(by Mary Lee Carter, returning TheatreWings Apprentice, Year Three, Junior, Visual Arts Major at School of the Arts) The TheatreWings Apprentice Program is a-maz-ing. We just finished up the week of June TheatreWings training, in which new apprentices learn everything from chop-saws to chain-stitching, and returning students learn new skills. This week has been so crazy- Stefanie and Mike Christensen, Charleston Stage’s Technical Director and Props Master, cram a year’s worth of theatre knowledge into one week. Not only do you learn through working on projects for the theatre, they allow you to apply your skills in “real life”. We made whiteboards, corkboards, shirts, arm warmers (sleevies!), and more.
A year in the TheatreWings Apprentice Program is an amazing experience. In the theatre, anything can happen, and you can have the craziest experiences! Like during Frankenstein, I got to set off a bunch of fog machines, CO2 fire extinguishers, a burning frog (!!!) and loads more. I’ve worked a giant follow spotlight; my buddy Morgan, who is sitting next to me, has thrown debris into an audience from a catwalk above and then ran onstage to meet “Elvis”.
TheatreWings is a great program to take part in for so many reasons. The people you meet, the places you go, the things you make, the experiences you, well, experience make all the work worth it.
(Far Right: Mary Lee Carter building versatile scenic pieces that will be used throughout the season for KidStage and Theatrical Troupe classes)