns are also sought in company management, house management, marketing, accounting, and general administration.
Production interns are almost always college students. Durgin says they should have experience working in their area of interest for college, or other, shows. They should submit an application (no fee) that describes this experience, and include two references. Durgin will then telephone applicants to discuss their experience and their goals. Durgin will also visit the SETC and NETC conferences, as well as a conference at Stage Source in Boston.
Interns do not pay tuition. They work for room and board. Their typical day consists of working in the shops from 9 am-6 pm. Stage management interns take a dinner break and then work with the shows at the Main Stage and the Unicorn. All of the interns take part in the production work for the two children's plays performed by the acting apprentices. It is possible for more experienced stage management interns to acquire Equity Membership Candidate points.—E.T.
Boston University Theatre Institute
For non-Equity performers, the Boston University Theatre Institute offers a six-week intensive summer program in acting (improvisation, monologue work, and scene study) and script analysis. Students may choose either movement or singing as electives. There are also workshops in directing, playwriting, Shakespeare performance, stage combat, and audition technique. Each student is cast in a performance project that rehearses throughout the six weeks and is presented at the Boston University Theatre, home of the Huntington Theatre Company.
Classes meet weekdays; evening rehearsals for the performance project meet Tuesday through Thursday, with an additional Saturday rehearsal. Weekend and other weeknight activities are scheduled several times a week and may include participating in cabaret-style talent shows or attending professional productions at the American Repertory Theatre or the Huntington Theatre.
For further information and application, contact Jennifer Austin, Assistant Director, Boston University Theatre Institute, 855 Commonwealth Ave., Room 470, Boston, MA 02215 (617-353-3391, fax: 617-353-4363), or try the Boston University website (www.bu.edu/sfa/affiliated/theatreinstitute/theatre_institute.html).—D.F.
Rhode Island
The Astors' Beechwood
The biggest intern program is at one of the fabled mansions in Newport, The Astors' Beechwood, located in an area of summer "cottages" built in the 1890s as watering places for the very rich. Which, by the way is something you will not get working at Beechwood. They pay acting interns $115 a week and a costume intern $130 a week, but housing—in the mansion—is provided. Beechwood will hire 10 actors and one costume person this summer. They are looking for actors with good improvisational skills. That is because the actors will be playing servants for and members and friends of the Astor family; they will spend time greeting and guiding guests at the mansion, mostly the tourists who flock to Newport in the summer.
For the most part, the interns are either college students or recent graduates. They live two to four in a room, with shared bathroom facilities. TVs and VCRs are provided and there are laundry facilities. Competition is stiff. Last year 2, 300 applied. The contact person is Sheli Beck at (401) 846-3772. Her e-mail is sheli@astors-beechwood.com. There is a website: www.astorsbeechwood.com.
Theatre-by-the-Sea
Across Narragansett Bay, the venerable Theatre-by-the-Sea has a smaller, less structured internship program at the place where the likes of Marlon Brando once performed. Interns at this seaside theatre work mostly in the technical departments as carpenters, prop people, and in the office and stage management. They generally don't act.
Interns are paid between $50 and $100 a week and are housed near the theatre in shared rooms and bathrooms. Cooking facilities are available. The time of service is generally June through September, but some interns can leave earlier for school, according to producer Laura Harris, once an intern at the theater herself. One of the great deals at Theatre-by-the-Sea: It is only 100 yards from one of the best beaches in New England, one that is rarely crowded.
To contact Theatre-by-the-Sea, send a resume to Laura Harris at 364 Cards Pond Road, Matunuck, RI, 02879. The phone number is (401) 783-9452.
Perishable Theatre
Perishable Theatre is a long way from any beaches, located in a gritty part of downtown Providence, a half-block from the city's leading theatre, the Trinity Repertory Company. Perishable has a lively, well thought of training program. This summer, they will be offering a range of courses, including an introduction to acting taught by Trinity Rep's Fred Sullivan Jr. Another course, taught by Rhode Island College faculty member Wendy Overly, will be a survey of the acting styles taught by some of the great teachers, including Stanislavsky, Adler, Grotowski, and Suzuki. A Boston casting agency head, Carolyn Pickman, will teach on-camera work.
Most students at Perishable hold other jobs, says Amy Budd, who coordinates the training. The work is very much hands-on, with students acting from day one, she adds. The summer session begins July 9. Tuition ranges from $150 to $250 for a six- or eight-week session. Contact Budd at Perishable Theatre, 95 Empire St., Providence, RI 02903. The phone number is (401) 331-2695 ext. 102. The theatre has a website:www.Perishable.org.
Connecticut
Westport Country Playhouse
One of the oldest summer theatres is the Westport Country Playhouse, founded in 1931, a place where the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Sally Jesse (no Raphael then), Mary Rodgers, and Tammy Grimes spent a summer. For its second season under the aegis of Joanne Woodward, the apprentice-intern program is undergoing changes. Modeling itself on Massachusetts' Williamstown Theatre Festival, WCP will be offering regular classes as well as opportunities for hands-on experiences.
Ten apprentices will pay a set amount and receive housing. In the mornings, they take classes covering acting and an introduction to theatre. In the afternoons, they put that learning to work in various capacities, supervised by the playhouse's professional staff. Seven interns, on the other hand, specialize in a particular area of interest—stage managing, technical, publicity—and will be paid $150 per week, plus housing.
Westport is a theatre-savvy town, 50 miles from New York, reachable by car or Metro-North. Letters of interest and resumes should be sent to Ellen Lampros, Westport Country Playhouse, P.O. Box 629, Westport, CT 06881. Fax is (203) 221-7482; email is westportcountryplayhouse@yahoo.com. No phone calls.
Levitt Pavilion
Another Westport opportunity is at the outdoor Levitt Pavilion. "We offer two positions currently," said executive director Freda Welsh. "One is an office intern, which offers training and experience in arts administration. The other is a technical position. We're looking for sponsors to help expand the program." Interns get a small stipend, but no room and board.
Coming up to its 28th season, the Levitt presents attractions from mid-June through the end of August, six nights a week. "We have a different entertainment format every night: music, dance, theatre, children's performances," said Welsh. "It's pretty extensive."
For the office intern, computer experience is a plus. Call Freda Welsh at (203) 226-7600.
Connecticut Repertory Theatre
At the Connecticut Repertory Theatre on the University of Connecticut campus, technical interns are paid approximately $175 a week, depending on their qualifications. Room and board are not provided, but affordable, low-cost housing is readily available in this college town.
"We hope they have had a little bit of experience," said production manager Tina Louise Jones, "but many are taught on the job." Interns are involved in running shows, but their choice of area depends on their interests and the theatre's needs. Opportunities are offered in various areas—electrical, carpentry, scene painting, wardrobe, and sound. For stage carpentry, for example, interns build in the afternoons, then run productions in the evening.
The season, which operates under an URTA Equity contract, usually consists of two musicals and one play, beginning May 21 and ending July 28. Some internships don't actually begin until June 5, however. UConn is a 140-mile, approximately two-and-a-half hour drive from New York.
Send resumes to Connecticut Repertory Theatre, 802 Bolton Rd., U-1127, Storrs, CT 06268, c/o Tina Louise Jones.
Goodspeed Musicals
Goodspeed Musicals has been in the business of premiering and reviving tuners for the past 30 years. "Our season runs for nine months, during which we are constantly reviewing applications for technical apprentices," said assistant production manager Carrie L. Smith. "Areas are lighting, set construction, painting, electrics, props, costumes, company management. The people in those positions are usually running the shows, working backstage, and in the shops as well."
Apprentices receive a salary of $256 per week, with housing provided in a group location at a cost of $50 a week. Board is not provided. The minimum commitment is three months. Goodspeed also employs interns, paying them a negotiable stipend, with housing available. Areas are similar to those offered apprentices and college credit may be arranged.
The three-show season starts March 30 and runs through December. Candidates who want to work the first three-month period should be available in February. Scheduled so far are "Brigadoon" and the Gershwins' "They All Laughed."
Goodspeed is located in East Haddam on the Connecticut River, approximately 120 miles from New York. It's reachable by car or train to Old Saybrook, 15 minutes away. Applicants may use the web at www.goodspeed.org or send letter, resume, availability, and three references to Carrie L. Smith, Goodspeed Musicals, Box A, East Haddam, CT 06423. The fax is (860) 873-2329.
New York
By Mike Salinas, David A. Rosenberg, and Simi Horowitz
Atlantic Theater Company
The Atlantic Theater Company, only a couple of blocks west of Times Square, will hold an intensive six-week summer program June 25-Aug. 3. The summer sessions are open to beginning and professional acting students and to NYU students for credit. Participants will meet six times a week to learn the "Practical Aesthetics" technique outlined in "A Practical Handbook for the Actor," including the script analysis process and "moment to moment" work. Visiting professionals deliver guest lectures every Saturday, and equal emphasis is placed on the voice, speech, and movement training. Tuition is $2,000, but no scholarships are offered (unlike the rest of the season, when some work-study positions are available). Interviews are required for admission, and space is limited. Call (212) 691-5919 to apply, and ask to speak with Steven.—M.S.
Powerhouse Summer Theatre Program
Eighty miles upstate in Poughkeepsie, the Powerhouse Summer Theatre Program is a joint venture between Vassar, a 138-year-old premier liberal arts college, and the New York Stage and Film Company, a New York City-based professional theatre company dedicated to the development and production of new plays. For $2,700—which includes housing on the Vassar campus—actors, directors, playwrights, stage managers, and designers can spend almost eight weeks immersing themselves in theatre and working with some of America's leading theatre practitioners. Participants get a crash course in practically every kind of drama, including outdoor theatre, one-act plays, Shakespeare, radio plays, play readings, play workshops, and a "Really Bad Play Mini-Fest," which gives dramatists two minutes to write their worst, and performers and directors another five minutes to get it up on its feet. Powerhouse is proud that it premiered six well-respected plays in the 1999-2000 New York City theatre season: "Chesapeake," "Family Week," "Another American Asking and Telling," "Hurricane," "Current Events," and "The Bomb-itty of Errors." Applicants may send a letter of interest (and, for writers, a sample of their writing) to Powerhouse at 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12604. More details are on their website at www.vassar.edu/powerhouse/appr.html.—M.S.
Cobalt Studios
Cobalt Studios in White Lake, NY (100 miles away from Times Square, in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains) provides an opportunity to learn the finer points of scene painting on a secluded 28-acre farm. In one week, the faculty will guide participants through the hierarchy of the paint shop, the skills and qualities of a good scenic artist: "What is paint?" and "Fabric choices"; the "Bamboo Ballet" (painting with bamboo brush extensions, with the scenery laid out on the floor); drawing tricks for large scale, geometric shapes; the drawing of basic forms; and (as part of a team) drawing an overscaled picture using those skills. The next two weeks are, if anything, more concentrated, with emphasis on woodgrain, marble, brick, and stone sections, including painted tromp l'oeil molding; and landscape with brushstroke exercises and tree structure drawings.
$1,900 covers a student's share of class and office supplies, utilities, overhead and insurance, room and board (including laundry and all meals at the house), but not mutually agreed-on meals "out," personal trips, clothing, and personal tools or brushes. For more information or an application, contact Rachel Keebeler by e-mail at cobaltstudios@fcc.net, or write Cobalt Studios, PO Box 79, White Lake, NY 12786-0079, or call (845) 583-7025.—M.S.
Chautauqua Conservatory Theater
The Chautauqua Conservatory Theater Company, now in its 18th year, will hold New York City auditions for actors at least 20 years old on March 17 and 24, for its summer session of June 23-Aug. 19. Leading professionals and teachers from nationally and internationally renowned theatres and training programs will lead participants through, as the theatre puts it, "daily study (in both individual and group sessions) of those skills necessary to the thorough exploration and performance of a wide variety of stage roles." Conservatory faculty provides rehearsal support, working in close conjunction with directors to assist the actors both in the direct application of their skills and in the development of a deeper individual rehearsal process. For more information, call (716) 357-6233 or e-mail amarshaus@chautauqua-inst.com.—M.S.
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Since 1987, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival has, as one critic put it, "taken the starch out of the classics," performing the Bard's works in a 400-seat, yellow-and-white, open-faced tent on the spectacular grounds of the Boscobel Restoration in Garrison, New York. Thousands of playgoers may picnic on the 30-acre property and tour the mansion before attending productions by the only resident professional Shakespeare company in the region. Founded by Terrence O'Brien and funded in part by the N.Y. State Council on the Arts, as well as the Putnam Arts Fund, the festival is noted for presenting the classics in a contemporary, innovative style. Nor does the festival always play it safe. Among its acclaimed productions are "Titus Andronicus" and "Measure for Measure."
It also sponsors year-round education programs, including schools outreach and artists-in-residence, reaching 7,000 students. "We have both apprentices and interns," said education programs manager, Stephanie Turner. "Apprentices are students who pay tuition."
Apprentices become an integral part of the professional company, arriving during tech week of the second show. All are assigned either a small acting role or a position back stage. For three weeks, they take intensive instruction in voice, movement, Shakespeare and contemporary scene study, improvisation, stage combat, and master classes. Practicality is not overlooked; discussions cover auditioning, headshots, commercial work, and voice-overs.
Internships are more limited, with only a few hired each season. In the technical area, the festival is seeking a stage management and a wardrobe intern. Applicants should have some background in their fields, be eager to learn, and willing to take their own initiative. College credit is available. At the end of the season, technical interns have an opportunity to put their skills to use for the apprentice company's own production.
Operating under an LOA/LORT D contract, Hudson Valley Shakespeare also offers opportunities to earn points in the Equity membership candidate program.
Unlike the apprentices, who arrive for the second show only, interns are involved in the entire season, which runs June 20-Aug. 26. Scheduled for this summer are "The Merchant of Venice" (June 20-July 29) and "Romeo and Juliet" (July 18-Aug. 26). Rehearsals are in Manhattan, beginning the end of May.
Interns are paid a stipend based on their level of experience, and given housing—but not board—at Mount Saint Mary College in nearby Newburgh. Resumes should be sent by mail, fax, or e-mail to Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, 155 Main St., Cold Spring, NY 10516; fax (845) 265-7865; e-mail: info@hvshakespeare.org.
A few acting interns and non-Equity actors are also hired and must audition. Headshots and resumes should be sent to the artistic director at the above address.
