Sometime in the not-too-distant future, auditioning for summer stock might follow this scenario: You check out the audition listings on www.backstagecasting.com; you click on the websites for the theatres that will be producing plays that look promising in terms of roles for you; in response to their interactive query, you download your picture-resume and a two-minute audio/video clip of your audition monologue and song; then you get an E-mail a couple of days later, offering you the opportunity to be seen at a callback for the role.
Until that day comes, it's business as usual, as the summer stock theatres and would-be performers begin to gear up for the audition season that will begin in February and run through March. Some concessions have been made to the new technology, however, in that several more auditions have joined the online application process, pioneered by StrawHat auditions last season.
Once again this January, Back Stage will help you start your New Year off on a positive note, with an eye toward lining up work for the summer, long before the tulips bloom. In other articles in this issue, you'll find advice on selecting material for your auditions, and a special note from our fashion editor on what to wear! But first you have to make two all-important decisions: How many auditions will you attend? And which will they be? You'll be guided by several factors, including how far you're willing to travel to attend an audition, which of the theatres on your "hot list" are attending which auditions, and, of course, how much you can afford to spend on the whole process. This article will help you answer those questions, so grab a calendar, a notepad, and a calculator, and get to work!
As always, we feature five of the eastern auditions, as some of those most accessible to the majority of our readers: the New England Theatre Conference, held in the Boston area as usual; Southeastern Theatre Conference, held in Greensboro, N.C., this year; the Institute of Outdoor Drama auditions, also in North Carolina, at Chapel Hill; StrawHat auditions, held in New York City; and the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions, held down in Memphis. Other auditions in the Mid- and far West are listed at the end of the article.
New England Theatre Conference
The NETC this year has dealt with a problem that has had a growing impact on applicants over the last few years: the requirement that their application forms be filled in by typewriter. Of course, as the use of personal computers proliferated, fewer folks, especially college students, had access to a plain old typewriter, and this was becoming a real problem for some applicants. Joseph Juliano, NETC audition chair, announced that the application form can now be downloaded from the website, http://world.std.com/--netc, and filled out by computer, then printed out to be mailed in with appropriate fees. However, he warns that one must have a PostScript printer for the online application to work. He suggests that you make sure you can print it out before filling it out on screen. An alternative would be to put the document (and Acrobat Reader program) onto a disk and then find a compatible computer and printer‹which still might be easier than locating a typewriter!
Of course, one can still mail a #10 business size SASE to NETC, c/o Northeastern University Dept. of Theatre, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115. The form must be filled out and mailed to the audition headquarters in Connecticut, postmarked by Mon., Feb. 1, 1999‹although earlier is advisable‹to be considered for an audition slot.
The NETC auditions bring together more than 70 producers from New England and outside the region, for three days of non-Equity auditions and staff and technical interviews. 1999 auditions will be held March 13, 14, and 15, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Natick, just west of Boston. As always, NETC will run two separate performing areas to accommodate double auditions running concurrently: one for actors and the other for actor-singer-dancers. In spite of the "organized chaos" inherent in the sheer numbers of producers and auditionees, NETC always runs like clockwork, thanks to Juliano and NETC Manager of Operations Corey Boniface.
Time slots for 750 hopefuls are available for non-Equity actors and Equity Membership Candidates, but are not open to members of Equity. Applicants may be college students or adults, but must be at least 18 years old. Minority performers are strongly encouraged to apply. College students must have an instructor or the department chair verify the information on their resumes, and then have a director or teacher recommend them by making comments and signing off on the application.
Whether you download your application or use an old-fashioned typewriter, it's important to follow instructions to the letter, as incorrect applications will automatically be screened out. The applicant must return the completed form to NETC with a small photo (not an 8x10), another #10 SASE, and the appropriate fee (by money order, not personal check). NETC members pay only the $25 audition fee; non-members pay $40 for students and $45 for non-students, both fees including NETC membership through August. For an extra $5, one may apply as both an actor and technician.
Performer applications are screened by a panel of theatre professionals; generally about 70% of applicants receive either an audition time or a "stand-by" position. Applicants request either an "acting/singing" or "acting only" audition time; those requesting acting/singing should have substantial musical credits on their resumes. Although the selection is based largely on training and experience, students without professional credits should not be concerned that they will necessarily be screened out, as many of the companies attending are seeking performers for apprenticeships, internships, and chorus work. Those applicants who are not selected for auditions still will have their resumes distributed to the theatres attending the auditions; however, the application fee is non-refundable, whether or not the performer receives an audition time.
Those performers who are selected will be notified of their time slots (via the SASE) about three weeks before the auditions. About 100 applicants are designated "stand-bys" and are seen in place of auditionees who don't show for their appointed times. Usually all stand-bys are seen during the course of the weekend. Auditions consist of a two-minute selection of a song and a monologue (acting/singing) or two contrasting monologues (acting only). An accompanist is provided in the acting/singing room. Callbacks are held at the discretion of the producer, either at designated tables in a large hall or in smaller callback rooms.
Producers will also be auditioning musical directors, and interviewing applicants for technical and staff positions and internships, on Monday afternoon, March 15. Staff and tech applicants are rarely "screened out," and along with notification of their acceptance they will receive a list of attending theatres and openings available. For the interviews, applicants should bring portfolios, pictures, recommendations, or other appropriate support material, along with a good number of resumes, since the application has only space for a minimal listing of credits. It has often been noted that technical and staff positions greatly outnumber appropriate applicants at these auditions. So anyone seeking such a position would be wise to apply, as this one afternoon of interviews is likely to result in a number of offers to a well-qualified person.
