We’ve been working toward getting more students involved at Williamston Theatre.

Today we had a meeting with some folks from Williamston High School, and we’re on our way toward creating a High School Intern Program that will allow interested and qualified High School students to work 8-10 hours a week at the theatre for a semester or two to earn an “independent study” credit. They’d be involved in some clerical and administrative work, some box office, some custodial, and sit in on some rehearsals and production meetings to get a feeling for how a professional theatre is run.

I ran the Apprentice Program at The Purple Rose Theatre for a long time, and having this type of program is very near to my heart, and useful for the theatre as well as the students involved. I’m very excited about the H.S. Intern program as a first step towards what could be a full-blown Apprentice Program someday.

Also, tonight, we have our first classes being held at Williamston Theatre. Dana Brazil, one of the fine professional actors in the area, and a woman who has been in two shows here at WT, is taking 10 young people through a collection of theatre warmups and theatre games from 6pm to 9pm tonight. I just peeked in a minute ago, and it’s going wonderfully. Over the course of tonight and the next 3 Tuesdays, they’ll be learning the basics of breathing, listening and teamwork as well as having fun and hopefully developing a love for theatre while studying scene study, improv and auditions! It’s only a 4 week process, just the basics…but it’s a beginning, and it’s an exciting step.

In addition to that news, I’m happy to report that Flap, our current world premiere by Annie Martin, has had the best 4 weeks of attendance and box office of any of our shows so far.

So…forward progress. Right now, that’s a beautiful, wonderful thing!