Boscobel is about an hour north of New York. Metro North provides frequent service to Cold Spring. It's a short taxi ride from the station to the mansion.—D.A.R.
Bay Street Theatre
If you're interested in launching a career in lighting design, say—or indeed, any behind-the-scenes technical support role—the Bay Street Theatre, in Sag Harbor, Long Island, may have a summer internship program that's just right for you.
Admittedly, 90% of the interns are college students who are majoring in the field—and will earn college credit for their summer internship—but the program is by no means limited to students, stresses Gary Hygom, production manager at the Bay Street Theatre.
Still, he stresses he is not looking for fly-by wannabes; people who boast a long-term interest in the field have a better shot at getting hired than those who have a passing fancy. Similarly, lighting design majors on the graduate or undergraduate level—who come from colleges nationwide—are more likely candidates than communications majors, he points out.
Fifteen internships are available in costumes, set construction, scenic painting, sound and electricity, box office management, and production management.
The ages range from 18 (the minimum) to mid-20s. All interns are paid $120 a week and are given free housing. Interns are, however, responsible for their own food and transportation, although some extra money is forthcoming for gas. It should be stressed that having a car is essential. "The housing is at South Hampton University and that's 20 minutes away from the theatre," notes Hygom.
"Interns are involved in every technical aspect of a production, usually working as assistants to the professionals on staff," he continues. "Although I try to keep interns focused on their respective fields, during the running of a show I may have to move the interns around, so that someone in wardrobe may find himself working in sound. On average, interns work an eight-to-nine hour day, six days a week."
The internship program at Bay Street has been in existence for 10 years, although the technical internship program has been refined over the last three years. During that time (the last three years), "We have had on average three interns in stage management, two to three in carpentry, two to three in scenic painting, and two to three wardrobe, and two to three in lighting."
Besides the college credit one can earn—the details are hammered out between the intern and his college—the opportunity to work with top-notch professionals in theatre is a big bonus, says Hygom. "It's the experience and the contacts that are made. Three of our stage management interns, for example, are now working on Broadway and Off-Broadway, thanks to the contacts they made here."
Approximately 50 aspiring interns apply each year and, as noted, only 15 interns are brought on board. Competition is fierce. If you are interested in interning at Bay Street, the first thing to do, says Hygom, is to log onto the theatre's web site at www.baystreet.org and fill out an online application.
"I will then do a phone interview. I am very turned on by the length of experience [the more the better] that a candidate has," he says. "I will ask for references from professors and/or technical directors with whom the students have worked. But usually, what most sells me is the conversation I have with the candidate, the sense of who he is and the level of his interest and commitment!"—S.H.
Hangar Theatre
The Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY, boasts one of the most well known and established summer theatre training programs in the country; hundreds apply each year for the two programs that are offered, says Greg Potter, a Hangar Theatre spokesperson. The theatre's two internship programs are, respectively, in acting training and production. Most of the interns are college students—although they don't have to be—and college credits may be earned, the details of which are worked out with the college that the intern is attending.
"We offer, on average, 14 production internships in stage management, design [lighting, costumes, sets, and other technical areas], and directing," explains Potter. "Our interns work as assistants to the professionals in our main stage productions, those at the Wedge [also known as the Lab], and with the cast and crew for the children's shows. Our production interns work in all aspects of production, regardless of what their specialties are [lighting as opposed to costumes, say]. The interns work six days a week and their hours are long," Potter admits frankly, "although those hours may vary on a daily basis."
Production interns neither get paid nor have to pay tuition. However, they are responsible for their food and housing, although the theatre may provide the latter (at a cost of $900 to the intern), assuming the intern cannot find his or her own housing.
The acting program is a little different. Indeed, acting interns have to pay tuition of $3,000, plus housing, which, as noted, costs $900. Financial aid is available and most acting interns apply for it, says Potter, adding that the number of openings in the acting program varies, depending on the availability of financial assistance. Still, approximately eight to 10 actors are admitted annually for a program that starts at the end of May and continues through mid-August.
"The young actors are cast in four Lab shows," says Potter. "They also have the chance to audition for mainstage productions and take master classes, if they wish, in movement or speech, as an example. They work with professionals in the field. Besides the contacts they may make and the experience they earn, their appearances in our mainstage productions may lead to their getting Equity cards."
The program, which has been in existence for 10 years, looks for people who have "experience, a desire to learn and grow, and energy," asserts Potter. "But we're also very interested in diversity. So not everyone has to have the same level of experience. We also want our actors and production interns to represent a diverse group in terms of gender, ethnicity, and race. We want pictures and resumes from our actors, and resumes from our production interns. Recommendations help, but they are not necessary."
For more information, a brochure, and an application form, call (607) 273-8588 or log onto their web site at www.lab@hangartheatre.org.—S.H.
New Jersey
By Gretchen Van Benthuysen
Centenary Stage Company
The Centenary Stage Company in Hackettstown offers a professional acting class beginning on June 5. Classes are held from 6:30-9:15 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, ending June 29 with a "Scene Night" performance. The classes are taught by Francis Rella, a teacher whose acting credits include appearances with the New York City Opera, PBS, CBS-TV, Warner Brothers, Orion Playhouse, and the Sacramento Light Opera Company. She was also a writer and broadcaster for National Public Radio. The class cost is $150.
Also offered, on the campus of Centenary College, is a Young Performers Workshop Summer Intensive, Mondays through Saturdays, July 23-Aug. 26. A part- or full-time professional training program for performers ages eight to 18 in acting technique, voice, dance and theatre movement, stage combat, music theory, choreography, play writing, theatre management, and theatre appreciation, it costs $800 for part-time students (9 am-4:30 pm) or $925 for full-time students (9 am-9 pm). Call (908) 979-0900 for more information, or visit www.centenarystageco.org.
Theatrefest
Theatrefest is a 12-week summer stock professional apprentice program in Montclair, NJ, on the Montclair University campus, for college students and second career individuals, providing on-the-job training, classroom study, participation in productions, and Equity membership candidacy credits. Production concentrations are in stage management, props, costumes, music, and technical theatre. Administration offerings are in management, marketing, and audience services.
People selected are assigned a specific concentration, or could be reassigned to a different department if the need arises. At summer's end, apprentices will present a production written, directed, and performed by them. Housing is provided at no charge. Apprentices are paid a $100 per week stipend. Credit-earning internships are also available. The registration deadline is March 31. Call (973) 655-7071 for more information, or visit www.montclair.edu.
Playwrights Theater of New Jersey
Playwrights Theater of New Jersey in Madison runs a Production Workshop June 4-July 16, culminating in public performances on July 14 and 15. Class meets from 7-10 pm, Monday and Wednesday nights. This intensive rehearsal and performance laboratory features professional individual mentoring sessions for actors, directors, and playwrights. Performances are followed by an evaluation session. The workshop is conducted by director/actor/educator Joe Giardina.
Playwrights must submit one-act scripts for selection committee by May 1, accompanied by a nonrefundable reading fee of $10. (Fee is applied to the cost of the class upon acceptance.) Cost for playwrights is $200, $150 for directors, and $100 for actors.
In addition, Playwrights' associate director John Pietrowski is teaching two separate playwriting courses. The first is from 7-10 pm on Tuesdays, June 5-July 31. The second is from 7-10 pm on Mondays, Aug. 6-Oct. 1. Each class is $225. For more information, call (973) 514-1787 or visit www.ptnj.org
Shadow Lawn Summer Stage
Interns and apprentices are needed for a summer production season of three plays running from May 26-Aug. 6 at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J, and sponsored by the university's music and theatre arts department. Plays for this summer are to be announced in late February. Last season's roster included "Don't Dress for Dinner," Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap," and Brian Friel's "Translations."
College level internships are available in production and management. Assignments are made according to experience and ability. Interns may be considered for minor roles and often are hired back following the summer in paid positions.
Responsible positions are available, with a limited number of on campus rooms available for housing. Additional positions are available without rooms. A small stipend is offered per week, and three college credits are possible at a discounted tuition rate. If schedule permits, interns can take an additional non-theatre, three-credit course, with credits transferable. High school students are admitted as apprentices in all aspects of the season depending on experience and ability. College credit is possible for students who have completed their junior year. Call (732) 571-3442.
Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre
Located in Bloomfield, NJ, Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre will offer three one-day classes from 9 am-3 pm during the month of July (with specific dates to be announced). Geared toward the professional, they will focus on on-camera workshops in commercials, TV, and film. Professional casting directors, supervising each workshop, will be announced later. Actors will learn the formats of each discipline while tackling business skills, including how to work with cold materials and make quick choices. Classes are limited to 15. For more information, call (973) 748-9008, ext. 995.
Princeton Rep Shakespeare Festival
This not-for-profit, Equity company has internships available in administration, tech, and acting for its summer season, running from June through August. Workshops may be offered for a fee. No other details were available at press time. (609) 921-3682.
Pennsylvania
By Mark Cofta
The Noh Training Project
The Noh Training Project enters its seventh summer in residence with the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. A three-hour drive from New York, the bucolic Pennsylvania town is a great place to study during the summer with Noh expert Richard Emmert. He leads a select group—no more than 18—in the dance, chant, music, and performance history of Japanese Noh Drama, and then is joined in the third week by Noh Master actor/teacher Akiri Matsui, who goes beyond traditional performance to training in creating new works with Noh techniques, but non-Noh musical accompaniment.
The program culminates in a recital for an invited audience. The Noh Training Project costs $1,400, which includes tuition, room (in Bloomsburg University's graduate housing), tabi (Japanese split-toed socks), and kita Noh fan. Classes run Monday through Friday, affording time to enjoy hiking, biking, and camping in the area.
Applications are due by May 15. Write to Noh Training Project, c/o Learning Tomorrow, 53 W. Main St., Bloomsburg, PA 17815; (570) 387-8270; fax: (570) 784-4160; www.bte.org
Pig Iron Theatre Company
The internationally acclaimed Pig Iron Theatre Company of Philadelphia is squeezing three weekend intensives into their busy schedule in July. Pig Iron's recent tour covered Italy, Poland, Ireland, Scotland, and London, and they're currently creating "Anodyne" (April 12-29), a site-specific show in collaboration with a photographer and a sculptor. This summer, the company will create "Night" with movement theatre legend Joseph Chaikin.
Pig Iron's Saturday-Sunday July workshops in the physical theatre techniques that have made them so popular in Philadelphia and Edinburgh, Scotland, will occur at Swarthmore College, where the company was originally formed while undergraduates. July 14-15 will focus on "Neutral Mask"; July 21-22 features "Red Nose Clown"; and July 28-29 explores "Theatre of Objects."
Tuition for each workshop is $150. Write to Pig Iron Theatre Company, P.O. Box 17275, Philadelphia, PA 19105; or call (215) 873-0883; or visit their website at www.pigiron.org .
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University
Though acting internships at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival are reserved for theatre majors of DeSales University (formerly Allentown College), the three-stage, six-production summer program needs technical interns.
General manager Andrea Roney reports that technical interns, typically college students or older, work closely with designers and staff in responsible positions—not just as grunt labor. Connected to the DeSales University Theatre Department, PSF emphasizes teaching and practical experience for interns. The growing summer festival's season includes "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on the mainstage, "Driving Miss Daisy," "Charley's Aunt," and "Pinocchio" on their arena stage, and "The Green Show" outdoors.
Technical internships begin May 14 and end with strike on Aug. 8; some staff positions (which are also available) end mid-summer. Interns receive a stipend plus shared housing on the DeSales campus. Contact: General Manager, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA 18034; e-mail: ; fax: (610) 282-2084; website: www.pashakespeare.org.
THE SOUTH
Washington, D.C.
By Michael Willis
The Studio Theatre
The Studio Theatre is not only a respected small professional theatre with a national reputation, but is also known to many Washingtonians as a place to learn the craft of acting. Joy Zinnoman, the artistic director of the theatre, started The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory 26 years ago and is still teaching some of the courses the conservatory offers. Among the many classes are "The Actors Process," "Character and Emotion," "Principles of Realism," "Alexander Technique," and "Auditioning." These are in addition to voice, movement, and courses on the classics. Classes are no larger than 14 students. The Studio has 3 sessions: Fall, Spring (which just began), and Summer (dates TBA). Tuition fees start at around $250. Call Cassie Tietgen at (202) 232-7267, or visit The Studio on-line at www.studiotheatre.org.
The Shakespeare Theatre
For the classics, the place to start searching for classes would be The Shakespeare Theatre. Under the artistic direction of Michael Kahn, The Shakespeare Theatre has become world renowned, achieving international respect for its productions. This bent for the Bard has seemingly determined the thrust of the curriculum as well. The next set of workshops, slated for March, includes "Acting Shakespeare I" and "II", "Classical Theatre Scene Study", "Shakespeare in Performance", and "Stage Combat". The Shakespeare Theatre has a faculty that includes acclaimed, award-winning performers who also have cut their chops in the classroom. As well as teaching the workshops, Edward Gero is on the faculty at George Mason University, and Floyd King teaches at Julliard. Others on the faculty at The Shakespeare Theatre include Brad Waller, who teaches the combat courses, and Andrew and Elizabeth Long. The workshops start at $325.00 and run for 8-12 weeks, so the summer session should begin around June. For more information, call (202) 547-5688 or go to www.shakespearedc.org.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, known for its cutting-edge productions, offers classes that seem, on the surface, to abide by their reputation. Two levels of "Acting from A(ction) to Z(any)", and two versions of "Exploding the Text" accompany other offerings. The faculty includes Woolly performers and directors, including Lee Mikeska Gardner, Bruce Nelson, Michael Russotto, and David Bryan Jackson. Classes are intentionally kept small, and the offerings include standard eight-week courses as well as intensive workshops. The sessions are divided into the four seasons of the year, and the winter school has just begun. Summer session usually begins in June. The costs are $240 for the eight-week courses, with a 10% discount to members of the Actors' Center. Call Trevor Goodyear at (202) 312-5268 or visit www.woollymammoth.net.
