Steppenwolf offers three stage management apprenticeships. Each apprentice is assigned to two or three of the productions in our Subscription Series and/or our Steppenwolf for Young Adults season. Apprentices work with our professional stage management teams from pre-production through final performance. In the process, they will have the opportunity to maintain paperwork, take line notes, be on book, preset and run shows, and rehearse understudies, among other duties. Stage management apprentices are required to attend daytime rehearsals and become an active running crew member during evening performances. These are full-time paid apprenticeships while the productions are in rehearsal and during the run. Stage management apprentices are not eligible to earn EMC points.

Dates & Hours

To be announced at a later date

Typically 40 hours/week

Position is Supervised By

Assistant Production Manager

Who Should Apply For This Position

Applicants interested in learning about the functions of a professional stage manager should apply. This position requires a certain amount of stage management experience coupled with the desire to dig in and learn the ropes in a fast-paced environment.

Alumni For This Position Include

  • Mary Hungerford, Stage Manager, Lookingglass Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL
  • Vanessa Retzlaff, Assistant Stage Supervisor, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL
  • Jacqueline Saldana, Assistant Stage Manager, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL
  • Julian Laurie, Assistant Stage Manager, Writers Theatre
  • Jaclynn Joslin, Assistant Stage Manager, Steppenwolf Theatre
  • Brianna Parry, Production Supervisor, Wallis Annenberg Center, Los Angeles, CA
  • Kat Barrett, Assistant Stage Manager, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL
  • Nikki Blue-Emens, Stage Manager, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL
  • Kelly Crook, Assistant Production Manager, Writers Theatre, Glencoe, IL and Production Manager, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Application Requirements

  • Cover Letter Addressing the Following:
    • Why you want to work in this department at Steppenwolf
    • What skills and experiences you bring to this department
    • What you hope to learn from this internship or apprenticeship 
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • Two Letters of Recommendation
  • Paperwork Sample
    • Please include a piece of paperwork (ex. run sheet,prop preset, page from a callbook, etc) that you are especially proud of. Sample should not exceed two pages in length.

The cover letter, resume, and two letters of recommendation should be submitted as one PDF titled "lastname_firstname.pdf" (i.e. letts_tracy.pdf). The Paperwork Sample should be submitted as its own PDF titled "lastname_paperwork" (i.e. letts_paperwork).