Meet Torie Brown, CoMa Apprentice

ABOUT THE APPRENTICESHIP

SABRINA: What is the path that brought you to Olney Theatre Center ? What attracted you to the Apprentice Program?

TORIE: So, last November or December, I was scrolling through the good ol' Tik Tok, and a lot of the content creators I follow are talking about Olney Theatre's production of Beauty and the Beast. I was like, "Oh, my God! I grew up forty minutes away from there. How have I never known about this place?" So, when I was in the process of applying for jobs post-graduation, I registered for the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions (UPTA) conference, which Olney Theatre was participating in, and I learned that Olney was hiring apprentices. I thought, "might as well reach out!" So I reached out, sent in my application, had an interview, and here we are.

S: Why Company Management?

T: So, I applied for a few different apprenticeships, but I applied for Company Management after talking with the company manager from my alma mater. I consider her a mentor and a friend, so the more I learned about her job, the more I thought, "this is something I could do. Why not learn more in a professional setting for myself, just for my own curiosity?"

S: What are you working on right now?

T: I am working on Olney's remount of Beauty and the Beast, coordinating the arrivals of all the out-of-town actors, making sure housing is ready for them, getting their train tickets, and making sure that they'll have access to company cars so they can get to and from the theater. I'm also kind of in the process of working on contracts for our upcoming production of Kinky Boots with our Associate General Manager, Danielle, since that's coming down the pipeline. 

S: Describe your favorite place on campus.

T: Probably the living room of the 1938 Original Theatre, where five other apprentices and I live behind the control booth on the second floor. I feel like that's where I hang out with a lot of my friends and just unwind from the day. It's the first place I walk into after work, so I associate it with decompressing. 

S: I know we've only been here one month, but do you have any advice for the next Company Management Apprentice?

T: I would say: don't be afraid to ask questions or inquire about things. And don't be afraid if you want to do something outside of company management while you're here. Take the initiative, ask the right person, "Can I do this to further my education?" That's my main thing. Don't be afraid to explore and learn.

ABOUT TORIE

S: Outside of your job here, how do you define yourself professionally and artistically?

T: I'm an aspiring director. On my website, it says that I'm a member of the next generation of theatre makers. And I really like that, because I view our generation as a group of people who are really going to make a change to this industry. So that's a big part of who I am—wanting to make a change to this industry because I love it so much, and I want to see it become better and survive, so we can pass it on to the next generation and they can continue to make more change.

S: What do you hope to do after your apprenticeship?

T: I would like to find myself in the artistic department of a theatre, ideally in D.C. or New York, and begin the path of working my way up to becoming an artistic director.

S: Who are you outside of work?

T: I'm a big theater nerd, so I go see as many shows as I can. (We get a lot of complimentary ticket offers through Olney!) I enjoy watching TV and stuff on Netflix, that's a big part of how I decompress from my day. I enjoy the occasional cooking and just hanging out with friends. And yeah, living life to the fullest!

S: If you had to describe yourself only in “I am” statements, how would you? 

T: I am ambitious. I'm determined. I'm persistent and persevering. And I'm a bit of a goofball!