NEWS
Seattle Rep’s paid apprenticeships, rare in theater, approved by state
Read an excerpt from Ryan Nguyen's The Seattle Times article about Seattle Rep's singular Winky Hussey Professional Arts Training Program, originally published January 25, 2026.
When Seattle Rep apprentice Lauren Dong received her first email from her favorite playwright, she was thrilled.
Lauren Yee had emailed Dong and others to discuss the upcoming world premiere of Yee’s play, Mother Russia, at the Rep. Dong, a self-described “fangirl,” had seen the world premiere of Yee’s play Cambodian Rock Band when she was 15.
Now, as the Rep’s directing and artistic programs apprentice, Dong would be Yee’s assistant director and script supervisor for the new show. When Yee emailed Dong to welcome her to the team, Dong immediately screenshotted the notification to keep as a memento, and she texted several people she knew to share the good news.
“Working for my favorite playwright when I was 22 was not on my bingo card. But it happened, and it was so incredible,” said Dong, who finished her Rep apprenticeship in 2025.
Dong’s apprenticeship at the Seattle Rep opened up the professional theater world to her. The Rep has had a training program in some form for over 40 years, but in April, the Winky Hussey Professional Arts Training Program earned a new star: approval from the state.
The recognition is an official stamp that the apprenticeship meets state requirements for education and on-the-job training, said Rachel McAloon, program manager for registered apprenticeships at the state Department of Labor and Industries. It also means that the state has certified the program as high quality, potentially attracting more applicants.
To be sure, paid opportunities for aspiring theater professionals exist across Washington. But programs that provide benefits such as paid time off, sick time and other benefits, on top of pay, are rare.
Plus, the Rep has become the first professional theater company — and arts organization — in the state to earn approval from the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, McAloon confirmed.
“It really takes an on-the-job training program and just lifts it to that next level, right?” McAloon said. “Where the worker has all of this background knowledge and classroom instruction to really be a great worker.”
The 2026/27 Season Seattle Rep Winkey Hussey Professional Arts Training Program applications open Jan. 28 and close Feb. 26.
