Apprenticeships

No. All applicants must submit a separate response to the questions, resume, and PDF Application for each position during the application window. We do not keep resumes on file.

There are many different “good fits” for this program. Use your application to tell us why a specific Apprenticeship would help you at this point in your career or education.

Technical/Production Apprentices do not need to have any experience in live theatre. Apprentices can come from a broad variety of backgrounds. For example, some Apprentices are in technical training programs, studying to become electricians or carpenters, while other Apprentices are in a traditional two- or four-year college or university. Some are working in fields such as manufacturing, landscape design, painting, sewing, or construction, but are interested in the arts. You need to be curious about a career in theatre production and eager to learn more about it.

Artistic Apprentices need to have a strong demonstrated interest in the exact career focus of the Apprenticeship. For example, a Playwriting Apprentice should have completed at least one full-length play, and a Directing Apprentice should have experience directing a full-length play either on-campus or within a setting such as community theatre. They should be strongly interested in going into the focus of the Apprenticeship as a career.

Most Apprenticeships require applicants to not have any previous paid experience in professional live theatre. However, please read each description carefully for full scope of eligibility requirements.

Apprenticeships are offered throughout the year in conjunction with selected Center Theatre Group productions and take place during a show’s rehearsal process. They last anywhere from two to six weeks, and anywhere from 80 to 130 hours in total. Applicants should have strong availability during the Apprenticeship timeframe.

All Apprenticeships are paid. Apprentices receive a stipend plus paid parking or a Metro pass. Stipends range from $1360 for an 80-hour Apprenticeship to $2,200 for a 130-hour Apprenticeship.

No, you do not need your own car. However, Apprentices need to have reliable transportation to all of Center Theatre Group’s locations, including our Costume & Prop Shop in Boyle Heights, our theatres and administrative office in Downtown L.A., and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Apprentices planning on taking public transit should be aware that the schedule will include nighttime rehearsals, and they may be traveling home after dark.

A resume is a one- to two-page document that shows why you might be a good fit for a program or job. Your resume needs to include:

• Your contact information.
• Information about any previous experience that might help us understand why you would be a good fit for this program. Examples: a food service job that required customer service; theatre classes you have taken; work as an electrician; assistant directing experience on campus.
• Hard skills that might be important for this Apprenticeship. Examples of hard skills: welding, drafting, budgeting, script analysis, or painting.

If you don’t already have a resume, you can find free templates online to make one, or you can just type the information above into a Word document.

No. Please submit only the documents we have asked for.

Alumni of our Internship Program are ineligible for this program. Alumni of any of our teen initiatives, including the Student Ambassador Program, Teen Theatregoers Program, or, are encouraged to apply; please review the age requirements below. Former Apprentices cannot repeat the program.

Yes. International students have Apprenticed with us while on a three-month student visa. However, we do not sponsor international applicants. A J1 Visa is likely not a viable option for our program, as the J1 is designed for a longer work opportunity than our short-term program. In order to participate, international applicants must have a United States Social Security number.

We do not offer Apprenticeships for high school students and/or people under the age of 18. We encourage young people under age 18 to learn more about our Student Ambassador program and our . Our program has no upper age limit. If you fit all eligibility requirements and believe you would benefit from our program, we encourage you to apply.

You do not need to be currently enrolled in school to apply for any Apprenticeship. You do not need to have any college or post-high school training to apply.

There are undergraduate-level and graduate-level Apprenticeships. Please read each description carefully for full scope of eligibility requirements.

If you have paid experience in theatre or live entertainment or do not identify as early career anymore, we encourage you to look at our employment opportunities page instead [link to Employment page]

Center Theatre Group’s Observerships are intended specifically for people who self-identify as a member of a group currently underrepresented in theatre production and artistic careers. Examples include but are not limited to: people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, women pursuing careers in production or other traditionally male-dominated areas, first-generation college students, people from low-income backgrounds, and military veterans. We seek to provide diverse emerging professionals with hands-on experience in an effort to promote diversity in the arts. Note that all applicants must answer the Diversity Requirement question to receive consideration.  

This educational program is designed to support people who are members of a group that is underrepresented in careers in theatre in Los Angeles—meaning there are fewer people in those jobs than in the general Los Angeles County population. The examples we give are not meant to be comprehensive. We rely on you to tell us why you believe you fit the diversity requirement.

Please note that we are not asking why you think diversity is important, or how you plan to support diversity in your career. We want to know why you believe you are a member of an underrepresented group in theatre careers.

We would love to connect with you. Please contact [email protected].