The Actors Center To Launch New Mentorship Program for Emerging Artists

The Actors Center will launch a new Mentorship Program for Emerging Artists, scheduled to begin in October 2024.

The 8-month initiative is designed specifically to support artists who are in the early stages of their acting careers and broaden a pathway for access to experienced mentors and resources for support. The program provides an opportunity to help bridge the gap between training and a sustainable, fulfilling career by providing mentorship from a network of seasoned professionals from its Resident Company.

The Actors Center's Resident Company comprises 300 performing artists—including notable actors Kelly AuCoin, Crystal Dickinson, John Doman, Peter Jay Fernandez, Peter Gerety, Jason Butler Harner, Jeff Hiller, Daniel K. Isaac, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Judy Kuhn, Tonya Pinkins, Maggie Siff, Keith Randolph Smith, and Myra Lucretia Taylor, among others.

“The early years of launching a career as a professional actor are the most fraught. The danger the actor faces is one of loss: loss of sense of purpose; loss of belief in one's ability; loss of faith in the uniqueness of each actor's singular talent,” says Ron Van Lieu, former Head of Acting at Yale School of Drama and New York University Graduate Acting, and former faculty member at Columbia University.

“The Actors Center's Mentorship Program for Emerging Artists provides the space to be truly seen and heard and guided toward strength and away from loss... heart, soul, and artistry intact,” he continues. “It is a heartfelt privilege for me to be a participant and guide in this innovative program.”

The program is now accepting applications, with a deadline of September 15. Interested applicants can read more about the program at theactorscenter.org/mentorship.

The program aims to encourage actors to begin thinking as artists—inviting them to ask deeper questions of themselves, their peers, and the industry, while cultivating a dedication to process, artistic integrity, and defining their own set of values to work from over the course of their career.

It is not intended to be a training program. Rather, it will run parallel to participants’ early career and auditioning work, emphasizing self-discovery, critical thinking, and personal growth alongside exploring practical questions of entering the business.

Participants in the program will be paired with mentors from The Actors Center's Resident Company, providing individualized guidance that aligns with their artistic goals and personal interests. Participants will also benefit from a robust structure of weekly workshops, group meetings, and panel discussions designed to explore a variety of artistic disciplines and perspectives on topics crucial to the life of an actor, ranging from creative and career advice to self-care and the dynamics of the industry.

Over the course of the program, participants will be invited to events, artist talks, film screenings, and to observe the Resident Company collaborate with guest artists. The cohort will also serve as an artistic community to collaborate with and develop alongside.

“The Actors Center has long stood as a beacon for creative and artistic development,” says Executive Director Alex Birnie. “This new program builds upon the diverse, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary dynamic of our existing Resident Company. It takes what we do exceptionally well and offers it to a new demographic for the first time, empowering artists to forge careers that are not only successful, but sustainable and deeply fulfilling.”

With the help of supporters and volunteers, The Actors Center is underwriting nearly all of the cost of the mentorship program, while participants are responsible for a small fee, with need-based scholarships available.

For more information or to apply for the program, please visit: theactorscenter.org/mentorship