-Do you have any tips on applying to the program?
Yes.  See the video with tips on applying at https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=206059459430831.  While this is from a past season so the dates mentioned are incorrect, the advice on applying is still valid and valuable.
-If I am not a Member of SDC, do I have less chance of an Observership?
Absolutely not!  SDC Foundation is a separate organization from the Union and the majority of our applicants and Observers have no SDC affiliation.  Union membership has no bearing on either the evaluation or selection processes.
-If I am accepted into the Observership Pool, am I an Associate Member of SDC?
No.  If you complete an Observership and you are not already an Associate Member of SDC, we will forward your information to SDC and the SDC Membership Department will send you the application for a free one year SDC Associate Membership.
-Since this program is flexible, why can I not miss some rehearsals?
In order to be a part of the team and to gain a full understanding of the process, it is essential to be present for the entire production process.  Additionally, it can be disruptive to rehearsal to have people absent or entering rehearsal anytime but at the beginning of the day.
-If I am accepted into the Observership Pool, how long am I committed to this program?
Accepted candidates are eligible for all Observership opportunities that start rehearsal by June 30, 2014.  However, you are free to do as you choose during this time frame, and you will only apply to those opportunities that suit your interest and schedule.  We understand that most applicants have many projects and jobs requiring differing time commitments.  This is a flexible program that can fit with the rest of your life.  If you apply and are selected for a project, your commitment is from first rehearsal (and sometime some pre-production) through opening night.  This is typically a period of four to twelve weeks.  You should not have any conflicts with the rehearsal or preview schedule on your project.
-If I am accepted into the Observership Pool, do I need to move to New York?
No!  We have opportunities all over the country in addition to opportunities in New York.  If you apply and are selected for an opportunity in NY, you will need to be in NY only for the length of the project.
-Will I be the assistant on the production?
Observers are not usually the assistant.  When we know the Observer will be the assistant, we say that in the opportunity posting.  Oftentimes, there is already an assistant on the production.  As an Observer, you are guaranteed to be allowed to observe the creative process from first rehearsal to opening night.  The mentoring artist may or may not give you some responsibilities or tasks throughout the production period.  Observing itself is an effective way to learn.
-A theatre has hired me to direct a production, but there is no money for my assistant. Can I hire my assistant as an Observer on the production?
This program is about access, so we will not provide funding to hire your assistant.  If you would like to have an Observer on the production, great!  We will announce the opportunity to those accepted into the Observership pool, and from those who are interested, we will select finalists for you.  From these finalists, you can interview candidates and select your Observer.
-A director/choreographer who I have been trying to work with for years says (s)he will hire me as an assistant but does not have funding for me. Can I do this through the Observership program so that I can afford to do this?
See above.  Unfortunately, we do not have the funding to fund other opportunities, and a key component of the Observership Program is open access to all candidates.  We do not provide funding for selection outside of our opportunities.
-I’d like to work on a specific production coming up. How should I set up this Observership?
Please do not contact us with a proposed production – this is not the way the program works.  Candidates cannot set Observerships up.  We select Observerships by committee, with an eye towards arranging a certain mix of opportunities: musicals, plays; classics, revivals, and new works; NYC, NY state, and across the U.S.; first-time mentors and former mentors; opportunities for directors, choreographers, and director/choreographers.   Additionally, open access to all candidates is a key element of this program to ensure that the program is not about connections, so no one can be pre-selected, and almost all Observers are unknown to the mentor prior to the Observership.
-Why are there two application dates?
We have two application dates because some of our opportunities begin very early in July, so selection must take place in June.  Having an early opportunity deadline encourages early application without denying participation to those who are transitioning (to professional life from school, to a new city, etc.) and unable to apply by June 1.  Additionally, in the past, when we had one application date, we refrained from many summer opportunities, but this is actually when many candidates are most available for taking an Observership.  And finally, with a small staff to process more than 300 applications prior to evaluation by professional directors and choreographers (and with many other programs running consecutively – explore our other programs on our website!), having two deadlines makes the program administration more manageable and waiting time shorter for applicants.
-When can I start to apply for opportunities?
As soon as we contact you to say that we’ve started to process your application.  Those who apply by June 1 (postmark) will be able to apply to summer Observerships.  Those who apply by the program deadline of July 31 will be able to apply to opportunities beginning in September.  Applicants may apply to all opportunities until they are told whether they are accepted into the pool or not.  Because the applications take six to eight weeks to process and we must get underway immediately on next season, we allow those early applicants to begin applying before their applications have gone to our committee.
