Program Overview
The OYL Apprentice Program seeks to inspire the individual theater artist.  The program investigates the possibilities of the theatrical experience, explores various techniques, and strengthens the artist’s understanding of ensemble-based theater. OYL’s Apprentice Program is designed for college-level actors and occurs each summer in Northern Greece, in the remote mountain village of Papingo. The program is four weeks long, and is lead by the OYL artistic ensemble, college professors and additional professional theater practitioners. It exposes apprentices to a variety of training methods including Suzuki, Viewpoints, Lecoq, Meisner, improvisation and Feldenkrais.  The program culminates in a series of performances in the local villages in the Zagorohoria region.

Apprentices create devised works, perform at regular intervals, take acting masterclasses, train with OYL’s acting ensemble, participate in daily yoga sessions, learn basic Greek and sit in on OYL workshops and rehearsals.  Concurrently, the Apprentice Company builds and rehearses an outdoor production that tours to five villages during the last week of the program. This production is based on a different classic text each year and past performances have included Churchill’s Thyestes, The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Minotaur & Ariadne and A Midsummer Nights Dream.

During the Apprentice Program OYL promotes an understanding of ensemble work while simultaneously encouraging each artist to further develop their individual voice. 

In addition to intensive theatre training the program includes a substantial amount of physical exercise, rigorous mountain hikes, guided tours of the Acropolis and its museum, a visit to the ancient Dodoni amphitheater, a day trip to the Vergina museum which houses the royal tombs of King Phillip II, and a day at the beach located at the mythological site of the River Styx.

A Typical Day for an OYL Apprentice Company Member
8:00am    Enjoy breakfast with fellow apprentices
8:45am    Walk as a group to OYL’s outdoor rehearsal space
9:30am    Suzuki training (with OYL company)
10:15am    Viewpoints training (with OYL company)
11:00am    Devised Work rehearsal or Masterclass (Apprentice Company)
2:00pm    Communal Lunch at OYL’s central house
4:00pm    ‘Greek Time’ (basic Greek lesson)
4:30pm    Yoga (with OYL company)
5:30pm    Project rehearsal (Apprentice Company)
9:00pm    Dinner  (mostly with OYL company)

Logistical & Practical Considerations

• The program takes place annually between July 15th and August 15th
• Apprentices are housed in traditional Greek pension hotel rooms with 2 or 3 to a room
• Food & Meals:
  o In-room breakfast supplied (cereal, milk, yoghurt, fruit, honey, coffee, tea).
  o Lunch of sandwiches, salads, omelettes, etc at the OYL central house.  All lunches prepared and set out by OYL company members.
  o Dinners of traditional Greek fare 5 nights/week in village tavernas.
  o Communal dinners 2 nights/week with the OYL company and staff at the central house.
  o Alcohol is not included.
• Apprentice Program fee is $4800 all inclusive of food, accommodation, tuition, excursions, admission fees and internal transportation in Greece for four weeks.
• Airfare to Greece is not included in fee.
• Insurance is not included in fee.
• Two or more mountain hikes are a part of the program, between three and eight hours in duration. A good level of physical fitness is required to participate fully in the program. Please list in detail any conditions or injuries that may prevent full participation when applying.
  
  
  Applications accepted throughout the year and admission is on a rolling basis. 

For more information and to apply to the program please use the links in the menu bar on the left, under Apprenticeships.