The following theatre companies and training programs attended NETC auditions in 1998 and are likely to return in 1999. The Equity companies (*) sometimes use a few non-union jobbers, but generally attend these auditions to find performers for their apprentice, intern, or second-stage companies.
1-4 Talent; *Actors Theatre of Louisville, KY; Allan Albert Productions/Hersheypark, NY/PA; American Family Theatre, PA; *American Stage Festival, NH; *Artpark & Company, NY; Arundel Barn Playhouse, ME; *The Barnstormers, NH; *Barrington Stage Company, MA; Beechwood Theatre Company, RI; *Berkshire Theatre Co., MA; *Capital Repertory Co., NY; Circle In The Square Theatre School, NY; Connecticut Repertory, CT; *Cortland Repertory Theatre, NY; Cumberland County Playhouse, TN; *Dorset Theatre Festival, VT; Fiddlehead Theatre Company, MA; *Forestburgh Playhouse, NY; Fredericksburg Theatre Company, VA; GATE (Gregory Abels Training Ensemble), NY; Hackmatack Playhouse, ME; Hampstead Players, NH; *Hangar Theatre, NY; *Horse Cave Theatre, KY; *Huntington Theatre Company, MA; Lakes Region Summer Theatre, NH; Lost Nation Theater, VT; *Maine State Music Theatre, ME; Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, NY; Missoula Children's Theatre, MT; National Shakespeare Summer Conservatory, NY; Nebraska Theatre Caravan, NE; New Bedford Festival Theatre, MA; New Hampshire Shakespeare Festival, NH; New London Barn Playhouse, NH; North Country Center for the Arts, NH; *North Shore Music Theatre, MA; Northern Stage, VT; *Peterborough Players, NH; *Playhouse On The Square, TN; *Porthouse Theatre Company, OH; Portland Models & Talent, Inc., ME; *Portland Stage Company, ME; Publick Theatre, MA; Rochester Opera House, NY; Sagamore Historic Adirondack Great Camp, NY; Saxtons River Playhouse, VT; Seacoast Repertory Theatre, RI; Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, VA; Sterling Renaissance Festival, NY; Summer Theatre at Mt. Holyoke, MA; Theatre at Monmouth, ME; Theatre IV, MA; Theatre Zone, MA; *Vermont Stage Company, VT; Walnut Hill School, MA; Walt Disney World, FL; *Weathervane Theatre, NH; *Williamstown Theatre Festival, MA.
Strawhat Auditions
StrawHat will once again be sponsoring its New York City StrawHat Auditions, March 25-28. A change in schedule for this year should prove a boon to producers and auditionees alike: The first day of auditions, March 25, will be for non-singers. In previous years, non-singing auditions had been scheduled for the hour before lunch and dinner each day. This change should make it more efficient‹thus more likely‹for non-musical companies to attend. Although StrawHats, like NETCs, are for non-Equity performers, a number of Equity theatres seeking Membership Candidates, interns, and second-company performers attend these auditions also.
Anyone who has attended StrawHats in the past should already have received an application form for this year. Newcomers can write for an application by sending a business-size (#10) SASE to StrawHat Auditions, 1771 Post Road East, Suite 315, Westport, CT 06880. Please mark on your envelope either "Auditions" or "Staff/Tech" to receive the correct application. The deadline for returning applications is Feb. 19 (Feb. 28 for tech), but early application is strongly suggested, since slots generally fill before the deadline. Fees are $48 for Performers, $20 for Design/Tech/Staff.
StrawHats, as we mentioned earlier, is the leader in online applications, and anyone with Internet access can download information and an application from the website, http://www.strawhat-auditions.com. The website actually serves as the main job contact service for tech and staff positions. Tech/staff applicant resumes are available online, for perusal by participating theatres, which will be given password access to these pages. Likewise, staff/tech/design applicants will have access via the website to the positions open at each theatre. Presumably, most of the contacts will be made in this way, although there is still a time set aside on March 25 for face-to-face interviews.
Performer applicants submit their 8x10 picture-resumes, which are reproduced in a spiral-bound book and distributed to producers at auditions. Some screening is done, based on training and experience, and the application form asks about a performer's interest in apprentice or intern programs. Applicants who are screened out may choose, for a $15 fee, to have their picture-resumes printed in a Resource Directory, which is distributed to all producers who attend the auditions.
Performers have two minutes to present two pieces; singers are asked to present a musical selection first (a professional accompanist is provided), followed by a monologue. As to whether or not one should apply for a singing slot, StrawHat instructions suggest, "If you are not a singer‹that is, if you are not regularly cast in musicals, and you honestly do not sing to a performance standard‹it is our experience that you can only harm your chances by trying to bluff your way through a musical audition, and you should apply for a Non-Singing audition consisting of two monologues." Callbacks are posted hourly, and are held at the end of each session, in individual classrooms.
Production staff and designers' resumes are only screened out if there are no requests by producers for a particular position. StrawHats' organizers make a particular attempt to attract talented staff applicants, and emphasize that a young performer who has a production skill to peddle might do well to apply in both areas. Many of the non-Equity companies have provisions for technical people who also act, to perform at least one role over the course of the season. Working in a technical capacity may give the young performer a way to become known to the company as a potential actor for future seasons.