-I have applied in the past. Do I need to submit a new letter of recommendation?
If you applied with a new letter of recommendation to last season, you do not need to submit a new letter of recommendation.  If you applied last year or any other year with a recommendation that was not new, or if you have never applied before, you need to submit a new letter of recommendation.  Letters of recommendation are only good for two years.
-I do not have any high-level contacts in this industry. Who should I get to recommend me to this program?
This program is not about who you know, so please do not struggle in trying to find someone to impress us.  Obtain a letter of recommendation from someone who can attest to the fact that you are pursuing directing or choreography as a career path, someone who knows your work as an artist.  A teacher, an actor or dancer you’ve worked with, a mentor, a designer – these are all good options as recommenders.   A recommendation from someone who knows you, your work, and your work ethic is what we’re looking for, not a successful friend of a friend.
-I applied to the program last year. Do I need to apply again?
Yes.  Application is valid for one season only, for opportunities from July 1 through June 30.
-SDCF Live-on-Screen Initiative
As cinecasts, simulcasts and webcasts of stage productions become commonplace, stage Directors and Choreographers need to become increasingly comfortable with the fundamentals of camera work and the nuances of capturing a live event on screen. The SDCF Live-on-Screen Initiative helps prepare stage Directors and Choreographers for the challenges of presenting their stage work on screen. AWARD:  This is an unpaid opportunity. APPLY:  Directors and Choreographers with at least 10 years professional lead experience may apply.  Experience in Film or television is not necessary. Board Members may not apply.
-The Kurt Weill Fellowship
Established in 2013 by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, the Kurt Weill Fellowship helps nurture early-career directors and choreographers by acquainting them with a stage work of Kurt Weill or Marc Blitzstein under the guidance of a master director or choreographer. The Fellowship provides the opportunity to assist or observe a master director or choreographer at work on a production, selected by the Kurt Weill Foundation, of a theatrical work composed by Weill or Blitzstein, including musical theater, opera, operetta, and dance works. The Kurt Weill Fellowship is administered through and operates as a component of the SDC Foundation’s Observership Program; as such, only the current season’s Observership candidates will be eligible for this Fellowship. AWARD: $2,500 stipend APPLY: Only those in that year’s SDCF Observership Pool may apply.
-The Denham Fellowship
The Denham Fellowship is an annual award given to directors, particularly women directors, to further develop their directing skills by providing $2500 in financial support for the Director’s fee for a particular project.  This fellowship was established in October 2006 by Mary Orr Denham as a bequest to SDCF in honor of her late husband, Reginald H.F. Denham. Candidates may apply to the Denham Fellowship under one of two plans: fee enhancement or self producing. Under fee enhancement, the Denham Fellowship augments a fee offered to the Director by a theatre or producer.  Under self-producing, the Denham fellowship will serve as or augment the Director’s fee.  Please consult Denham Fellowship Guidelines prior to application.  Selection will be made by a committee of directors and choreographers. AWARD: One award of $2,500 will be granted per fiscal year. APPLY: Female SDC Members and Associate Members in good standing may apply.  Board Members may not apply.    
-The Sir John Gielgud Fellowship
In 1996 this Fellowship originated from a generous contribution from Sir John Gielgud to provide opportunities for early career directors to study the artistic processes of master directors of classical plays. A Gielgud Fellowship Advisory Committee composed of leading directors of classical plays and other established theatre artists select the show, the mentor and the Fellow each year. Recommendations of established theatre professionals on the behalf of potential candidates are accepted and considered by the Advisory committee. The Gielgud Fellow receives a monetary award as well as a free one-year Associate Membership if the Fellow is not already an SDC Associate Member. AWARD: One award of $2,000 will be awarded as a stipend during the rehearsal period. APPLY: Early to mid-career Directors and Director/Choreographers with enough experience to serve as an Assistant Director may apply. Board Members may not apply.
-The Shepard and Mildred Traube Fellowship
In 1999 the Shepard and Mildred Traube Fellowship was established in celebration of the 40th anniversary of SDC and to honor the legacy of Shepard and Mildred Traube. Shepard Traube was one of SDC’s founders and Mildred Traube served for many years as the SDC’s Executive Secretary. The Traube Fellowship supports the development of future Broadway artists by providing early-career directors and choreographers with the opportunity to assist or observer a master director of choreographers at work on a Broadway production. The Traube Fellowship is administered through and operates as a component of the SDCFoundation’s Observership Program, as such, only the current season’s Observership candidates will be eligible for this Fellowship. AWARD: A stipend of $200 per week of rehearsal and preview period plus small travel stipend. APPLY: Only those in that year’s SDCF Observership Pool may apply.