The Theatre Lab
For the soup to nuts of the theatre, try The Theatre Lab. With courses in directing, screenwriting, voice, playwriting, solo pieces, and even a "Belters Workshop," this is the "go to" school of the area. Since its start in 1992, and under the co-directorship of Catholic University alum's Deb Gottesman and Buzz Mauro, The Theatre Lab has a faculty of very respected and constantly working actors complemented by experts from the other fields, including several former artistic directors from around the country. The smorgasbord of course offerings includes, "Creating a Role," "Beginning Playwriting," "Triple Threat," "Beginning Screenwriting," "Comedy Improv," "Auditioning," "Cold Readings," and a host of others.
According to Deb Gottesman, "The emphasis is on process, not product. The thing we hear most often from our students is how much they appreciate the challenging nature of the courses and the support of the instructors."
Outreach is also at the heart of The Theatre Lab. Last year, they awarded over $8,000 in scholarships and financial assistance to disadvantaged children, teens, and adults.
Class size is generally between 6 and 12 students; last year, in the six, six-week sections, plus the intensive teen and children summer workshops, there were almost 750 enrollments from over 500 students. Programs run from $170 - $220. Call (202) 588-8113, or visit their website at www.theatrelab.org.
North Carolina
By William Hardy
Flat Rock Playhouse
One of the most complete summer professional training programs is at the Flat Rock Playhouse. Open to high school graduates, it runs from July 3-Aug. 18.Both apprenticeships and internships are available.
In the Apprentice Program, there is a charge of $300, which pays for room and board. Typically, participants may audition for small roles or chorus parts in musicals. They are trained and assigned to crews on productions. They will rotate to different crews on each production to provide the broadest possible experience. More than 50 master classes are available. These are conducted by members of the professional staff and company as well as by visiting guest artists. They may participate in an Equity membership candidate program. Also, they may earn up to six hours of college credit for institutions that grant approval. From 12 to 15 applicants are accepted for the program.
As a follow-up, Flat Rock also offers summer internships. Often, these go to persons who have gone through the apprentice program. Interns are hired for specific jobs, either in performance or technical theatre. There is a small stipend for interns. Information may be obtained by phone at (828) 692-0403 or mail at PO Box 310, Flat Rock, NC 28731. Website is http://flatrockplayhouse.org.
Charlotte Repertory Company
Charlotte Repertory Company's University Apprentice Program is given academic credit at all 16 branches of the University of North Carolina system. It runs from mid-May through mid-August. One apprentice is selected for each of the following categories: production, marketing, literary, educational outreach, technical, and management. A small honorarium and housing are provided. Phone is (704) 333-8587. Mailing address is 129 West Trade St., Charlotte, NC 28202. The website is http://www.charlotterep.org.
The North Carolina Theatre Conference
The North Carolina Theatre Conference, a resource and service organization for state theatres, annually sponsors a three-month internship program for which one individual is chosen to serve an intensive, supervised internship with a North Carolina professional theatre. At the theatre, the intern is under the supervision of the managing director or other staff member who designs a training program taken from the spectrum of theatre administration: i.e. organization structure, planning, fund-raising, grantsmanship, financial management, marketing, programming, publicity and promotion, governmental relationships, etc. The intern receives a $1,200 per month stipend for each of the three months. To apply, write to: Professional Theatre Management Internship Program, PO Box 1656, Raleigh, NC 27602-1656. Website is http://home.interpath.net.nctc.
Georgia, Tennessee
By Dave Hayward
Actor's Express
Actor's Express is one of the more cutting-edge theatres in Atlanta, premiering new works like playwright Robert Schenkkan's "Handler" and re-imagined mountings of subversive shows like Joe Orton's "Loot." Housed in a radically reconverted farm implements factory now called the King Plow Arts Center, Actor's Express has a black box theatre usually seating about 300.
The Express' year-long intern training program begins each summer, taking up to 16 applicants. Funded by Coca-Cola, open auditions are each spring in May. Basically, "they build stuff and we train them" is the Express' credo, and the arrangement is a work/trade one with no tuition or salary. As well as running crew, interns can anticipate being featured in supporting roles. Noted for its expertise in the Meisner Technique (also offered in the summer quarter series for adults), the Express' interns receive excellent acting training.
Contact: Courtney Oliver, 887 West Marietta St. NW, Suite J-107, Atlanta, GA 30318; (404)-875-1606; www.actorsexpress.com.
Georgia Shakespeare Festival
Beginning its 16th season on the campus of Oglethorpe University in northwest Atlanta, the Georgia Shakespeare Festival has the cream of Atlanta's acting talent in its company, with such regional luminaries as John Ammerman, Chris Kayser, Janice Akers, and Carolyn Cook. Expanding its season the last two years from June into November, the Festival also moved in the last few years from a weather susceptible outdoor tent to a deluxe, 509-seat theatre called the Conant Performing Arts Center. Over 50% of the acting ensemble returns annually.
Five interns are selected every summer and they perform in each of the three summer shows, sometimes in major supporting roles. Auditions are being scheduled from now through March. Interns conduct Camp Shakespeare for local students, mounting scenes from "Shakespeare's greatest hits" and involving student audiences in interactive theatre games. They also perform pre-shows in the evenings before the mainstage presentations, spoofing the show running that night.
Those interested in technical or administrative internships should send resumes. Interns are paid $210 per week, plus receiving housing. Contact: Christy Costello, Company Manager, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, 4484 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30319; (404) 504-3403; www.gashakespeare.org.
Emory University—Theater Emory
Under Artistic Director Vincent Murphy, Emory University is renowned for cultivating and publishing new plays such as Robert Schenkkan's "Handler" (in conjunction with Actors' Express) and the works of Atlanta scribes Frank Manley and Steve Murray. Newly operating a publishing service, Emory has published Murray's "Mileage" and "This Passion Thing."
Illustrious writers such as Wendy Wasserstein have also enjoyed residencies at Emory, where Wasserstein, in 1996-1997, developed new work and saw a production of her first play, "Uncommon Women and Others." She also helped the theatre build an advisory board with the likes of Alfred Uhry, Anne Bogart, Athol Fugard, André Bishop, Dwight Andrews, and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.
Playwrights can apply to Theater Emory for residencies up to six weeks, and expect theatre professionals, faculty, and students to do staged readings of their work. Contact: Vincent Murphy, Emory University, Theater Emory, Rich Building, Atlanta, GA 30322; (404) 727-3465; e-mail: dhammac@emory.edu.
Horizon Theatre
Housed in a former school auditorium, Horizon Theatre is in the hub of Atlanta's East Village neighborhood known as Little Five Points. Each summer, Horizon stages its New South Play Festival, this year from June 1-July 22, premiering new works and staged readings. A Young Playwrights Contest is featured for middle school up to college students. Submission deadline is March 1. Contact: Jeff Adler, P.O. Box 5376, Atlanta, GA 31107; (404) 523-1477; e-mail: horizonco@mindspring.com.
"The Reach of Song"
The North Georgia mountain town of Young Harris is famous—or perhaps infamous—for U.S. Senator Zel Miller, a former governor who was a Democratic populist in the state, but now appears to be George W. Bush's point man in the Senate as Dubya's "bi-partisan advocate." At any rate, Young Harris is also on the map as the annual summer showcase for the historical drama, "The Reach of Song," which celebrates the Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet and author Byron Reece and his times, from pre-World War II to post-WW II. This year, "The Reach of Song" runs from June 21-Aug. 12 in Young Harris College's Dobbs Theatre, which can seat up to 1,200.
This summer "Song" will run in repertory with "The Far Blue Mountains," the world premiere about the advent of the Tennessee Valley Authority to the area, which, if you'll remember your history, brought electricity to Appalachia—not to mention the 20th Century.
Eight regional actors are cast out of an ensemble of 28, plus a crew of 12. According to friendly and chatty Executive Director Phil Albert, all are considered professional, not interns. Casting auditions are held in Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Young Harris.
Actors and technicians receive a weekly stipend ranging from $200-$450 and housing is provided in rented cabins and homes. Contact: Phil Albert, Executive Director, P.O. Box 4991, Young Harris, GA 30582; (800) 262-7664; (706) 379-1711; www.reachofsong.org.
Jekyll Island Musical Theatre Festival
John Kennedy, Jr. sought a secluded subtropical haven for his 1996 nuptials, and found one in undeveloped Cumberland Island, one of the "Golden Isles" off the coast of Georgia. Conversely, Jekyll Island has been a flourishing resort for at least a century, once largely the summer sandbox for millionaires and now open to one and all in the great unwashed.
Artistic Director Jacque Wheeler is the epitome of hospitable Southerness and also demures from calling candidates interns. "We are all ensemble," she declares firmly but sweetly. The lucky ensemble can expect to play secondary roles, character parts, and run tech in exchange for a weekly stipend from $75-$350, plus housing and two meals a day provided. Y'all come!
Local auditions are March 10 and the season is also cast from regional auditions, such as the Southeastern Theatre Conference. There are 55 people in the entire company, and six principals and 15 ensemble are being newly cast this year.
Running from May 31-July 29, the season is the revised version of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," "Annie," and "My Fair Lady," in rotating repertory. Contact: Ms. Jacque Wheeler, Artistic Director, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA 31698; (912) 333-5820; e-mail: jwheeler@valdosta.edu. (Note: Valdosta in South Georgia is two and one-half hours from Jekyll Island, so the company all live on Jekyll.)
Cumberland County Playhouse
The Playhouse is an extensive operation with a 500-seat mainstage, a 200-seat black box, and a 200-seat outdoor amphitheatre, where "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be performed this summer. Beginning May 24-Aug. 31, the summer slate also includes the original musical "Cumberland Mountain USA," "Hello, Dolly!," and "Having Our Say." The theatre operates year round.
Interns are cast from regional conferences, like the Southeastern Theatre Conference, and perform in supporting slots, in the chorus, and in production capacities. They receive a stipend of $75 per week plus housing. Contact: Ms. Tracy Schwab, Production Manager, Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville, TN 38557; (931) 484-4324; www.ccplayhouse.com.
Louisiana
By Michael King
The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane
The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane in New Orleans is an Equity company affiliated with the Tulane University Department of Theatre and Dance. The program includes an Intern Company that trains in all areas of production and administration. Interns perform in Equity shows and mount their own production of a full-length Shakespearean play (this summer: "Much Ado About Nothing"). Admission procedure involves an application and interview, and the deadline is March 15. Contact: Intern Company, The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, Department of Theatre and Dance, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118; or call (504) 865-5105;
Kentucky
By Michael Grossberg
Actors Theatre of Louisville
One of the best-known theatres in the country naturally also boasts one of the most prestigious summer apprentice programs. Best known for its spring Humana Festival of New American Plays, Actors Theatre of Louisville performs year-round on three stages in downtown Louisville. Between eight and 10 apprentices and 4 interns are selected by auditions, applications, and interviews held across the country for the summer component of the apprentice/intern program, which began in 1972.
"It's a program of total immersion,'' said Jimmy Seacat, Actors' director of marketing and public relations, "The amount of work that we do is incredible. Apprentices and interns work side by side with other professionals in a very hands-on intensive training program."
During a June-August stint, the group produces a free children's theatre production (TBA) in mid-July in the 318-seat arena-style Bingham Theatre and a showcase presentation of several short contemporary plays in mid-August in the 159-seat Victor Jory Theatre. Working in areas from acting or stage management to production management, technical direction, or production design, apprentices also assist behind the scenes with Actors' summer musical production in the Bingham Theatre.
In most instances, the apprentices are completing their academic training or have just received their college degree. Although the program provides no stipends or housing, apprentices are attracted from across the country—and some continue to work at the theatre after their internship.
Contact: Actors Theatre of Louisville, 316 W. Main St., Louisville, KY 40202; (502) 584-1265; www.actorstheatre.org.
Horse Cave Theatre
Led by veteran actor-director Warren Hammack, Horse Cave Theatre is a nationally known summer repertory theatre halfway between Louisville and Nashville. The troupe attracts an annual audience of about 30,000 people from 36 states, with a core audience in Kentucky.
"Repertory theatre isn't that common anymore, and it's very hard work,'' Marketing Director Jaana Sipila said, "There are longer hours, because after each show, the set has to be changed for the next performance, but that's also what keeps it interesting. Young people should get involved, because the people they work with are professionals."
Company members arrive May 29, with the six-play season June 22-Oct. 14. For its 25th season, the troupe will revive Shaw's "Candida,' the first play staged here. Also announced: "Perfect Wedding,'' Robin Hawdon's farce; and a new Kentucky drama by Liz Bussey Fentress.
The program is small—with seven apprentices last summer—allowing the apprentices and interns to do and learn more in acting, costuming, lighting, sound, and scenery. Because the season runs into October, the program can conflict with undergraduate study, but many interns are seniors. Apprentices and interns receive a small stipend, housing, college credit, and EMC points.
Contact: Horse Cave Theatre, Box 215, Horse Cave, KY 42749; (270) 786-1200 or (800) 342-2177.
THE MIDWEST
Ohio
By Michael Grossberg
Showboat Becky Thatcher
For old-fashioned charm and a picturesque setting, few summer intern or apprentice programs match the potential of Showboat Becky Thatcher, a permanently moored, three-deck sternwheeler on the Muskingum River in Marietta, Ohio. The company uses both interns and apprentices to help perform and produce a variety of musicals, musical melodramas, and revues onboard in a 165-seat theatre.
The troupe is looking for six actress-singer-dancers, six actor-singer-dancers, and a lighting/sound technician for its 25th season. First up: "Bugle Boy Serenade'' (opening June 23), a 1930s revue. In honor of its anniversary season, the troupe will revive "Ten Nights in a Barroom," an original 19th century-style melodrama that was the company's debut production 25 years ago. Also scheduled: "The Great Ice Cream Scheme, or Robin Baskins to the Rescue," a musical comedy/melodrama; and "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown."
"When you play these old-fashioned melodramas straight, they're funny nowadays," Executive Director Jena Blair said, adding that cast members also perform music, slapstick, and "the traditional oleo entertainment" between shows. Says Blair, "We are one of two showboats with a full summer season in the entire country."
Led by artistic director Marlene Somerville, the vaudeville-style company works as an ensemble, not only on stage but also off-stage, on everything from props or makeup to changeovers and "cleaning up the house," Blair said.
"We're looking for energy, talent, and a willingness to work together. They need to have some skills on their feet, and the ability to move. Ensemble members are paid between $2,100 and $2,600 and offered free group housing for the 11-week program, which begins June 1. All four repertory productions are running in rotation by mid-July, with a total of 53 performances daily (except Sundays and Mondays) through Aug. 18. About 7,000 people saw the shows last summer, up slightly from the year before.