At last year's StrawHats, these companies attended: 1891 Fredonia Opera House, NY; American Stage Festival, NH; Blue Man Group: "Tubes," NY; Bristol Valley Theatre, PA; Cedar Point Live Entertainment, OH; Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Dorney Park, PA; Dorset Theatre Festival, VT; Emelin Theatre, MA; Forestburgh Playhouse, NY; Fort Salem Theatre, NY; Fredericksburg Theatre Company, VA; Great American Melodrama, CA; Great Lakes Theater Festival, OH; Hackmatack Playhouse, ME; Hampton Playhouse, NH; Jekyll Island Musical Theatre, GA; Lincoln Amphitheatre, IN; Main Street Theatre, PA; Maine State Music Theatre, ME; Mt. Washington Valley Theatre Company, NH; New Bedford Festival Theatre, MA; New Harmony Theatare, IN; New London Barn Playhouse, NH; Riverside Stage Company, CT; StageScores, TX; Surflight Theatre, NJ; Timbers Dinner Theatre, PA; Tri-State Center for the Arts, NY; Weathervane Theatre, OH; Weston Playhouse, VT.
Southeastern Theatre Conference
One of the country's largest combined auditions is the SETC, which will take place during the 50th annual convention, held in Greensboro, NC, March 3-7. In addition to the Spring Auditions, the convention hosts a Job Contact Service (for jobs in college theatre departments as well as in theatres), secondary theatre and community theatre competitions, and children's theatre showcases. Additionally, there are workshops and panels on all areas of theatre, the annual Theatre Design Competition, and an exhibition hall.
Nearly 95 companies, both summer and year-round, from the southern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic states, gather to audition 850 actors. While SETC is the largest of the combined auditions, with the greatest number of producers attending, it is also the priciest, since one cannot audition without becoming a member and registering for the convention. Fees for professionals are: $50 membership in SETC, $50 convention registration, and $15 audition fee‹and this year an additional (compulsory) contribution to the 50th Anniversary scholarship endowment fund‹for a total of $120.
Students get a little better break, at $55: $20 membership, $20 registration, and $15 audition fee. Of course, the fees entitle you to attend not only the auditions, but all other convention events in Greensboro.
College students must have passed their state screening process, which takes place in the fall at state theatre meetings of the 10 states within the SETC region. Non-Equity and Equity professionals should write for an application form (include SASE) to: Ms. Marian Smith, SETC, P.O. Box 9868, Greensboro, NC 27429-0868. Telephone: (910) 272-3645; fax: (910) 272-8810; e-mail: setc spyder.net. Application forms must be completed and returned to SETC by Feb. 1. SETC has a website, http://www.spyder.net/setc, which has complete information about the convention and auditions, although it is not possible to apply online.
Auditions are held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the convention (March 4, 5, 6) with one and one-half-minute allotments for acting and singing, and one minute for acting only or singing only. Dancers audition on Thursday evening and following Friday and Saturday auditions. Callbacks are held on the evening of the same day, and there is a briefing for auditionees at 9 am on the day of the audition.
The SETC offers a job contact service for staff and technical positions. Companies send information on job openings, which is posted at the convention, with the room where interviews will take place. Staff/tech can sign up for specific interview times with companies that advertise an opening in the applicant's area. Membership in SETC also includes a monthly job bulletin for teaching, staff, and technical positions (not auditions).
Companies which generally attend SETC include: Actors Theatre of Louisville, KY; Allan Albert Productions/Hersheypark, PA; Alliance Theatre Company, GA; Alpha-Omega Players, TX; American Family Theatre, PA; Arkansas Rep, AR; Barter Theatre, VA; Bigfork Summer Playhouse, MT; Birmingham Children's Theatre, AL; Blue Man Group, NY; Blue Jacket Outdoor Drama, NC; Bravvo! Productions, TX; Busch Gardens, FL & VA. California Theatre Center, CA; Central Piedmont Summer Theatre, NC; ECA Mr.Wizard Shows; Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, OH; Flat Rock Playhouse, NC; Florida Stage Company, FL; Georgia Shakespeare Festival, GA; Gryphon Productions; The Hampstead Players; Heritage Repertory Theatre, VA; Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, MI; Karamu House, OH; Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, KY; Lakes Region Summer Theatre, ME; Mac-Haydn Theatre, NY; Main Street Theatre; Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, NY; National Theatre for Children, MN; Nebraska Theatre Caravan, NE; New Harmony Theatre, IN; Northern Lights Playhouse, WI; Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, PA; Phoenix Theatre Circle, OH; Seaside Music Theatre, FL; Shadowbox Cabaret; Shakespeare in the Park, TX; Theatre IV, VA; Theatre West Virginia, WV; Troika Organization (touring); Troupe America/Stage West, MN; Universal Studios, CA; Virginia Shakespeare Festival, VA; The Warehouse Theatre, SC.
1999 National Outdoor Drama Auditions
This summer, a wide variety of acting, singing, dancing, and technical positions will be filled at the National Combined Outdoor Drama Auditions, sponsored by the Institute of Outdoor Drama. Where else, besides in our nation's 75+ outdoor dramas, can performers hone their skills by riding horses, shooting antique guns, or dancing with fire, as cannon and fireworks explode around the stage?
