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The city’s largest arts education organizations unite to address the effects of the pandemic on marginalized youth and repair a disrupted workforce pipeline in DC's creative economy.
The DC Arts Education Alliance announces the formation of the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement, a year-long education and apprenticeship program in technical theater to launch in January 2023, in which participants will be paid to learn and work. Seventeen of the largest arts education organizations in the city, led by The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Life Pieces to Masterpieces, Sitar Arts Center, and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, have teamed up to train young people who are disconnected from or under-engaged in school and work to enter DC’s creative economy. Through an intensive education and apprenticeship program in technical theater, youth ages 18 to 24 will be prepared for careers as offstage theater professionals whose roles include lighting and audio engineering, set construction, scenic painting, rigging, and stage management.
The Institute seeks to address two pressing challenges faced by our city: 1) the barriers to a meaningful career path for youth from DC communities hardest hit by the pandemic, and 2) the labor crisis in the DC theater and entertainment industries caused by a lack of skilled technical production workers in the area. Applications for the Institute are currently open with an October 1 deadline, and the inaugural class of 20 students will begin in January.
The Share Fund, one of Washington’s most generous supporters of both professional theater and youth development, has provided a $500,000 matching grant for the first two years of the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced this month that she secured $250,000 in Community Project Funding for the pilot year in the House’s fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills. In addition, the DC Arts Education Alliance is working to make the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement the city’s first official apprenticeship sponsor in the arts under the Department of Employment Services.
The Arts Institute for Creative Advancement will not only be tuition-free but students will be paid for their training time, removing one of the most pernicious barriers to career skills development. Participants will not have to maintain full-time jobs in order to survive while pursuing a rigorous training program.
Built into the Institute curriculum, and unique for a workforce development program, is arts-based socio-emotional training and support drawn from the DC Arts Education Alliance partners’ vast experience of working with youth whose opportunities have been limited by systemic racism, poverty, and educational challenges. Alliance organizations collectively serve over 15,000 students annually and employ more than 450 teaching artists and more than 125 full- and part- time staff across all eight wards.
“This program is unique in its design to attend to the whole student,” according to Amy Moore, Executive Director of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, the Alliance organization serving as the fiscal sponsor of the Institute. “The collaborative programming brings the best of what local arts education organizations have to the table and establishes a clear, comprehensive and sustainable path to employment for students who have not had an opportunity to grow professionally in one of the most vibrant industries in the city.”
There is an immediate and critical need within the DC community for youth to receive opportunities for social and emotional healing, reconnecting with community, and re-engaging with meaningful work and study following pandemic-related disruptions in school, family, and community. COVID-19 erased ten years’ progress in reducing the number of youth disconnected from school or employment in a matter of months. Collective impact strategies, especially those focusing on the “whole child,” have proven highly effective in working with disconnected youth.
“We are thrilled to center this high quality and unique workforce development opportunity within a very intentional, homegrown cultural environment that fosters human development and advances justice, equity, diversity and inclusion,” says Mary Brown, Founder and Executive Director of Life Pieces To Masterpieces, the Ward 7 organization leading the social-emotional support system embedded in the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement. “Our Color Me Community curriculum has, for 26 years, successfully formed the basis of our programming with children, youth, and families. By bringing together arts education organizations from here in Washington, DC, each bringing our unique strengths, we are sharing in this powerful mission, and can bring a new social-emotional perspective to apprenticeship programs.”
The Institute has been embraced by Washington’s professional theater community as a solution to a critical problem in the local entertainment industry.
“The Arts Institute for Creative Advancement is a workforce development program that will address a crisis faced by nearly every professional theater in the District: a shortage of production workers who have the skills to support DC’s theatrical productions,” says Theater J Managing Director David Lloyd Olson. “If unaddressed, this labor shortage will cripple DC’s nationally-renowned theater industry. The Institute will be a boon to DC’s thriving creative economy.”
Theatre Washington, the service organization for the region’s vibrant theater community, applauds the effort as a “citywide training program to reawaken the necessary and vital connections between students and the arts. And most importantly, connect them with workforce development pathways that they may not otherwise know exist in their communities,” says Amy Austin, CEO and President.
The Institute offers participants more than 1,000 paid hours of skill development and on-the-job training in the arts, resulting in nationally recognized certifications in Lighting and Electrics, Audio Engineering, and Rigging. The Institute is looking for young adults with a strong desire to learn a trade that has both physical and creative components and requires a high degree of commitment. The program is open to individuals age 18+ who did not complete high school, as well as those who have diplomas, GEDs, and some (limited) post-secondary experience; no prior experience or education in theater is required.
The program will be housed at The Theatre Lab, Washington’s largest theater school and the Alliance organization responsible for teaching the technical theater curriculum. “We’re thrilled to be creating and implementing a curriculum in theater production that will be accessible to young adults who have faced obstacles in traditional learning environments,” says Deb Gottesman, Co-Executive Director of The Theatre Lab. “And, at the same time, we look forward to doing our part to diversify a high-wage, high-demand field that is currently more than 80% white.”
Demand for the program is expected to be strong, in part because it was created to serve needs directly identified by young people who are already involved in the grassroots Alliance organizations. “Consistently we hear from our youth, through our annual evaluations, that the skills they develop in Sitar’s programs prepare them to move forward in post-secondary education and career pathways” says Maureen Dwyer, Executive Director of the Sitar Arts Center, the organization providing the Institute’s 21st century work readiness curriculum.
