The Santa Fe Opera has revealed the lineup of its 2023 Apprentice Program for Theater Technicians, consisting of 86 talented individuals.

Operating behind the scenes, the Apprentice Technicians are divided into eight distinct crews: Audio/Visual, Costumes, Electrics, Production/Music Services, Properties, Scenic Arts, Stage Crew, and Wigs and Makeup. Throughout the season, they execute crucial tasks during the daily transitions between the operas, performing duties essential to the smooth running of productions. Their collective passion, expertise, and unwavering dedication set the stage for an extraordinary 2023 Festival Season, featuring five new productions.

“We are delighted to welcome the class of 2023 technical apprentices to the Santa Fe Opera. The future of live performance is in good hands with these talented artists and technicians who are willing to learn, work hard and contribute daily. It is an honor to work with them and watch them grow into their roles as part of our production team,” said Tracy Armagost, Production and Recruiting Coordinator at the Santa Fe Opera in an official press statement.

In addition to the mainstage opera presentations, the apprentices will present two special evenings of Apprentice Scenes on August 13 and 20, 2023, at 8:00 pm. Additionally, Technical apprentices will collaborate with experienced designers, technicians, and craftspeople from theaters, opera companies, and universities globally, as part of the company’s production staff.

The Apprentices for 2023 are the following:

Audio Visual
Rubysella Erickson, Texas
Sam Henry, North Carolina
Ringisai Anesu Anselem Mapondera, Zimbabwe
Bennett Riley, New Mexico

Costumes
Jordan Augusto, Florida
Aurora Azbill, Ohio
Gray Covert, Colorado
Ember E. Cuddy, Montana
TyQuria Fountain, Maryland
Ava Francisco, Texas
Rebecca Gardner, Minnesota
Emma Rose Harrison, New Mexico
Courtney Hatch, Arizona
Maddie James, Colorado
HuiXue (Diana) Kang, China
Cullen Keogh, North Carolina
Kate Larson, Minnesota
Alex Ledbetter, Oklahoma
Grigorii Malakhov, Poland
Kaia Mortensen, Texas
Sebastian Newell, New York
Michael O’Herron, Massachusetts
Matthew Palacios, Virginia
Azaria Jade Rubio, Maryland
Zoe Selesnick, New Jersey
Shelby Smith, Kentucky
Asia Weiss, Florida
Caroline A. Zaltron, Brazil

Electrics
Eric Dahlgren, Michigan
Micah Dominguez-Schatz, Canada
Gabriel J. Hrin, Ohio
Will Loconto, Texas
Amelia Ludt, California
Brianna Maruco, Missouri
Braden Pauley, Oklahoma
Emily Poole, Washington
Josie Rocca, Ohio
Maddy Uecker, North Dakota

Production Services
Liam Hurley, New Mexico
Olivia Kaye, New York
Jordyn Paul, Texas
Kordelia Taylor, Iowa
Grace Wright, North Dakota

Properties
Brittany Conyers, Texas
Vance Cook, Arizona
Lauren Eckard, North Carolina
Sam Forrest, New Jersey
Jared W. Hansen, Illinois
Adam Hawley, Maryland
Annie Hennen, Colorado
Tori Kershaw, Georgia
Lydia Konings, Wisconsin
McKenna Leach, Texas
Chloe Lupini, Wisconsin
Erin McNeley-Phelps, Kansas
Frank Scarnaty Jr., New Jersey
Adrian Speth, Utah

Scene Shop
Celeste Bontumasi, Illinois

Scenic Art
Sean Haffey, Ohio
Jasmine Hernandez, Florida
Emmaline Naud, Utah
Zachery Snow, Ohio
Jordan Taylor, Alabama

Stage Crew
Angel Bell, New Mexico
William Blank, Ohio
Margo Buchanan, North Carolina
Bobbie Buie, Iowa
Michael Cooprider, Kansas
Hannah Culwell, Texas
Chase M. Dietrich, Florida
Manuel Elizondo, Texas
Casey Fort, California
Garner Harsh, Georgia
Jamie Norris, Florida
William Peele, North Carolina
Kaushik Raghavan, Iowa
Ava Stipe, Texas
Clint Sumalpong, Florida
Hannah Tarr, Kentucky
Andrea Tuthill, Massachusetts
Eli Wallow, California
Jai Whitteker, New Mexico

Wigs and Makeup
Jax Cornett, Louisiana
Yamilet Lopez Ramirez, Nevada
Cat Modica, North Carolina
Joshua N. Wisham, Colorado