Dramatic history, music, dance, and spectacle performed by large casts in scenic amphitheatres seating from 500 to 6,000 people, on the sites where the events actually occurred, are the hallmarks of the American Outdoor Historical Drama. Among the 3,000 actors, singers, dancers, and technicians employed each summer, past seasons have seen such luminaries as John Cullum, Andy Griffith, David Schramm, Kathleen Turner, Denzel Washington, Jr., and even Goldie Hawn and Raquel Welch, performing under the stars.
Working in an outdoor historical drama is significantly different from the standard "summer stock" experience. Unlike the stock schedule of multiple shows with short rehearsal periods and two- to four-day "turnovers" between shows, the outdoor drama is rehearsed and mounted, then settles in for a more leisurely run of from six to 12 weeks. While a few companies also mount a second show (usually a musical) to run in rep with the main drama, many others support cabaret shows or company-generated productions on off nights, ranging from the classics to original scripts.
The skills required vary, too, from the standard acting and singing to folk-dancing, horseback-riding, and stage combat. Staff skilled in design, pyrotechnics, and installation and maintenance of equipment for sound, voice reinforcement, special effects, and lighting are also in demand. Outdoor theatre offers an unconventional environment for actors and technicians to expand their skills while gaining experience in a large-cast, long-run production. This can be a valuable experience for college actors, who may never have run a show for more than six or eight performances.
While most of the regional auditions around the country will be attended by at least a few outdoor dramas, The Institute of Outdoor Drama sponsors the only audition which consists exclusively of outdoor historical dramas, and does not cater to other venues such as theme parks, summer stock, and regional theatres. Outdoor Drama auditions are held one day only: this year on Sat., March 20, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
At press time at least 13 of the outdoor historical dramas from across the country were planning to attend auditions for performers and to interview technicians.
The auditions, sponsored by the Institute of Outdoor Drama, are open to anyone 18 or older with previous theatre experience. Actors present a one-minute prepared monologue and may be asked to offer another at callback interviews. Singers should prepare a one-minute song. Dancers are led through warm-ups, combinations, and routines featuring a variety of choreography.
Jobs require a nine- to 12-week commitment, including two weeks of rehearsal. Cast size varies from 50 to 180. Some of the larger companies offer subsidized or paid housing, or will assist in locating housing for company members. Although most jobs are non-union, some companies will hire a few Equity actors in leading roles.
To request an application, send a self-addressed, stamped business envelope to: Auditions Coordinator, Institute of Outdoor Drama, CB# 3240, NationsBank Plaza, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3240; or access the Institute's home page at http://www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor/. The fee to audition is $35, and completed applications must be received no later than March 15, 1999.
At press time, the following companies plan to attend the 1999 auditions in Chapel Hill‹additional companies may register:
BLACK RIVER TRADERS
Farmington, NM. Mark R. Sumner, playwright; Bob Hudson, general manager; Chris Parsons, director.
Set on a Navajo reservation in the early 1900s, when reservation trading posts provided the main links between Indians and Anglos, "Traders" tells of the struggle for survival by the Indians and white traders as the two cultures worked to understand each other. Rehearsals: May 24-June 22 (4.5 weeks); performances: June 23-Aug. 14 (7.5 weeks, Wednesday through Saturday).
Hiring four actors, production stage manager. $150-$200/week plus housing allowance. Workers' comp, college credit.
HORN IN THE WEST
Boone, NC. Kermit Hunter, playwright; Peter MacBeth, composer; Curtis Smalling, general manager; Bud Mayes, director.
Set in the Southern Appalachian mountain region of North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, the drama follows frontiersman Daniel Boone and his band of settlers. Rehearsals: June 4-17 (two weeks); performances: June 18-Aug. 14 (eight weeks, Tuesday through Sunday). Hiring 10 actors, 10 singers, 10 dancers, 10 technicians. $130-$230/week. Assistance in locating housing, workers' comp, apprentice program, reciprocal admission, community discounts.
THE LEGEND OF DANIEL BOONE
Harrodsburg, KY. Jan Hartman, playwright; Maureen Daly, general manager; Michael Friedman, director. For over 30 years, excitement and danger have exploded upon the stage for "Legend" audiences watching Daniel Boone lead an expedition of dynamic men and women to build a new life in the wilderness known as the "Kanta-ke" territory. Rehearsals: May 25-June 16 (3.5 weeks); performances: June 17-Aug. 28 (10.5 weeks, Tuesday through Sunday). Hiring four actors, 12-14 actor/techs, two technicians. $150-$400/week. Housing, workers' comp, college credit, additional midnight show, professional workshops (fight directing, voiceover techniques, etc.).
JENNY WILEY THEATRE
Prestonsburg, KY. Patrik Baldauff, executive producer; Bob Bogdaroff and Billie Thrash, directors.
"The Legend of Jenny Wiley"‹adaptation by Patrik Baldauff; Scott Bradley, music; Peyton Dixon, lyrics‹is a musical drama based on the true story of a Kentucky pioneer woman who was abducted by Indians in the late 1780s and whose heroic escape has become a legend. Also, "Oklahoma!," "Grease," and an adaptation by Scott Peyton and Patrik Baldauff of Carlos Collisi's "Pinocchio." All plays run in repertory. Rehearsals: June 4-July 14 (six weeks); performances: June 18-Aug. 21 (10 weeks, Tuesday through Sunday). Hiring six actor-singers, four dancers, six technicians. $200/week, company; $100/week, intern; $50/week, apprentice. Housing, some meals, workers' comp.