The Members of the DC Arts Education Alliance, who are providing training, mentorship, and/or apprenticeship opportunities for the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement include the following:
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Children’s Chorus of Washington, CityDance, Critical Exposure, Dance Institute of Washington, DC Youth Orchestra Program, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, Levine Music, The MusicianShip, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Project Create, Sitar Arts Center, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Young Playwrights’ Theater, The Viva School, Words Beats & Life, and 826DC.
About the DC Arts Education Alliance
Initially formed in spring 2020 with the focus of elevating arts education efforts in the District, the Alliance subsequently worked to amplify the critical need for arts education during the pandemic. The eight founding organizations – Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, CityDance, DC Youth Orchestra Program, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, Levine Music, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Sitar Arts Center, and The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts – are anchor institutions in their communities that have each been working in the District an average of 30+ years and are deeply committed to students and community. During the pandemic, all Alliance organizations ensured students were able to stay engaged during a time of deep social isolation by continuing student programming uninterrupted—through successful models that were virtual, in-person, and hybrid. Coming together has offered members of the Alliance opportunities to exchange best practices, share messaging, and collaborate on programming.
In April 2021, nine additional arts education organizations joined the alliance– 826DC, Children’s Chorus of Washington, Critical Exposure, Dance Institute of Washington, Project Create, The Musicianship, Words Beats & Life, The Viva School, and Young Playwrights Theater (YPT). The 17 Alliance organizations collectively serve 15,000+ students annually and employ more than 450 teaching artists and more than 125 full- and part-time staff. All organizations receive support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
" ["post_title"]=> string(107) "DC Arts Education Alliance announces $750,000 program to train disconnected youth to be theater technicians" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(105) "dc-arts-education-alliance-announces-750000-program-to-train-disconnected-youth-to-be-theater-technicians" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-07-26 13:45:49" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-07-26 17:45:49" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=53798" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [2]=> object(WP_Post)#14416 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(53819) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-07-26 10:11:49" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-07-26 14:11:49" ["post_content"]=> string(11567) "The city’s largest arts education organizations unite to address the effects of the pandemic on marginalized youth and repair a disrupted workforce pipeline in DC’s creative economy
The DC Arts Education Alliance today announces the formation of the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement, a year-long education and apprenticeship program in technical theater to launch in January 2023, in which participants will be paid to learn and work. Seventeen of the largest arts education organizations in the city, led by The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Sitar Arts Center, and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, have teamed up to train young people who are disconnected from or under-engaged in school and work to enter DC’s creative economy. Through an intensive education and apprenticeship program in technical theater, youth ages 18-24 will be prepared for careers as offstage theater professionals whose roles include lighting and audio engineering, set construction, scenic painting, rigging, and stage management.
The Institute seeks to address two pressing challenges faced by our city: 1) the barriers to a meaningful career path for youth from DC communities hardest hit by the pandemic, and 2) the labor crisis in the DC theater and entertainment industries caused by a lack of skilled technical production workers in the area. Applications for the Institute are currently open with an October 1 deadline, and the inaugural class of 20 students will begin in January.
The Share Fund, one of Washington’s most generous supporters of both professional theater and youth development, has provided a $500,000 matching grant for the first two years of the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced this month that she secured $250,000 in Community Project Funding for the pilot year in the House’s fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills. In addition, the DC Arts Education Alliance is working to make the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement the city’s first official apprenticeship sponsor in the arts under the Department of Employment Services.
The Arts Institute for Creative Advancement will not only be tuition-free, but students will be paid for their training time, removing one of the most pernicious barriers to career skills development. Participants will not have to maintain full-time jobs in order to survive while pursuing a rigorous training program.
Built into the Institute curriculum, and unique for a workforce development program, is arts-based socio-emotional training and support drawn from the DC Arts Education Alliance partners’ vast experience of working with youth whose opportunities have been limited by systemic racism, poverty, and educational challenges. Alliance organizations collectively serve over 15,000 students annually and employ more than 450 teaching artists and more than 125 full- and part- time staff across all eight wards.
“This program is unique in its design to attend to the whole student,” according to Amy Moore, Executive Director of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, the Alliance organization serving as the fiscal sponsor of the Institute. “The collaborative programming brings the best of what local arts education organizations have to the table and establishes a clear, comprehensive and sustainable path to employment for students who have not had an opportunity to grow professionally in one of the most vibrant industries in the city.”
There is an immediate and critical need within the D.C. community for youth to receive opportunities for social and emotional healing, reconnecting with community, and re-engaging with meaningful work and study following pandemic-related disruptions in school, family, and community. COVID-19 erased ten years’ progress in reducing the number of youth disconnected from school or employment in a matter of months.1/ Collective impact strategies, especially those focusing on the “whole child,” have proven highly effective in working with disconnected youth.2/
“We are thrilled to center this high quality and unique workforce development opportunity within a very intentional, homegrown cultural environment that fosters human development and advances justice, equity, diversity and inclusion,” says Mary Brown, Founder and Executive Director of Life Pieces To Masterpieces, the Ward 7 organization leading the social-emotional support system embedded in the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement. “Our Color Me Community curriculum has, for 26 years, successfully formed the basis of our programming with children, youth, and families. By bringing together arts education organizations from here in Washington, DC, each bringing our unique strengths, we are sharing in this powerful mission, and can bring a new social-emotional perspective to apprenticeship programs.”
