Tennessee Shakespeare Co. Opens Applications for Apprentice Program

– Tennessee Shakespeare Company today announced its national call for applications for its fourth annual Classical Theatre Apprentice Program. This half-year Program will begin August 31, 2026, and will run through March 12, 2027.

Candidate applications are due by March 29.  As many as six Apprentices will be hired. Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC) is the Mid-South’s professional, classical theatre now in its 18th season in Memphis.

The Classical Theatre Apprentice Program at TSC is focused on experiential, classical stage performance/stage management training, and work designed to support emerging theatre professionals as they launch and sustain their early and middle careers.

This apprenticeship focuses on immersive career development opportunities. Apprentices are guaranteed to act, teach, or stage manage in multiple areas in a variety of shows, including mainstage/touring/schools’ productions during TSC’s 19th season.

TSC’s season will be announced later this Spring, but it will include touring Education productions of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. The mainstage season will include a comedy by William Shakespeare, a classical chamber musical, and classical American novel adapted for the stage.

Apprentices will be on hiatus from work from December 21, 2026, through and including January 3, 2027. Apprentice work-weeks will consist of approximately 40 hours per work-week, on average, and will include at least one day off per week.

Apprentices will be hired as full-time employees of TSC and will earn a salary of $300.00 per week. Apprentices will be responsible for all costs associated with living in the Memphis area for the duration of the apprenticeship. These costs include, but are not limited to, round-trip transportation from primary residence to Memphis; in-town Memphis transportation when not in a TSC vehicle; meals; housing. If Apprentices use their own vehicle for TSC-related work, they will be reimbursed.

Since its founding in 2008, TSC’s casting and hiring policies remain committed to diversity and inclusiveness in an effort to reflect Memphis’ community. TSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Program training for performers, supervised by Producing Artistic Director Dan McCleary, will focus on developing the classical actor in areas of voice, body, actor/audience relationship, Shakespeare verse, clowning, dance/fight, auditioning, and the business of remaining employed as a theatre actor. Training will include regular warm-ups, master classes, mock auditions, and ongoing specialty training classes with TSC teaching and artistic staff. 

Program training for stage managers and technicians will be supervised by TSC Production Manager Jeremy Fisher, with additional management provided by TSC’s production stage manager. 

Initial applications for actor candidates:

By March 29, please submit resume, headshot, two to three references, and a letter of interest to Dan McCleary at danmccleary@tnshakespeare.org. Candidates may then be invited to a virtual video audition.

Initial applications for stage manager candidates:

By March 29, please submit resume and a letter of interest to Dan McCleary at danmccleary@tnshakespeare.org. Candidates may then be invited to a virtual interview.

All Letters of Interest should address an applicant’s passion for classical theatre, awareness of TSC’s work and its mission, how previous training has prepared them for an immersive professional theatre experience, and their relationship to commitment, compassion, discipline, generosity of spirit, and courage in the theatre.

All applicants will be made aware of initial decisions by April 1. If invited to proceed in the application process, applicants then will submit videos/interviews by April 15. Final decisions will be communicated by TSC to all applicants by April 28. For more information, please visit the site here.