No previous professional experience is required, and the first six weeks are "pretty rough," but many interns and apprentices return for more than one summer, Blair said. Applications are accepted through March 1. Contact: Showboat Becky Thatcher, P.O. Box 572, Marietta, OH 45750; (740) 373-6033; www.marietta-ohio.com/beckythatcher.
Cain Park Theatre
You can create your own internship at the Cain Park Theatre, a city-owned and operated summer arts park in suburban Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Stage management, scenic design, lighting, costuming, marketing/public relations—or a customized combination of the above—are open to four or five interns (aged 20 or over) for a 12-week commitment.
"We offer a one-on-one experience, with direct exposure to the daily chaos and excitement of producing summer stock, plus the ongoing needs of a very active presenting schedule," General Manager Janet Barlow said. "We give interns an opportunity to learn the inner workings of an entire season, from producing theatre to promoting local and touring acts."
Besides presenting 100 one-performance acts and concerts in 11 weeks and a major arts festival in mid-July in the 22-acre park, the company will produce two musicals: "The Sound of Music" (June 22-July 8 in the 1,222-fixed-seat, 1,278-lawn-seat amphitheatre) and "Goblin Market" (Aug. 2-19, in the 262-seat Alma Theatre).
Weekly intern meetings offer discussions with designers, department heads, and Artistic Director Victoria Bussert (head of the musical-theatre program at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio), now in her 14th summer season at Cain Park. While interns in design or stage management are not involved in the one-day shows, public relations or customized internships include writing press releases, picking up artists, distributing neighborhood flyers, and greeting the press.
Internships can begin as early as May and can run until late August. Apply by April 4. Interns in graduate school are paid; undergraduates (who must have completed at least half of their college degree credits) are not paid. Contact: Cain Park Theatre, 40 Severance Circle, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118; (216) 291-5796.
Dayton Ballet School
Owned and operated by Ohio's Dayton Ballet and led by Executive Director Dermot Burke, the 74-year-old Dayton Ballet School is one of the oldest dance studios in the country, attracting students from across the country and Japan.
The summer session (July 16-Aug. 10) offers classes for more than 200 people at all levels and ages (from three to 93), culminating in an Aug. 10 workshop production showcasing intermediate and advanced students. Classes are offered in ballet, pointe, variations, modern, jazz, character, musical theatre, creative movement, and specialized ballet technique, with some separate boys' and adult classes.
"People who come for the whole summer session are usually serious dancers who don't want to take the entire summer off, but want to keep in shape and keep their technique polished," School Director Kathy Irvin said.
For registration fees and forms, call (937) 223-1542, or write Kathy Irwin, Dayton Ballet School, 140 N. Main St., Dayton, OH 45402.
Contemporary American Theatre Company
Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO) is central Ohio's leading Equity troupe, and performs a year-round season in downtown Columbus. CATCO uses summer interns to help with its summer production, usually a murder mystery (TBA).
Paid summer internships are available for administrative and technical assistants. Technical interns help with the summer production by assisting the master electrician and/or production stage manager. Administrative interns help with the box office, marketing, promotions, and maintaining the computerized database. The troupe also offers two acting fellowships for the entire season. Summer internships run from June through late August.
Contact: Office Manager Rick McAlister, CATCO, 77 S. High St., 2nd Floor, Columbus, OH 43215; (614) 461-1382.
Weathervane Playhouse
Weathervane Playhouse is a modest summer stock troupe in Newark, Ohio, about an hour's drive east of Columbus. The troupe uses a paid professional (non-Equity) company, supplemented by community-theatre actors drawn from the area and between 12 and 20 apprentices in acting and technical support.
The company will begin rehearsals May 31 for this summer's season: "Nunsense Amen" (June 14-23), the male sequel to "Nunsense"; Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound" (June 28-July 7); "Little Shop of Horrors" (July 12-21); "The Woman in Black" (July 26-Aug. 4); and "Evita" (Aug. 9-18).
Most apprentices are in college or are high school seniors heading to college. Send a resume with cover letter to Weathervane Playhouse, Box 607, Newark, OH 43058-0607; (740) 366-4616.
Michigan
By Dany Margolies and Jonathan Abarbanel
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
For 35 years, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in the Manistee National Forest in Michigan's western lower peninsula has welcomed talented young actors, grades 7–12, to experience fun and learning.
"Blue Lake's Theatre Program will challenge each student's general creativity, imagination, and concentration, emphasizing process and product. Students will study actor movement, voice technique, script analysis, backstage terminology, theatre history, improvisation, group work, imagery, and basic Stanislavsky technique."
The daily schedule consists of morning warm-ups, production work, and various afternoon workshops in areas such as improvisation, voice production, lighting, stage combat, and scenic art. All students will audition on the opening day of their session with a prepared one-minute monologue for placement. These monologues should be memorized, showing the actor's ability to communicate a thought and objective. New for 2001: musical theatre.
Call (800) 221-3796 for a free catalog.—D.M.
Barn Theatre
Located in Augusta, they have internships and apprenticeships in all areas available for a season of well-produced traditional musical-and-comedy summer stock in rural Michigan, not far from Kalamazoo (home of Gibson guitars). Interns and apprentices also perform a nightly cabaret show. In operation for 55 years under same producing family. Call (616) 731-4545 for information.—J.A.
Cherry County Playhouse
A long-established summer stock operation in the old Great Lakes lumbering, shipping, and vacation town of Muskegon. Call (231) 727-8888 for information. No other details were available at press time.—J.A.
Illinois
By Jonathan Abarbanel
Act One Studios
The nine-week summer term begins June 18, and will offer 30 weekly classes, many with multiple sections. Enrollment begins May 1. Acting classes cover the waterfront—Meisner, Shakespeare, ensemble, monologue, scene study, commercials, camera classes, voice-over, etc.—at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Specialty classes include stage combat and yoga for actors. Classes are held primarily weekday evenings and weekends. Single classes are $150-$365. There's a 5% discount for union members, and another 5% discount for early enrollment (through June 4). Act One Studios expects to have 350-400 students this summer, although maximum class size is eight-10. Enrollment in advanced classes is by audition only, and taped auditions are acceptable.
Act One Studios has been in business for 20 years, and regularly employs some of Chicago's best-known teachers. The downtown studios are convenient to public transportation, although street parking and discounted lot parking are available. Act One Studios, 640 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60610; (312) 787-9384.
Actors' Center
For 18 years, Kay Martinovich has maintained her position as one of Chicago's most respected Meisner teachers and coaches, having learned her technique from The Master himself. The eight-week summer terms begins June 25 (enrollment from May 15 or whenever the brochure is out), offering three levels of Technique and Repetition. Classes in scene study, camera work, and other TBA listings also will be available. Classes meet either weekly or twice weekly, primarily weekday evenings. The maximum class size is 16.
Placement interviews are required of all first-time Actors' Center students. During the winter term, class prices ranged from $175-$320. There is a discount of $50 for a Repetition class taken in combination with any Technique class. There also is a 50% discount for the first three union members (AEA, SAG, AFTRA) to enroll in any class. The North Side location is close to many Off-Loop theatres. Street parking generally can be found. Actors' Center, 3047 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60657; (773) 549-3303.
The Actors Gymnasium
Founded six years ago, the Actors Gym is the only school of the circus arts in Chicago, combining SAFD certificate stage combat classes with contact improvisation, drumming, masks, and various circus techniques taught by world-class pros. Alas, the reduced summer schedule for adults (there also is a wide-ranging summer program for kids) will offer only juggling, gymnastics, and circus arts Level I & II (approval required). Circus arts provides training in trapeze, tight rope, stilts, teeter board, unicycle, the Spanish web, and juggling.
The weeknight classes run 60-90 minutes with a maximum of eight students per instructor (more instructors will be added if there are more students). Circus arts will be $149, and the other classes just $101. Scholarships are available. The Actors Gymnasium has personnel affiliations with the Lookingglass Theatre Company, and so has cut a high profile in a short period of time. It's located in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, steps from a rapid transit line and with some free parking available. The Center also houses the Next Theatre Company, the Piven Theatre Workshop (see below), and several visual artists. The Actors Gymnasium, 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL 60201; (847) 328-2795.
The Audition Studio
Training is based on the 12 Guideposts of Michael Shurtleff. The eight-week summer term begins June 25 and will offer two levels of Introduction to Shurtleff, scene study at all levels, cold reading, camera I & II, voice-over, and a monologue workshop. There also will be a two-day movement workshop, and a one-day "getting started in the business in Chicago" workshop. Most classes are weekly and meet 6-10 pm on weeknights.
Auditions are required for all classes except Introduction to Shurtleff. Auditions by tape can be arranged. Single classes ranges from $250-$495, and range in size from 11 to 20 students. The downtown location is just across the river from the North Loop Theatre District. It's close to many advertising, talent, and modeling agencies; TV studios; and production companies. It's steps from bus and rapid transit lines, but street parking can be tricky and lots are expensive. The Audition Studio, 20 E. Hubbard St., Chicago, IL 60610; (312) 527-4566.
Piven Theatre Workshop
In 28 years, Byrne and Joyce Piven have trained their own children, Jeremy Piven and Shira Piven, as well as Aidan Quinn, Joan and John Cusack, Harry J. Lennix, Hope Davis, Eric Simonson, and Rosanna Arquette, among others. Their highly individual style combines Stanislavsky, theatre games, and Story Theatre, the last two of which they learned directly from Viola Spolin and Paul Sills.
The Pivens like to get 'em young, and offer extensive classes for children and adolescents; for our purposes, however, we'll detail only the six-week adult summer term beginning June 18. The schedule includes beginning, intermediate, and advanced sections of Theatre Games and Improvisation, Story Theatre, and Viewpoints (movement and text, based on Anne Bogart's techniques); plus Intermediate and Advanced Scene Study (admission by permission of the instructor, based on a headshot and resume). Maximum class size is 18.
Singles classes cost $200-$250 and meet weekly (primarily at night). There is a 20% discount on a second class, and scholarships are available (inquire for terms). The Piven Workshop is in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center (see Actors Gymnasium above). Workshop co-founder Byrne Piven will be playing King Lear as the summer term begins. Piven Theatre Workshop, 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL 60201; (847) 866-8597.
The Second City
The Training Center of this famous and venerable (41 years) institution offers terms May 14-July 8 (registration from April 5), and July 23-Sept. 16 (registration from June 25). A large plurality of students (45%) are enrolled in the five levels of Beginning Improvisation; but the Center also offers three levels of Improv for Actors, five levels of Comedy Writing (focusing on sketch writing), and three levels of plain old Acting (focusing on text-based work, monologue, scene work, and Meisner-based advanced acting). One also may begin studies at the Improv Conservatory (by audition only), a sequence of six 10-week terms culminating in public performance.
There will be over 80 classes and 1,000 students in all, but classes average just 12 students and 17 is the maximum size. The weekly classes meet primarily in the evenings, but weekend sections also are available. Single classes are $210, with any second class discounted by $50. Chicago, of course, is home base for the Second City, and classes are held at the "sanctum sanctorum" itself. But the company also has training programs in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, and—soon—Las Vegas. The Second City, 1616 N. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60614; (312) 664-3959.
Victory Gardens Theater
One of Chicago's oldest Off-Loop theatres, Victory Gardens long has offered its own classes in acting, directing, and playwriting. All of the above are on the schedule for the summer term, beginning June 16 for eight weeks, plus courses in audition, advanced on-camera, building a character, dialects, scene study, musical theatre, speech and movement, plus a Chekhov master class (by audition only). Classes average eight-12 and have a maximum limit of 16. They meet weekly on Monday or Tuesday nights, or on Saturday. Single classes are $145-$190. There's a $10 discount for enrollment by June 4, and 20% for any additional courses.
All Victory Gardens acting students may try out for the annual student showcase, and all non-union actors are guaranteed an audition slot at the company's annual non-Equity general call. Victory Gardens is in the heart of the North Side Off-Loop theatre district in a fashionable neighborhood, close to bus and rapid transit lines. Street parking is difficult, although there is a parking garage a long block down Lincoln Avenue. Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60614; (773) 549-5788.
Wisconsin
By Damien Jaques
American Players Theatre
Established in 1980, the American Players Theatre has emerged as one of the leading summer classical theatres in the country, located in a beautiful setting on the Wisconsin River not far from Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin. The company, which performs outdoors in a wooded bowl about 30 miles west of Madison, Wis., specializes in Shakespeare, but is also adept with Molière, Shaw, Chekhov, the Greeks, and others. It annually seeks five to seven acting interns to augment its resident acting company, which includes Equity and non-Equity performers. Many APT actors have been with the troupe for years.
Most APT interns have bachelor degrees and some hold MFAs, according to Brenda DeVita, the company's casting director. Each intern is cast in small roles in three or four productions, and given major understudy assignments. The APT stages five productions in rotating repertory during the summer and takes one of the shows on a fall tour of the upper Midwest. In addition to acting, interns are expected to help with the changeovers between shows. The pay is $200 per week plus housing. Interns must be on site by May 7 and be able to remain with the company through Nov. 2.
"We are seeking people with interest in the classics and some affinity for Shakespeare," DeVita said. "I am always looking for people who go the extra mile. Attitude is huge. This is six months of your life, and you must be happy here. A young actor who has been playing leads in school must be able to adjust to carrying a stick in our productions." DeVita points out that the APT has a history of promoting interns in subsequent seasons to non-Equity and even Equity positions in the resident acting company. "We are always looking for the young, especially gifted, charismatic actor, but you can't just be charismatic in modern work. You have to be able to do these classics."
Potential interns should send a resume and cover letter to DeVita by Feb. 25 specifically stating interest in an internship. The address is: Brenda DeVita, American Players Theatre, P.O. Box 819, Spring Green, WI 53588; (608) 588-7401.
Peninsula Players
This summer will mark the 67th season for the Peninsula Players, which considers itself the oldest continuously running summer stock company in the country. Located in Door County, Wis., a resort belt that is often called the Cape Cod of the Midwest, the Players perform in an open-sided, roofed pavilion playhouse in a garden on the shores of Green Bay. The area and the theatre draw heavily from vacationing tourists from Chicago and Milwaukee. The Players mount an eclectic five-show season of revivals and new plays. ("The Lion in Winter" and Alan Ayckbourn are typical choices.)
