Opportunities for Young Theatre Artists

High school actors need to be training and preparing for college preparatory level skill building, if they wish to take it seriously and go on. Since many high schools no longer are fully supportive of the arts, the quality and training in high schools now is no longer what it used to be. Talent and teacher quality vary. Places such as SPARC are excellent to get involved in. Laine Satterfield, an RTCC winner and accomplished actress (Firehouse Theatre, Virginia Repertory Theatre) leads a class called Studio where she focuses on training - monologue preparation, character development, etc. Not only is the class excellent, but you are networking (another invaluable tool) with a person/people who is/are involved directly in the arts community. You can get more information on SPARC at www.sparconline.org. TheatreLab is also in the process of developing opportunities for young people, and you can contact them through Facebook or via the Firehouse Theatre Project (www.firehousetheatre.org).

Please also note - training is often not FREE. I think young people (and parents) must be educated on the fact that in order to receive quality training, it usually comes at a price. Do not let this scare you away, but embrace it in knowing you'll be working with experienced artists who are well connected in the community. Programs, such as SPARC, have financial aid. So continue to train outside of your high school if you feel you are not getting the preparation you need, but be aware of the truths of training, the cost, etc.