Professional Fellowships
Observe. Learn. Contribute. Go beyond.
Shakespeare Theatre Company is dedicated to supporting the next generation of theatre practitioners, administrators and leaders. Each season STC offers approximately twenty fellowship positions that are an integral part of the company, working alongside renowned artists and accomplished administrative staff at the center of D.C.’s dynamic theatre community and vibrant artistic scene. STC’s highly competitive Professional Fellowship program allows early career theatre-makers the opportunity to learn from and contribute to the running of the nation’s leading classical theatre.
Fellowship Fast Facts:
- Most are season-long, full time commitment*
- $150 weekly stipend
- Fully furnished, rent-free housing in downtown D.C.
- Bi-weekly seminars and other learning opportunities
- Staff benefits including free tickets, acting classes and company events
*Please see discipline descriptions for specific fellowship lengths. Schedules are rigorous—administrative fellows work 40+ hours a week as well as additional weekend and evening hours when needed, and production fellows often work 40–60 hours a week.
Still a college student and can’t make a full-time commitment?
Learn about the College Apprentice Program.
Fellowship Disciplines:
- Acting
- Casting
- Company Management
- Costume Design
- Costume Production
- Directing
- Engagement and Education
- Management
- Graphic Design
- Literary
- Marketing and Communications
- Special Events
- Stage Management
- Technical Direction
Fellowships are made possible in part by Michael and Maureen McMurphy, in memory of Patrick McMurphy.
Summer Internships
Each summer, the Engagement and Education Department invites college students interested in exploring careers in theatre education to help facilitate its summer program: Camp Shakespeare. Successful candidates will have prior experience working with youth, preferably in the arts. These summer internships are full-time, short-term engagements that span from late-June to late-August. Summer interns receive a weekly stipend but are not provided with housing. To apply, please email a one-page statement of interest and resume to: STCFellows@ShakespeareTheatre.org. Application deadline: March 21, 2021.
Administration fellowships
Company Management
The company management fellow assists in the daily operations of production, administration, and guest artist hospitality. Duties include coordinating guest artist travel, housing and shipping; representing the general management office at performances and rehearsals; assisting with general administrative functions; and serving as part of Company Management’s on call rotation. Successful candidates will have some theatre experience with excellent organizational and people skills, and a flexible schedule.October 2020 – April 2021.
Engagement and Education
The engagement and education fellow supports the implementation of school, community, training and audience enrichment programs. Duties include scheduling, facilitating and assisting both in-school and after-school workshops and residencies; developing student and teacher curriculum guides; coordinating special events; and assisting with the daily administrative needs of the Engagement and Education Department. Successful candidates will have experience in both theatre and education. Occasional evening and weekend work is required. September 2020 – June 2021.
Management
The management fellow assists in the daily operations of STC’s season through union and contract adherence, guest artist hospitality, administration, and finance. Duties include representing the general management office at performances and rehearsals; assisting with artist contracting and tax paperwork collection; coordinating guest artist travel, housing and shipping; coordinating staff and board committee meetings; and special projects in the areas of organizational management, strategic planning, and accounting. Successful candidates will be exceptional collaborators with excellent organizational and people skills, and an interest in theatrical management. This position requires a flexible schedule, evening and weekend work.August 2020 – August 2021.
Graphic Design
The graphic design fellow receives hands-on training in conceptualizing, creating and preparing pieces for print. Duties include realizing projects ranging from newspaper ads to brochures to full-size posters. Knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite – especially InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator on a Mac platform is required. Successful candidates will provide a portfolio and/or examples of work that demonstrate understanding of layout, typography, color and design. September 2020 – June 2021.
Marketing and Communications
The marketing and communications fellow supports the daily operations of the Marketing and Communications Department. Duties include assisting with audience development; subscription and single ticket marketing; press; publications; research; and special projects depending on the needs of the season. Successful candidates will have strong written and verbal communication skills as well as excellent organizational skills. September 2020 – June 2021.
Special Events
The special events fellow supports the Chief Development Officer and the rest of the Development Department in all aspects of donor relations and fundraising, with a focus on planning and executing specials events such as Opening Nights, Meet the Cast events, the Annual Gala, National Council events, and more. Duties include research; writing; meeting planning; event assistance; entering information into STC’s donor database (Tessitura); and daily office tasks. Successful candidates will have exceptional writing and organizational skills and strong verbal communication ability. Occasional evening and weekend work is required. August 2020 – June 2021.