-The Mike Ockrent Fellowship
Modeled on our prestigious Sir John Gielgud Fellowship in Classical Theatre, the goal of the Mike Ockrent Fellowship is to help early-career directors of promise develop their skills in directing theatre by allowing them to assist a master director on the creation of a big-budget Broadway musical or play. In doing so, the Fellowship will present a new generation of gifted artists with a remarkable education in – and unique understanding of – the directorial skills necessary to create theatre on a Broadway scale. One Mike Ockrent Fellowship will be awarded each year. Each Fellow will be mentored by a leading director in the field who will share information, insights and resources. The Fellow shall have the opportunity to participate in the entire production process, from conceptual meetings, design discussions, casting sessions, rehearsals, previews, etc. The mentor is responsible for including the Fellow in the production process. AWARD: One award of $5,000 will be awarded as a stipend during the tenure of the Fellowship. APPLY: Candidates must be nominated by SDC Members and Associates in good standing.
-The George C. Wolfe Fellowship
Established by the proceeds of a special fundraising effort of The 2011 ‘Mr. Abbott’ Award celebrating Director George C. Wolfe, this Fellowship is a biennial award given to experienced directors and choreographers harboring a desire to break free of the perceived boundaries of career. The Fellowship provides up to $2500 for the development of an area of interest, enabling directors and choreographers to receive funding to explore an area of artistic interest without requiring the funded experience to be tied to a specific production The George C. Wolfe Fellowship recipient will be selected by the Wolfe Selection Committee.  This committee will be comprised of at least five renowned theatre professionals including at least two Members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. This Fellowship is eligible to those SDC Members and Associates with 6 or more years of professional experience as a lead director or choreographer.  This program is not for early-career artists or those just out of a degree program.   It is for those who have enough experience to have become entrenched or categorized within the field and are interested in surmounting that categorization. AWARD: $2500 APPLY: SDC Members and Associate Members in good standing with at least 6 years professional lead experience may apply. Board Members may not apply.
-I’m hiring a foreign Director and/or Choreographer this season and I need an INS Consult letter for his/her visa application.
Please send a cover letter along with your Visa application and a check for $500 (per letter requested) made payable to Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, to the attention of Michelle Sokolowski. Requests MUST be made at least TWO WEEKS in advance in order to give our INS Committee time to evaluate each application. Please note: There is no charge if the foreign artist is a Member of SDC.
-I would like to contact a particular Director or Choreographer. Can you give me his/her phone number or email address?
SDC staff is only authorized to release agent or manager information. If you are trying to hire a Member who is un-represented, we will do our best to forward your inquiry to that person. Actors are welcome to call the office for agent information, but please do not ask the staff to get in touch with a Director or Choreographer for you.)
-I need an SDC Logo for our program.
You can find downloadable logos under the Contracts menu of the website..
-Will SDC help me get work?
We are not an employment agency. We are a union. However, we do have an electronic community board in our online Member area where Members and Associates can check out job listings. We also encourage everyone to take advantage of our unique networking opportunities. We are continually working to expand Union jurisdiction which will create more job opportunities for Members.
-Do I have to be an SDC Member or Associate in order to apply for the Foundation Observerships and Fellowships?
With the exception of the Denham Fellowship and the Guest Artist Initiative, all of our fellowships are open to the public. Click on the Career Development page in the Foundation area of the website for more information about applications, requirements and deadlines. If you have questions about Foundation Observerships or Fellowships please send an email to Foundation@SDCweb.org.
-Do I have to be an SDC Member or Associate to participate in the Exchanges, Panel Discussions, One-on-Ones or DCNs?
You do not have to be a Member or Associate to attend DCN Panel Discussions or One-on-Ones, however there is a occasionally a nominal attendance fee which is reduced or waived for Members and Associates.
-If I join SDC, will I have to turn down Assistant and Associate gigs?
No. SDC does not have jurisdiction over Assistants and Associates. You can be a member and still take these jobs. There are no SDC contracts involved.
-I’m interested in joining SDC. What is the difference between being a Member and an Associate?
The most fundamental difference is that Associates do not file contracts and Members must file each and every time they work. For more information go to the Membership Benefits section of the web site. And you can always call or email Member Services Coordinator, Michelle Sokolowski (ext. 236, MSokolowski@SDCweb.org) for more information.