Does anyone know what the auditions are like at the Thespian Festival in Nebraska? I heard that it’s in a black box theatre. The info online says that you have to stay for the entire session which could be an hour to an hour and a half but the auditions are only 90 seconds each. Any idea why we need to stay so long?
The auditions at the International Theatre Festival are “large room” auditions where students audition one-at-a-time in rapid succession before all the assembled school representatives. Auditioners are put into a group of something like 30 or so students, lined up and audition in order. Hence, it takes 60-90 minutes to assemble and audition each group of students. You report at a specific time, get a number and brief instructions, line up, and go on when the line works it way down to your spot. When it is your turn, you will be expected to get to your spot, do your slate and audition, and get off fairly quickly. Usually a chair is provided if you desire to use one. If an accompanist is provided (and one has been provided in past years at the International Thespian Conference), you will be given instructions on when to interact with them to give them your tempo (normally this is done by whispering as the actor before you is doing their monologue).
If you are at the front of the line, it will not take long, if you end up at the back of the line, be prepared to stand in the wings for a while before your audition.
This format is used at all “large room” auditions - get used to it, you will see it again when you audition for summer stock in college.
Thanks so much for all these details. Do all the students watch each other’s auditions or are we waiting outside?
Whether or not you can easily see other students audition depends on the set up and process, which can vary from year-to-year. You will no doubt be able to see at least a few who audition ahead of you from the “wings” - sometimes the auditions are in an actual theatre, sometimes they are just in a large room, so the lineup and entry process will be different depending on the location. Standing or sitting in a hall and waiting while they let 5 or so students in at a time is pretty typical.
Last year, they saw everyone’s auditions. In the hours/ days following the audition session (there are multiple sessions throughout the week), schools post call back lists. The call back is when you’ll get one on one time. They may ask you to do an additional performance or it may be more of an interview.
Tried to post but it deleted. :(. Here goes again…
Call backs vary from “real” working callbacks to simple information sessions about a school. Some schools may offer admission or scholarship but many others do not. Yet nationals allows kids to get to know some schools and their reps and vice-versa. Reps do remember you -which is nice when at unifieds or on campus.
Also please know that not getting a callback at nationals does not count you out. You can still audition during regular college auditions and you should if it is a favorite school. Have seen it happen to others where they didn’t get a nationals call back but then got in during the regular college audition process.
BAL