<p>A few years ago my S was an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival after his freshman year in a BFA acting program. He met just one apprentice who was younger than he was. The festival accepts as apprentices college students and graduates. He found it to be a really rewarding experience - he is still in touch with some of the other apprentices. It was a lot of hard work that consumed many, many hours - he spent much of the summer helping with technical aspects, including work at the mill shop, heating food for the crew that had to break down the set after a production had concluded, etc. Some apprentices did get to appear in some of the productions, mostly as human scenery. My S did get to perform, but probably not in the way that he had imagined. There is a fee for the program, but the fee covers room and board at Williams College as well as classes with visiting professionals. They do have a scholarship program for persons who cannot afford the fee. Also, there may be some value to having a festival like Williamstown or NJ Shakespeare that Connections mentioned on your resume because it does appear that having been an apprentice is kind of like being part of a fraternity/sorority for the summer. There is no audition but I believe 3 letters of recommendation and an essay are required. The deadline for applying is usually around March 1.</p>