Production Fellowships
Acting
STC provides a unique opportunity for early career actors to work alongside experienced professionals during our season of plays. Acting fellows will compose the non-Equity ensemble for selected productions; serve as understudies; and may be offered additional performance or other opportunities within the Engagement and Education Department. Acting fellows are selected from invitation-only auditions in New York City and Washington, D.C.– as well as a partnership with The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. The length of this fellowship is determined on an individual basis after auditions. Successful candidates will have a degree in theatre or equivalent training. Application deadline: April 1, 2020.
Casting
The casting fellow assists the Resident Casting Director and the rest of the Artistic Department with current and future productions. Duties include proctoring audition sessions and corresponding with actors and directors about auditions; creating audition sides, schedules and other materials; maintaining STC’s casting database and budget; attending theatre throughout the DMV area; and contributing actor ideas for upcoming casting sessions. Successful candidates will be excellent multi-taskers that thrive in a fast-paced, artistically demanding environment while having a positive outlook about their work. Previous administrative experience required. Familiarity with Microsoft Office, Dropbox, Vimeo, and Tessitura is desirable. June 2020 – June 2021.
Costume Design
The costume design assistant fellow will work side by side with shop professionals and designers on projects spanning all eras and styles with a range of work from contemporary to fantastical. Costume design assistant fellows are mentored by STC’s Costume Director, Guest Designers, Resident Design Assistant and Costume Shop Floor Manager. Duties include shopping; pulling costumes; production paperwork; and attending fittings and technical rehearsals. A valid driver’s license and a portfolio and/or examples of work are required. September 2020 – June 2021.
Costume Production
The costume production fellow assists in costume construction, shop maintenance, and running of the company’s mainstage productions and other projects. The shop consists of draping teams of three (draper, firsthand and stitcher), a crafts department and a management team. Costume production fellows work in several areas over the course of the fellowship and work spans many eras and styles, including corsetry, tailoring, millinery and armor. Basic sewing skills are required; a portfolio and/or examples of work are desirable. September 2020 – June 2021.
Directing
For the 2020/2021 season, STC will invite two early career directors to spend half a season (one in the fall and one in the spring; specific dates will be available during the interview process) assisting on up to three productions each. Duties include supporting directors with all aspects of the rehearsal and production process including but not limited to research; text analysis; recording blocking; rehearsing understudies; and maintaining productions once they have opened. Directing fellows also facilitate communication between STC’s staff and production teams and may have some administrative responsibilities related to the operation of the Artistic Department. Successful candidates will have a degree in theatre, experience as an Assistant Director on professional productions, a working knowledge of Shakespeare and other classics, and excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. Application deadline: April 1, 2020.
Literary
The literary fellow assists the Literary Manager and the rest of the Artistic Department with current and future productions. Duties include reading, writing about, and discussing plays; dramaturgical research for productions; supporting rehearsals and season planning; maintaining the STC script database and literary budget; corresponding with literary agencies; and other administrative tasks. Candidates should submit a 300 – 500-word analysis of a Shakespeare play (in place of a writing sample) with their application. September 2020 – June 2021.
Stage Management
Stage management fellows works closely with Equity and non-Equity stage managers, assisting in all aspects of stage management from pre-production preparation into rehearsal and through the run of the show as part of the running crew. Stage management fellows may have the opportunity to stage manage special events and are eligible to receive EMC points. June 2020 – April 2021 and September 2020 – June 2021.
Technical Direction
The technical direction fellow will work alongside STC’s Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director in developing budgets and building drawings for productions during the season. Duties include assisting in project flow and load-in scheduling; updating STC practices to improve efficiency; and attending all show-related meetings and events to learn the process of how a production goes from the design stage to closing night. Successful candidates will have two years of BFA training and some professional experience; Autocad experience is required. September 2020 – June 2021.
How to Apply
Acting Fellowships
Acting fellowship candidates should submit a current headshot/resume to STCFellows@ShakespeareTheatre.org, or mail a hard copy to:
Acting Fellowships
Shakespeare Theatre Company
516 Eighth Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
All Non-Acting Fellowships
Email STCFellows@ShakespeareTheatre.org a one-page statement of interest along with a resume.