The Institute has been embraced by Washington’s professional theater community as a solution to a critical problem in the local entertainment industry.
“The Arts Institute for Creative Advancement is a workforce development program that will address a crisis faced by nearly every professional theater in the District: a shortage of production workers who have the skills to support DC’s theatrical productions,” says Theater J Managing Director David Lloyd Olson. “If unaddressed, this labor shortage will cripple DC’s nationally-renowned theater industry. The Institute will be a boon to DC’s thriving creative economy.”
Theatre Washington, the service organization for the region’s vibrant theater community, applauds the effort as a “citywide training program to reawaken the necessary and vital connections between students and the arts. And most importantly, connect them with workforce development pathways that they may not otherwise know exist in their communities,” says Amy Austin, CEO and President.
The Institute offers participants more than 1,000 paid hours of skill development and on-the-job training in the arts, resulting in nationally recognized certifications in Lighting and Electrics, Audio Engineering, and Rigging. The Institute is looking for young adults with a strong desire to learn a trade that has both physical and creative components and requires a high degree of commitment. The program is open to individuals age 18+ who did not complete high school, as well as those who have diplomas, GEDs, and some (limited) post-secondary experience; no prior experience or education in theater is required.
The program will be housed at The Theatre Lab, Washington’s largest theater school and the Alliance organization responsible for teaching the technical theater curriculum. “We’re thrilled to be creating and implementing a curriculum in theater production that will be accessible to young adults who have faced obstacles in traditional learning environments,” says Deb Gottesman, Co-Executive Director of The Theatre Lab. “And, at the same time, we look forward to doing our part to diversify a high-wage, high-demand field that is currently more than 80% white.”
Demand for the program is expected to be strong, in part because it was created to serve needs directly identified by young people who are already involved in the grassroots Alliance organizations. “Consistently we hear from our youth, through our annual evaluations, that the skills they develop in Sitar’s programs prepare them to move forward in post-secondary education and career pathways” says Maureen Dwyer, Executive Director of the Sitar Arts Center, the organization providing the Institute’s 21st century work readiness curriculum.
The Members of the DC Arts Education Alliance, who are providing training, mentorship, and/or apprenticeship opportunities for the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement include the following:
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Children’s Chorus of Washington, CityDance, Critical Exposure, Dance Institute of Washington, DC Youth Orchestra Program, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, Levine Music, The MusicianShip, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Project Create, Sitar Arts Center, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Young Playwrights’ Theater, The Viva School, Words Beats & Life, and 826DC.
For more information about the program visit www.dcartsedalliance.org/arts-institute or contact deb@theatrelab.org.
About the DC Arts Education Alliance
Initially formed in spring 2020 with the focus of elevating arts education efforts in the District, the Alliance subsequently worked to amplify the critical need for arts education during the pandemic. The eight founding organizations – Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, CityDance, DC Youth Orchestra Program, Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop, Levine Music, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Sitar Arts Center, and The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts – are anchor institutions in their communities that have each been working in the District an average of 30+ years and are deeply committed to students and community. During the pandemic, all Alliance organizations ensured students were able to stay engaged during a time of deep social isolation by continuing student programming uninterrupted—through successful models that were virtual, in-person, and hybrid. Coming together has offered members of the Alliance opportunities to exchange best practices, share messaging, and collaborate on Programming.
In April 2021, nine additional arts education organizations joined the alliance– 826DC, Children’s Chorus of Washington, Critical Exposure, Dance Institute of Washington, Project Create, The Musicianship, Words Beats & Life, The Viva School, and Young Playwrights Theater (YPT). The 17 Alliance organizations collectively serve 15,000+ students annually and employ more than 450 teaching artists and more than 125 full- and part-time staff. All organizations receive support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
(Source: Arts Institute for Creative Advancement Press Release)
" ["post_title"]=> string(148) "The DC Arts Education Alliance Announces $750,000 in Funding for a Groundbreaking Program to Train Disconnected Youth to Work as Theater Technicians" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(146) "the-dc-arts-education-alliance-announces-750000-in-funding-for-a-groundbreaking-program-to-train-disconnected-youth-to-work-as-theater-technicians" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-08-04 11:17:49" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-08-04 15:17:49" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=53819" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [3]=> object(WP_Post)#14417 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(53816) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-07-25 13:23:11" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-07-25 17:23:11" ["post_content"]=> string(2721) "Allow Me To Introduce: The Arts Institute for Creative Advancement is a new yearlong educational meets apprenticeship program that will train young people in technical theater. Young adults, ages 18–24, who are struggling to engage with school or work are invited to apply for the intensive program, which will prepare them for offstage theater careers such as lighting and audio engineering, set construction, scenic painting, rigging, and stage management.
Led by the Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, Sitar Arts Center, and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, along with more than a dozen other local arts education organizations, the program was created by the DC Arts Education Alliance to provide career path options to youth from local communities hardest hit by the pandemic. It also seeks to address the city’s shortage of skilled technical production workers, which is currently impacting the local theater industry among others. With a $500,000 matching grant for the first two years of the institute from the Share Fund and an additional $250,000 in Community Project Funding for the pilot year in the House’s fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills (as secured by D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton), the program has $750,000 in funding for its first year. “If unaddressed, this labor shortage will cripple D.C.’s nationally renowned theater industry,” says Theater J Managing Director David Lloyd Olson in the press release. “The Institute will be a boon to DC’s thriving creative economy.”
