Resources for Theater Studies

The following resources have been identified by Hampshire students, staff, faculty and alums, and compiled by students at the Career Options Resource Center. This is one of several Resource Guides geared towards students in popular concentrations. It is by no means a comprehensive list.

Internship Opportunities

 * Double Edge Theatre (Ashfield)
 * http://www.doubleedgetheatre.org/internship.php
 * DET’s internship program accepts up to sixteen students a year. Interns follow a schedule of supervised training and one-on-one artist studies, and are provided housing, workspace, and access to the theatre’s facilities as well as its 105 acres of field, forest, trails, and swimming pond. Hampshire theatre faculty often encourage acting students interested in intense physical training to pursue this opportunity.


 * Enchanted Circle Theatre (Holyoke)
 * http://www.enchantedcircletheater.com
 * ECT is a non-profit, professional children’s theater company that inspires and engages learning through the arts. Many Hampshire students have interned at ECT through work-study and non-work study positions. In 2006, a Hampshire graduate was offered a full-time paid position as an Artist Educator. Hampshire Professor Natalie Sowell often invites ECT Director Priscilla Hellweg (Hampshire ‘F76!) to conduct in-class workshops.


 * New Century Theater (Northampton)
 * http://www.newcenturytheatre.org/opportunities.html
 * NCT’s ten week summer internship program at Smith College’s Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts includes working run crew for all four of the summer shows and getting hands-on experience in Costume Shop, Lighting/ Electric, Stage Management, Props, and Box Office. If you are interested in children’s theatre and/or improvisational comedy check out NCT’s affiliate, Paintbox Theatre.


 * Hampshire Shakespeare Company (Hadley/Amherst)
 * http://www.hampshireshakespeare.org
 * If you’re in the valley during the summer, join up with Hampshire Shakespeare for “Shakespeare under the Stars.”

Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants

 * American Musicals Grant Listing
 * http://www.americanmusicals.com/Grants.htm
 * Americanmusicals.com maintains a list of grants for organizations and artists working in the field of musical theater.


 * Princess Grace Awards
 * http://www.pgfusa.org
 * The Princess Grace Foundation is dedicated to assisting emerging young artists in theater, dance and film through scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships.


 * Kennedy Center Fellowships
 * http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/artsmanagement/fellowships
 * The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts program provides up to 10 highly motivated, disciplined, and creative arts managers the instruction and experience they need to succeed in today's complex arts environment. Fellows receive an annual stipend of $20,000 (paid bi-weekly) to help defray housing and transportation costs. Course tuition, materials, and health insurance are provided at no cost.


 * The Actor’s Checklist
 * http://www.actorschecklist.com/resources/grantmoney.html
 * Includes a directory that highlights a variety of programs in the visual arts, creative writing and performing arts that award money, especially to individuals.


 * Grants for Individuals
 * http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3arts.htm
 * A compilation of web pages and books of potential interest to individuals seeking funding opportunities related to arts and cultural activities.


 * College Art Association, Resources and Opportunities
 * http://www.collegeart.org/fellowships/
 * CAA initiated the Professional Development Fellowship Program in 1993 to help MFA and PhD students bridge the gap between graduate study and professional careers.

Resources for Minority Students

 * New World Theater
 * http://www.umass.edu/fac/nwt
 * A program of The Fine Art Center at UMass Amherst, NWT strives to promote the work of artists of color.


 * Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation
 * http://www.aabbfoundation.org/
 * Awards yearly $1000 grants in three rotating disciplines: Theatre, Full-length Fiction, and Short Stories. Works must affirm the gay/lesbian lifestyle and be based on/inspired by a historic person, culture, event, or work of art. AABBF also offers grants (usually $1000) to offset expenses in producing gay-positive theatrical works based on history.


 * Asian Cultural Council
 * http://www.asianculturalcouncil.org
 * The Asian Cultural Council is a foundation supporting cultural exchange in the visual and performing arts between the United States and Asia.


 * Association of Hispanic Arts
 * http://www.latinoarts.org
 * AHA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Latino arts, artists and arts organizations as an integral part of the cultural life of the nation.

Graduate School Programs

 * Naropa University, Boulder, CO
 * Yale School of Drama, New Haven, CT
 * Central School of Speech and Drama, London, UK
 * Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, New York, New York

Faculty and Staff Contacts

 * Elly Donkin, edonkin@hampshire.edu
 * If you’re interested in playwriting, Elly’s the professor to talk to. Along with teaching playwriting courses, Elly is the author and editor of several publications delving into issues of gender politics in theatre.


 * Natalie Sowell, nsowell@hampshire.edu
 * If you’re interested in Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), Natalie has expertise that spans both the creative and the logistical aspects of TYA. In 2005, she began Seedling Productions, Hampshire’s very own theatre company designed for young audiences. Natalie is also a practitioner of Theatre of the Oppressed.


 * Jill Lewis, jlewis@hampshire.edu
 * If you’re interested in Theatre for Social Change, Jill is the person to contact! She is only at Hampshire during spring semesters. Recently her work has focused on dialogues within HIV/AIDS education and prevention.


 * Peter Kallok, pkallok@hampshire.edu
 * If you’re interested in Technical Theatre/Scenic Design, Peter has served as the technical director of the Theatre and Dance Department at Hampshire since 1994. Peter can almost always be found in the Scene shop in EDH, and is happy to talk with students about his area of expertise.


 * Wayne Kramer, wkramer@hampshire.edu
 * If you’re interested in Scenic Design/ Lighting Design, Wayne has designed for and served as a design consultant for television, film, and the stage.

On Campus

 * Hampshire’s Theatre Board is student-run, so get involved! The Theatre Department welcomes students from all levels of experience. Keep your eyes open for auditions or calls for tech crew in the other four colleges as well.

General

 * Hampshire students have often been successful going out into the community (Amherst, Northampton, Springfield, etc) and signing on to be stage managers, costume assistants, etc. for area theaters.