Trainee Program

Silicon Valley Shakespeare creates opportunities for emerging artists, graduating high school through college age, to grow in their craft.

Acting Trainees

Our Acting Trainee program focuses on experiential training to help young artists gain real-world experience to enter into a theatre career. Acting trainees receive professional mentorship, audition coaching, and practical experience on stage. Participants are selected from our general audition and callbacks for individual shows.

BENEFITS

  • Casting in one or more of Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s productions, alongside seasoned Bay Area actors

  • Individualized audition monologue coaching, with a focus on Shakespearean monologues

  • Comprehensive training in stage makeup application

  • Professional headshots taken by SVS photographers, with a makeup artist provided

  • Creation of a professional theatre resume with guidance from trainee mentors

Design and Tech Trainees

SVS’s design and technical theatre trainee program focus on experiential training to help young designers and technicians gain real-world experiences to help them enter into a theatre career. Silicon Valley Shakespeare trainees receive professional mentorship and practical experience behind-the-scenes.

BENEFITS

  • Receive professional mentoring from SVS staff

  • SCENIC CREW: Coaching in set building basics, set building immersion, and scenic design mentoring

  • LIGHTING DESIGN: Shadow and assist Master Electrician and Lighting Designer, possible light-board operation opportunities

  • HAIR & MAKEUP: Shadow and assist Resident Hair/Makeup Designer

  • COSTUMES: Shadow and assist costume designer

  • Letter of Recommendation at conclusion of mentorship

Apply

If you are interested in any of our trainee programs please email our Artistic Director, Angie Higgins, by clicking the button below.

Please include the following in your email:

  • Acting or Technical Theatrical Resume

  • One Reference (Phone + Email): Must be a Theatre Arts Instructor or Director

  • Answer these questions:

    • Why do you seek to be a trainee?

    • Which trainee program are you interested in, and what do you hope to gain from a trainee with Silicon Valley Shakespeare?

    • What are your future goals?

What are our trainees saying?

  • Skyler Riordan

    Skyler Riordan

    (he/him)
    ACTING TRAINEE
    A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2019)
    Shakespeare in Love (2023)

    TECH TRAINEE
    The White Snake (2019)

    “I love trainee programs I participated in at least two of them growing up, not counting SVS’ trainee programs I’ve done in acting and tech. By centering teaching by example, the teaching process is organic, free-flowing, and always mutually beneficial. I am currently directing an elementary school musical and I’ve made sure to pepper in demonstrating that I am also an actor—some of the fascination and engagement that comes from this could never happen by just staying in a director’s shoes."

  • Imogen Gatewood-Wolfe

    Imogen Gatewood-Wolfe

    (she/her)
    ACTING TRAINEE, 2024
    All’s Well That Ends Well

    “I really enjoyed getting to play Young Helena and getting to use my dance background in that role. I hadn’t actually read the play until after I was cast so it was kind of fun to learn the character as I went especially since the role of Young Helena isn’t part of the original play. Our director told me that I was a modern-day parallel and let me make the role my own, which I’d never had the opportunity to do before.”

  • Russell Nakagawa

    Russell Nakagawa

    (he/him)
    ACTING TRAINEE 2024

    All’s Well That Ends Well

    "My favorite part of being in the shows I have done with SVS is the ability to get new experiences and life lessons through the power of storytelling. The Actor Trainee Program that SVS provides brought those lessons to a whole other level."