With an inaugural class of 20 students, the tuition-free program will launch in January 2023 and all the participants will be paid to learn and work. Upon graduation, participants will receive nationally recognized certifications. The deadline to apply is Oct. 1, and the program is open to youth who did not complete high school, as well as those who have diplomas, GEDs, and some (limited) post-secondary experience; no prior experience in theater is required. “We’re thrilled to be creating and implementing a curriculum in theater production that will be accessible to young adults who have faced obstacles in traditional learning environments,” says Deb Gottesman, co-executive director of the Theatre Lab, which will house the program. “And, at the same time, we look forward to doing our part to diversify a high-wage, high-demand field that is currently more than 80% white.”
" ["post_title"]=> string(89) "Arts Roundup: A new apprenticeship program supports young adults and the theater industry" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(88) "arts-roundup-a-new-apprenticeship-program-supports-young-adults-and-the-theater-industry" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2022-07-26 13:30:34" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-07-26 17:30:34" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "https://theatrelab.org/?p=53816" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [4]=> object(WP_Post)#14418 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(52882) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "2" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2022-06-16 14:57:54" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2022-06-16 18:57:54" ["post_content"]=> string(22451) "This week marks a very important event for DC area arts education. On June thirteenth 1992, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts (TTL) held its very first class and co-founders Deb Gottesman, Buzz Mauro and Michael Rodgers never looked back.
The organization has changed locations a few times over the years but the quality of the work that Theatre Lab's instructors and administration have given to hundreds and hundreds of students has always remained at the top of its game.
If you are a frequent reader of my work then you already know that I am a big fan of The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts and it's for many reasons to be sure. I am going to give you a few of mine and then get out of your way so you can hear from a few of the staff, some former students, and two of the co-founders.
First off, Theatre Lab presents musicals and plays that are not your standard arts education fare. How many productions of Annie can you take? This is actually how my wife and I found Theatre Lab in the first place. On one of our first dates, we saw a card for Theatre Lab's Summer Musical Theatre Institute. The shows being presented were Jane Eyre, The Secret Garden, and Side Show. We walked into Jane Eyre preparing to make fun of everything because our thought was who would dare to present that show as an arts education production. It was not a hit in NY and had not had much luck in regional theatres either.
A few things about that production made us change our minds real fast. With only three musicians (Buzz Mauro on keyboard, Joshua Coyne on violin and Cheryl Branham as the second keyboardist) the score sounded remarkably full.
Secondly the actress playing Jane Eyre was what you would call a powerhouse performer. Her name was Tina Ghandchilar and we were so impressed with her performance we brought her to NY to sing at our wedding.
We were incredibly impressed that the production was stripped down scenery wise. Partly out of necessity but more so because it helped tell the story better.
We came to find out after the performance that some of the cast had never performed onstage before. We couldn't believe it. The level of talent in that show was something I will never forget.
Theatre Lab never has never considered itself a producing organization. In fact many of their productions are based in their Creating a Musical Role Class where students are taken through the entire process of putting on a production from the first table read onward. Imagine being a first-time performer and being thrown into a full production complete with tech week and a grueling rehearsal process. It makes you fully realize how much of a team effort it is for getting a show up. Nothing just materializes.
Lastly, the most important thing about Theatre Lab to me is the philosophy that arts education should be accessible for all regardless of your economic situation. Read on to see how much scholarship money Theatre Lab has distributed over the past thirty years. The number is both jaw-dropping and staggering.
Very few things stay the same but The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts has been and continues to be a driving force in arts education. With a staff comprised some of DC's best performers and more, an administration that always puts the students first instead of their own egos, and a passion that is awe-inspiring, it's clear as to why the organization continues to be as excellent as it is and remains, in my opinion, the best arts education institution in this area.
You say you need more proof? What follows are some testimonials from just a few of the staff and students who have benefited from The Theatre Lab's greatness.
Do you happen to recall the exact date of your first TTL class, as well as what was your first play and musical produced?
Deb- Our first class (5 students in my mother's office space, taught by me and Buzz)-June 13, 1992. We didn't start producing plays with adults until much later but we did a production of A.R. Gurney's The Dining Room in summer 1993 with 12 teens in our first Summer Acting Institute for Teens (DCAC). Even back then, though, our productions were more about the process and what each individual is learning than anything else. Our first adult play for our Creating a Role class was Three Sisters in 1995. We did it at our then home-base, The Wesley United Methodist Church in NW. Our first musical was for the teen programs, directed by Jane Pesci Townsend, in 2001--Quilt (we did it at Source Theatre). Our first musical for students of all ages (Creating a Musical Role class) was Ragtime in 2004, directed by me and Buzz.
I seem to remember you saying in a previous interview that TTL started in one of your homes? How long was it before you realized that you needed an actual building/space to teach in?
Deb-The office remained in my bedroom for four years until we got our first office space--a dump near Dupont Circle. Our spouses surprised us with a small refrigerator for our new office. That fridge survived until just last year! At first our classes were in my mother's office space, she ran a small publishing company called Piccolo Press, in Alexandria.