Eight to 10 apprentices are hired each summer, according to business manager Audra Baakari Boyle, and the company prefers them to be at least high school graduates. "We try to give our apprentices an overall look at what life in the theatre is like," Baakari Boyle said. "To some extent, what the apprentices do depends on their area of interest. We try to work with each apprentice to make the experience most valuable for the individual. They might start in the box office, then move into the scene shop, the costume shop, and finally the rehearsal hall." Depending on experience and ability, some apprentices get on stage or serve as assistant stage managers. It is possible to earn Equity membership points.
Apprenticeships usually run from early June through Labor Day, although adjustments can be made to accommodate school schedules. Pay is $75 a week plus room and board. Everyone involved in the theatre lives on the grounds in a pastoral, camp-like setting. Meals are eaten in a dining hall. "It is important that our apprentices get along well with others and are comfortable in this type of setting," Baakari Boyle said. "We all live together, which can have incredible networking benefits." Interested persons should call (920) 868-3287, or write Baakari Boyle at The Peninsula Players, W4351 Peninsula Players Road, Fish Creek, WI 54212. Late April is the deadline.
American Folklore Theatre
The American Folklore Theatre has become tremendously successful staging three or four original, family-oriented musicals every summer in Peninsula State Park, the crown jewel of Wisconsin's Door County. Down to earth but theatrically clever shows are mounted in a rustic 650-seat outdoor venue deep inside the heavily wooded park. All of the work is created by the AFT's resident company, and productions are presented in rotating repertory.
Five interns at least 18 years of age and capable of physical work are sought. Depending on skills and abilities, the interns may do anything from performing on stage to doing tech work, selling tickets, and doing the laundry. "We are looking for team players who like hard work and possess customer service skills," said General Manager Kaye Christman.
Pay is $50 per week plus housing. Interns are expected to be available from May 14-Aug. 28. Interested persons can e-mail Christman at AFT@folkloretheatre.com, or write her at American Folklore Theatre, P.O. Box 273, Fish Creek, WI 54212.
Minnesota
By Michael Sander
The Guthrie Theater and the University of Minnesota
During the academic year, the area's best-known theatre, the Guthrie, partners with the University of Minnesota's Department of Theatre and Dance on a B.F.A. Actor Training Program that draws on the University's academic resources and the Guthrie's professional artistic staff, as well as guest artists. During the summer, the Guthrie focus shifts to "A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training," geared to young actors from university and conservatory programs from around the country. The young actors spend a summer residency at the Guthrie in a program intended to build a bridge between training and a professional career. They spend eight to 10 hours a day in training workshops with artistic staff, company members, and master teachers, often including Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling and Artistic Advisor James Houghton. Areas of training include acting, singing, dialects, stage movement, and Shakespearean performance, culminating in performance projects that call into play various components of the training received. For further information on the dates and costs of this year's Guthrie Experience, contact The Guthrie Theater, 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis, MN 55403.
The Brave New Workshop
The Brave New Workshop is the oldest ongoing satirical comedy theatre in the country. The theatre's training wing is the "Brave New Institute," which is a year-round training center for improvisation and acting. The goal of training is not limited to the comedic skills that the company emphasizes in its own performances, but is instead intended to make the actor a truthful and passionate improviser in all dramatic contexts. As actors find their individual paths to spontaneity, emotional and physical commitment, and pure improvisation, they discover and explore their own creative ideas. The Adult Improvisation Program consists of five consecutive levels of study, generally meeting one time per week for eight weeks, in two-and-a-half-hour sessions. Each successive level explores more scene work, acting techniques, individual commitment, physical and instinctual improvisation, and two- and three-person scenes. Faculty is drawn from present and past company members. In addition, casting director Jane Brody, a BNW alumnus, is scheduled to return this summer to teach acting workshops on such subjects as cold readings and commercial on-camera acting. For information on dates, costs, and specific offerings, contact The Brave New Institute, 3001 Hennepin Ave. South, Suite B201, Minneapolis, MN 55408.
The Margolis Brown Theater Company
The Margolis Brown Theater Company emphasizes physical skills as a foundation for dramatic expression. Through its "Margolis Method Training Center," the company offers intensive study of the Margolis Method, developed by Kari Margolis, which views the performer's physicality as the basis for expression, and gives the performer a muscular vocabulary with which to create physical dramatic art. Through this rigorous physical and vocal technique, inspired by the work of Decroux, Grotowski, and Brecht, performers can broaden their expressive range and garner skills that place them at the center of the creative process. The 12-week Professional Training Lab is a comprehensive program that includes technique, theory, and structured improvisation, providing an opportunity to work intensively with Kari Margolis, who heads the faculty. For schedule and costs, contact Margolis Method Training Center, 616 E. 15th St., Minneapolis, MN 55404.
Iowa
By Pamela Bock
Stephens College—Okoboji Summer Theatre Program
The mission of Okoboji is to provide a commercial summer stock experience for theatre students. The program produces nine plays and musicals each summer. The theatre is not-for-profit as part of Stephens College, with income from tuition, box office, and contributions from patrons.
The Okoboji Summer Theatre is located on Highway 71 between the towns of Okoboji, Iowa, and Spirit Lake, Iowa, in the Iowa Great Lakes region. It is owned and operated by Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Stephens College has one of the leading undergraduate theatre programs in the country, and 25 to 30 advanced students are joined by professional staff to produce nine plays and musicals each summer. The plays run for seven performances in six days, Tuesday through Sunday, with Mondays as a changeover day for the next production. The season regularly averages a 98% attendance for the summer.
The total attendance since the opening of the theatre has reached more than 950,000 for the main bill and 118,000 for the Boji Bantam, the children's theatre. In 1997, the theatre celebrated its 40th anniversary. You can contact the theatre at Stephens College, Columbia, MS 65215, or by calling (573) 876-7194. And the website is http://www.okoboji.com/summertheatre.
University of Iowa—Iowa Summer Repertory
Of particular note at the University of Iowa is the impressive performance space, which stands 60 feet from the Iowa River and is home to the three theatres of the Department of Theatre Arts. Mabie Theatre, a 477-seat proscenium playhouse, was named in honor of E.C. Mabie (1892-1956), founder and first director of what are now University of Iowa theatres. Mabie Theatre is housed in the original theatre building, opened in 1936. Two additional theatres are housed in the theatre building, opened in 1985. David Thayer Theatre, a semi-flexible 190-seat theatre, was designed for experimental and environmental presentations. Theatre B is 144-seat end-stage theatre used for workshop productions. The movement room converts to a 50-seat "Studio Theatre" for performances with minimal production.
The department produces the Iowa Summer Rep, recently grown to U/RTA status. A wide range of coursework is offered during the summer, in all aspects of theatre, and an extensive program of research through production is carried out in their four theatres, supporting shops, and rehearsal spaces. Contact the rep at Department of Theatre Arts, Iowa City, IA 52242-1705, Alan MacVey, Chair, or by calling (319) 335-2700, or visit the website at http://www.uiowa.edu/~theatre.
Missouri
By Joe Pollack
Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre
Located in the tiny town of Arrow Rock, Missouri, the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre seats more than the entire population of the community. This is a place where a true bucolic feeling can exist, only about 100 miles from Kansas City and 200 from St. Louis. The shortcoming is that the town is so small (not many more than 100 permanent residents) that there's hardly any housing. But those who enroll at Missouri Valley College, in the town of Marshall, about 15 miles distant, can get dorm space and college credit. The theatre takes about a dozen interns, using them in administrative work, but also with work in costumes, sets, and lighting. Contact Sandy Stover, the Lyceum Theatre, 5 S. 9th St., Columbia, MO 652301.
Two St. Louis Theatres: Municipal Theatre and Stages
At the other extreme is the venerable Municipal Theatre in St. Louis, with a seating capacity of about 10,000 in an 80-year-old amphitheatre in Forest Park. Most of the openings are in administrative areas, but some interns are used in production and there is a modest stipend. Contact Dennis Reagan at the Municipal Theatre, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO 63110. The theatre produces book musicals in June, July, and early August.
Another St. Louis theatre, Stages, in suburban Kirkwood, also produces musicals from June into October. Seven high school students were interns last summer, working in the administrative office, and also doing carpentry, scene painting, lighting, sound, and costumes. The program is arranged for the interns to work primarily in their area of interest, but to deal in other theatrical areas as well. A stipend is paid, and the contact is Jack Lane, executive producer, Stages St. Louis, 104 N. Clay St., Kirkwood, MO 63122.
Three Kansas City Theatres: American Heartland Theatre, the Coterie Theatre, and the Starlight Theatre
Several Kansas City theatres also have intern programs in the summer, including the American Heartland, in Crown Center, which deals in a variety of mysteries, comedies, and musicals. As usual, administration, marketing, and production areas need help, and the contact is Jennifer Ragan, 2450 Grand Blvd., Suite 314, Kansas City MO 64108.
Another Crown Center theatre, the Coterie, which aims mainly at theatre for children, also uses interns in a number of areas, and the contact is Joette Pelster, Coterie Theartre, 2450 Grand Blvd., Suite 144, Kansas City, MO 64108.
The Starlight Theatre, which produces musicals on an outdoor stage, has similar needs for 15-20 interns. Erin Hand is the contact at the Starlight, 6601 Swope Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64132.
THE WEST
Texas
By Michael King and Dany Margolies
Casa Mañana Theatre
Casa Mañana Theatre is a professional year-round producing theatre, including a full season of main-stage Broadway musicals, a full season of children's theatre productions, and a year-round theatre school for all ages. Internships are available in the areas of administration, management, public relations and marketing, finance, design, production, education, and directing. "Applicants should be serious-minded, highly motivated individuals who have basic training and experience in theatre and a willingness to test the limits of their own ingenuity."
Several internships are available year-round, but others are primarily scheduled for the spring and summer months, generally with a minimum expectation of three-to-four hours a day. For example, a directing intern provides miscellaneous administrative and clerical assistance to the artistic director for a minimum of four hours a day; the theatre management intern assists the company manager with day-to-day operations, preparing contracts, pre-production work, actor/artist relations; the education intern assists and observes theatre school teachers in class, clerical work, and class performances.
Internships are arranged on an individual basis with Texas Christian University and Texas Wesleyan University. College credit can be arranged. For further information, contact Casa Mañana at (817) 332-2272; www.casamanana.org.—M.K.
Alley Theatre
The Alley Theatre offers hands-on experience in one of the country's finest regional theatres, which works regularly with many of the best and brightest directors, designers, and actors. "The goal of the program is to provide students with a chance to hone their skills in a professional environment with the guidance of our experienced and talented staff." Applicants are expected to demonstrate entry-level proficiency in their chosen area.
Production interns may be accepted for the 14-week fall term, the 20-week spring term, or the summer term, but in no case for more than six months. Awarding of internships is based on a written application, letters of recommendation, and a series of interviews at the theatre.
Production internships are available in the following areas: costumes, lighting and sound, production management, properties, scenery, and stage management. An intern candidate wishing to work and train in more than one area may be able to combine them.
Administrative intern applicants should possess basic computer literacy, excellent communications skills, initiative, and flexibility. As in production, internships will be awarded based on a written application, letters of recommendation, and a series of interviews, with no internship exceeding a term of six months. Theatre administration internships are available in the following areas: company management, development, education and marketing outreach, marketing, and public relations. As in production, an intern wishing to work and train in more than one area may arrange to do so at the discretion of the department heads involved.
Internships at the Alley are non-paying. The Alley cooperates with institutions that offer academic credit for internships; coordination is handled through the Department of Education & Community Outreach, MaryScott Hagle, director.
Interested individuals may send their letter of application and recommendation letters to: Internship Program, Education and Community Outreach Department, Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Avenue, Houston, TX 77002; or e-mail to stephena@alleytheatre.org.—M.K.
Shakespeare Festival of Dallas
The Shakespeare Festival of Dallas offers several unpaid summer internships in various areas of marketing and production, the latter under the supervision of the production manager. There is also one paid, eight-week development/marketing assistant, through the Exxon/Mobil Summer Jobs program, for a sophomore or higher college student returning to school in the fall. Applicants should send a letter and resume to Christina Rivas, Marketing Assistant, Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, 3630 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75229; (214) 559-2778; www.shakespearedallas.org.—M.K.
University of Houston
The School of Theatre of the University of Houston offers internships to all its professional and academic projects, which include a four-production professional season during the academic year, the Children's Theatre Festival, and the summertime Houston Shakespeare Festival, under the direction of Sidney Berger. The Shakespeare Festival offers apprenticeships/internships in technical production, costumes, and acting. Applicants should contact the School of Theatre at (713) 743-3003.—M.K.
The Pan American Summer Stock Theatre and the Texas Shakespeare Festival
The Pan American Summer Stock Theatre at the University of Texas-Pan American, in Edinburgh, has apprenticeships/internships in all areas. The 15-week internships involve 300 hours of theatre training, a stipend, and six hours of college credit can be arranged. Contact Marian Monta, at (956) 381-3583, or e-mail: .
The Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore has apprenticeships in acting and all tech areas. (903) 983-8117; www.texasshakespeare.com.—M.K.
Kingwood College Summer Drama Conservatory
Kingwood College Summer Drama Conservatory in Texas has evolved over the past five years from a camp into a conservatory intended to help young people explore the process of actor training. Courses include four-week intensive classes on the physicality of the actor, improvisational as well as acting technique, and textual analysis of plays. Other courses lasting two weeks will delve into more specific topics to help fine tune the tools of the actor, such as voice and aesthetic awareness of design in theatre.
"Our goals are simply to open the eyes of the actor to the world of theatre as a whole, to expose the students to many different options to explore as their interest in the art deepens," reads their publicity material. "It is our belief that the key to this is to emphasize the process and not the product. The environment that we are attempting to create is one that exists without the pressure to perform and to perform well. We believe in the students' rights to explore their creativity without the pressures of a play to produce as the culmination of our time together. Rather we would like to give the students an opportunity to access and nurture their talents, and this is achieved through a dedicated focus on the process of the conservatory and what is learned through working together as an ensemble."
An audition including two contrasting monologues, a written personal statement, and a list of work and training are required for admission to the conservatory. Classes run from 9 am to 6 pm, and meals are not provided.
