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 – TRAINING YEAR
Based at Roundabout, participants will receive training in multiple areas of technical theatre including carpentry, lighting, audio and wardrobe. Participants will 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 25-29 hours a week with a fluctuating schedule.
YEAR TWO – JOB DEVELOPMENT YEAR
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 – FREELANCE YEAR
Participants continue their training and enter full time into the technical theatre workforce as 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 exists 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 $16/an hour 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 must 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; be comfortable traveling throughout the 5 boroughs. People of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Recruitment for Cohort 8 will begin in March 2025. Information sessions will be offered in March, April, and May, and the program will start in September 2025. 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.
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 is made possible through the generosity of Denise Littlefield Sobel, the Altman Foundation, Capital One, and Con Edison.
The Technical Fellowship receives additional support from the Pinkerton Foundation, the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation, M&T Bank, NYC’s Human Resources Administration and Center for Economic Opportunity’s joint support through the Work Progress Program, the New York State Department of Labor with the support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Major funding to establish the Technical Fellowship’s Made in New York Stagecraft Bootcamp is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Department of Small Business Services.
We are grateful to those who contribute to Education at Roundabout’s many programs: The Bok Family Foundation—Roxanne and Scott L. Bok Trustees, Capital One, Samantha Rudin Earls and David Earls, the Gray Foundation, Jeanne and Tom Hagerty, The Hearst Foundations, HedgeServ Corporation, The JPB Foundation, The Kaplen Brothers Fund, the Kors Le Pere Foundation, Jill and Barry Lafer, Gess and Pamela LeBlanc, the Julia C. Levy Education Fund, David and Anita Massengill, the Mustang Foundation, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Mary Solomon/GSGives, Jennifer and Owen Thomas, the Tiger Baron Foundation, Diane and Tom Tuft, Cynthia C. Wainwright and Stephen Berger, Johannes and Regis Worsoe, and Emmy Zuckerman and Ed Bonfield.
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.