Alley Theatre Announces First Class of Fitzpatrick Interns

Four recent college graduates joined the Alley Theatre staff in December as the first members of the Alley Theatre's Fitzpatrick Internship program. This program was created as a tribute to Bettye Fitzpatrick, who has been integral to the success of the Alley working for over 50 years as a stage manager, production manager, director of interns and most notably as a member of The Acting Company before her retirement in 2009. The Fitzpatrick Internship Program is designed to honor Bettye Fitzpatrick's many facets and keep her living legacy a part of the future of Alley Theatre. Internships are available in both administration and production and are limited to no more than six candidates per year.

"There are very few actors in America today who have been with one company for 53 years and Bettye Fitzpatrick's retirement marks the first time any actor in the Alley's history has served such a distinguished tenure. Bettye is not only a Houston treasure but a National Treasure and we are honored to have enjoyed watching her tread the boards these many years," says Alley Theatre Managing Director Dean R. Gladden.

"Bettye Fitzpatrick came to the Alley as an apprentice. So it is extremely fitting to name our internship program after her. It honors her by encouraging the emergence of future leaders. The experience and relationship made here as an intern supports individual careers and sustains the theatre in general. We are grateful for Bettye's dedication to the theatre and for the inspiration she will continue to provide," says Director of Education and Community Engagement Joe Angel Babb

Alley Theatre's Fitzpatrick Internships provides training and educational opportunities to recent college graduates and students that will supplement a strong theatrical education and act as a bridge for early career professionals. Fitzpatrick Interns participate in and observe a professional theatre environment during the main theatre season. They are guided and directed by experienced managers and directors. Applicants are expected to demonstrate entry-level proficiency in their chosen areas of concentration and the desire to develop job skills through the diverse opportunities available at the Alley Theatre. Fitzpatrick Interns receive a weekly stipend.

The Alley Theatre's 2010-2011 Fitzpatrick Interns include:

Jaime Fruge, Costumes Intern
Jaime Fruge graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in Theatre. She applied for the Fitzpatrick Internship because she wanted "an organization that will mentor and foster my abilities." She is looking forward to working on the Alley Theatre's upcoming production of Amadeus because "the costumes of the late 18th century always inspire me through their incredible construction and craftsmanship."

Stephanie Mami, Education and Community Engagement Intern

Stephanie Mami graduated from Occidental College with a BA in Theatre and she applied for the Fitzpatrick Internship in Education and Community Engagement because it "perfectly partners my passion for community organizing and educational initiatives for youth in arts." She is excited to work at the Alley Theatre for "the opportunity to work in the field in which I am most passionate . . . while surrounded by some of the most brilliant artistic talent in the country here in my own hometown."

Kristen Smith, Development Intern
Kristen Smith graduated from Colorado College with a BA in Economics. She is excited about the chance "to be part of a well established institution." She is looking forward to "discovering more opportunities in theatre administration." Her career goal is to someday be Director of Development.

Michael Weiss, Lighting Intern
Michael Weiss graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BFA in Theatre with an emphasis in Design and Technology. He is excited about "being able to work hand in hand with professionals of the business." He would love to be a college professor in the future and also hopes to "travel and experience everything I can."

Applications for the 2011-2012 Fitzpatrick Internships are due October 1, 2011. For more information contact Rochelle Sanders, Training Programs Manager at rochelles@alleytheatre.org or call 713-315-5423.

ABOUT Bettye Fitzpatrick
Bettye Fitzpatrick served 53 years with the Alley as a Company member. Ms. Fitzpatrick has been described as the living history of the Alley, or as she likes to put it, "a walking file cabinet." In her tenure at the Theatre, she worked under all three artistic directors: the Alley Theatre's founding artistic director Nina Vance, her successor Pat Brown, and the Theatre's current artistic director, Gregory Boyd. She has served as a stage manager, production manager, director of interns, and most notably of course, as a member of The Acting Company. Throughout her impressive career she has played numerous roles including Mrs. McCutcheon in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Mary Pidgeon/ Spirit of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol, Mother Marguerite in Cyrano de Bergerac, Mrs. Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird, Friar in Much Ado About Nothing, Janet MacKenzie in Witness for the Prosecution, Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias, Rebecca Nurse in The Crucible, Miss Caroline Amory in Black Coffee, Betty Meeks in The Foreigner, Player/Lady in Hamlet, Olga in You Can't Take It With You, Miss Goodleigh/Mrs. Dilber in A Christmas Carol, Izzie Truce in House and Garden, Mrs. Dudgeon in The Devil's Disciple, and Olympe in A Flea in Her Ear. Fitzpatrick also reprised the role of Ms. Mavis in The Traveling Lady, as part of Playwright's Festival at Baylor University honoring Horton Foote, a production which gave a special performance at Actors' Studio in New York. She has also mentored theatre students in the Alley Theatre/University of Houston collaboration of The Diary of Anne Frank. Ever the world traveler, she particularly enjoyed performing at Alan Ayckbourn's Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, England as Grandmother in Close Ties. In addition to the Alley's A Christmas Carol, she performed for 20 seasons at Christ Church Cathedral as Cousin Sook in Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory. She also appeared as Elder Lundie in Brigadoon at Theatre Under the Stars.

ABOUT THE Alley Theatre
The Alley Theatre is a professional resident theatre company under the direction of Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and Managing Director Dean Gladden. It is one of the few American Theatre companies that support a company of actors, designers, artisans and craftspeople throughout the year. Productions are built and rehearsed in a 75,000 square foot state-of-the art facility, one of the largest of its kind, adjacent to its two-theatre complex in downtown Houston. For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org.

 

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