Timber Lake Playhouse receives grants to provide teen apprenticeships

MOUNT CARROLL – The Mount Carroll Community Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council have awarded Timber Lake Playhouse grants to continue to offer a paid apprentice program for area teens interested in pursuing careers in the theater arts.

This is the sixth year that this program has been in operation. TLP is accepting applications for the apprenticeship program through May 28.

Timber Lake Playhouse, operating in its 63th season, hires performers, directors and designers from around the country each year. The apprentice program is designed to immerse pre-college teens from Northwest Illinois in all aspects of professional theater production. Rather than volunteering time, the grant provides an hourly pay rate comparable to other summer work.

“It is important for TLP to offer programming to area teens,” said TLP Executive Director Dan Danielowski. “We expect some very talented high school students to apply for these positions.”

The teens will be chosen based on an artistic statement, letter of recommendation and interview. Priority will be given to this year’s high school juniors and graduates, those already accepted to university programs and those who’ve demonstrated a clear commitment to pursuing a career in theater.

The program lasts 10 weeks and provides experience in all aspects of running a theater. Interested youths should send a letter of application with an artistic statement and a letter of recommendation from someone familiar with their work to admin@timberlakeplayhouse.org.

“It’s a remarkable investment in the cultural life of the region,” Artistic Director Tommy Ranieri said. “To go into a university program with existing professional credits gives these artists a huge advantage. Combine that with a salary says that we believe in the value of the theater arts and in you, as the next generation of artists from Northwest Illinois.”

Application materials are available on the TLP website at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org. Watch Timber Lake Playhouse’s website for information on all TLP upcoming events and productions. For more information, tickets, and to register for classes, visit www.timberlakeplayhouse.org or call the box office at 815-244-2035 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

All performance dates and times are available online. This project is partially funded by the Illinois Arts Council and the Mt. Carroll Community Foundation.