Theatre isn’t just what you see onstage. There’s a whole other world behind it filled with many different career paths backstage!
Having partnered with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E), Roundabout Theatre Company has delivered this new alternative to training behind-the-scenes theatre technicians.
Established in 2016, this program has changed the landscape of technical theatre training. Our participants, ranging from 18-24 years old, will work hands-on in four disciplines while training with some of the industry’s top working professionals.
YEAR ONE
Based at Roundabout, participants will receive training in multiple areas of technical theatre including carpentry, lighting, audio and wardrobe. Participants will have the opportunity to observe Roundabout's theatre professionals backstage in Broadway and off-Broadway theatres. Each trainee will also be matched with an I.A.T.S.E. mentor for a mentorship that will continue throughout all three years of the program. Participants will work approximately 29 hours a week with a fluctuating schedule.
YEAR TWO
Training continues as participants become paid entry-level technicians. They will freelance at theatres across New York City, including at one of our employment partner theatres, which include Abrons Arts Center, Atlantic Theater Company, New Victory Theater, Playwright Horizons, and The Public Theatre.
YEAR THREE
Participants continue their training and enter full time into the technical theatre workforce as an independent working professionals with the guidance and support of the Roundabout staff and their I.A.T.S.E. mentors.
Technical theatre professionals are in high demand. The technical theatre skill sets our participants learn are transferable––a wealth of career opportunities exist in film, television, sports, events, and music. The possibilities are endless!
WHAT DOES IT COST?
There is no fee for this program. In fact, each trainee is paid an hourly wage of $15/hr during the first year. During the second year, the trainee will be employed by one of our employment partners. In the final year, the trainee will transition into the workforce full time.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Applicants should be current NYC residents, 18–24 years of age, with a high school diploma or equivalent. They should also be legally eligible to work in the U.S. Additional requirements include an ability to: Lift up to 50 lbs; Work in dark spaces with loud noises; stand for up to two hours at a time. People of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Recruitment for Cohort 7 will begin in Spring of 2024. Information sessions will be offered in May and June, and the program will start in September 2024. All interested candidates are required to attend an information session.
At the information session, you’ll get more details about the program, have an opportunity to meet with current Fellows, and participate in a sample training class. Please note that attending an information session is a required first step in the application process. Info sessions take place at The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre in midtown Manhattan.
Theatres and Live Entertainment Venues Seeking to Partner
To learn more about how your theatre company can partner with Roundabout for training, over hire, or employment opportunities with the TWDP Fellows, please contact twdp@roundabouttheatre.org or call 212.719.9393, ext. 8179.
THE DOOR PARTNERSHIP
The Door is an unparalleled model for youth development, offering a comprehensive range of integrated services to 11,000 New York City youth annually across our four New York City locations, including our lower Manhattan and South Bronx youth centers and two supportive housing sites on the Lower East Side. The Door’s on-site charter high school, Broome Street Academy (BSA), has 330 students and prioritizes applicants who are experiencing housing instability or have been involved in the child welfare system. Learn more at www.door.org.
MORE INFORMATION
If you have questions about the program, please contact twdp@roundabouttheatre.org or call 212.719.9393, ext. 8179.
TWDP IN THE NEWS
Roundabout’s Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) is made possible through the generosity of Denise Littlefield Sobel, the Mellon Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation, the Altman Foundation, the Kaplen Foundation, Capitol One, and the Herbert M. Citrin Foundation.
Major funding to establish the Made in New York Stagecraft Bootcamp is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Department of Small Business Services.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, NYC’s Human Resources Administration and Center for Economic Opportunity’s joint support through the Work Progress Program, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
TWDP is made possible by the Champions for Inclusive Theatre and Roundabout’s Forward Fund. We acknowledge the generous friends who support our many efforts to increase representation and inclusion in all aspects of theatre: Elizabeth Armstrong, Bank of America, Eugene and Joann Bissell and the Lillian Lincoln Foundation, Kevin Brown, Barbara and Peter Bye, Ginger McKnight Chavers, Ford Foundation, Jill and Barry Lafer, Gina Maria Leonetti, Iva Mills, Beryl Snyder, and Denise Littlefield Sobel.