Within a year we realized we needed space other than my mother's office to teaching. But it was four years before we decided that we couldn't use my bedroom as the office! (We always met students at our teaching spaces.)
Eight students at a time was really the max in there, so within a year we were renting space at DCAC and at Wesley Church.
I also want to note that Michael Rodgers, a local actor and singer [and Deb's roommate], took over the business side of things really early on, so there were three of us growing the organization. He moved on after 15 years but then came back and joined the board, so he has been actively involved this whole time.
Thirty years and a pandemic later, did you think TTL would still be thriving?
Deb- I didn't think about any of that when we were starting The Theatre Lab. We were just trying to find a way to put our M.F.A. acting degrees to work--hoping to coach people for auditions--while we were building our own careers as actors. But I fell in love with the teaching and the whole community that was forming here. And I got really excited when I discovered all of the real-life benefits that theatre education brings to people like increased self-confidence, improved communication skills, and feelings of connection. A lot of the work we do today with Life Stories and our scholarship programs is a direct outgrowth of that discovery: Like, if theatre education is such a powerful agent of positive change, why should it be limited to people who have the means to seek it out? That's a long way of saying that, while I couldn't have predicted we would still be around, I am so grateful that we've had the chance to grow into ourselves!
Buzz- I remember applying for things like the Mayor's Arts Award in our early years and seeing that organizations that had been around for 20 years were the ones winning that kind of thing - and thinking 20 years felt like a lifetime. (Not that I was actually 20 at the time. I was 30.) I don't think either of us actually thought that far ahead, but if you had asked me if I thought The Theatre Lab would still be around in 30 years, I probably would have said, "Who knows? But I hope so!"
I had been a teacher my whole adult life, teaching math to middle schoolers, then English to Haitians, then math and English to high schoolers, and eventually calculus to business students to help keep body and soul together while studying drama at Catholic U., where Deb and I met, became friends, and got our MFAs together. (But no, we're not a couple.) So, I loved Deb's idea of putting out a shingle to do drama coaching after Catholic, and I was interested really on in expanding to actual classes.
To date, how much in scholarship money has TTL awarded to those who otherwise wouldn't be able to experience arts education and theatre in general?
Deb- Over 2 million across the 30 years.
How did the Honors Acting Conservatory program come to be?
I had been teaching for Theatre Lab for thirteen years and loving the creative freedom and the close connections with the students when the organization's founders, Deb Gottesman and Buzz Mauro, approached me about the idea of an intensive year-long training program to help adult actors transition into the professional community. This was in 2006. I was intrigued, and a series of collaborative conversations and planning sessions commenced to build a curriculum that would be rigorous, practical, inclusive, and engaging. Deb, Buzz, and I were like-minded in all of the important ways and also different enough to afford the program a variety of strengths and approaches. I think we knew right away that we had something valuable to offer and would also have a great time doing it.
What are you most proud of in terms of being a part of The Theatre Lab's teaching staff?
Seventeen years later, I'm proud of a number of things: our survival through two-and-a-half pandemic years, two of them taught partially on zoom, and this year in-person but navigating a wildly infectious COVID variant. We have remained invested in our students' journeys during and beyond their Honors year. The most gratifying reward is when I encounter an Honors alum in a cast and have the chance to perform with them. This has happened a number of times - at Ford's, at Folger, at Theater J - and it is always special for both the student and myself. The program was always fueled by a love of actors and of the unique DC theatre community, so it is satisfying when those two converge.
How did you come to be working at Theatre Lab?
I had known Deb Gottesman from a show we were both in at Woolly Mammoth called Wonder of the World. She asked me to teach a class, I believe. It might have been a scene study class, or an auditioning class. It was very early on in Theatre Lab's existence. And as I recall, for a year or so, we were teaching out of Deb's mother's office in Old Town Alexandria.
As an artist, what is the most gratifying thing about being on the staff of Theatre Lab?
The most gratifying thing is seeing a student "get it", and finally understand what acting is all about. It's an "aha!" Moment, when they finally understand how to do the work. It's usually accompanied by a new respect for the craft, and a realization that good acting takes a lot of hard work. And then, of course, it's really gratifying to see students go out into the world and succeed.
How did you come to Theatre Lab in the first place?
I was fairly new in town and I was looking something to do in the summer and somebody had suggested applying for Theatre Lab's summer acting camps to I got the job and had a wonderful first summer in DC. Immediately, they were talking to me about what else I could teach. I just sort of felt part of the family from the very beginning and taught in the summer camp for maybe five years and then started teaching the teen camp not long after that. I then eventually moved to almost exclusively.
What's the most gratifying thing about teaching for Theatre Lab as an artist?
One of the things I really love about it is that you're meeting students who are coming from such varied backgrounds. Some of them are just getting the idea that they would like to act possibly while others have a background in it, but stepped away for a long time. I've had many students who are recently retired military who are looking for something new and they remember enjoying it. You just get to meet them where they are. Everybody's journey to Theatre Lab has been so different that it creates a very diverse environment to work in. It makes the work we're doing just better for everybody.
You have now heard from some of Theatre Lab's staff and two of its co-founders. Before moving to on a few of the students, I wanted to point out that Theatre Lab has a true family environment surrounding it. If you are going through something in your own life, Theatre Lab can be a great source of support for you emotionally. What follows is a testimonial from one of Theatre Lab's longtime staff members who has been in that position.
