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Artistic & Administrative Apprenticeship

Playwrights’ Center
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OVERVIEW
The apprenticeship at the Playwrights’ Center is a paid staff position that provides the opportunity to support the administrative and artistic aspects of the Playwrights’ Center. Over the course of a year, each apprentice will serve as an administrative assistant to the membership and education department, as well as work as a stage manager in approximately 15-25 new play development workshops. Through weekly staff meetings, they will also gain working knowledge of how a nonprofit service organization runs and get experience assisting other departments as projects arise.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Administrative:
  • Update constituent database (CRM).
  • Update membership-specific website content.
  • Aggregate, curate, and disseminate relevant information, resources, and opportunities for member playwrights around the world.
  • Observe trends around new play production and development around the world.
  • Assist staff in facilitation of regular monthly (virtual and local) educational seminars, classes, and member play readings.
  • Provide administrative support to the University Programs and Partnerships staff (e.g., research and brainstorming for educational programming).
Artistic:
  • Serve as a new play development stage manager.
  • Observe how a wide range of new plays are developed and how various playwrights tell stories.
  • Meet and work with professional theater makers, including playwrights, directors, dramaturgs, designers, and actors.
  • Receive invitations to all public and staff-only play readings and to selected artistic salons with visiting artistic leaders.
Staff development:
  • Receive complimentary membership to the Playwrights’ Center and explore the benefits it provides.
  • Attend weekly all-staff meetings.
  • Learn how the Playwrights’ Center as an organization works, how programs are run, what the values of the organization are, and how the staff collaborates to execute all parts of the organization’s work. Observe how departments work together, where work intersects, and how staff approach strategic problem-solving.
  • Work in and observe a non-profit theater arts service organization that values transparency and an artist-forward approach to their work.
  • Attend regular check-ins with a supervisor who will assess your work, answer questions that come up for you, and offer additional support or resources as needed.
  • Attend an end-of-term virtual conversation with previous apprentices.
  • Attend an end-of-term conversation with one of the leaders of the organization (artistic or managing director) to talk about your next steps and to get career advice.
Health and wellness:
  • NICE HEALTHCARE enrollment and benefits - A supplement to health insurance that provides you (and anyone living in your home) with in-home and virtual nurse practitioner visits, non-emergency services (including x-rays), and prescription refills
  • Option to work from home when it is necessary

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE APPRENTICESHIP
  • If you are coming straight out of school and/or an environment where you have been very hands-on in conversation, development, and theater-making, this apprenticeship may feel like a dramatic shift. The challenge will be to become comfortable as an observer in a professional theater workshop setting. While you may be asked for input or to participate in deeper ways in certain workshops, the majority of the time you will be in a supportive role. Listening, observing, taking notes, and being curious about each different process will give you a lot of fodder for your own professional work down the road and insight into what kind of creative processes you want to create for yourself.
  • Introduce yourself to people you want to know more (or ask the staff to make an introduction) and invite them to coffee or to a virtual meeting.
  • If you are a playwright, request to have a play put on the schedule to be read and responded to during a monthly member open play session. If you are a dramaturg or director, request to facilitate a member open play reading and feedback session. If you are an actor, request an audition time during our general auditions so you may be considered for possible roles. For designers and production managers, you have a chance to observe design consultants during select workshops.
  • We always recommend asking questions and letting PWC staff members—supervisors and staff in other departments—know about your interests, goals, and curiosities.

AFTER THE APPRENTICESHIP
  • Receive a professional resume review for your own portfolio
  • You may reach out to staff to be references for you in job searches and to write letters of recommendation.
  • You will receive an additional free year of membership at the Playwrights’ Center.
  • You will be added to our apprentice/intern alumni database and may be connected to anyone in that cohort at any time.
  • We will no doubt be in touch with you as the years go by to share job opportunities and keep you connected.
  • Please stay in touch and let us know what you are up to.

APPLICATION WINDOW
  • JANUARY 12 - MARCH 9, 2023
  • The apprenticeship begins in August 2023 and concludes in August 2024

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
To apply for an apprenticeship, you will need to provide the following:
  • Application form—https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9pO6DwbWxo0CSATFPbnEDfmy6n_XE93U8sriTn_XhuXD7QA/viewform
  • Current résumé - upload when requested in application form
  • Cover letter explaining your short-term and long-term career goals, what skills you will bring to the Playwrights’ Center, and why you are interested in a year-long apprenticeship at the Playwrights’ Center. We would like to hear about both your interest in participating in the play development workshops and also your interest in the administrative work. - upload when requested in application form
All application materials should be included in the online form. If you have any difficulties with the form, please email hr@pwcenter.org
NOTE: The Playwrights' Center is unable to provide housing to apprentices. At this time, the expectation is that apprentices plan to live within driving distance of the Playwrights' Center for the 2023-24 season. The apprenticeship is paid on an hourly basis (averaging between 15-18 hours per week, and at $14/hour). Schedules allow for other part-time work.
*Due to AEA Covid-19 safety protocols, anyone working in rehearsal rooms with performers are required to show proof of vaccination to complete employment requirements for this position. More details on PWC's Covid-19 policies can be found https://pwcenter.org//news/covid-19-policy-update.

For more information visit: https://pwcenter.org/apprenticeships