theatreWashington Launches theatreWork

Today theatreWashington announced the official launch of theatreWork.org. an online, interactive database connecting professional theatre artists with employment opportunities that meet their specific skills and ambitions.

Created in tandem with Washington area theatre casting directors, theatreWork is a central, organized resource where directors, producers, and managers can realize and appreciate the abundant talent living in the Washington area. Theatres will no longer need to bring in as many out of town professionals, thus cutting costs significantly.

For Washington area artists and professionals, theatreWork will get their resumes and talents seen by the people making casting and hiring decisions.

theatreWork.org will roll out in three carefully planned phases.

Phase 1 gives actors the opportunity to create online profiles that include resumes, headshots and specific skills and attributes likely to be of interest to casting directors. (Special services, such as video uploads, will be free during the inaugural year but require an additional charge in the future.) Within a few months, casting directors will be invited to join the site, where they will create production-specific folders, seek actors through self-selected criteria, and begin to identify Washington artists for further consideration.

Phase 2 will focus on directors, choreographers, musical directors, and designers. Phase 3 will highlight production and administrative personnel, from stage managers to publicists and company managers. In turn, theatreWork will exponentially expand theatre's abilities to use to identify exceptionally qualified candidates for each available role or position. .

President and CEO Linda Levy explained, "Washington area directors and managers didn't have an appropriate way to connect with the magnitude of talent living right here in our midst. theatreWork will bring these professionals to their attention. The potential of creating new jobs for Washington theatre professionals is significant."

Brad Watkins, theatreWashington's Director of Theatre Services who served as project manager, explained, "theatreWork is at the heart of theatreWashington's mission. By creating a working database that allows these very talented individuals to be discovered by the people who've got the jobs to fill, we increase the level of artistry in our theatres and we increase the welfare of the professionals in our community."