Last week was not only a busy time on campus because of tech week, preview performances, and opening night of Cabaret, but it was also the first day of work for many apprentices of the 2019-2020 season. Gabriela Schulman, Hannah Ensign, Sarah Kiker, Eleanor Hill, Caitlin O’Brien, Kathryn Burke, Chelsea Dean, Sunny Cushing-Spiller, and Madeline Dozat are all now integrated into Olney’s campus and staff. Shortly, we will be welcoming two more apprentices on to campus, making our class of 16 complete!
The apprenticeship program is a yearlong experience intended to offer emerging theater artists a bridge between university and the profession. For one year, 16 apprentices live and work on OTC’s campus in every facet of the organization. Although many of the apprentices have just recently started, I wanted to introduce them to the blog and see where they are from and what they are up to during the month of September.
Gabriela Schulman:
- I am the Casting/Artistic Apprentice
- I am from Potomac, Maryland.
- The big task I have for this month is helping schedule, invite actors, and monitor auditions for Pippin. I am also doing my show call, which is Child Wrangling for Cabaret.
Hannah Ensign
- Education Administration Apprentice
- I am from Salt Lake City, Utah
- I am finishing up the Toolkits for The Diary of Anne Frank with Sarah, the dramaturgy apprentice, and working on possible community engagement activities/programs for The Royale
Eleanor Hill
- Company Management Apprentice
- I am from Leelanau County, MI
- We are working on getting everything ready for our production of Singin’ in the Rain!
Vern Reske
- Production Management Apprentice
- I am from Waukesha, Wisconsin!
- This month I'm helping with the start of rehearsals for The Royale, moving The Royale's props/furniture over to the Lab, tying all the loose ends during tech of The Royale (and watching it open!), working with rental agreements for our Historic Theatre, working on organizing and implementing a video shoot for Singin' in the Rain, and scheduling meetings for future shows in the 2019-20 season!
Steph Condon
- Sound and Projections Apprentice
- I'm from Laurel, MD! I am a local and I am excited to be working at OTC because it is a great theatre that I have always admired, and it is so close to home!
- Show Call for Cabaret, which entails checking if the mics are working and if any of the equipment needs to be repaired or looked at before the show starts, and preparing for The Royale in the lab.
Caitlin O’Brien
- Costumes Apprentice
- I'm from the Chicago metropolitan area
- I am currently working on running wardrobe for Cabaret and the build for The Royale!
Kathryn Burke
- Electrics Apprentice
- I'm from Plymouth, Indiana
- This month I'll be working on Cabaret as a spot op and working on lights in the Lab for The Royale
Chelsea Dean
- Props Apprentice
- Salisbury, MD
- Chelsea has begun working in the scene shop working on different props. This month, she will be working on props from various shows in the season.
Lelia Vetter
- Electrics Apprentice
- I’m from Montgomery Village, MD
- Currently, I am one of the spot ops for our production of Cabaret, and I am also in charge of channel checks, which means making sure each set of lights is still working and if anything needs to be replaced or addressed. When not working on Cabaret, we are working on preparing everything for The Royale!
Meredith Beisel
- Marketing and Development Apprentice
- I’m from Dayton, MD
- In September, I am going through every production Olney has done since the beginning selecting 6-8 photos for an archival base. I am also helping Michael with some grant writing, as well as running the light board for Cabaret!
All the apprentices are very excited to work and live together this next year. Today just happens to be National Pizza Day, so we have decided to order Dominos before many of us report to tonight’s performance of Cabaret! Stay tuned for more apprentice fun during this next year.