THE LOST COLONY
Roanoke Island, NC. Paul Green, playwright; Roanoke Island Historical Association, producer; Drew Scott Harris, director.
America's first and longest-running "symphonic drama" will this year celebrate its 62nd anniversary. The play recounts the mysterious disappearance of the first English colony to settle in America, soon after its arrival on Roanoke Island in 1584. Rehearsals: May 16-June 3 (2.5 weeks); performances: June 4Aug. 27 (11.5 weeks, Sunday through Friday). Hiring 20 actor/techs, 20 dancers, 20 singers, and five costumers, four lighting technicians, and other production staff. $150-$500/week. Housing, workers' comp, possible college credit.
RICHMOND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Richmond, VA. William Shakespeare, playwright; Grant Mudge, artistic director; Cynde Liffick, managing director.
Two plays will be produced during the summer: "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and "Henry V," and the company is also casting at this time for touring productions in the fall. Rehearsals: May 10 (flexible)-June 10 (four weeks); performances: June 11-July 25 (six weeks, Wednesday through Sunday).
Hiring five actors, one or two technicians; possible technical director position available. $100/week for apprentice, to $300/week. Some housing available, college credit, internships.
ROANOKE ISLAND FESTIVAL PARK
Manteo, NC. Deloris Harrell, executive director; Horace Whitfield, captain and director of historic interpretation; Frank White, program and visitor service director. Actors portray English soldiers, mariners, and gentlemen as they interpret shipboard life aboard the Elizabeth II, a 16th-century sailing vessel, and settlements of 1585. All site activities celebrate history, education, and the arts as they relate to the birthplace of English-speaking America. Hiring 12 actors.
Training/rehearsals: approximately May 17-31 (two weeks, flexible); performances: approximately June 1-Aug. 15 (11 weeks). 40 hrs. per week. $240-$280 week. Workers' comp, housing.
SNOW CAMP HISTORICAL OUTDOOR THEATRE
Snow Camp, NC. James Wilson, general manager.
"The Sword of Peace," by William Hardy, directed by Ed Whitehead. It dramatizes, through the lives of Simon and Elizabeth Dixon, the conflict faced by the Cane Creek Society of Friends during the Revolutionary War when, as peaceful Quakers, they are forced to defend their basic tenet of nonviolence. "Pathway to Freedom," by Mark Sumner, directed by John Harris; addresses racial conflicts and slavery in the South prior to the Civil War.
Plays run in repertory. Rehearsals: May 30-June 15 (two weeks); performances: June 16-Aug. 28 (11 weeks, Wednesday through Saturday). A musical, to be announced, will run Aug. 18-28. Hiring 10-15 actors, five technicians. $135/week. Housing, workers' comp, children's theatre.
TECUMSEH!
Chillicothe, OH. Allan W. Eckert, playwright; Carl T. Fischer and Frankie Lane, composers; Marion Waggoner, producer/artistic director; Brent Gibbs, director. "Tecumseh!" tells the story of the great Shawnee Indian leader's lifelong effort to protect his homeland, the Scioto River Valley of southern Ohio, from the invasion of white settlers, ending with the warrior's self-prophesied death at the battle of Thames in the War of 1812. Rehearsals: May 23-June 10 (2.5 weeks); performances: June 11-Sept. 4 (12 weeks, Monday through Saturday). Hiring 10 actors; five technicians. $170/week-Equity scale. Free housing, workers' comp, one meal per day during rehearsals, laundry facilities, limited recreational facilities, studio shows, Equity Membership Candidacy possible.
"TEXAS"
Canyon, TX. Paul Green, playwright; Patty A. Bryant, president; Neil Hess, director. In this colorful historical drama set in the American West of the 1880s, Paul Green employed the full symphonic palette of music, dance, drama, and spectacle to bring Texas history to life. A classic love story is set against a backdrop of violence, pitting cattleman against farmer on the vast Texas grasslands. Rehearsals: May 16-June 8 (three weeks); performances: June 9-Aug. 21 (10.5 weeks, Monday through Saturday).
Hiring 14 actors, 34 singers, 26 dancers, 17 technicians, six instrumentalists, 40 hospitality crew. Salaries begin at $2,200 for the summer for university-age performers for the period of May 16-Aug. 21. Workers' comp, college credit, transportation, will pay half tuition on theatre, dance, music courses at West Texas A&M University during summer, internship, eight comp tickets. Scholarships.
THEATER AT LIME KILN
Lexington, VA. Jennifer D. Anderson, executive director; artistic director for the 1999 season to be announced; Tracey M. Dickerson, marketing director.
Stonewall Country recreates the life and time of General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, with rollicking songs and liberal doses of humor. Jackson, a long-time Lexington, Va., resident and one of the country's most colorful Civil War figures, is one some have called the "American Napoleon." Rehearsals: July 2-15 (two weeks); performances: July 16-Aug. 14 (four weeks). "On Borrowed Time" tells the story of a grandfather who tricks Death to stay with his grandson, and the lessons he learns. Rehearsals: May 28-June 10 (two weeks); performances: June 11-July 3 (three weeks). Technician contracts vary according to position from mid-May to mid-September. Hiring actors who can sing, five technicians. $100-$300/week. Workers' comp, housing.