Theatre Lab is an incredible place to work. Deb and Buzz have created an environment where everyone really cares about one another. They were incredibly supportive during some of the most difficult points of my life. They model compassionate leadership to their staff, and care about us as whole people who have lives outside of work. I feel very fortunate to have landed at The Theatre Lab and am extremely grateful for their support both professionally and personally over the last eight years.
Nora is now a NY based voice teacher.
I will never forget the moment I got the e-mail from Buzz Mauro offering me the role as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Seriously! It was a Sunday in 2008 and I was in the kitchen frying pierogis with my parents. The memory is vivid, only because it would go on to be one of the most definitive experiences in all my years of performing. Something about Theatre Lab has always been special, but at the time I loved that the educators and directors were all professional actors and theatre artists living in DC. They could give us firsthand knowledge on the ins and outs of this business, this specific theatre community, that frankly, you can't even get from some top college programs in this country. Theatre Lab provided a safe, inclusive learning environment where we were free to explore our talent, engage with one another and have fun, while also giving us an authentic look into what it feels like to put together a professional production. There was no sugar coating anything. There was never a moment when I or anyone in the cast was treated like an amateur at summer camp.
Over the span of about 3 weeks, we rehearsed everyday for 8 hours, just like the pros do and produced a piece that was far beyond the realm of what I thought high school students were even capable of. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who loved theatre as much as I did, who were devoted to their craft and honed their talent to leave it on stage for the audience to interpret however they pleased. Everyone was so dedicated to the project that we invigorated and inspired one another to work to the best of our ability. It was the pure, unadulterated magic of theatre making that I fell in love with as a child before I even set foot on a stage or even knew what it meant. Theatre Lab showed me what it meant. I wasn't used to that from my previous theatrical experiences, mostly community and high school theatre.
Even now as a voice teacher in NYC, when I have young students just out of college book their first professional job, that first big lucky break, and they're feeling the feeling I know so well, I always tell them about my first "big break" and to soak it in. Followed by other notable memories of getting jobs I really wanted, Theatre Lab was the first. It wasn't a "job" per se, but because of the level of professionalism Theatre Lab is dedicated to providing its students, now many years later, I can safely say it helped shape me into the performer and human I am today.
Cogent Theater Collective Diego Maramba.
How did the Honors Acting Conservatory program help you when it came time to form Cogent Theater Collective?
Through the Honors Acting Conservatory at The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Deb, Buzz, and Kim nurtured my development as a primary artist. This began with intensive partnered scene work to build multi-dimensional characters, and naturally evolved into self-direction of our assigned scenes. Shortly after completing the Honors Conservatory, an actor/director friend and I were discussing a play he wanted to direct upon first reading, twenty years ago. Almost by instinct, I posited the question "how can we tell that story?" Within an hour of listing what was needed to self-produce this show, we had options for all our key questions including: choice of venue, designers, auditions, rehearsal schedule, etc. The name, Cogent Theater Collective, came later when we had to provide a theater company name to apply for licensing rights to stage Closer by Patrick Marber.
The initial March 2020 staging of Closer was shut down just a week before opening due to the pandemic. It was devastating as we felt that our "little engine that could" was stopped dead in its tracks. The team stayed in touch, however, and when Silver Spring Stage proposed that we co-produce the show as part of their 2022 season, it felt like the right time and place to bring the team back together. Closer recently completed a ten show run and has received rave reviews for the quality of directing, acting, and general storytelling. We did it, we staged a show! There are many reasons for this story ending well. What stands above all else is the confidence The Theatre Lab instilled in me as a primary artist who does not ask for permission to tell stories. We simply form a theater company and play.
Can you please talk about how you came to Theatre Lab?
I came to The Theatre Lab on a New Year's resolution to try something new. An annual resolution I know I can keep. I had always loved acting, performing and public speaking. I had been doing comedy improv for a few years (also started that as a New Year's resolution), but I had never formally trained as an actor, and I wanted to do something more serious and professional so I could grow as a performer and get involved with the DC theatre scene. I also needed something that fit with my work schedule as an attorney, and The Theatre Lab was located just blocks from where I worked.
How did Theatre Lab help you grow as a performer?
I think one of the benefits of the formalized training offered at The Theatre Lab was that it allowed me to stretch my skills in a positive, supportive environment. I also appreciated that the make-up of the students was diverse. In terms of acting, I really learned more about all the dimensions of me and what I could do on stage and off.
When I came into The Theatre Lab's Honors program, I was a performer/producer, and when I came out, I was confident that I was a multi-hyphenate: actor-writer-director-producer. I went from being a cup of coffee to a cappuccino with a double shot of espresso and a pinch of cinnamon! I say that because my peers in the Honors program wanted a way for us to all perform together, so I wrote a couple of short plays for us. It was the first-time I had written something of that length and type, and I wouldn't have been willing to take a crack at it had it not been for the supportive and encouraging environment at The Theatre Lab. I produced my short plays for us along with other short plays written by my Honors peers through my theatre company, LIT Comedy. We put up our own show with our own content! It's one of my favorite memories, and of course, performing with professional actor, Michael Russotto, in The Theatre Lab's Dramathon. I really value my experience, training, opportunities and happy memories from The Theatre Lab. It was one of the steps I needed to take along my journey to becoming a represented screenwriter and multi-hyphenate. Congratulations to The Theatre Lab on their milestone and helping others to create their own!!!
