Observership Program | Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation

The Observership Program provides early to mid-career directors and choreographers paid opportunities to observe the work of master directors and choreographers as they create productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at leading regional theatres across the country. SDCF Observers may have access to the entire rehearsal process from first rehearsal through opening night. Observers will have the invaluable opportunity to observe first-hand the techniques, disciplines, approaches and insights of master artists as they create new productions and revive classics. In addition to Observership opportunities provided through SDCF, members of the Observership class are also eligible to apply for the Kurt Weill Fellowship and the Shepard and Mildred Traube Fellowship. Applicants are evaluated by seasoned theatre professionals to ensure that SDCF is able to put forward a class of Observers who will receive the most from the program. Once accepted into the program, members of the Observership class may apply to any of the 25-30 Observership opportunities that take place over the course of the season. Each Observer will receive a weekly stipend plus a project travel stipend. In addition, any Observer who is not already a Member of SDC will be awarded a free one-year SDC Associate Membership upon completion of their Observership. While members of the Observership class are not guaranteed placement on a production, they will be invited to participate in other SDCF programs and special events throughout the year, including special Observership Class networking events, all of which are free of charge.

SDCF mentors in 2018-2019 included Michael Radar, Timothy Douglas, Diane Paulus, Chay Yew, Karen Azenberg, Robert O’Hara, Lileana Blain-Cruz, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Patricia McGregor, Christopher Ashley, Rachel Chavkin, Ethan McSweeny, Pam MacKinnon, Dominique Serrand, Sarna Lapine, Patricia Wilcox, and Erica Schmidt.

Mentors for the 2019-2020 season include Saheem Ali, Victor Malana Maog, Michael Wilson, Anthony van Laast, Eric Tucker, Leah C. Gardiner, Camille A. Brown, Leigh Silverman, Sam Pinkelton, and Raja Feather Kelly.

The Observership program is currently on pause. When there is more information about the program, it will be updated on the website.

I only wish every director could be presented with the experience I had. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the huge leap I have taken in my personal artistic development because of this experience.– Observer Javier Molina

SDCF’s Observership Program is made possible by generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council of the Arts, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and many generous individuals and corporations.

Class of 2019/20:

5 Responses

Founded in 1965, Stage Directors and Choreographers Workshop Foundation (SDCF) exists to foster, promote and develop the creativity and craft of stage directors and choreographers. SDCF’s goals are to provide opportunities to practice the crafts of directing and choreography; to gather and disseminate craft and career information; to promote the profession to emerging talent; to provide opportunities for exchange of knowledge among directors and choreographers; to increase the awareness of the value of directors’ and choreographers’ work, and to convene around issues affecting theatre artists.

SDC Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)3 organization of the Internal Revenue Code, SDC Foundation welcomes your charitable gift or grant to help realize our mission and support the work of aspiring and established directors and choreographers.