"Fame on 42nd Street" Offers
Students Paid Apprenticeship with Theatre Professionals
Five New York City high school students
have been chosen as the February participants in the Father
Fame Apprenticeship Program (FFAP), the result of a partnership
between the producers of Fame on 42nd Street, the Father
Fame Foundation and the New York City Department of Education. The
Apprenticeship is a 4-week paid program that offers students
an opportunity to work side by side with theatre professionals
at the stage musical, Fame on 42nd Street.
The five teenagers apprenticing in February are Darrell Ammonds,
Kisha Claude, Christopher Desmangles and Stephanie Fontus,
all students of the Brooklyn High School of the Arts, and Christina
Bonal, a student at the Frank Sinatra High School of Arts in
Queens.
This pioneer program, which began on January 3, 2004, is for
students in their junior year at select arts high schools in
the five boroughs of New York City. Each month, five students
are selected to participate. FFAP offers its candidates access
and knowledge to various areas of the theater industry including:
producing, casting, management, design, technology, publicity,
marketing, and performance, via 15-hour weekly work sessions.
The New York City Department of Education pays minimum wage
salary to all students participating in FFAP for their 15 hours
of apprenticeship work a week. The program is administered
by Camp Broadway, a theatre arts company dedicated to helping
educators, kids and families experience theater in original
and creative ways.
David De Silva, known as "Father Fame" conceived,
developed and produced the MGM motion picture Fame. Recently,
he created The Father Fame Foundation, whose mission is to
promote arts and live theater in education, particularly in
the public schools. "In a business that offers few official
apprenticeship or internship program for students interested
in the theatre, FFAP steps into the void, and presents a realistic
look at a career as a theatre professional" said De Silva. "I
truly believe students will discover their passion, and hone
their craft through hands-on work with top experts in the business."
"This is a one of a kind opportunity for our students
to experience the world of professional theater by working
up close with one of New York City's biggest shows," said
Nancy Shankman, Deputy Senior Instructional Manager for the
Arts. "The FFAP is an incredible way to enrich the education
of the students while they explore their love of the arts and
prepare themselves for the excitement and challenges of a career
in the industry."#
For more information visit www.FAMEon42.com and www.CampBroadway.com or the NYC Department of Education, www.nycenet.edu.