Price is $299, which includes tuition and supplies, an afternoon snack each day, and a T-shirt. Susan Lastrapes, SFA 104, Kingwood College, 20000 Kingwood Dr., Kingwood, TX 77339. (281) 312-1618; e-mail: Susan.Lastrapes@humble.k12.tx.us.—D.M.
Oklahoma
By Lori Talley
Northeastern State University Playhouse
Northeastern State University Playhouse operates under the auspices of the Department of Speech and Communication and Theatre. This 200-seat playhouse is home to the River City Players Music Show. The River City Players Music Show season runs mid-June through mid-August, and performs two original music variety shows five nights a week. Apprenticeships for performers, musicians, and technicians are available. Potential apprentices must send their pix and resumes by March 1 to the show's producer at the address listed below. Pay is not arranged for room, but board and stipend are provided. Apprentices are required to take university classes. Auditions for the City Players are held at various locations in the spring, and on-campus auditions are held in March. Technical work is required of most apprentices. Contact the Northeastern State University Playhouse at Northeastern State University, Division of Arts & Letters, Tahlequah, OK 74464; or call (918) 456-5511, ext. 2500.
Oklahoma Summer Art Institute
The Oklahoma Summer Art Institute, created in 1976, is a non-profit organization providing educational arts programs for both youths and adults. The institute received the Arts Award from the National Governors' Association in 1989 and has been heralded as a national model for arts education. The institute is a two-week residential school for teens, ages 14-18. Graduating seniors who are 19 can also apply. Applicants must have one parent/guardian residing in Oklahoma. Potential students must submit a completed application and participate in auditions. Receipt of application prior to auditions is preferred. The institute offers classes in theatre, dance, choral orchestral music, visual arts, photography, film/video, and writing. Faculty for the institute is composed of professional artists of national and international reputations. You can reach Oklahoma Arts Institute at P.O. Box 18154; Oklahoma City, OK 73154; or call (405) 842-0890; or visit their website at www.okartinst.org.
The Pollard Theatre
The Pollard Theatre was established in 1987 and is Oklahoma's only year-round professional live theatre performing musicals, dramas, and comedies. The Pollard Theatre presents six productions each year with a company of 14 versatile theatre professionals who function as performers, directors, designers, carpenters, costumers, and whatever else is called for. Internships are available in areas of acting, directing, stage management, design, tech, props, sound, and lighting. Acting interns frequently perform on the mainstage. Housing assistance is available. Potential interns must submit pix and resumes to the general manager at the following address: Pollard Theatre, P.O. Box 38, Gutherie, OK 73044; or call (405) 282-2802.
Nebraska
By Scott Proudfit
Nebraska Repertory Theater
The Nebraska Repertory Theater is located on the campus of University of Nebraska—Lincoln. Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska and is about as urban as this state gets. Theatre classes and productions make their home in the four-story Temple Building on the downtown edge of the university campus. Built in 1908 and extensively renovated in 1979-80, Temple contains the Howell Theatre, a proscenium stage named for director of theatre H. Alice Howell, which seats 382; The Studio, a versatile black-box performance space that can accommodate an audience of up to 200 and Studio 301, a classroom/theatre combination, which allows a variety of workshop opportunities, as well as modern costume, makeup, scenery, props, welding shops, and backstage facilities.
Internships are available to high school and undergraduates for a stipend and the opportunity to appear on the mainstage. Housing is not provided, unless you're an Equity member. The Rep celebrates its 34th season in 2001 with two summer plays in rotating repertory: "Art" by Yasmina Reza in the Carson Theater in the Lied Center for Performing Arts and "Jake's Women" by Neil Simon on the Howell Theatre stage on alternate nights through July and the first two weeks of August. Write for info to 215 Temple Building, 12th & R, Lincoln, NE 68588; or call (402) 472-2072.
Omaha Magic Theatre
"Radical" and "Nebraska" are rarely words that appear in the same sentence. However, that's exactly what the Omaha Magic Theatre offers apprentices: the opportunity to work on radical, avant-garde theatre pieces in the small-town atmosphere of Omaha, Neb. For over 30 years, the OMT has been developing theatre with playwrights, directors, designers, and composers-in-residence, dedicated to "the investigation of innovative theatrical techniques and modes of presentation." So you can bet the experience will at least be mind expanding.
The theatre itself is a 100-seat flexible stage. There is no money paid to apprentices, and you're required to work in all areas of the theatre, including performance and tech—but, then again, all members of the company do. Housing is not provided. However, keep in mind that in Omaha you can find housing for about $200 a month. Write to 325 S. 16 St., Omaha, NE 68102; or call (402) 346-1227.
The Post Playhouse
The Post Playhouse in Crawford, Nebraska, offers six-week tech apprenticeships every summer for a stipend. The theatre is a 182-seat proscenium stage with a state-of-the-art lighting system and costume and scene shops. Rooms are provided. This summer's season includes "A Grand Night for Singing," a musical revue of the songs of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, July 6-Aug. 16; "Charley's Aunt," by Brandon Thomas, July 2-Aug. 18; and "Little Shop of Horrors," book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken, July 3-Aug. 20. Send photo and resume to P.O. Box 271, Crawford, NE 69339; or call (308) 665-1976.
North Dakota
By Jamie Painter Young
Summer Performing Arts Company
The Summer Performing Arts Company (SPA) offers an eight-week summer arts program available to students in elementary, middle, and high schools in Grand Forks, North Dakota and the surrounding communities. These programs are taught by staff from the Grand Forks region, as well as special guests from around the country. Students work on vocal music, dance, and drama. For more information, contact Dean Opp at (701) 746-2407, ext. 200 or e-mail him at Dean Opp@fc.grand-forks.k12.nd.us. The website address is www.spacompany.org.
The Fort Totten Little Theatre
The Fort Totten Little Theatre offers apprenticeships in acting, directing, and technical positions for its summer season, which runs through the month of June until the beginning of August. Participants take classes and perform in the mainstage productions, which include one musical and one children's show. The 300-seat theatre, which contains a computerized lighting board, plus scenery and costume shops, is located at the historic Cavalry Square on the Devils Lake Sioux Indian Reservation. For more information, call (701) 662-8497.
The Trollwood Performing Arts School
There's more to Fargo than the 1996 Coen brothers movie named after this city. The Trollwood Performing Arts School in Fargo offers classes for teenagers ages 13-18 in acting, improvisation, voice, movement, dance (ballet, modern, jazz, tap), stage combat, musical theatre, children's theatre, makeup, set, lighting and costume design, scene painting, and playwriting. Four-week class sessions are taught by visiting international artists and meet five days a week. Courses culminate in recitals/demonstrations, concerts, and theatrical productions. Students may also opt to be involved with the production of a full-scale Broadway musical—an event that has become the largest attended single event in the region. For more information on the program, call (701) 241-4799.
Montana
By Behnoosh Khalili
Grandstreet Theatre School
Located in the heart of the Rockies, this program is geared toward younger children and high school students. The school boasts such facilities as a 200-seat proscenium stage, scene shop, costume shop, and classrooms. Students may choose from a variety of classes, including acting, directing, improvisation, voice, movement, jazz dance, musical theatre, stage combat, makeup, video, scene painting, and costume design. Marianne Adams is the school's director. Classes meet eight hours a day, five days per week. The session runs July 8-22, with a five-week teen conservatory beginning July 8. The term culminates with each student performing a 10-minute scene.
The school accepts kindergarteners to high school seniors. Instructors range from industry professionals to high school teachers to graduate students in acting. There is also a wide range of group activities extending beyond the classroom, including field trips, dances, and organized sports. Send a letter of interest to receive a brochure, which also details tuition and housing costs. Registration begins in late May, so you are encouraged to apply early. Write to P.O. Box 1258, Helena, MT 59624; or call (406) 442-4270 or (406) 443-7520; or visit their website at gst@mt.net.
Shakespeare in the Parks
This non-Equity, non-profit summer program tours two Shakespearean plays, in rotating repertory, throughout Montana. The 2001 season, featuring "Twelfth Night" and "The Tempest," runs June 22-Sept. 7, with all outdoor performances, weather permitting. The total annual audience is estimated at 25,000. The program puts special emphasis on bringing theatre to rural areas of Montana and has been doing so since its inception in 1973. The producing/artistic director is Joel Jahnke. The facilities are comprised of an outdoor portable touring stage, as well as scene and costume shops.
The program offers apprenticeships in acting, stage management, costumes, and tech. Apprentices pay room and board plus tuition. Tech work is required. Shakespeare in the Parks generally hires at least one acting intern as a member of the acting company. Interns are generally upper-level undergraduate or graduate students and are considered full members of the company. As such, they are considered for all roles during casting and are expected to shoulder full responsibility while on tour. Interns earn $200 per week and are eligible for up to 12 academic credits, either through Montana State University or their own university.
Each season, the summer tour hires a crew of technical personnel, mostly in costume and scenery construction, stage management, and assistant stage management. In some cases, internships are available, which combine pay with credit. Credits and pay vary depending on the complexity and responsibility of the position. Resumes and references should be sent to Joel Jahnke at the address below. See website for submission deadlines. 354 Strand Union Building, Montana State University, P.O. Box 174120, Bozeman, MT 59717-4120; phone: (406) 994-3901; www.montana.edu/wwwmtsip.
Colorado
By Sandra C. Dillard
The Little Theatre of the Rockies
The Little Theatre of the Rockies is located at the University of Northern Colorado, about 60 miles north of Denver. Considered a national model for educational stock theatre and directed by Dr. Tom McNally, this is technically a summer stock program administered through the university, where, each year, Equity guest artists join student actors and interns for an intense, professional eight-week program.
Equity artists receive Equity scale with benefits. Non-Equity actors, technicians, and interns can negotiate a varying stipend that averages about $1,500 for the season. Equity artists will be in one or two plays, and acting interns can expect to be in one play, "in a small part," said spokeswoman Mary Schuttler. "Most interns are technical interns." Interns are expected to pay for their own housing, Schuttler said, "But we will help them find housing."
The summer stock season is "Cabaret," June 8-17; "Forever Plaid," June 21-23; "And a Nightingale Sang," June 28-30; "Greater Tuna," July 5-7 and "Big River," July 19-28. Auditions will be held March 12-14 on campus, but applications will be taken until all areas are filled.
Contact Mary Schuttler, c/o Department of Theatre and Dance, Frasier Hall, UNC, Greeley, CO 80639; phone (970) 351-1926; e-mail: mschuttler@arts.unco.edu.
Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Nestled in the nearby foothills, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival is located at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, about 35 minutes northwest of Denver. There are openings for two or three Equity guests artists, minimum pay $600 a week, and young professionals who have finished MFA programs, interns, and technicians, season pay, $2,000-$2,500.
"Interns are treated the same as everybody else," said CSF Artistic Director Richard Devin. "If they are hired as intern actors, they will definitely be in the plays. We feel it's important that each acting intern gets to be in two shows each."
Noting that interns are realistic about their opportunities, Devin said, "They come expecting to play small roles and spear carriers." He also said that all Equity artists, acting interns, and technical personnel should be aware they will be working a lot outdoors, as three of the four shows will be staged in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre.
CSF participants are housed, four to a house, in the same town house complex, a short walk from the theatre. The complex offers a swimming pool, and once the shows are up, participants will have plenty of time to enjoy themselves, Devin said. "One of the attractions of coming here is that we're right next to the mountains, and people take advantage of this to go camping and hiking. We audition 600 people each year, and hire 40."
The CSF summer 2001 season is "Two Gentlemen of Verona," June 29-Aug. 19; "King Lear," June 30-Aug. 19; "As You Like It,"July 7-Aug. 25,and "Queen Margaret"—a compilation of three Henry VI plays—July 8-Aug. 17. Final auditions will be held Feb. 10 in Boulder.
Contact Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Campus Box 460, Boulder, CO 80309-0460; www.tesser.com/csf, phone (303) 492-2782.
Creede Repertory Theatre
Creede Repertory Theatre is located at the headwaters of the Rio Grande River in the San Juan Mountains, and is the largest employer in Mineral County during the summer months. There are openings for one or more Equity guest artists at Equity pay plus housing. Internships are $200 a week, plus housing.
"Acting interns will be in at least one show," said Eric Clark, the theatre's outreach director, noting the majority of internships are in technical or management positions. He also said applicants should be aware that the theatre draws the majority of its audiences from vacationers and is open seven days a week, "with one day dark for the majority of the company."
Actors and technicians will housed together, Clark said. "We just completed a $1 million dormitory-style housing facility."
Creede is located about five hours from Denver and five hours form Albuquerque, N.M. Clark boasted, "We're in one of the most breathtaking areas of Colorado, in a small community environment. I came as an actor in 1998 and never left."
The June 8-Aug. 25 season consists of seven plays in rotating repertory. Titles and opening dates are "The Nerd," June 8; "Ruthless," June 15; "Our Town," June 29; "All My Sons," July 13; an untitled original children's musical, date TBA; "Opening Windows," date TBA, and "Eleemosynary," date TBA. There also will be an extended fall season, Sept. 1-Oct. 31.
Contact Creede Repertory Theatre, PO Box 269, Creede, CO, 81130, e-mail crt@creederep.com, phone, (719) 658-2541.
New Mexico
By Behnoosh Khalili
The Santa Fe Opera
Founded in 1957, this professional opera company maintains apprentice programs for both singers and technicians. Approximately 40 to 50 young singers are selected from a series of national auditions. Most participants are at the graduate school level or beyond. Apprentices perform as ensemble members in all productions that have a chorus. Some small roles in mainstage productions are sung by apprentices. They serve as understudies for most solo roles, receiving musical and dramatic coaching from the artistic staff. Two fully staged and costumed evenings of opera scenes are given by apprentice singers on the mainstage. Leading opera company general directors and artists' managers attend these performances, and, as a result, apprentices are often offered roles with other companies. Distinguished performers and teachers offer master classes in diction, body movement, vocal interpretation, and dramatic performance techniques. Singers receive coaching on their solo repertory, as well as sessions on career development, audition techniques, and related matters. They also give informal lunchtime concerts in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque, as well as perform at hospitals, nursing homes, and community centers. Apprentice artists receive a weekly stipend of $320 ($345 in their second year), plus long distance travel and housing allowances. The Apprentice Artist Program of the Santa Fe Opera is operated in agreement with The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).
