Meet the 2017-18 Apprentices: Timothy Huth
Timothy graduated in 2016 from Towson University with a degree in Theatre Studies and double minors in English and Vocal Performance. He took a year off after graduation to work and apply for fellowships, eventually he landing here at Olney in August!
I sat down with Timothy after Annie opened to talk all things OTC and Dramaturgy.
Position: Dramaturgy Apprentice
Hometown: Frederick, MD
Education/Training: Towson University
What attracted you to the Olney Theatre Apprentice Training Program?
âI have known about the Apprentice Training Program for a while now. I had a friend in high school who completed the Dramaturgy Apprenticeship four years ago and raved about her experience,â says Timothy. âBut it took a Writing for Business class assignment to encourage me to apply. We were asked to write a cover letter for our dream job, and I chose the Dramaturgy Apprenticeship at Olney.
âI love the mix of straight plays and musicals. There are very few theaters who do such interesting plays and big musicals; most of the time you will find a focus exclusively on ânew workâ or âmusical theatreâ or something like that, but Olney does a little bit of everything. So my experience here will be, and already has been, incredibly diverse.â
What are you working on right now?Â
âRight now, Iâm working on the actor packets for Every Brilliant Thing and Aubergine, our first two spring productions, as well as getting the program copy for Aubergine together. Itâs a challenge because, as a white man, I donât want to write about the âKorean-Americanâ experience, as if Iâm an expert. So itâs a balancing act of finding anecdotal evidence and studies to make sure Iâm accurately representing a culture unlike my own.â
What about what youâre most looking forward to?
âEmotionally, Iâm most looking forward to Every Brilliant Thing. The topic is so intensely personal to me, but relatable so I think everyone can get something out of it. Iâm not embarrassed to say that I openly wept when I read the script. Not like a single tear, like full out sobbing. I had to put the script down. Itâs going to be a joy helping to bring that story to an audience and watch them experience it for the first time. Itâll also be the most challenging show this year for me, which is exciting in a way.â
Whatâs something that youâve learned from this apprenticeship?Â
âGod, Iâve learned so much. I mean, youâre looking at a job that requires enormous multitasking and a really tough balancing act. Iâve learned how to budget my time better and to ensure thereâs some work-life balance. Itâs actually something Megh (Artistic & Casting Apprentice) taught me early on; she kept insisting I take time for myself.
âIn terms of like physical book knowledge, Iâve learned so much about all these authors, really notable people, who have such rich lives and histories that influence their stories. Like examining Our Townâs Stage Manager again when you know how isolated Thornton Wilder felt as a queer man is just⊠It brings something special to the piece.â
Something thatâs surprised you?
âIâm honestly surprised by how supportive everyone is. Not that I thought they wouldnât be, but Iâm surprised that weâve developed such a family. I mean, we practically do everything together. Janice (Costume Apprentice) and I were walking back to our rooms one night and got scared by someone in the wings of the Historic; that experience built into us writing a full length play. I spend more time on the couches on the Porch, watching TV and talking about everything than I ever dreamed.â
What makes the OTC community so special?
âI kind of touched on it already, but the OTC apprentices are such a family. We know each otherâs moms by name. We can immediately tell when someone is off for whatever reason. When things are tough for someone, the others go out and buy ice cream or wine or whatever they need. They did a survey last year of some Olney staff and performers and the one thing that stood out to me was how everyone said itâs a family. Being so far away from D.C. - weâre part of the D.C. theatre community, but we really are our own island - thereâs this need to be inclusive and to be a team and I think we really meet that goal.â
Describe your favorite place on campus.
âItâs cheesy, but my favorite place is the doorway of my room. My room itself is a mess - Iâm such a slob - but the doorway looks out into the booth of the Historic Theatre and then out onto the stage. I can stand in my doorways and watch shows. I watched Othello from my room. The Little Mermaid and The Nutcracker too. When I was a kid, I used to dream of living over the Majestic Theatre in New York, where Phantom plays. It was my entire life goal to live over a theatre. When I moved in here, I kind of laughed, because I finally was.â
Do you have any advice for the next Dramaturgy Apprentice?
âAsk questions. This is a tough job and weâre kind of floating on our own, in a way, without having a full time dramaturg or literary manager. But youâve got a great support system in JKJ (Jason King Jones) and JLo (Jason Loewith), as well as everyone else, so never hesitate to ask for what you need, ask for clarification, ask why youâre doing what youâre doing. I spent my first two months redoing everything I did because I was⊠afraid? I guess afraid. I was afraid to ask for help; I thought I had to do it all on my own.
âOh. And get a great planner and never part from it. It will save your life while youâre trying to balance everything.â
