Actors Theatre of Louisville Sets 2016-17 Professional Training Company

Artistic Director Les Waters has introduced the 2016-2017 Professional Training Company (formally known as the Apprentice/Intern Company). Each year, Actors Theatre of Louisville invites the most talented and highly motivated early-career theatre professionals in the nation to undertake a nine-month long training program that combines hands-on practical experience with educational seminars and professional guidance. Now in its 45th Season, Actors Theatre's Professional Training Company is one of the oldest pre-professional training programs in the nation, and has built an incredible legacy of supporting the long-term vitality of American theatre through the mentorship and fostering of the best forthcoming talent in the field.

Waters shared, "I am thrilled to see this vital program flourish and witness our alumni colleagues expand their leadership in arts communities across the country. Actors Theatre is honored to champion these talented young professionals as they become the next generation of theatre artists and leaders."

The Professional Training Company has been a launching pad for numerous alumni who have emerged into prominent positions in professional theatre. This year's company joins the prestigious list of alumni which includes actor Timothy Busfield (West Wing ), Actors Theatre's current Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough, and Neil Pepe, Artistic Director of the Atlantic Theater Company in New York, among others. Selected from over 2,000 applicants from across the nation the 2016-2017 Professional Training Company consists of 39 college graduates-each of whom is extremely talented in his or her chosen field. Through their participation in the nine-month long program over the course of the 2016-2017 Season, they will receive practical training, the opportunity to work with celebrated artists, and a firsthand look at the inner workings of one of the nation's leading regional theatres. The company will also produce a number of productions, including new work by nationally renowned playwrights, and original creations developed by the members of the company themselves.

"We feel this is a major step in the growth that the Company has seen in the last several years," said Michael Legg, Director of the Professional Training Company. "It acknowledges what the program has become and cements our standing among our national peers as the premier place to train the next generation of theatre artists. It also finally integrates the two halves of the company into one group, with a common mission and set of goals."

The Professional Training Company has launched the careers of many burgeoning leaders in theatre, both at Actors Theatre and elsewhere nationwide. Notable alumni include: Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething, The West Wing), Jenny Robertson (Bull Durham, Role Models), Jason Butler Harner (Ray Donovan, Blacklist, Changeling), Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town, Quantico), Alex Hernandez (The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity), Jeff White (Manhattan, Video Synchronicity, The Americans), Lisa McNulty (Artistic Line Producer at Manhattan Theatre Club), Anna Kull (Director of Community Relationships at Lark Play Development Center), Neil Pepe (Artistic Director of the Atlantic Theater Company) and Actors Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough. The Professional Training Company provides an avenue for future theatre leaders to network with other apprentices nationally.

Actors Theatre's Professional Training Company joins a prestigious trio of recipients that have received significant grants from The Roy Cockrum Foundation. The $1.2 million dollar award will support grants over the next ten years for each apprentice during the nine-month program, and provides year-round employment for the program's leadership. Founded by Roy Cockrum, the Foundation supports world-class performing arts projects in not-for-profit professional theatres throughout the United States. The Foundation considers grants by invitation only and is dedicated to helping nonprofit theaters reach beyond their normal scope of activities and undertake ambitious and creative productions.

Apprenticeships for the 2016-2017 Season have been awarded to:

Hannah Allgeier (Scenic Painting) Louisville, KY - Western Kentucky University

Lila Rachel Becker (Directing) Washington, D.C. - Wesleyan University

Natasha Bray (Lighting/Electrics) Batesville, AR - Hendrix University

Alexis Breese (Stage Management) Dayton, OH - University of Michigan

Carter Caldwell (Acting) Louisville, KY - University of Evansville

Hannah Emily Cava (Production Management) Las Vegas, NV - University of Evansville

Andres Chaves (Acting) Bogota, Colombia - University of Minnesota

Andrew Cutler (Acting) Eden Prairie, MN - University of Chicago

Michael Donnay (Stage Management) Bryn Mawr, PA - Georgetown University

Rachael Everson (Development) Auburn, WA - Western Washington University

Jenn Geiger (Acting) New Albany, OH - Ohio State University

Anna Gelman (Education/Teaching Artist) Sycamore, IL - Oberlin College

Allison Paige Gilman (Events and Festival Management) Richmond, VA - Emerson College

Forrest Hejkal (Arts Administration) Ann Arbor, MI - Hampshire College

Bryan Howard (Dramaturgy/Literary Management) Howell, NJ - University of Nebraska

Abby Leigh Huffstetler (Acting) Rockmart, GA - The Savannah College of Art & Design

Daniel Johnson (Acting) Ray, ND - University of North Dakota

Kelsey Johnson (Acting) Indianapolis, IN - Ball State University

Elijah Jones (Acting) Harrisburg, PA - Penn State University

Kevin Kantor (Acting) Deerfield, IL - University of Northern Colorado

Sam Kotansky (Acting) Baltimore, MD - DePaul University

Katherine Louise Leggett (Communications) Calhoun, GA - Northwestern University

Anna Lentz (Acting) Brooklyn, NY - Rutgers University

Kathiamarice Lopez (Acting) Kenosha, WI - Carthage University

Victoria Marie Masteller (Education/Teaching Artist) Douglassville, PA - Emerson College

Laakan McHardy (Acting) Montego Bay, Jamaica - Mount Holyoke College

Alex Milak (Acting) Springfield, NJ - New York University

Regan Moro (Acting) Mahwah, NJ - University of Michigan

Grace Palmer (Acting) Baltimore, MD - DePaul University

Emily Pathman (Stage Management) Mill Valley, CA - Emerson College

Jake Sabinsky (Acting) Bellaire, OH - Ohio University

Chandler Smith (Company Management/Hospitality) Paducah, KY - Western Kentucky University

Katherine Thesing (Stage Management) Berea, KY - Bellarmine University

Anne-Marie Trabolsi (Acting) Dayton, OH - Ohio University

Paige Vehlewald (Dramaturgy/Literary Management) Bakersfield, CA - National University of Ireland, Galway

Jennifer Jane Wilde (Marketing) Saint Albans, VT - Pennsylvania State University/Altoona College

Sam Wisenden (Acting) Moorhead, MN - Ball State University

Alice Wu (Acting) Fargo, ND - North Dakota State University

Sammy Zeisel (Directing) Bethesda, MD - Northwestern University

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