Tennessee Shakespeare Company announces acting apprenticeship
National call for applications is open for actors to hone their craft at TSC’s Professional Classical Training Company
Tennessee Shakespeare Company recently announced its newest theatrical apprenticeship endeavor, the Professional Classical Training Company. This seasonal apprenticeship will begin August 7 and will run through May 14, 2021.
The Professional Classical Training Company at TSC is focused on experiential, classical play training designed to help emerging theatre actors launch or sustain their early professional careers. Experienced candidates are preferred, as this apprenticeship tackles more immersive career development opportunities. Actors in the PCTC are guaranteed to act and teach in a variety of shows, including mainstage productions during TSC’s 13th season. All apprentices cast in the mainstage season earn weeks in the
Equity Membership Candidate program. TSC Producing Artistic Director, Dan McCleary, is supervising the apprenticeship program.
“This is a huge step for TSC,” McCleary said. “Part of our mission is that we provide innovative year-round educational and training programming. Now, we are actively pursuing diverse talent from across the country to add to our company.”
PCTC training focuses on preparing the classical actor through cornerstones, such as voice, body, actor-audience relationship, Shakespearean verse, clowning, dance and fight, auditioning and the business of theatre acting. Training includes daily warmups, master classes, mock auditions, ongoing specialty training classes with TSC teaching and artistic staff, and masterclasses with visiting artists from around the country. TSC will award a grant of $7,000 to each apprentice to help offset the cost of living in Memphis.
Apprentices will receive networking opportunities with all visiting actors and directors who work at TSC during the season. The program’s open rehearsal policy will also allow them to watch the work of visiting artists and discuss their observations in regular mentoring sessions.
To request an audition, potential apprentices should submit a letter of interest to McCleary at
danmccleary@tnshakespeare.org, addressing points such as their passion for classical theatre, awareness of TSC and its mission, how previous training has prepared them for an immersive professional theatre experience, and their character as it relates to commitment, compassion, discipline, generosity of spirit and courage. Applications are due by March 30.
If invited to audition, candidates should prepare two classical pieces with a combined total of no more than three minutes, with at least one piece in verse. It is recommended, though not necessary, that at least one piece be comedic. Apprentices will select personally meaningful material that suits their age range.
For more information, please visit
www.tnshakespeare.org/actor_apprenticeship.
About Tennessee Shakespeare Company
Tennessee Shakespeare Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre and education organization in Memphis dedicated to live, diverse performances of William Shakespeare’s plays, as well as works of social significance by classical, Southern, and modern writers/composers; and to providing innovative educational and training programming.
Founded in 2008 by Producing Artistic Director Dan McCleary, Tennessee Shakespeare Company is Memphis’ first and only professional, classical theatre. In 2017, TSC purchased its first performing arts facility, which is being renovated into the state’s only permanent home for professional, year-round Shakespeare performance, education, and training. The company is in the midst of its $6 million Brave New World capital campaign.
TSC has engaged its community with 45 site-specific plays and events for over 50,000 patrons. Its ground-breaking Education program has reached 120 schools across nine states, totaling over 250,000 student interactions.
The Education Program has achieved a high regional and national profile, partners annually with all local school systems, and this year is a recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts/Arts Midwest’s Shakespeare in American Communities grants: one for The Romeo and Juliet Project in underserved local schools, and the other for expanded residencies with local incarcerated youth (TSC is one of just seven U.S. theatres to be awarded).
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