THEATRE WEST VIRGINIA
Beckley, WV. Gayle Bowling, general manager; Marina Dolinger, artistic director. The musical drama "Hatfields & McCoys," by Billy Edd Wheeler, dramatizes the fierce mountain pride that fueled the world-famous conflict between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky. Also, "Honey in the Rock," by Kermit Hunter. This musical-drama tells how West Virginia was born out of the anguish of the Civil War and dramatizes what the Indians encountered when they first settled in the land and discovered its natural gas wells, which they called "honey in the rock." "Grease" will be produced in repertory from mid-June through August. Rehearsals: May 24-July 19 (eight weeks); performances: June 15-Aug. 29 (11 weeks, Tuesday through Sunday). Hiring 18 actors, 16 singers, 8 dancers, 11 technicians. $150-250/week. Workers' comp, two complimentary whitewater rafting trips, company parties, picnics.
TRUMPET IN THE LAND
New Philadelphia, OH. Paul Green, playwright; Frank Lewin, composer; Margaret Bonamico, general manager. Set in Ohio's historic Tuscarawas Valley during the Revolutionary War, this is the compelling story of David Zeisberger, a Moravian missionary who, with a small group of Delaware Indians, established Ohio's first settlement, Schoenbrunn ("beautiful spring"), in 1772. "White Savage," written by Mark Durbin and Joseph Bonamico, tells the story of the villain of "Trumpet," Simon Girty. Rehearsals: May 24-June 13 (three weeks); performances: June 14-Aug. 28 (11 weeks, Monday through Saturday). Hiring 20 actors who can sing and dance. Accepting resumes for tech positions. $125-$300/week. Assistance locating housing, workers' comp, one meal/day ($2 charge) during rehearsal period, workshops.
UNTO THESE HILLS
Cherokee, NC. Kermit Hunter, playwright; Jack Kilpatrick and McCray Hardy, composers. Barry Hipps, general manager; Peter Hardy, artistic director.
From the arrival in the Appalachians of Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540 to the removal of the Cherokee Indians to Oklahoma along the tragic "Trail of Tears," this drama paints a vivid portrait of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and their brave leaders, Junaluska, Tsali, and Sequoyah, who fought for survival. Rehearsals: May 26-June 10 (2.5 weeks); performances: June 11-Aug. 21 (10.5 weeks, Monday through Saturday). Hiring six actors, six dancers, three costume crew. $150-300/week. Housing, workers' comp, college credit, meals, swimming pool, actors' canteen.
Unified Professional Theatre Auditions
The Unified Professional Theatre Auditions‹claiming to strive to create "the most diverse combined audition in the United States"‹takes place Feb. 6-8 this year. Held at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, TN, the event is likely to attract about 60-70 theatres from around the country, and more than 200 performers. A relatively new entry into the combined auditions game, the "UPTAs" are more stringent in their eligibility requirements than are many others in the field. To be eligible, an auditionee must be available for employment throughout the year and must meet at least one of the following criteria: have attended a previous UPTA; have a post-graduate degree in theatre (MA, MFA, PhD, etc.) by August 1999; be a member of Equity or an EMC; or have his registration signed by a TCG member theatre or a registered 1998 or 1999 UPTA theatre. Tech and administrative candidates must be available for employment throughout the year and have completed their undergraduate degrees in technical or administrative theatre by August '99.
Each theatre attending the audition must offer paid year-round employment, paid job-in employment, or paid internships. The auditions are for acting and singing only, with no separate dance calls (although actors who wish to do so may dance in their auditions). Technical interviews are held on all three days, with auditions on Sunday and Monday, Feb. 8-9. The auditions will be held onstage at the Playhouse on the Square, with callback locations at the adjacent French Quarter Inn. Actors have one and one-half minutes to present a monologue or a monologue and a song.
Registration information is available from Michael Detroit, Audition Coordinator, UPTA, 51 S. Cooper St., Memphis, TN 38104. Telephone: (901) 725-0776; fax (901) 272-7530. Actor registration fees are $30, and auditionees must send 75 copies of their photo-resumes with registration, to be distributed to the attending producers.
About 60-70 companies are expected in 1999, including the following: African American Drama Company, CA; Alaska Cabin Night Dinner Theatre, AK; Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, AR; Arkansas Repertory Theatre Company, AR; ArtPark, NY; Barter Theatre, VA; Birmingham Children's Theatre, AL; Bridgework Theater, IN; Busch Gardens, VA; Casa Manana Theatre, TX; Charleston Stage Company, SC; Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, OH; CLIMB Theatre, MN; Commonweal Theatre Company, MN; Cortland Repertory Theatre, NY; Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre, KS; Cumberland County Playhouse, TN; Derby Dinner Playhouse, IN; EDA Entertainment Consultants, MI; For A Good Time Theatre, MI; Great American Melodrama, CA; Greenbrier Valley Theatre, WV;
Horse Cave Theatre, KY; Jenny Wiley Theatre, KY; Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, KY; Lexington Children's Theatre, KY; Lincoln Amphitheatre, IN; Melodrama Musical Theatre, CA; Memphis Black Repertory Theatre, TN; Metro Theatre Company, MO; Mid-America Productions, MO; Missoula Children's Theatre, MT; Mobile Ed Productions, MI; Molly Brown Dinner Theater, MO; Murry's Dinner Playhouse, AR: National Theatre for Children, MN; Nebraska Theatre Caravan, NE; New Stage Theatre, MS; Northern Lights Playhouse, WI; Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival, OK; The Old Creamery Theatre Company, IA; Players Guild, OH; Playhouse on the Square, TN; Poetry Alive! Inc., NC;
Pritchard Productions, MI; Raleigh Little Theatre, NC; Red Barn Playhouse, MI; Rocky Mountain Repertory, CO; Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, VA; Stage Centre Company, AL; StageScores, TX; Stephen Foster Story, KY; Texas Shakespeare Festival, TX; Theatre IV & ArtReach, VA; Theatre Memphis ShoWagon, TN; Tibbits Summer Theatre, MI; Troupe America, MN; Walt Disney World Co., FL; Wildwook Park for the Performing Arts, AR.