I am forever grateful to the Theatre Lab (and to Deb and Buzz) for pushing me out of my comfort zone as an artist and performer. Art requires risk-taking, giving up the idea that there's a "right" way to do it. The Theatre Lab has been such a safe and welcoming place for me to grow, to try things, to fail, to try again - and I carry these lessons with me into my personal and professional lives as an actor, a singer, a songwriter, and a human being. Here's to 30+ more years of being hands-down the best place to nurture artistic talent in the region!
I could not have said it better myself. Happy 30th anniversary to the Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts. Here's to many more years of giving and creating arts education excellence!!
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The pressures of the entertainment industry can be overwhelming for most Gen Zers, whether it’s meeting Hollywood’s box office expectations or failing to create a viral moment. But these standards barely faze Jayme Lawson. Despite already notching multiple critically acclaimed films on her belt, the 24-year-old actor’s ultimate goal is to spark change.
Lawson has quickly proven her on-screen presence isn’t fleeting, most recently appearing as mayoral candidate Bella Reál in The Batman, which is, at the time of this writing, the highest-grossing film of 2022. She will also portray a young Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady anthology TV drama (premiering April 17), starring alongside industry veterans like Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson.
“I look at it as just doing my job. [These roles] are just the material that I always gravitated to,” Lawson tells me, about not feeling the weight of responsibilities that a “big break” could carry. “So to then see how everything is unfolding, which is completely outside of my control, genuinely humbles me. I’m truly blessed and thankful that this is my experience.”
A Washington, D.C. native, Lawson was inspired by her hometown’s culture—a liveliness inherent in everything from its go-go music to political activism—and watching classic sitcoms like The Cosby Show and I Love Lucy. The acting bug officially latched on when her mother signed her up for a two-week intensive summer theater program, The Theatre Lab, where the naturally shy girl had an opportunity to break out of her shell.
From there, the actor attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where she later returned to teach students at the height of the pandemic. Not long after she received her graduation diploma in May 2019, from New York’s prestigious Juilliard School, Lawson scored her first role as an Angolan immigrant named Sylvia in Farewell Amor, which was a Sundance Film Festival favorite in 2020.
It’s clear that acting fuels Lawson in deeper ways, as she intentionally chooses roles—such as her defiant character in The Batman, modeled after politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—that aim to give young women of color agency. It’s a mission she’s been working on since putting on In the Red and Brown Water, a play written by Tarell Alvin McCraney during her sophomore year at Juilliard.
“James Baldwin describes it as a sense of paranoia when your experiences are not being voiced. I find that plagues a lot of different communities that often are misrepresented or not represented at all,” Lawson says. “Part of the reason why I love acting is I can help cure that a little bit by having somebody see themselves being reflected. It became very clear to me that the work I do is for my mother, my sister, my niece and younger me. When I’m auditioning for roles, I’ll ask myself, ‘Does this character serve any of them?’ If not, then I will gladly say no. And if there’s room to better curate the role so that it does speak to young Black and brown girls and women, then I will engage in that way.”
The actor’s confidence is reflected in her portrayal of a pre-White House Michelle Obama in The First Lady. There’s a certain grace, poise and a bit of sassiness that we know and love from the beloved advocate. But Lawson’s Michelle Obama is more curious and carefree. “Curious is such a great word. I wish I would’ve heard that before. I read her book and watched a documentary and all these interviews to begin to shape the young woman before the icon,” Lawson says. “I had a lot of fun crafting this version of her.”
Lawson has the rest of 2022 all laid out: she reunites with Viola Davis in The Woman King (in theaters on September 16) and will play American civil rights activist and journalist Myrlie Evers-Williams in the biographical drama Till (set for an October 7 release). As her plate continues to fill up, she’s maintaining a balance.
“It is easy when doing these roles to get swept up in the world of the character. So I try to find things that really center me: the prayer life that I have, meditation, doing acts of service in my church and being around my family,” Lawson explains. “When I’m not Jayme the actor or the performer, but Jayme the daughter, the sister, the auntie. That helps me remember that life is not about me.”
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Click the link above to watch the interview with Ellen Bryan.
Theatre Lab Board Member Juliet Lloyd appears on WUSA9's DMV Soundcheck to discuss her new single "Ghost Light".
100% of the proceeds from the song are donated to The Theatre Lab.
Who says people are not giving back during this pandemic? Local singer/songwriter/actress is doing just that with the release of "Ghost Light". It's a song written about the struggles that theatres are having all over the world as the pandemic continues.
All proceeds from the song are going to the best area arts institution known as The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts. The organization will celebrate 30 years of greatness this year.
Ms. Lloyd is a 2018 graduate of The Theatre Lab's esteemed Honors Acting Conservatory Program and also starred in their production of If/Then in the role originated by Idina Menzel.
Her original music can be heard on all of the popular streaming platforms.
Scroll all the way down to the official music video for "Ghost Light" and consider either purchasing the song or making a donation to The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts directly.
Juliet Lloyd's talents and heart are the kinds of things that make are making it just a little bit easier for all in the arts industry. I think you'll agree "Ghost Light" captures what our industry has endured but as the song goes "We're still here!"
At what point in the pandemic did the idea for "Ghost Light" come to you?
