Video: NYC Students Are Learning About the Business of Broadway with the Broadway League's Shadowing Program

Earlier this month, the Broadway League launched its 11th annual High School Broadway Shadowing Program, welcoming 25 students from across various New York City public high schools to participate in this unique behind-the-scenes theatre experience. The High School Broadway Shadowing Program connects students from racially diverse and underrepresented backgrounds with industry professionals from marketing, advertising, press, technical, management, and creative teams, who share what goes in to launching and maintaining a Broadway production.

"We started this program with the goal to continue to diversify our Broadway workforce," Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin told Richard Ridge. "We partnered with the NYC Department of Education to work together. It's taken many different avenues, but all of them included up to 70 students who had an interest in Broadway and theatre."

Throughout the month of March, the selected group of students were offered practical training from Broadway professionals in careers that go beyond the stage. This is the only commercial theatre program of its kind that pairs individual students with aspirations of exploring non-performance careers in the arts with a Broadway General Management team to comprehensively learn about the many components of producing a show over the course of six days. The students are brought to the shows' marketing and management meetings, taken backstage and into box offices, attend rehearsals, and meet with stage managers and other professionals working on each production.

"Programs like this help people realize the vast numbers of careers that can be developed that [allow you to] get into your love of theatre even though you may not be a performer. It's really exciting to see their minds awaken to what's possible."

Watch below as St. Martin is joined by two students, Eddie and Eva, to chat more about how the program has changed their perception of theatre as a career choice.

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