Our next session will run from May 2026 through August 2026. If you are interested in becoming a mentee, please follow Theatre Washington on social media or sign up for our weekly newsletter for an announcement when applications open. You can sign up for the newsletter by visiting the About section and clicking on Contact Us. If you are a mentor, we accept applications on a rolling basis for future rounds. Please send us your information through the links below.
If you are interested in being a mentor, please fill out this form. Mentor selection is tailored to each mentee participating in the program; mentors will be matched based on artistic goals, discipline, career background, and collaborative style.
Deidra LaWan Starnes and Michelle Proctor Rogers
Become a Mentor or Mentee
2020 Theatre Summit
The Mentorship Program pairs mentors and mentees who seek professional growth through the direct observation, guidance, and feedback of other practitioners. Individuals are matched based on specialties, career paths, and development interests.
Meet the 2025 Mentorship Cohort
The 2025 Cohort is composed of 40 artists and administrators: 20 mentees and 20 mentors. It represents a diverse array of artistic disciplines, spanning all ages and career stages, and is a reflection of our vibrant DC-area theatre community.
Previous Mentorship Cohorts
Click here to learn more about previous Mentorship Program participants.
The mentorship program not only allowed me to share my knowledge of how theatre can be used to empower communities, but it also connected our organization to a very bright and talented individual with whom we can imagine collaborating over the long term.
Mentor Deb Gottesman
The Theatre Lab
Building Community
Our mentorship program was developed by Thembi Duncan and led by Tristan Willis from 2018 to 2023. Now facilitated by Alissa Klusky, this program was built for early-career and established theatre practitioners with varying levels of familiarity with the Washington, DC-area theatre landscape. No matter where you are in your career, we will carefully match you with a mentor who shares interests with you and can remember what it felt like to be where you are now. We invite you to become a mentor if you're ready to share from your experiences and excited to engage with and learn from up-and-coming artists.
The Practice of Questioning
This program is built on the idea that the practice of questioning is artistic and meaningful work. Both mentees and mentors are encouraged to wonder, to be curious, to ponder, to search, and to puzzle through questions together. No question is too big or too small. No question is too silly or too trite. Any question, every question, is valuable. To practice the art of asking is the foundation of this program. Participants are never expected to know all the answers, but rather to ask and to seek. This is a space where mentees and mentors can joyously discover together.
All Ages, All Stages
At Theatre Washington, we believe that learning is a lifelong journey and that no one outgrows the need to learn or offer learning opportunities. Consider that a program participant is never too old to take in new knowledge about their craft or too young to step into the role of mentor and help guide newer artists. This program is for adult theatre-makers (18+) to grow at any age, or any stage, of their career.
Mark Chalfant and Jasmine Jiang
Expectations & Benefits
Our goal is for the mentee-mentor relationship to be authentic, informed, and guided by our collective work and connections as a community. Mentorship pairs participate in four meetings over 16 weeks. There is no cost to participate.