Tuesday, March 07, 2017
Roundabout Pairs With IATSE to Train Young Adults in Technical Theatre Careers
Playbill: Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the launch of the Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP), a new development initiative that trains and places young adults in professional technical theatre careers. The three-year program is in partnership with the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the youth development non-for-profit, The Door.
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I think this is so important! I completely agree that more opportunities need to be made for young people to discover the world of theatre not only from the stage, but also from behind the curtain. I feel so many high school theatre programs emphasize stage performance and all technical areas are second rate. This turns people away from a life in technical theatre, because they were just not given the same opportunities that actors and performers are. This is what I believe the article is targeting when they are saying that their goal is "to break down some of the barriers that presently prevent young adults from joining the theatre industry." Yes money is an issue and yes a lack of educational programs is a key, but there is something so much bigger. The stigma needs to be broken around the field of technical theatre to high schoolers. It is important that programs like this are going to provide a platform for young people to discover that being a stagehand is a professional opportunity for their future.
Woo! Just heard about this from another source and was super excited. I'm glad that more resources are being created for people who are leaving high school because it is really tough to dig your way into the theater world a lot of the time. Glad to see the demand for labor from techies like us is going to go up in future years and it totally makes sense for the creation of programs like TWDP; I hope to see a lot more of these partnerships in the future! Also, I know plenty of people who graduated from my high school wanting to continue in trades like carpentry, electrician work, etc. but the only options are trade schools for non-theater work and I think this is a great resource for people who wanted to do this kind of work in the theater industry. I'm just glad that entertainment and art industries still have a mind thinking forward towards the future which has become even more important now, especially with the cut of the NEA.
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