Savvy blog readers will have noticed that former Apprentice company members sometime make reference to the insect they were, for instance my apprentice class was nicknamed “Butterflies.” Why and how did this practice start?
Technically, the practice didn’t begin until the 3rd Apprentice class was at the Tavern. Kirk Seaman (a 2nd year Apprentice company member, a “grasshopper”) and I were working in the Tavern offices, mostly by ourselves, when I started laughing. I was working on some grant narrative and in the place for achievements/education was listed “Pre-Professional Emerging Artist Training Program” – this was a grandiose way of listing “Apprentice Company.” What struck me as funny, and what I turned to Kirk to say, was the “Pre-Professional” description, considering that both Kirk and I (prior to joining the Apprentice program) had both been professional actors. When I shared the phrase with Kirk, he laughed and said “Emerging...what like pupa?”
From that we started joking about what our years would be named, and then a tradition emerged with each most recently graduated Apprentice class naming the current group.
Here’s a breakdown of what we have so far, as for the reasoning behind each name...well, let’s just say that’s an Apprentice/Tavern secret.
1st year: Butterfly
2nd year: Grasshopper
3rd year: Cicada
4th year: Worker Bee
5th year: Fruit Fly
6th year: Praying Mantis
7th year (current class): Silverfish.