It was a little over a year ago, so right around the time that everything was pretty much still shut down completely and had been for quite some time. I had seen friends sharing images of stages with the ghost lights lit and was so struck by the imagery and what it symbolizes.
How long did it take you from initial idea to recording the final song?
The song pretty much wrote itself! I love when that happens. It took maybe a couple of hours to work out at the piano, and then I had to revisit it a couple days later to finish up the second verse (which is always my nemesis when writing). I sat on the song for a long time and only played it at live shows a few times. I didn't end up recording it until October of last year, after performing it at a neighborhood concert and having a neighbor tell me how much he loved the song. I thought - maybe there's something here? And then it took another couple of months to decide how to release it and - most importantly - that I wanted to do a video for it as well. We filmed the video in January and February.
Why did you decide to donate all proceeds from the song to The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts?
Theatre Lab has been a huge part of my development as a performer since I first started taking classes there almost 10 years ago. I love everything about the organization and what they do - and am more than happy to do anything I can to support them and the work they do in making transformational theatre experiences available to everyone in our community. I think having gone almost two years without live theatre and live music makes us all more attuned to the importance of the arts (and experiencing them together) - so it's even more important that we support the organizations that make that possible.
What is your ultimate dream for this song?
One - that it's a source of inspiration and hope to my fellow performers and creatives. Two - that it gets a million streams so that I can give Theatre Lab a substantial donation. And 3 - to perform this song on stage at the Tony Awards. (which would go a long way toward accomplishing dreams #1 and 2!)
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It may feel wrong to be thinking about summer camps already, but experienced parents know that February is the make-or-break month to get your kids into their summer camp of choice. DMV residents are nothing if not practical planners, and by March, many great camps are full! To save all you drama mamas and papas some time, DCMTA has compiled a list of theater summer camps and classes available to young thespians in a 30-mile radius of Washington, DC.
The Theatre Lab’s summer camps are fun, creative, and high-energy programs that allow young actors to fully engage their imaginations and experience the thrill of live theatre. Novices and experienced young actors alike will learn to harness their creativity and build their confidence all while having a great time in a safe and fun environment. Sessions take place from June-August for 1st-8th graders. Teens ages 13-19 may audition for placement in Summer Institutes for Acting, Musical Theatre, and Performance.
April Harris performs to heal. Her journey as a performer began when she was still serving as Captain in the United States Army. She had survived several sexual assaults during her service, but she realized that surviving wasn’t enough. For herself and for her two sons, she needed to thrive. To do that, she first needed to heal. Finding her way to a personal storytelling workshop was the beginning of April’s healing journey. Every time she took to the stage, she dropped more and more of her shame--as a victim of sexual assault, as a parent, and the shame she felt for neglecting herself for so long. Now she leads classes and workshops at The Theatre Lab in Washington, DC. She completed their Life Stories Institute, then began teaching her class Finding Your Voice. People from all walks of life attend this class—some who need to heal, some who are in transition, all of them seeking to connect deeply with their own stories. As the teacher and facilitator of the class, April doesn’t project what she thinks the participants need. Her role is to hold the space with love and respect so that each person can dig deeply to find their own voice.
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-
Nov 01
My Renaissance Weekend
My Renaissance Weekend by Buzz Mauro Last spring I received a letter - an actual letter in the actual mail - addressed to me as "Co-Founder and Co-Director" of ... -
Jul 26
DC Arts Education Alliance announces $750,000 program to train disconnected youth to be theater technicians
The city’s largest arts education organizations unite to address the effects of the pandemic on marginalized youth and repair a disrupted workforce pipeline in DC's... -
Jul 26
The DC Arts Education Alliance Announces $750,000 in Funding for a Groundbreaking Program to Train Disconnected Youth to Work as Theater Technicians
The DC Arts Education Alliance today announces the formation of the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement, a year-long education and apprenticeship program in te... -
Jul 25
Arts Roundup: A new apprenticeship program supports young adults and the theater industry
Allow Me To Introduce: The Arts Institute for Creative Advancement is a new yearlong educational meets apprenticeship program that will train young people in techn... -
Jun 16
The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts celebrates Thirty Years of Arts Education Excellence
This week marks a very important event for DC area arts education. On June thirteenth 1992, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts (TTL) held its very first cla... -
Apr 12
Can Jayme Lawson Help Turn Hollywood Into a Tool for Good?
With the tailwinds of both critical acclaim and blockbusterdom, the actor is still learning how to balance her newfound influence and staying humble. The pressures o... -
Feb 25
Juliet Lloyd’s new single “Ghost Light” pays tribute to the theater during the pandemic
Click the link above to watch the interview with Ellen Bryan. Theatre Lab Board Member Juliet Lloyd appears on WUSA9's DMV Soundcheck to discuss her new s... -
Feb 24
Juliet Lloyd Pens New Song with all Proceeds to Benefit Theatre Lab School Of The Dramatic Arts
Who says people are not giving back during this pandemic? Local singer/songwriter/actress is doing just that with the release of "Ghost Light". It's a song written ab... -
Feb 23
Theater camps and classes to keep your kids active this summer
It may feel wrong to be thinking about summer camps already, but experienced parents know that February is the make-or-break month to get your kids into their summer ... -
Sep 29
Faculty member April Harris featured on podcast, Art Heals All Wounds
April Harris performs to heal. Her journey as a performer began when she was still serving as Captain in the United States Army. She had survived several sexual assau...