Actors Theatre of Louisville Announces New Interns & Apprentices for 2015-16

Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Jennifer Bielstein are proud to introduce the 2015-2016 Apprentice/Intern (A/I) Company. Each year, Actors Theatre of Louisville invites the most talented and highly motivated early-career theatre professionals in the nation to undertake a nine-month long training program that combines hands-on practical experience with educational seminars and professional guidance. Now in its 44th season, Actors Theatre's A/I Company is one of the oldest pre-professional training programs in the nation, and has built an incredible legacy of supporting the long-term vitality of American theatre through the mentorship and fostering of the best forthcoming talent in the field.

"As we prepare to launch another inspiring season at Actors Theatre, we are thrilled to welcome this incredible group of young professionals," says Jennifer Bielstein, the Actors Theatre's managing director. "The program is designed to bridge the gap between undergraduate study and a professional career and provides real-world experience that gives our alumni a competitive advantage when entering a crowded marketplace. I look forward to an industrious year and the many contributions these individuals will make, over time, to our organization and American theatre at large."

The A/I Company has been a launching pad for numerous alumni who have emerged into prominent positions in professional theatre. This year's company joins the prestigious list of alumni which includes actor Timothy Busfield (West Wing), Actors Theatre's current Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough, and Neil Pepe, Artistic Director of the Atlantic Theater Company in New York, among others. Selected from over 2,000 applicants from across the nation the 2015-2016 A/I Company consists of 39 college graduates-20 acting apprentices and 19 interns-each of whom is extremely talented in his or her chosen field. Through their participation in the nine-month long program over the course of the 2015-2016 Season, they will receive practical training, the opportunity to work with celebrated artists, and a firsthand look at the inner workings of one of the nation's leading regional theatres. The company will also produce a number of productions, including new work by nationally renowned playwrights nationwide, and original creations developed from the ground up by the members of the company themselves. These include three Solo Mios, solo performances written and performed by each member of the Acting Apprentice Company; The Tens, a series of ten-minute plays selected from Actors Theatre's National Ten-Minute Play Contest; a production during the 40th Humana Festival of New American Plays; and the New Voices Young Playwrights Festival, the foremost community outreach education program in the region, featuring productions by new, young playwrights.

The Apprentice/Intern Company has launched the careers of many burgeoning leaders in theatre, both at Actors Theatre and elsewhere nationwide. Notable alumni include: Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething, The West Wing), Jenny Robertson (Bull Durham, Role Models), Jason Butler Harner (Changeling), Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town, Tan Lines), Alex Hernandez (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Peter and the Starcatcher), Jeff White (Manhattan, Video Synchronicity, The Americans) Lisa McNulty (Artistic Line Producer at Manhattan Theatre Club), Anna Kull (Director of Community Relationships at Lark Play Development Center), Neil Pepe (Artistic Director of the Atlantic Theater Company) and Actors Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough. The A/I Company provides an avenue for future theatre leaders to network with other apprentices and interns nationally.

Actors Theatre's A/I Company joins a prestigious trio of recipients that have received significant grants from The Roy Cockrum Foundation. The 1.2 million dollar award will support grants over the next ten years for each apprentice and intern during the nine-month program, and provides year-round employment for the program's leadership. Founded by Roy Cockrum, the Foundation supports world-class performing arts projects in not-for-profit professional theatres throughout the United States. The Foundation considers grants by invitation only and is dedicated to helping nonprofit theaters reach beyond their normal scope of activities and undertake ambitious and creative productions.

Internships for the 2015-2016 Season have been awarded to:

Abbie Betts, DePaul University (Stage Management)

Codey Butler, University of Idaho (Stage Management)

Jes Childress, Brigham Young University (Education/Teaching Artist)

Kate Cuellar, Trinity University (Dramaturgy/Literary Management)

Elizabeth C. Cooley, (Development)

Cheyenne Davis, Kenyon College (Lighting)

Sonia Diaz, New Mexico State University (Marketing)

James Kennedy, Emerson College (Directing)

Anna Neikirk, University of Louisville (Stage Management)

Nick O'Leary, Dartmouth College (Directing)

Jenn Oswald, Illinois Wesleyan University (Education/Teaching Artist)

Helena Pennington, Reed College (Dramaturgy/Literary Management)

Cristine Figueiredo, Hofstra University (Event & Festival Management)

Kyle Hatfield, Ohio State University (Arts Administration)

Tia Kelley, Morehead State University (Communications)

Katie Sammons, Northern Kentucky University (Production Management)

Jonathan Harper Schlieman, Hunter College/ the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (A/I Company Administration)

Anna Stine, University of North Carolina (Scenic Artistry)

Olivia Tymon, University of Massachusetts Amherst (Stage Management)

Acting Apprenticeships for the 2015-2016 Season have been awarded to:

Austin Blunk, Savannah College of Art and Design

Michael T. Brown, University of Utah

Glenna Brucken, Ohio University

Michael Fell, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Tracey Green, Northwestern University

Mbali Guliwe, Ohio University/Lady Grey Arts Academy

Alex Hernandez, Montclair University

Hannah Karpenko, Nazareth College

Yaron Lotan, Fordham University

Lisa Bol, Ohio University

Esaú Mora, Southern Oregon University/Oregon Center for the Arts

Ari Shapiro, Northwestern University

Jayson Speters, University of Minnesota Duluth

Adenike Thomas, Tisch School of the Arts

Walls Trimble, Northwestern University

Sara Turner, Savannah College of Art and Design

Kyle Whalen, University of Oklahoma

Addison Williams, Georgetown University

Park Williams, University of Idaho

Amelia Windom, Ball State University