Observe a Show from Rehearsal to Opening Night with SDCF's 2017-18 Observership Program

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDC Foundation), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), is now accepting applications for the 2017 - 2018 Observership Program.

The SDC Foundation 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 all over the country.

SDC Foundation Observers may have access to the entire rehearsal process from first rehearsal through opening night, and are guaranteed the invaluable opportunity to observe firsthand the techniques, disciplines, approaches, and insights of established artists as they create new productions and revive classics.

In addition to Observership opportunities provided through SDC Foundation, members of the Observership class are also eligible to apply for the Kurt Weill Fellowship and the Shepard and Mildred Traube Fellowship.

Observerships from the 2016-2017 theatre season included:

- Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, choreographed by Joshua Bergasse

- Broadway production of Falsettos, choreographed by Spencer Liff

- California Shakespeare Theater production of Othello, directed by Eric Ting

- The Public Theater's production of Twelfth Night, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah

- Center Theatre Group production and Broadway premiere of Amélie, directed by Pam Mackinnon

- New York production of Little Dancer, choreographed by Susan Stroman

- The Siti Company/L.A. Chamber Orchestra/UCLA production of Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars, directed by Anne Bogart

Observerships are paid professional development opportunities and offer a weekly stipend of $250 plus a project travel stipend. Though acceptance into the Observership program does not guarantee placement on a production, members of the Observership class will be invited to participate in other SDC Foundation programs and special events throughout the year, including special Observership Class networking events, which are free of charge.

A $25 application fee is required of non-SDC members (current SDC Members and SDC Associates may apply for free). To apply, CLICK HERE. Applications must be received by April 16, 2017.

SDC Foundation is committed to fostering an environment that is inclusive and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression in its programs or activities.

For additional information, visit sdcfoundation.org/opportunities/observerships. After reviewing guidelines and FAQ's online, applicants may email SDC Foundation Program Associate J.David Anderson at JAnderson@SDCFoundation.org with any additional questions.

For 50 years, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation has developed and promoted the creativity and craft of directors and choreographers. SDC Foundation's mission is to create access to the field, to connect artists, and to honor the theatrical legacy of these artists. The centrality of the director's role in theatre and the impact that they have on other artists' careers-from playwrights to designers to actors-makes SDC Foundation's services essential to the theatre industry's health and continued vitality.

Through mentorship programs, community forums, and public events, SDC Foundation constructs paths for early-career directors and choreographers from all backgrounds to interact with established artists around the country, puts mid-career artists in the room together to debate and solve issues they face in the business, and reaches beyond the theatre industry to tell the story of what directors and choreographers contribute to the art form. In a discipline that can often feel isolating, SDC Foundation serves the needs of artists at all stages, building a cross-generational theatre community. Go to www.SDCFoundation.org for more.