Additional Application Materials Required
Writing Samples
Candidates for Directing, Engagement and Education, Marketing and Communications, General Management and Special Events should include a three–five page writing sample in their application materials. Writing samples can be academic work, formal critiques, essays, press releases, grant evaluations/proposals, original lesson plans/curriculum or director’s notes. Candidates should avoid submitting creative writing samples such as script excerpts or poetry.
Portfolio Samples
Candidates for Costume Production, Costume Design, Graphic Design, Stage Management and Technical Direction should include portfolio samples (in place of a writing sample). These samples can include attachments to photos/files or links to online portfolios. Candidates should avoid submitting originals or large, hard-copy portfolio items.
To Submit an Application
Send supporting materials to:
Fellowships
Shakespeare Theatre Company
516 Eighth Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
Due to the high volume of applications, please do not call or email as STC Engagement and Education will not be able to return calls or emails in a timely manner. All candidates will receive an email verification of receipt. Please allow 1-2 weeks for processing.
FAQs
If a portfolio is required, may I send hard-copies?
Yes. However, do not send originals as they will not be returned. Candidates should also avoid sending large pieces. Electronic attachments and/or links to on-line portfolios are preferred.
How are fellows compensated? Is housing available?
Officially, fellows will receive no compensation. The stipend offered to fellows helps to defray the cost of living expenses incurred during their fellowship. No taxes are deducted from this amount, so fellows will be responsible for any taxes owed to the IRS. Housing is provided for all fellows. STC housing is fully-furnished, includes all utilities, and is located in a residential neighborhood of Capitol Hill within walking distance of the Administrative offices as well as the Metrorail system.
Can I hold another job during my fellowship?
Due to the rigorous work schedule in all departments, fellows should not depend on supplemental income from an additional job. However, some fellows have been able to find part-time work, including within our own house management and box office departments when their schedule allows.
How does the application process work?
Candidates will email a statement of interest and their resume and will receive a confirmation email upon receipt. If they are invited to interview, they will be contacted directly by the STC Engagement and Education department. We begin scheduling interviews in March or April. Hiring decisions are usually made in June. Once a position has been filled, all other candidates will be informed that the position has been filled.
Are in-person interviews scheduled?
Due to the high volume of applications, all scheduled interviews take place over the phone. Some departments may invite second interview candidates to an in-person or video conference interview, if necessary.
Do you accept recorded auditions for the acting fellowship?
Auditions are in-person (in NYC or DC) and invitation-only. Exceptions have been made in the past for international applicants. This may be discussed if and when candidates are invited to audition.
How competitive is admission to the professional fellowship program?
Each year we receive approximately 600 – 1,000 applications for around twenty fellowships and six summer internships.
Do you offer summer internships?
Each summer, the Engagement and Education Department invites six college students interested in exploring careers in theatre education to help facilitate its summer program: Camp Shakespeare. Successful candidates will have prior experience working with youth, preferably in the arts. These summer internships are full-time, short-term engagements that span from late-June to late-August. Summer interns receive a weekly stipend but are not provided with housing. To apply, please email a one-page statement of interest and resume to: STCFellows@ShakespeareTheatre.org. Application deadline: March 1, 2020.
Who is eligible for a fellowship?
Typically our fellows have an undergraduate degree in theatre or are in the early stages of their professional careers. While qualification requirements differ from fellow to fellow, all of our fellows must show a desire to further their careers in theatre.
Are there fellowships available for high school students?
We do not offer fellowships to high school students due to the full-time schedule requirements. For the same reason, we are unable to engage high school students seeking to fulfill their “senior project” or “senior experiences” as the short-term nature of those engagements seldom correlate with our production schedule.
Do you offer for-credit fellowships?
Yes. We ask that all accepted candidates seeking academic credit make all arrangements with their school to award credit for participating in STC’s fellowship program. Fellow supervisors/mentors can provide support (signatures, evaluations, etc.) only after the candidate and their graduate program have reached an agreement.
Are international applicants considered for fellowships?
Yes. All international applicants should make any and all arrangements to secure a Visa prior to consideration. STC will not coordinate or make any arrangements to secure a Visa prior to selection/acceptance.