Between 60 and 70 aspiring technicians are selected through a series of national interviews. Most participants are at the undergraduate level or beyond. The Apprentice Program for Technicians is an intermediate to advanced training program. Practical experience and instruction are offered in any of the following areas of focus: scenery, properties, sound, lighting, costumes, production services, makeup, and wig construction. Technical apprentices will participate in design presentations and discussion of the current season led by internationally known designers and directors, workshops and portfolio review with the professional staff, and hands-on production opportunities of two fully staged evenings of opera scenes. The production schedule is rigorous, personally and professionally demanding, physically taxing, and includes many continuous periods of long workdays and nights. 12-hour-plus days and six- to seven-day workweeks can be the norm. Technical rehearsals must begin after sunset, and end well into the early morning hours. Technical apprentices receive minimum wage rates plus overtime and assistance toward the cost of long distance travel. Housing, also arranged by the Opera, is based on a percentage of the weekly base rate and is deducted from your salary. Applicants for properties, costume, or scenic art departments must also submit five slides or photos showing construction—but not necessarily design—skills. Consult the group's comprehensive website for details about submissions, applications, and deadlines. The summer season runs July to August. P.O. Box 2408; Santa Fe, NM 87504-2408; (505) 986-5973; www.santafeopera.org.
Arizona
By Mark S.P. Turvin and Dany Margolies
The Institute Shakespeare Sedona
Sedona, Arizona offers a beautiful backdrop, a cool summer climate, and the chance to work with nationally recognized instructors led by New York-based teacher Giovanna Sardelli. The entire curriculum of Sedona Shakespeare is designed for the serious acting student, whether in high school, college, or in the profession. The courses are comprehensive and focus on individual needs. The overall direction is for those acting students interested in gaining a deeper knowledge of classical acting, and, particularly, acting Shakespeare. Tuition, including room and board, is $2,300 ($1,900 before April 1). Some limited financial aid is available. Students must be at least 18 years of age at commencement of the program. College credit is available through affiliation with Yavapai College. For an application, contact: Giovanna Sardelli, Director of the Institute, Shakespeare Sedona, P.O. Box 2338, Sedona, AZ 86339; (212) 330-6586. —M.T.
Southwest Shakespeare Conservatory
In Phoenix, Shakespeare training is offered through the Southwest Shakespeare Conservatory. The Conservatory offers an exciting opportunity for area acting students to come together in a special place of learning. The workshop introduces students to Shakespeare, along with other classics and new plays. This is both an aggressive and nurturing program that will benefit students at every level of acting experience. This six-week "actor boot camp" offers comprehensive training in the art of acting; side-by-side work with the professional staff in daily classes, rehearsals, labs, and performances; public workshop performances for all students; and a nurturing environment to study with committed peers who share the same interests.
Tuition is $622. College credit is available through affiliation with Scottsdale Community College. Auditions are March 25 and April 29 at SCC. Appointments may be made and applications forms forwarded by calling (480) 423-6718. To apply, send a completed application form, plus a photograph or snapshot of yourself and a resume to: Tracy Lynne Hill, Southwest Shakespeare Company, 9000 East Chaparral Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85256. —M.T.
Herberger Theater Center TV, Film, and Commercial Workshop
If you are a hopeful, beginning, or working actor in the TV, film, and commercial industry, a comprehensive workshop is being offered at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix, May 18- 20. Learn how to prepare for and approach an audition, including creating a picture and resume that will best serve you. Learn "on camera" techniques. Get the insider information on the "agent/agency" world, and discover what it takes to be on the cutting edge in this most competitive field. Donna DeCarl, who will lead the Film and Acting Techniques portion of the seminar, has been involved in the industry for over 30 years. Dawn Reilly, who will focus on television commercials, has performed in numerous national commercials, sitcoms, soaps, voiceovers, and industrials. For more information, contact Judy Rollings at (602) 254-7399. —M.T.
Moon Valley Productions
For a Christian perspective, Moon Valley Productions in Arizona offers age-appropriate training in acting, singing, choreography, character development, improvisation, stage presence, public speaking skills, auditioning, educational games and activities, plus a final showcase performance. In its eighth year, "MVP utilizes the talents of many certified educators and theatre professionals and is committed to maintaining a high standard of excellence in skill training and artistic integrity."
Price: $185 per student (10% family discount for more than one child). Moon Valley Productions, 13613 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85022; Phone: (602) 404-7477, Fax: (602) 493-9390, e-mail: . —D.M.
Utah
By Laura Weinert
Utah Shakespearean Festival Summer Classes
In conjunction with the Tony Award-winning summer Shakespeare festival, founded in 1961, this organization provides some of the most serious theatre training the state has to offer. With three levels of actor training classes for juniors, beginning, and advanced students ($650 for two-week session), the education program also includes seminars on topics such as producing a musical, teaching Shakespeare, and writing theatre reviews ($150-$375). Students have the opportunity to learn from professionals who are performing in the festival, and to take a "Backstage at the Festival" course where they work with professional technical crews ($325). Students should expect full immersion, all-day classes, limited to 30 students. Accommodations are provided on the campus of Southern Utah University.
Contact education director Michael Don Bahr or assistant education director Anne Marie Gardner at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Office of Education, 351 W. Center Street, Cedar City, UT 84720, or call (435) 865-8473. You can also visit the website for more information at www.bard.org/SectionEducate/educationprogram.html.
Actor's Asylum
"If you're crazy enough to be in this business… you need to be committed," is this acting school's motto. If you're willing to make the commitment to three hours of intensive film and television-geared acting classes a week, this may be the school for you. A nine-week beginning workshop for actors begins in June ($290), while advanced workshops continue year round ($140 for 4 classes) and require an audition where actors read from sides. Topics explored in class include audition technique, cold reading, getting an agent, acting on camera, and preparing headshots and resumes. Scene study includes working on sitcom, drama, and soap style acting. Using actual scripts, actors have the opportunity to run scenes with professional actors in classes of up to 15 students. Located just outside of Salt Lake City, the school prides itself on having a 3,500 square foot performance facility, which also houses production studios where actors can have demo reels shot and edited. Contact Sam Dalton at 4841 S. State Street, Murray, UT 84107, or call (801) 262-5245. You can also visit the website at www.actorsasylum.com.
Old Lyric Repertory Company
Located high in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, this company is on the campus of Utah State—Logan. High school apprenticeships are available, for which participants receive housing and a $600 scholarship. (Tech work is required for these apprenticeships.) In addition, college internships are available in acting and in tech, for a $1,000 stipend. The Old Lyric Theatre was built in 1913 by the Thatcher family. The theatre was refurbished in 1962 and again in 1996. The theatre, which seats 388, has a resident ghost who is partial to Shakespeare. The ghost is said to appear on the edge of the balcony in Elizabethan garb wearing a fool's cap. The friendly ghost has been heard laughing during rehearsals of "Hamlet." This summer's season includes: Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys," Willy Russell's "Blood Brothers," Frederick Knott's "Wait Until Dark," and Ann-Marie MacDonald's "Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning, Juliet)." Send materials to c/o Theatre Arts Dept.; Utah State University; Logan, UT 84322, or call (435) 797-3045.
Tuacahn Amphitheater and Center for the Arts
Every summer, this theatre produces the outdoor musical "Utah!" in its 1,922-seat stage. (That's right, 1,922 seats.) It also produces smaller musicals on its 340-seat proscenium stage and its 200-seat black box. Apprenticeships are available in all areas, with some tech work required. Classes are offered at nearby Dixie College and housing is provided. For you outdoors types, it's good to note that this site is located a half day's drive from six national parks and two state parks. (And for you indoor types, it's only a couple of hours from Las Vegas.) Contact David Grapes, managing artistic director, at Box 1996, St. George, UT 84771.
Utah Musical Theatre
If you've a song in your heart, Utah Musical Theatre might be the place for you this summer. Located at Weber State University in Ogden, this summer program offers apprenticeships in all areas, with a stipend and housing provided. Operating out of the historic 800-seat Egyptian Theatre, UMT is going into it 21st season, with a reputation that is growing to rival Utah Shakespeare Festival. The 2001 season includes Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers," June 27-July 8; Meredith Willson's "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," July 18-29; and Sherman Edwards' "1776," Aug 8-19. Contact James C. Christian, artistic director, at Weber State University, Ogden, UT 84408, or call (801) 626-6900 for more information.
Theatre School for Youth
With classes in acting, directing, improv, mime, voice, movement, dance, musical theatre, stage combat, children's theatre, puppetry, makeup, design, and singing, for students ages 8-18, the Theatre School for Youth, located on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, has a lot offer. Classes meet eight hours a day, five days a week, and the school has a strong focus on self-awareness and peer bonding. Shows are presented on a 250-seat proscenium stage, and facilities include a scene shop, costume shop, dance studio, and video studio. Preteens participate for two and a half weeks in June and teens for four weeks in July. Contact Dr. Xan S. Johnson at 1901 East S. Campus Dr., Room 1169; University of Utah; Salt Lake City, UT 84112, or call (801) 581-6984.
Nevada
By Jamie Painter Young
Society of American Fight Directors
Though Las Vegas is more often than not thought of as the capital of decadence, there's more to do than gamble in Sin City. If you're interested in polishing up your stage combat skills, the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) offers an annual summer workshop for actors as part of its National Stage Combat Workshop in Las Vegas. This year's Actor Combat Workshop, geared toward "basic skills level," will be offered July 9-27 for students ages 18 and older. Participants will be taught techniques in rapier, dagger, unarmed, and broadsword, and will be afforded the opportunity to take the SAFD skills proficiency test fight at the conclusion of the workshop. In addition, students will receive introductory training in such techniques as quarterstaff and film fighting, as well as a variety of other possible weapons.
Class meets up to eight hours per day, six days a week (with Sundays off). Tuition is $1,300 and housing is available for $360 for double-occupancy dormitory housing for 20 days. Scholarships are available. For more information, contact Linda McCollum, the workshop's on-site coordinator, at (702) 895-3662, or e-mail her at McCollum@ccmail.nevada. The website address is www.safd.org.
Nevada Shakespeare Festival
The Nevada Shakespeare Festival, which begins in May and runs through the end of October in Virginia City, Nev., offers an intensive training program for students ages eight-to-12 and 13-18. The program, called "Summer Shakespeare for Youth" (SSFY), is a unique opportunity for dedicated young artists to work with leading performing artists and arts educators. Billed as a "rigorous yet enjoyable theatrical training program for young actors," SSFY culminates in a public performance. Students spend long days developing their artistic skills in classes which include acting techniques, stage combat, scene study, historic music and dance, voice and speech, improvisation, and clowning.
The program runs from early July through the end of August and costs $795 for eight-to-12 year olds and $895 for 13-18 year olds (note: these were last year's fees, so cost may have increased). There is an application fee of $20. The material fee for each student is also $20. A limited amount of need-based financial aid is available. For more information, call (775) 324-4198 or send an e-mail to information@nevada-shakespeare.org . The website address is www.nevada-shakespeare.org .
California
By Barry Wisdom and Dany Margolies
B Street Theatre
"This is really just kind of a summer fling," said producing director Buck Busfield of the B Street Theatre's summer apprentice program—a three-month version of its rigorous season-long offering, which gives would-be actors and production personnel the opportunity to gain hands-on experience six-days-a-week at Sacramento's leading new works playhouse. "There's less emphasis on performance and more on the academic," continued Busfield, who, with brother Timothy (of "The West Wing" and "thirtysomething" fame)—the theatre's co-founder and artistic director—provides weekly "classroom" training sessions (along with a variety of guest artists) in all aspects of theatre acting, production, and management. The session runs June 15-Sept. 15, which allows apprentices to work on three shows. While there's no application deadline, Busfield urged those interested to call quickly, as space is limited to fewer than six people (college age and older preferred). There's no fee, but no pay—just an invaluable education. Housing or college credit is offered. B Street Theatre, 2711 B St., Sacramento, CA 95816; (916) 443-5391.—B.W.
California Musical Theatre
For more than 50 years, California Musical Theatre (formerly Sacramento Light Opera Association) has produced award-winning summer-stock productions under its Music Circus banner—an intense endeavor only made possible by the annual participation of nearly two dozen non-paid apprentices, whose two-month, six-day-a-week stint (June 18-Aug. 12) sees them rotate through such production areas as stage management, props, costumes, scenic design, sound and costume dressing, and running crew.
During the program, overseen by CMT general manager Scott Eckern and outreach and education director Victoria Plata, apprentices will work on the first five of the season's seven weekly shows, including "The Music Man," "Into the Woods," "Mame," "Annie," and "My Fair Lady." At their own discretion, apprentices may stay on for the final two productions ("Fiddler on the Roof" and "Show Boat"). Six units of credit are available through American River College. Paid assistantships ($175 weekly stipend) to the company's technical directors are also open, though Eckern suggests those interested in these select positions apply "the sooner, the better." Write to Music Circus, 1419 H St., Sacramento, CA 95814, or call (916) 446-5880.—B.W.
California Shakespeare Festival
Northern California's "premier outdoor Shakespeare festival" offers an apprenticeship/intern program under its Professional Theatre Summer Training Program for "creative, responsible, and self-motivated" artists interested in further developing their skills in the areas of acting, production, and administration. Acting apprentices will receive more than 100 hours of training in classical theatre, including classes in voice/speech, movement, text, professionalism, and stage combat. Artistic/production apprentices will attend seminars in directing and design for the regional theatre by visiting artists, as well as CSF directors, designers, and staff.
There is no fee for the program, which runs May 1-Aug. 31. Housing is the responsibility of the apprentice. Those interested in applying are asked to send a cover letter detailing areas of interest, current and permanent contact information, a resume, two letters of recommendation, and a personal mission statement answering: "What are your career objectives, and how will a CSF apprenticeship help you achieve them?" Acting apprentice applicants (only) must also supply a headshot and a $20 non-refundable application fee. The deadline to apply is March 1 (Feb. 15 for acting apprentices). Cal Shakes, Intern Coordinator, 701 Heinz Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710; (510) 548-3422. www.calshakes.org. —B.W.