Other Combined Auditions
EAST CENTRAL THEATRE CONFERENCE (ECTC) is the regional organization of professional, educational, and community theatres serving New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Auditions will be held Feb. 27-28, at Montclair State University, N.J. More than 350 Equity and non-Equity actors are expected to audition; actors have two minutes for one or two monologues, or one monologue plus a song. This year there will be no interviews for staff positions, although ads for these positions may be posted at the auditions. Fees are $55 for professionals, $30 for students. This fee also includes membership in ECTC. For applications, send SASE to Linday Gambini, Montclair State University, Life Hall 134, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043. Telephone: (973) 655-7689; fax: (201) 748-4042. Completed applications must be received by Jan. 24, 1999.
ILLINOIS THEATRE ASSOCIATION will hold auditions at the Theatre Building, in Chicago, March 5 and 6. For information, write or call: Wallace Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Theatre Association, 1225 W. Belmont, Chicago, IL 60657. Telephone: (773) 929-7288, ext. 18 or 19. Three-minute audition without a song, or four-minute audition with a song (accompanist provided); fee is $30, or $25 for ITA members. No tech/staff interviews, except stage managers.
INDIANA THEATRE ASSOCIATION will hold auditions on Feb. 28, at Franklin College, in Franklin, Ind. For application, write Amy Rudelaff, Indiana Theatre Assn., Clowes Memorial Hall, 4600 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46208-3443. Telephone: (317) 940-9666, or see the website at www.intheatre.org. The deadline is Jan. 15, and the audition fee is $20. To be eligible, one must be a member of a professional union, or have a recommendation from a professional director. Auditions may be singing or non-singing, two-minute limit, separate dance auditions. Interviews for tech/design/management.
MID-AMERICA THEATRE CONFERENCE AUDITIONS include companies from Ia., Ill., Kan., Minn., Mo., N.D., Neb., S.D., and Wisc., and will be held March 12-14, at the Radisson Hotel Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minn. For application, write Ron West, MATC, Dept. of Dramatic Arts, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182-0154. Applications should be postmarked by Feb. 14, though if audition slots are available after the cut-off date, later applicants will receive time slots on a first-come, first-served basis. No residency requirement. Fee: $30, or $35 after Feb. 14 (money order or cashier's check). Auditionees have two minutes, with or without a song, and a pianist is provided (bring music in correct key). Audition times are 8:30-5 pm, on March 12 and 13; tech/design interviews are 9:30-12, on March 14. Singing/dancing auditions are held at the end of each day.
MIDWEST THEATRE AUDITIONS, sponsored by the Conservatory of Theatre Arts, Webster University, hosts 50 companies. Unfortunately for Back Stage readers, applications were to be postmarked by Dec. 19, so this is one to put on your calendar for next fall, if you wish to attend in '00. This year, dates are Feb. 19, 20, and 21, with dance calls each day after general auditions, and tech/design interviews at 10 AM, on Feb. 21; at the Loretto-Hilton Center, Webster Univ., St. Louis, Mo.
For future reference, and to get an application for next year, write to Peter Sargent, Coordinator, Midwest Theatre Auditions, Webster University, 470 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, MO 63119-3194. Equity or non-Equity actors have one and one-half minutes for one or two pieces; one must be nonmusical, but musical pieces are encouraged, and an accompanist is provided. Actors should bring at least 20 copies for picture-resumes for callbacks; design/tech folks present their portfolios at their interviews.
NATIONAL DINNER THEATRE ASSOCIATION will hold auditions for Equity and non-Equity companies, on March 15, in Chicago, Ill. Write for application (enclose SASE) to: NDTA Auditions, c/o David Pritchard, P.O. Box 726, Marshall, MI 49068. Telephone: (616) 781-7859. Application deadline is March 5; $25 fee (or $30 after March 7 if there is space left). The format for these auditions consists of a one-minute monologue, with 16 bars of a song optional. Technicians can send resumes to be made available to producers. Applications are screened.
NEW JERSEY THEATRE GROUP is the association of the state's 20 professional (AEA) theatre companies. NJTG holds a Job Fair for interns and entry-level technical and management staff in April, plus Equity and non-Equity auditions which are held in mid-February and late August. For more information, write Dee Billia, Director of Information Services, NJTG, 17 Cook Ave., Madison, NJ 07940. Telephone: (201) 593-0189; website: www.njtheatregroup.org.
NORTHWEST DRAMA CONFERENCE will hold auditions Feb. 20 for graduate schools in the northwestern and western U.S., and for regional summer theatres; also tech/management interviews. This year the location is the University of Idaho, in Moscow, Idaho. A limited number of slots are available, and pre-registration deadline is Jan. 30; any slots left after the deadline may be filled for an additional $10 late fee. Otherwise, fees are $45 for students and $75 for non-students, plus $10 registration. Performers have four minutes to include two monologues, or five minutes for two monologues and a song; accompanist is not available. Also five-minute technical interviews. For information, write: Northwest Drama Conference Auditions, David Lee Painter, University of Idaho - Moscow, Theatre Arts Dept., Moscow, ID 83844-3074. Telephone: (208) 885-6197; fax: (208) 885-2558.
