Fox Theatre program opens doors for careers in performing arts
Kaydence Ortega knew from a young age she wanted to be involved in the performing arts.
The 16-year-old Putnam County High School junior is captivated by the magic of it all — the lights, sound, construction and costume design. The stagecraft that makes a production pop.
Being the one blinking in the limelight when the curtain rises, though? Not so much.
“I enjoy a bunch of different things about working backstage, but I don’t enjoy being on the stage at all,” Ortega said. “In elementary school I did some acting, but I hated it. I loved being able to use my skills to be creative with theater … which is something I get to do a lot now with stage management.”
Ortega is one of more than 100 students in four North Georgia high schools, including Pebblebrook High School in Cobb County, taking part in the 2026 Fox Gives All-Access Pass program in partnership with the Fox Theatre. She has discovered that her interest in the technical side of the performing arts is not only appreciated but makes her employable postgraduation.
She isn’t alone. Fox Theatre President and CEO Allan Vella too found long ago that his love for performing arts is a better fit off stage.
“Sometimes our jobs, very much like mine, are not necessarily on the stage but behind the curtain,” Vella said. “Naively, long ago, I thought I was going to end up on the stage. … I realized I wasn’t ready for that and maybe never would be, but I found I was pretty good at helping produce events and organize them. It opened up a whole new world for me.”
In its second year, Vella said the All-Access Program does just that for students: “(They) begin to see how their interests and talents translate into fulfilling careers.”
An initiative of Fox Gives — the philanthropic arm of the Fox Theatre — the year-round program is open to juniors and seniors in high schools with high numbers or percentages of students from low-income families. It aims to open the door for students to explore the world of theater and live production firsthand, from the inside, at the Fox and other local community theaters.
Eligible schools must have an active performing arts program and demonstrate a commitment to student involvement in the arts and community engagement. The deadline to apply for next year’s program is in early May.
Recently, students in the program took part in a “shadowing day” at the theater in which they were able to connect directly with professionals who bring the Fox and live productions to life. Additionally, students got complimentary tickets to a Broadway performance at the Fox; interactive vocation sessions that introduce them to postgraduate careers; professional mentorship; scholarship opportunities and more.
Anna Walker, director of theater at Putnam County High School, located about 75 miles east of the Fox, said she and Ortega appreciated all the firsthand learning opportunities that come with the All-Access Pass program.
At a small high school in central Georgia like Putnam, this kind of performing arts access for students is invaluable.
“Our students getting the opportunity to see the (Fox) Theatre … and seeing the caliber possible in performance and in tech is the No. 1 thing they all brought back, and I can see daily the students who have been involved. … They are now approaching their productions with that wider perspective and a greater appreciation for the work everyone does,” Walker said.
Leigh Burns, director of community partnerships with Fox Gives, said whether students aspire to be singers, dancers, actors or prefer to work behind the scenes, it “gives them a concept of a life outside of the stage that’s still in the theater.”
“We’re looking to build vocations around the arts,” Burns said. “We hope that we’re training young professionals to enter career paths in Atlanta, and Atlanta has an amazing opportunity for theater.”
Vella echoed these remarks, stressing the All-Access Pass as “very much a workforce development program. It’s a way of exposing all these kids to what these occupations could be. They have this opportunity to shape our industry in the future and contribute their own creativity and their own knowledge and take us forward.”
Vella’s favorite thing about the program? Seeing the students exploring the Fox Theatre, many for the first time:
“Seeing how their posture changes, how their attention sharpens, how they ask really good questions and how they recognize that the possibilities really are endless for them in the performing arts.”
Ortega was one of those students. She’d never been to the Fox Theatre before. Seeing the inner workings backstage reaffirmed her love for and commitment to the tech side of the performing arts.
“I loved being able to meet the people who work there professionally,” Ortega said. “It’s (a career) I definitely want to go into. … Just an amazing experience all around. I loved it all.”
