Zach Theater to Launch National Search For New Leader Of Renowned Advanced Training Program

Zach Theater, the longest-running professional theater in Texas, announced the start of a national search for an Associate Director of Advanced Training for its conservatory-style youth training programs.

The announcement of this new role follows a recent rebrand and new strategic plan for Austin's largest producing theater that outlines major investments in education programming over the next five years. The new associate director will oversee instructors and support faculty, curriculum design, program expansion, and will guide students through college audition preparation at Zach's advanced training campuses.

“Our program is one of the most competitive and respected advanced acting and musical theater training programs in the nation, and one of the only connected to a professional producing theater of Zach's scale,” Nat Miller, Director of Youth Programming at Zach Theater, said. “With high expectations, we're looking for a leader with real-world experience, modern instructional skill and a commitment to student success beyond the stage. Over the past decade, Zach has become the premier training destination for young artists in Texas. Now we're building on that momentum to help more alumni earn sustainable, meaningful careers in the performing arts.”

Since 2013, the Pre-Professional Company, Zach's original advanced training program, has enrolled more than 600 students, with alumni going on to appear in Broadway productions such as The Notebook, & Juliet, Real Women Have Curves and A Light in the Piazza. In 2018, Zach expanded its advanced training offerings with the launch of an additional campus in North Austin and Zach Academy, providing additional industry-specific training for its students. 

“This program is one of the strongest talent pipelines in the country,” Dave Steakley, Producing Artistic Director at Zach, said. “We train students in our rehearsal rooms and on our own mainstage and ultimately set them up to perform on stages like the Gershwin Theatre in New York or even the West End in London. We have the infrastructure, faculty, alumni network and brand recognition to train triple-threat performers under one roof. The level of training, consistency and artistic rigor we offer is what sets our program apart.” 

Zach Associate Artistic Director Cassie Abate will be advising the program in the interim. A nationally recognized choreographer, director and educator, Abate brings more than two decades of experience in professional theater, touring productions and higher education. She previously led the musical theatre program at Texas State University, named one of the top 25 drama schools in the world by the Hollywood Reporter. Her work has earned four Austin Critics Circle Awards and a Broadway World Award for Best Choreography. In 2025, the Austin American-Statesman named her one of 25 Austinites shaping the future of the city's arts and culture landscape.

“I've spent my career working at some of the highest levels of theater and collegiate training programs, and the artists on Zach's stage are among the strongest I've seen,” Abate said. “New York-based actors come here to stretch creatively in a city that fosters bold, collaborative work. That energy has made Austin one of the most dynamic performing arts regions in the country, and we're looking for a colleague who shares that commitment and will help push our students and our program to the next level.”

The search committee will include award-winning Broadway performer Leslie McDonel, longtime Zach leading man Roderick Sanford, with additional input from parents, current and former students and other industry professionals. Finalists will visit Austin to lead student training sessions, where current students will have a chance to meet and interact with candidates and provide feedback. 

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