INFORMATION OF NOTE:
- Please see evaluation criteria to the bottom of this page.
- Housing and travel is only included in opportunities where explicitly stated.
- Any applicant currently enrolled in a collegiate level institution must have completed their program by the start date of any opportunity they are applying for.
- Late applications will not be accepted. As our application portal gets extremely busy in the final hours of the application period, we highly suggest submitting your application before 6pm on June 28th. Staff is not available to assist in any technical issues after this time.
We also wanted to share some additional information with you about the program’s cycles. As you may know, the Professional Development Program opens up opportunities two-to-three times a year. We have learned since the revitalized program was launched that the timing of these cycles fluctuates based on when the opportunities fall. Therefore, we have not been able to guarantee cycles opening during the same months each year.
For this reason, we plan to share at the top of each season when we expect each cycle to occur. The 2024-2025 Season Cycle 1 applications are open now through June 28th. We anticipate a second cycle of opportunities to open by August 2024 and we imagine a third cycle of applications opening by November 2024.
We will continue to provide updates on our website as we are able to confirm application timelines.
Applications for this cycle are now closed.
Observership – Good Bones by James Ijames with Saheem Ali at The Public Theater
This opportunity lets you to observe Director Saheem Ali on Good Bones at The Public Theater in New York City starting August 2024
Production Title: Good Bones by James Ijames
Theatre Information (location of the Observership): The Public Theater in New York City
Dates of Fellowship: August 13, 2024 (first rehearsal) – October 1, 2024 (opening night)
Award: $4,200
Additional information: This Observership opportunity is ideal specifically for a director interested in learning about new play work and the production process of new work at a regional theater level. The ideal candidate will also have an interest in the themes that the production explores as well.
Learn more about Saheem Ali here and The Public Theater’s production of Good Bones here.
Observership – Sunset Boulevard with Jamie Lloyd in New York City on Broadway
This opportunity lets you to observe Director Jamie Lloyd on Sunset Boulevard on Broadway in New York City starting August 2024
Production Title: Sunset Boulevard
Theatre Information (location of the Observership): Rehearsals in Manhattan NYC, tech and previews at the St. James Theatre
Dates of Fellowship: August 19, 2024 (first rehearsal) – October 20, 2024 (opening night)
Award: $5,400
Additional information: This Observership opportunity is ideal specifically for a director interested in learning about the remounting of a large scale musical production with returning and new cast members at the Broadway level. The ideal candidate will also have an interest in learning about the process for crafting a production in the aesthetics of the Jamie Lloyd Company style which includes using cinematography and explosive minimalism to explore reimagined classic texts.
Learn more about Jamie Lloyd & Jamie Lloyd Company here and the production of Sunset Boulevard here.
Observership – Fish by Melis Aker with Tatiana Pandiani at Signature Theatre in New York City
This opportunity lets you to observe Director Tatiana Pandiani on the developmental presentation of FISH at Signature Theatre in New York City starting September 2024
Production Title: Fish by Melis Aker
Theatre Information (location of the Observership): Manhattan, New York City
Dates of Fellowship: September 3, 2024 (first rehearsal) – September 22, 2024 (last day)
Award: $1,800
Additional information: This Observership opportunity is ideal specifically for a director interested in learning about the intricacies involved in the development of a new play at the regional theater level. This would also be ideal for someone interested in learning more about the collaboration between director and playwright when developing new work. Additionally, an interest in movement in plays is key – both traditional choreography and alternative forms of theatrical movement – as that will be explored in this development process.
Learn more about Tatiana Pandiani here and learn a little more about Melis Aker’s production of FISH here.
Fellowship – The Skin of our Teeth by Thornton Wilder with Dámaso Rodríguez at Seattle Repertory Theatre
This opportunity lets you to be a Fellow to Director Dámaso Rodríguez on The Skin of Our Teeth at Seattle Repertory Theatre in Seattle, WA starting August 2024
Production Title: The Skin of our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
Theatre Information (location of the fellowship): Seattle Rep in Seattle, WA
Dates of Fellowship: August 16, 2024 (first rehearsal) – October 2, 2024 (opening night)
Award: $4,875
Additional information: This Fellow opportunity is ideal specifically for a director interested in large scale production with a large cast of a classic play and interested in being part of a production that integrates local community members as part of the concept. All are welcome to apply but local directors will be prioritized for this opportunity.
Learn more about Dámaso Rodríguez here and Seattle Rep’s production of The Skin of our Teeth here.
Evaluation Criteria: Applications will be evaluated on the following three categories
Clarity: The applicant’s ability to articulate interest, with specificity, in the theatrical art form and in their own work as a director and/or choreographer. Their response has clarity of thought, understanding, and focus.
Timing: The applicant speaks to why this is the specific right moment in their career to participate in the given opportunity.
Access & Impact: The applicant articulates why this production opportunity would give them access to knowledge and/or a type of educational theatrical experience they do not currently have.