Marin Shakespeare Company
Both an adult internship program (pre-professionals 18 and older) and a teen apprentice program (ages 13-18) are being offered this summer by the Northern California company. Intern classes (June 12-July 13, Monday-Friday, 1-5 pm) taught by MSC artistic director Robert Currier and other company artists are augmented by practical experience working on two of this summer's productions at MSC's outdoor amphitheatre at Forest Meadows ("As You Like It," Goldoni's "The Servant of Two Masters", which run through Aug. 19. Tuition costs $750, with some scholarships and housing opportunities available.
The teen apprentice program (June 19-July 20, Tuesday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m.) offers classes (also taught by professional company artists) in Shakespearean acting, stage combat, movement, Elizabethan song and dance, jestering, mask making, and commedia dell'arte, along with the opportunity to be a part of mainstage productions. $750. For information, call Marin Shakespeare Company at (415) 499-1108 or e-mail marinshakes@beg.net. .—B.W.
American Conservatory Theatre
The renowned Tony Award-winning San Francisco-based company's annual Summer Training Congress is a highly competitive program that draws students from around the world. Scheduled for June 4-Aug. 11, the STC is open to high school graduates 19 or older with some prior theatre training or experience. Class titles include acting technique, movement, voice and speech dynamics, humanities and professional seminar, and take place from 9 am to 6 pm weekdays. The program ends in a showcase presentation for conservatory faculty and staff.
Those interested in applying must include a completed application form, current resume, 8x10 headshot (or snapshot), two letters of recommendation, transcript copies (or proof of high school graduation if no college), a $65 non-refundable application fee (money order only), and an essay detailing why you are pursuing a career in the theatre (no longer than one typewritten page). The application deadline is May 1. Tuition is $3,200, $500 of which is payable in advance and will hold your place. Financial aid is available, as are housing referrals (scholarship deadline is April 1). Those completing the program may receive 9.5 semester units. ACT, Dept. STC, 30 Grant Ave., San Francisco, CA 94108; (415) 439-2350; www.act-sfbay.org. .—B.W.
American Musical Theatre of San José
Master classes with such guest artists as Jeffrey Jones, Karen Morrow, Wesla Whitfield, and Jamie Torcellini are among the highlights of the Bay Area Peninsula company's annual two-month Artists Institute—"the only professional theatre-based program in the Western United States offering advanced training in all aspects of musical theatre performance."
Set for June 18-Aug. 17, the 9 am to 5 pm weekday institute headed by Marc Jacobs is held at the company's state-of-the-art facilities in San José and features classes taught by a faculty of working professionals. The cost is $1,825 for the nine weeks and admission is by audition only (scheduled for April 7 and May 19). Videotaped auditions will be accepted until April 13. For information, call American Musical Theatre of San José Artists Institute, (408) 453-1545, or e-mail Mjacobs@amtsj.org .—B.W.
Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA)
Thanks to its affiliation with the state-supported Allan Hancock College, part of the California Community College system, PCPA offers one of the best bargains in theatre training anywhere, with California residents paying just $130 for the entire summer program, which runs from June 4-Aug. 18 (or Oct. 7 in some cases). The Santa Maria-based company plans five shows ("42nd Street," "My Fair Lady," "The Tempest," "Rope," and "On Golden Pond") in repertory in its home venue—the 450-seat Marian Theatre—and the outdoor 700-seat Festival Theatre in Solvang, some 30 miles away.
"We have opportunities for lots of actors, lots of technicians," said John Howell Hood, Conservatory director of technical theatre, who calls the program Euro-based, in that students learn by doing, working side-by-side with Equity and other guest actors and production staff. "It's very intensive, as most summer stock is. We do really quality productions and we're a fun group—we have a beginning-of-season gathering, play softball, have a beach party," said Hood. "After that, it's all hard work."
Enrollment is by audition (acting students) and interview (acting and technical theatre students). Applicants must be high school graduates. PCPA Theaterfest, PO Box 1700, Santa Maria, CA 93456; (805) 922-8313; pcpa@pcpa.org .—B.W.
South Coast Repertory
Headed by longtime Professional Conservatory director Karen Hensel, South Coast Rep's summer training program is described by spokeswoman Madeline Porter as "the next step to a professional acting career," designed for those who have completed academic training and are already acting professionally or ready to embark on their career. The eight-week program (June 5-July 28), which admits no more than 35 students annually, costs $2,100 and admits students by audition. Hensel recruits a new "faculty" each summer, culled from such working professionals as John de Lancie, Hal Landon Jr., and Nicholas Hormann, who teach classes and offer seminars in acting, theatre, and film/TV audition techniques, characterization, voice, and Shakespeare from 9 am to 5 pm weekdays. The program, which boasts such alumni as Will Ferrell, James Legros, Mary Beth Evans, and Arye Gross, culminates in a showcase for invited guests. The deadline to apply is Feb. 1. For information, call South Coast Rep at (714) 708-5549.—B.W.
Spindrift Summer Performing Arts Camp
Spindrift Summer Performing Arts Camp in Pacifica, Cal., offers a curriculum of classes taught by professionals in their respective fields, plus guest artists. "Our intensive schedule of classes is designed to educate and stimulate aspiring young actors."
The program includes acting, dancing, singing, improvisational sports, shop (learning the basics of prop making, lighting, and set and scene design), and Shakespeare. Other classes and special one-day workshops may include playwriting, radio plays, puppetry, and clowning. At the end of the four-week session, each student will be featured in a musical comedy performed for the public. Classes run Mondays through Thursdays, 9 am to 3 pm, ending with a Saturday performance on the last week of classes.
Price $460. Enrollment limited to 36 students. SSPA, Box 891, Pacifica, CA 94044. e-mail: luis@spindriftschool.com . —D.M.
Oregon
By Alvin Reiss and Dany Margolies
Actors' Theatre School of Performing Arts
Five different courses will be offered this summer at the Actors' Theatre School of Performing Arts in Talent, Ore. Two are open to all ages, one is for teens and adults, and two are for children only.
1.) "The Writer/The Director" is open to everyone interested in the creative process. Led by Rod Burton, it is an in depth and hands-on investigation into the art of the writer and the craft of the director. Burton's theatrical career runs from performing on Broadway to teaching in Los Angeles to writing and directing for the television shows "Cheers," "The Powers That Be," and "Dear John." Guest artists will include Hal Dresner, whose screen writing credits include "Zorro," "The Gay Blade," and "The Eiger Sanction"; and TV director Janet Greek, whose extensive experience includes directing for "L.A. Law" and "Babylon 5"; also S.S. Schweitzer, whose experience includes writing TV movies of the week, mini-series, and network shows. The course meets Monday evenings, from 7 to 10 pm, July 23-Sept. 24. Cost for the ten-week class is $250.
2.) "The Craft of the Actor" is open to all interested—from the very experienced to the novice. These ongoing, six-week workshops are led by Peter Alzado, artistic director of Actors' Theatre, and are designed as an investigation into the craft of the actor. Alzado's experience ranges from Broadway to Off-Broadway to television, and includes teaching at universities and professional schools. Alzado holds a cum laude BA in English and Theatre from Queens College, and was Donal Harrington Scholar at The University of Montana, where he received his MFA in directing for the theatre. Fee for the workshops is $120.
3.) "Stage Combat," with Christopher Duval, is for ages 16 and up. Chris, who, is currently with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a member of the Society of American Fight Directors, will teach a class in stage combat, Saturdays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, June 9-July 14. Cost for the six-week class is $120.
4.) "A Magic Theatre for Children," directed by Creighton Barnes, is for children ages eight-14. Participants will be taught basic magical sleight-of-hand, handling of props, misdirection, and stage presence. Barnes has taught magic at schools in Southern California, is a member of The Magic Castle, and has written children's books and TV shows, including "Heckle and Jeckle," "Mighty Mouse," "Spider Man," and "The Smurfs." Class meets Tuesdays and Thursday mornings from 10 am-12 pm, June 19-July 26. Public performances are to be announced. Tuition for the 12 sessions is $150.
5.) "A Theatre Workshop for Children" is a training and performance program for children ages eight-13, taught by Sheri Lee Harding, currently the General Manager for the Siskiyou Children's Choir and ongoing director for Children in Transition Workshops. This class is designed as a learning and performance process for children. The workshop will meet at Actors' Theatre, Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9 am to 11 am, June 18-July 25, with public performances scheduled on Wednesday, July 26 at 7 pm Cost for the 12 sessions is $150.
For registration and further information, please call Actors' Theatre at (541) 535-5250, or write to Peter Alzado, Producing Artistic Director, 101 Talent Avenue, Talent, Oregon 97540. If you have financial considerations, please ask about the Scholarship and Work Exchange programs. —A.R.
The Broadway Rose Theatre Company
The Broadway Rose Theatre Company, which has been producing professional summer-stock musical theatre in Tigard, Ore. since 1992, will hold two camps this summer: one for 8- 11-year-olds, and a new camp designed for 12- to 17-year-olds.
"The campers will experience all the aspects of the theatre, from improvisation and theatre games to technical and performance skills," said the directors. "These skills will be put to the test when all campers perform in the ensemble of one of the two children's shows."
The camp runs from 10 am to 2 pm, Mondays through Fridays, at the 600-seat Deb Fennell Auditorium in Tigard. The majority of its artists, directors, designers, and technicians are from the Portland metropolitan area, but the company also looks for talent in Seattle and New York, and it accepts headshot/resumes and taped auditions from all over the country from union and non-union performers. The productions occasionally include original material, and the company is seeking original musicals to produce in upcoming seasons.
Price is $225 (space is limited). Sharon Maroney, Artistic Director, Broadway Rose Theatre Company, P.O. Box 231004, Tigard, OR 97281; (503) 620-5262, fax (503) 670-8512, e-mail: info@bwayrose.com —D.M.
Rogue Music Theatre
This summer, Rogue Music Theatre presents the 2001 Young People's Conservatory Program, August 6-18. The two-week program has been an annual event for more than 10 years.
Week One (Aug. 6-10) is "Acting/Improvisation Camp," for beginning to intermediate students, aged eight-18, offering daily studies in Acting, Tech Theatre, Special Workshops (stage fighting, make-up, etc.), and Improvisation Games and Skills. Classes are 9 am-3 pm. The program culminates in a show, performed on Aug. 10 at 7 pm, written for the program by Bobbi Kidder, which is designed to exhibit student skills and to show what they have learned during the week. Cost: $200 ($50 non-refundable deposit required for registration). Some scholarships do exist, and an application process is necessary. Price includes instruction, daily snack, and a Camp T-shirt.
Week Two (Aug. 13-18) is "Musical Theatre Camp," for intermediate to advanced students with previous workshop or stage experience, or by approval. The program is all day (9 am-3 pm) for ages eight-18 and half-day for young people aged five-8. Daily studies are in acting, singing, dance, technical theatre, and special workshops (audition and stage etiquette, etc.). The week culminates in a YPC Production of the junior version of the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." The show is fully produced, directed by members of the professional staff, and is open to the public, with performances on Aug. 17 at 7 pm and Aug. 18 at 1 pm. Tuition: $250 ($50 nonrefundable deposit, includes $50 production fee). Limited scholarships are available and an application process is required. Price includes daily instruction, snack, and Camp T-shirt. Lunch is not included.
Location: Rogue Community College Campus, 3345 Redwood Highway, Grants Pass, Ore. 97527. For more information, to be put on the mailing list, or to register, please call Rogue Music Theatre, Richard Jessup, Artistic Director, at (541) 479-2559. —A.R.
Camp Taloali
While not solely theatre-focused, but for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth ages nine–17, Camp Taloali offers a camp experience located on 111 acres of forested land in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon.
According to its publicity, "Camp Taloali means learning new skills, setting goals, caring for the earth, and sharing new experiences with old and new friends. Taloali campers develop confidence in their abilities as they discover hidden strengths, and, sometimes, they learn from mistakes."
Facilities include a 40-by-80-foot pavilion with dining room and modern kitchen, eight cabins, a craft hall, a health/office complex, fully outfitted restrooms with showers, a 30-by-60-foot swimming pool, and sport fields. The camp is directed by deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens, as well as professionals in the area of education for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The counselors and program staff are young adults screened and selected from backgrounds in education, social work, and recreation. The camp welcomes any and all donations of money, labor, and materials (tax deductible).
Price range is $190-$320 per week (financial aid available). Camp Taloali, Dave Sipp, Camp Director, 15934 N. Santiam Hwy., Stayton, OR 97383. (503) 769-6415 (TDD only), voice: (800) 735-1232, e-mail: sippd@aol.com. —D.M.
Washington, Alaska
By Dany Margolies
Columbia Gorge School of Theatre
Columbia Gorge School of Theatre in Washington State is a full-time sleep-away performing arts camp for students, ages eight-18, on the 142-acre Blue Moon Ranch in White Salmon, Wash.
"We pride ourselves on providing a safe, supportive environment, free of criticism and full of fun, support, and love," said the camp's directors. With a maximum enrollment of 30–60 students in each session (average of 15 students per classroom), students are trained in acting, music, singing, dance, voice, TV/film, and "the biz." They also take to the stage in a show and enjoy the great outdoors for hiking, swimming, wind surfing, and whitewater rafting.
Price range: $595-$3,799. Columbia Gorge Repertory Theatre, G. Arwen Nichols, Youth Director, 72 Staats Road, White Salmon, WA 98672, (800) 405-3450, fax (509) 493-1501, e-mail: info@cgst.com. —D.M.
UAF Summer Fine Arts Camp
For theatre majors, UAF Summer Fine Arts Camp in Alaska offers divisions in theatre, creative writing, and dance. In its 38th consecutive year, the program holds stage and technical theatre classes, including voice and diction, stage movement, acting styles, improvisation, costume design, lighting design, scenic design, and several levels of acting class. Theatre majors have options of performing in the camp musical and the mainstage play, both of which have full technical support. This year's musical will be "Once Upon a Mattress," and the dramatic production will be "Harvey." Roles will be cast by audition the first day of camp, and rehearsed in the afternoons and evenings during the run of camp. In addition, campers may sign up for lab theatre productions, which have afternoon rehearsals and minimal tech, but are performed for a live audience.
Price range: $775 to $825 plus materials fee and optional day trips (very limited financial aid is available). Linda Harriger, Camp Coordinator, UAF Summer Fine Arts Camp, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 755660, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5660. (907) 474-6837, e-mail: fysfac@uaf.edu.