OHIO THEATRE ALLIANCE holds auditions attended by 40-50 companies on Feb. 6, in Columbus. The application deadline is Jan. 19. Auditions are primarily non-Equity, and you must be an OTA member and must be pre-registered. The audition fee is $35, with a $5/person discount for groups, or $45 to attend both actor and tech, with the same discount for groups. Add $5 to any fee postmarked after Jan. 20, and pay by money order or check. Applicants have one and one-half minutes, and must bring a taped accompaniment with tape player, if singing. Callbacks are scheduled the same day, and there are interviews and a short portfolio review for tech and management. For application, contact OTA Auditions, 77 S. High St., 2nd floor, Columbus, OH 43215-6108. Telephone: (614) 228-1998, fax: (614) 241-5329.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN THEATRE ASSOCIATION SUMMER THEATRE AUDITIONS includes companies from Idaho, Mont., Wyo., Colo., Utah, and other states, and is held as part of the RMTA's "Festivention," held Feb. 5 this year, at Western Wyoming College, Rock Springs, Wyo. The application deadline is Jan. 15, and the fee is $55 ($45 for a student) registration for Festivention, plus $25 membership ($20 student). The audition fee is an additional $5. The contact this year is Festivantion '99‹Summer Theatre Auditions, Western Wyoming College, P.O. 428/C-564, Rock Springs, WY 82902-0428. The format is a total of two minutes for two contrasting monologues; or two and one-half minutes, including 16 bars of song (tape deck provided); Technical/Design/Staff interviews consist of five-minute time slots to show portfolios. Information can be obtained on the Internet at www.wwcc.cc.wy.us/Festivention99/p31.htm.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDUCATIONAL THEATRE ASSOCIATION will hold auditions Feb. 10-13, at Humboldt State University, Arcata, Calif., concurrent with the Kennedy Center/ACTF Southwest Regional Festival. The Southwest region includes Calif., Nev., Az., Utah, Ha., and Guam, and companies attend from these and other states. Applications must be postmarked by Feb. 1, and they are available from Michael Arndt, SCETA Auditions, c/o Dept. of Drama, California Lutheran University, 60 Olsen Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. Telephone: (805) 493-3416 (online application at www.sceta.org/sceta.html). Application fee is $15, which includes a one-year membership in SCETA. Preliminary auditions on Wednesday and Thursday screen applicants to 75-80 for Saturday finals, but recruiters may attend all levels of auditions. Format: four minutes for two monologues or a monologue and a song; accompanist is provided for finals only. Callbacks are Saturday and Sunday, and actors must bring 50 picture-resumes. Directors, designers, stage managers, and tech have five-minute portfolio presentations, and should bring 25 copies of their resumes.
SOUTHWEST THEATRE ASSOCIATION includes companies from Ark., La., N.M., Okla., Tex., and auditions will be held on Feb. 27, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel, in Denton, Tex. Equity and non-Equity actors have one and one-half minutes plus 16 bars or 30 seconds of a song (optional, with taped accompaniment). Applications must be postmarked by Feb. 12. For application, send SASE to SWTA Professional Auditions, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73107. Telephone: (405) 946-9380. Fees: $20 for SWTA members, $60 for non-members, $35 for student non-members. Tech/staff should bring portfolios for interviews (three minutes).
THEATRE AUDITIONS IN WISCONSIN for approximately 30 companies will be held on Feb. 6, at Memorial Union in Madison, Wisc.; there is an Audition Workshop on Feb. 5. For application, write Theatre Auditions in Wisconsin, Liberal Studies and the Arts, Room 719, Lowell Hall, 610 Langdon St., Madison, WI 53703-1195. Telephone: (608) 263-6736; fax (608) 265-2475. Auditions are for non-Equity only. Pre-registration is recommended by Jan. 29. Fee is $26.
The format is two minutes for acting only; actor-singers get two and one-half minutes; Tech/Design/Administrative interviews also will be held.
THEATRE BAY AREA GENERAL AUDITIONS, attended by 60-70 San Francisco and Bay Area companies, take place Feb. 26-28, 1999, but application deadline was Dec. 18, 1998. For future reference, all necessary registration information is published in November and December issues of the TBA newsletter, "Call Board"; for TBA membership information, write to Theatre Bay Area, 657 Mission St., Suite 402, San Francisco, CA 94105, or check www.theatrebayarea.org.
VERMONT ASSOCIATION OF THEATRES AND THEATRE ARTISTS will hold statewide auditions for about 20 companies in Vermont and Upstate New York, on Sat., March 6, at St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT. Deadline is March 1. Applicants may be Equity or non-Equity, each but must be a Vermont resident or a student at a Vermont college. If space is available, applicants will be accepted from bordering areas of N.Y., N.H., and Mass. Send an SASE to VATTA Auditions, c/o Champlain Arts Theatre Company, P.O. Box 1091, Burlington, VT 05602-1091. Audition fees are $20; $10 for students or design/tech/staff. Performers have three minutes to present two contrasting pieces or one monologue and a song; bring taped accompaniment‹tape deck is provided. Tech/Design/Staff interviews at the end of the day.
Jill Charles is the Editor of the Summer Theatre Directory, and a regular feature writer for Back Stage.