Apply now for the Dobama mentorship and training program FOCUS. Deadline to apply: April 15th
Dobama Emerging Actors Program Returns for Summer 2024
The FOCUS Program aims to provide exposure, training, mentorship, networking, and direct paid professional opportunities for early-career theatre designers, technicians, and stage managers from underserved and underrepresented communities including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Disabled, Deaf, and Neurodivergent theatre practitioners.
Apprentices are paired with a mentor in their design department of interest, given opportunities for design on a variety of productions, and are connected with other theatres in the region to expand their network and potential future employment prospects. During each year-long session, each designer or theatre technician receives compensation for all onsite training and production work. Every apprenticeship is curated for the individual artist or technician. FOCUS apprenticeships can last multiple years, and apprentices can explore more than one aspect of technical theatre by working with more than one department.
For more information, email Artistic Director Nathan Motta at [email protected]
Dobama Theatre continues its commitment to education programming as the successful Dobama Emerging Actors Program, our summer intensive theatre program for high school and college students will for its 13th season in summer 2024.
Program Dates: July 1-28, 2024
Application deadline: April 15, 2024
For more information email: [email protected]
Overview:
Acting is an art form. This fact is at the curricular center of the Dobama Emerging Artists Program. In all art forms, technique work is essential to give an artist the greatest ability to communicate. The dancer builds strength and flexibility, the singer works on vocal support and resonance, and the painter perfects brush techniques and the creation of shape or color. But in today’s culture, the vast majority of theatre experiences for the young actor place product over process; emphasize parts in plays over coursework in technique and training. DEAP is different. DEAP is a process-centered and technique-based program for serious young actors.
Faculty:
DEAP students work with faculty with both degrees from respected performing arts programs and extensive professional experience. These instructors specialize in the coursework they teach and have the singular focus of broadening each student’s understanding of the art of acting. In recent years we’ve had faculty from Case Western Reserve University, Baldwin Wallace, Kent State University, Oberlin College, and Cleveland Play House MFA program.
Productions:
Productions are performed in blackbox style, so that by stripping away elaborate sets and costumes, students and audience members are left to focus on the actors on the stage.
Combined with the work done in class, and the discoveries made through exercises in their coursework, these performances contain exciting moments of theatre and promote artistic growth for each actor.
Productions are centered on ensemble building, character development, storytelling and communication, as well as deeper understanding of text. Each piece is done in the beautiful and intimate Dobama Theatre.
DEAP’s production is always based on heightened text and/ or classical repertoire. We do cycle through a repertoire of a Greek Drama, Modern Heightened Text, and occasionally Shakespeare.