<p>I'm wondering if anyone has information or experiences to share regarding the Straw Hat Auditions held in NYC in March. They are an audition venue for non-equity actors 18 and older. My D is considering pursuing this as a way to get a summer stock position for summer 2005.</p>
<p>Yes, I'd like to know too. I'd never heard of them, until this week!</p>
<p>Here's the link to Strawhat: <a href="http://www.strawhat-auditions.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.strawhat-auditions.com</a></p>
<p>Other than what it says on the website, I know very little to tell you. I had heard of the auditions and wanted to find out when they were taking place this year. I thought it might be a possible place for my D to audition for a summer stock job.</p>
<p>Auditions will take place March 24 - 26 at Pace University in NYC. Applications are due by Feb. 19.</p>
<p>Doctorjohn, do you have any input for us?</p>
<p>I understand you need to be 18 to audition. My d will be 18 July 2; do you think they might still consider her?</p>
<p>Rossji,</p>
<p>I don't know what to tell you. Since your D will be 18 in July, maybe they would consider her old enough. My usual advice in situations such as yours is to ask those in charge. Here's what the website says about younger performers:</p>
<p>"As we've mentioned, we occasionally audition younger people depending upon what shows our theaters have scheduled for their seasons. But primarily if you're under 18 you're out of luck as far as Straw Hat is concerned."</p>
<p>Rossji,</p>
<p>I looked at the website again. It says that "performers must be 18 or older at the time they start work". If you would like to ask them about your D, here is the contact e-mail address: <a href="mailto:info@strawhat-auditions.com">info@strawhat-auditions.com</a></p>
<p>The StrawHat Auditions are well run and have a solid reputation. Many of our students have secured summer work through them, at theatres like Maine State Music Theatre and Surflight. The auditions are designed for non-Equity actors, age 18 and older, and require a faculty recommendation. I suspect the vast majority of those auditioning are college students.</p>
<p>I don't think they'll let your D audition, rossji, because her birthday is in July, and all of these theatres will start rehearsals in June, if not May, and actors have to be 18 by the time they start work. But as the others have suggested, you might write and ask. If someone is doing OLIVER or ANNIE, for example, they may want younger performers.</p>
<p>Rossji</p>
<p>You should know that many summer stock shows go up starting in early June, which means they begin rehearsals in late May, which may be a conflict given that your D may still be in school. Also, many of these theaters, who are at Straw Hats looking mostly for ensemble performers (sometimes they will pick performers out of the ensemble for specific character or smaller parts), try to cast people who can work in multiple shows over the course of the summer. So, given her age and the info that dancersmom has provided, she couldn't be cast in anything that started rehearsals before July 2 which would knock out almost half the summer for most of these theaters. </p>
<p>This doesn't mean she can't work summer stock, but perhaps she would have more luck investigating specific opportunities that don't cast through Straw Hats. There are lots and lots!</p>
<p>The Straw Hat auditions are new to me. Guess I've been under a rock. How do college kids audition who are not in NY? Do they skip school for the time and get themselves there somehow?</p>
<p>gkoukla, in a word, yes. :) These are really for college kids, not high school.</p>
<p>gkoukla,
I think that's about right. Unless a whole class is encouraged to attend a specific audition it is up to individual students to make the effort to seek out possibilities for summer employment. It can be difficult and inconvenient at times. My D was offered an audition in NYC for a prestigious summer theatre ( Utah Shakespearean Festival ) and it was the very same day of callbacks for the school spring musical. It was also the last day of a show she was currently in! Yes, she woke up at 4:00 am and made the trip to the city ( 4 1/2 hours away ), auditioned for 15 minutes and drove back in time for a 7:00 call! The director of her program wasn't thrilled that she missed callbacks, but was at least was cast in the ensemble. It was an early wake-up call about the need to make choices and decisions independently, and to deal with the subsequent results. She is still waiting to hear from Utah so doesn't yet know if she'll pursue additional auditions ( ie. Strawhat ). I wonder what students do who are too far away from NYC to make it work?</p>
<p>I assume that Straw Hat Auditions are the similar to MidWest Theatre Auditions. So if you don't live in the east to audition, look into MWTA which are held on Webster's campus in February. However, I think the deadline for applications was December. </p>
<p>SUE B</p>
<p>The Southeast has SETC auditions for summer opportunities, but I think that college students have to audition in the fall for their state theater conference in order to get an audition spot at SETC. At least, some of the college students my d knows were gone to the NC conference to audition in November on the date she was at Elon for her first audition. You can get more info at <a href="http://www.setc.org%5B/url%5D">www.setc.org</a> and/or <a href="http://www.nctc.org%5B/url%5D">www.nctc.org</a>. According to the SETC site, it is the largest regional audition in the U.S., and it is being held this year in Greensboro, NC.</p>
<p>Gkoukla, you might be interested to know that when we were at UMich the past couple of days, we were told by students and faculty that several summer stock theaters came right to UMich to recruit MT students. I wonder if your daughter has heard about this and you just are not aware of it. They named several who come to do this. Off the top of my head, I recall hearing (I may have the exact title wrong) Theater of Wichita and Weston Playhouse (here in VT). Thought I would mention that to you. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Yikes! Our D is at UM.......she should skip school and get herself to NYC that Friday?</p>
<p>Thanks, soozievt. Yes, she knows about them and will audition, but I guess we'd like other opportunities instead of relying on just those at UMICH. How'd it go this weekend????</p>
<p>NETC Auditions</p>
<p>Here's the link for the NETC auditions that are being held in Boston on March 19-21. These are also for college students 18 and older and the application must be in by Feb 1st.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.netconline.org/audition.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.netconline.org/audition.htm</a></p>
<p>My daughter has never done these auditions, but a lot of her friends have found work thru them. While she was in high school she did two summers of summer stock and most of the college students she worked with were hired thru either Strawhat or SETC. She's done theme park work the past three summers and they also hire thru these auditions as well as regional auditions at a number of colleges.</p>
<p>gkoukla, if your daughter is seriously interested in Strawhat, I'd recommend that she get her application in ASAP. Most of my D's friends who are auditioning have had theirs in for a while and apparently already have their audition times. These spots fill up quickly. Also, not everyone who applies gets an audition. They'll be held this year Thurs. 3/24-Sat. 3/26.</p>
<p>Is it just Straw Hat that has the 18 year old requirement or do all these summer stock or theater conference auditions require a certain birth date? I ask because my MT daughter will only be 17 AFTER one year of college and being IN college, I figured she could do summer stock in summers but now wonder if her chronological age will get in the way of attending these auditions. I do understand it in terms of 17 year olds still in high school or having JUST graduated but am wondering the case of a 17 year old already in college for summer stock jobs. I am hoping that is what she can do in summers during college. </p>
<p>Gkoukla, I should answer you about this past weekend at UM but should do it on a different (regular MT discussion) thread, so look there soon.
Soozie</p>
<p>Soozie,</p>
<p>Check the New England Theater Conference website. I think they will make exceptions for younger performers. And it seems that some of the theaters overlap.</p>