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Actor Training

Ensemble:

The Fellowship: 12 week Shakespeare Training & Performance

Rather than creating a hierarchy between Sweet Thunder Associates and Fellows, our aim is to build a rigorous, collaborative environment in which artists at different stages of their careers work together in shared practice. Fellows train alongside experienced practitioners and contribute to the development of the production throughout the full process. Rather than functioning solely as outside instructors, Teaching Artists remain active within the ensemble, participating as performers while guiding the work from within.

This structure reflects the company’s longer-term artistic direction. While the current program is organized as an educational and training environment, the broader aim is to develop an ongoing professional ensemble: a repertory-based company grounded in shared practice, mentorship, and continued artistic development.

Sweet thunder logo, elizabethan sun blowing the clouds

The Fellowships

Our inaugural Founding Fellows have been chosen!

Auditions for the early Spring 2027 Fellows will be held in late 2026. If you’re interested in training with Sweet Thunder Shakespeare, we invite you to read more about the Fellowship below. At the end of the page, you’ll find a form to join our audition list. You’ll be notified as soon as audition applications open.

What type of person is a fellow?

Some fellows may be quite experienced in training or as performers. Some will have little experience of either. We are seeking adults of all ages, ethnic and language backgrounds, genders and levels, who love learning, are open to discovery, and are ready to commit to in-depth training. Our work centralizes clarity, audience connection and ensemble storytelling. We are seeking people who are keen to learn techniques, and are animated by the idea that the craft of acting – often reduced in the public mind to simply emoting – is multi-faceted, joyous, and rigorous. Whether Shakespeare already feels like home or has always seemed just beyond your reach, if you’re excited by our approach, we encourage you to apply for an audition.

Am I paying to perform?

No. The Fellowship is a training program that culminates in public performance. Fellows are selected through an audition process and participate in ensemble training, rehearsal, and production as part of a complete educational experience. Fellowship fees are used exclusively to pay teaching artists who train the fellows.

Training

Training begins the program and is gradually folded into rehearsal & performance as the weeks go on. See our about page to get a view of our teachers. We will be adding a few guests, too.

Shakespeare’s Text

Get inside Shakespeare’s text, uncovering how Shakespeare’s world underpins performance choices & delivery. Develop confidence and clarity in speaking this text as you learn a repeatable structure for how to approach Shakespeare.

Voice & Movement

Week by week training in the Inhabiting Technique: foundational voice training and Laban-based movement supporting actors to access emotional expressivity grounded in the body

Performance Technique

Specific structures will be learned by all performers: how to play with and speak to the audience, expanding comic possibilities and expressive connection culminating in our performance of the full length Shakespeare play at hand (title TBA)

Music & Dance

Sing, play music and learn period dances with a twist directed by our Musical Director & our Choreographer, respectively – as part of an ensemble process leading into full production,

Combat & Spectacle

Everyone will train in the foundations of safe stage combat including swordplay, towards the creation of larger theatrical moments for performance of the play in October

Ensemble Practice

Train alongside fellow actors in a shared approach to the work, building trust, responsiveness, and collective storytelling – these structures will support the rehearsal process.

Fees & Scholarships

A number of BIPOC Scholarships are available to support artists from from communities that have been historically underrepresented in classical theatre training and performance.

Need-Based Financial Assistance is available to applicants of all backgrounds. If the program fee would make participation difficult, we encourage you to apply and let us know your circumstances. We will do our best to ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation.

The fee for the fellowship is $500.

logo lower res

The Fellowships

Our inaugural Founding Fellows have been chosen!

Auditions for the early Spring 2027 Fellows will be held in late 2026. If you’re interested in training with Sweet Thunder Shakespeare, we invite you to read more about the Fellowship below. At the end of the page, you’ll find a form to join our audition list. You’ll be notified as soon as audition applications open.

What type of person is a fellow?

Some fellows may be quite experienced in training or as performers. Some will have little experience of either. We are seeking adults of all ages, ethnic and language backgrounds, genders and levels, who love learning, are open to discovery, and are ready to commit to in-depth training. Our work centralizes clarity, audience connection and ensemble storytelling. We are seeking people who are keen to learn techniques, and are animated by the idea that the craft of acting – often reduced in the public mind to simply emoting – is multi-faceted, joyous, and rigorous. Whether Shakespeare already feels like home or has always seemed just beyond your reach, if you’re excited by our approach, we encourage you to apply for an audition.

Am I paying to perform?

No. The Fellowship is a training program that culminates in public performance. Fellows are selected through an audition process and participate in ensemble training, rehearsal, and production as part of a complete educational experience. Fellowship fees are used exclusively to pay teaching artists who train the fellows.

Training

Training begins the program and is gradually folded into rehearsal & performance as the weeks go on. See our about page to get a view of our teachers. We will be adding a few guests, too.

Fees & Scholarships

The fee for the fellowship is $500.

A number of BIPOC Scholarships are available to support artists from from communities that have been historically underrepresented in classical theatre training and performance.

Need-Based Financial Assistance is available to applicants of all backgrounds. If the program fee would make participation difficult, we encourage you to apply and let us know your circumstances. We will do our best to ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation.

collage: sweet thunder logo, colored lights, theatre seating

Transparency is one of our guiding principles

Here’s how we’re structured:

Teaching Artists lead defined areas of the work. Teaching Artists are compensated for their time (with the exception of our two Co-founders, who contribute their skills without compensation during this founding phase).

Associate Artists are invited based on experience and participate in most aspects of the training. They work as volunteers within the ensemble and do not function as a separate cast.

The program culminates in public performance at our partner theatre.

Sweet Thunder’s share of ticket revenue supports the continuation of the program. Where possible, a portion is directed toward scholarships and future training opportunities. School groups are invited to attend selected performances at no cost as part of our educational work.

All board members currently donate their time in support of the organization.

Wondering how all of this is possible?

Interested in the 2027 Fellowship?

If you’d like to be among the first to hear when auditions open, join our list below.

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