My S received a spot for SH just before Christmas. It will be his first time auditioning for summer work. IF cast, when do they send out offers? Are there additional callbacks? He is also going to MWTA, and a few more in the next few weeks. So, he is not sure how the offers are done and if he should take the first summer stock offered. He will be very thrilled to get anything. But, would also like something that will pay, and have housing and maybe meals included. Although, from what I have been reading, that varies.
Daughter just found out she didn’t get an audition for NETC either. So disappointing! Sad that she doesn’t even get the opportunity to throw her hat in the ring. At least we know for next year to get in applications much earlier. Hopefully she’ll have some more productions to put on her resume as well. I did notice on backstage that some theaters were advertising for summer stock auditions, so maybe, just maybe, she’ll find something for this summer. Will keep y’all posted!
For those of you looking ahead to next year, the application timeline is really accelerated for SETC. All college students who want to audition for professional summer stock must go to prescreen auditions. The prescreen locations are determined by the state you reside in OR the state in which you attend school. The applications open in September and close at various deadlines in October/November - depending on prescreen state. Generally, you know within a few weeks whether, or not, you passed the prescreen. If you are placed on the waitlist, I think you find out if you got a spot by January/early Feb.
Wow- prescreens for summer stock? When does the madness end? Thought prescreens were a thing of the past once daughter finished college auditions. Thanks so much for the heads up:)
Has anyone’s kids worked at the Quinsiana Resort in Maine? Comes highly recommended. They are auditioning in NYC weekend of Feb 25th-26th.
Well, in the “real world,” there’s always prescreens of sorts. Casting directors choose who to see and who not to see from agent submissions for a limited number of slots. Even at open calls or EPAs and ECCs, actors are often “typed out,” meaning they look at everyone and allow only those that they feel fit the types they are seeking audition. No one’s ever guaranteed a chance to be seen. Getting in the door is an accomplishment in and of itself.
@actormommy … Last year was my S first time auditioning for summer stock theatre and did we both learn a lot. He auditioned for OTA, MTWA, CLO, Wichita, NETC, various others theatres and was scheduled for Strawhat but canceled after booking a an 11 week contract, somewhere else.
First off, a lot of travel in an already busy MT life, so balancing school and these weekend trips are exhausting.
To answer your question, about job offers, they will come directly from the theatre companies and will come in at various times. I assume this is a very intricate process, since they have to hire leads and chorus and with equity theatres they normally cast their leads from their NYC EPA casting call. Some Theatre companies will only want the individual for specific shows and some will want to hire for their entire season (which means you must be castable for all shows). My S prepared ahead of time and new what shows each theatre was casting for, so if he received a callback he was a little more prepared.
Since my S auditioned for OTA in January last year (which is very early in the season), he received job offers first from them. The theatre companies will give you a deadline to respond and should allow you to review a contract, that should include what will be paid, housing, meals, etc. My S turned down the OTA job offers, due to still wanting to complete his audition season and wanting an Equity contract theater, this was a gamble/risk, but he was willing to do so.
While he was still auditioning if he was given offers from other theatre that he felt he may consider, he asked for an extension to get back with them with his decision (Some theatres will grant the extra time and some could not). Eventually he accepted an 11 week contract with an equity theatre and was able to negotiate more pay and free travel… to my surprise, he wasn’t afraid to ask for this and to our surprise they agreed. So keep that in mind that some theaters have room to negotiate.
So to answer your question about your S taking the first offer or waiting, obviously it is up the individual. I think more importantly the individual needs to know what they want from there Summer Stock theatre experience, for my S it was working for an Equity Theatre and obtaining equity points and being paid. To others it may be a certain theatre or a location.
First time audition for your professional career can be a little daunting, but use it as a stepping platform and that your S is gaining valuable insight for his future as a performer. Most importantly … HAVE FUN with it!!!
Hope this helped 
@duxellen Sorry to hear about NETC for your D. When my D went to SETC last year, she was very sick and lost her voice – she could not sing AT ALL. She was devastated! Another girl from her program was so sick, she carried around a blanket and laid on the floor (she couldn’t go home until everyone had finished auditioning). It was so sad because this was their last audition trip of the season. Her professors told her to go ahead and audition and power through it. Her prof still jokes about her auditioning with her raspy voice, “Hi, I am So-and-So and my number is 666.” (Her number truly was 666.) Poor girl! This is why she is determined to go to as many auditions as possible this season. Even with an audition slot, anything can happen! My daughter did get a job offer from ITAs she had attended back in Jan or Feb – and she was so thankful. The other girl did a paid acting intensive in NY for the summer and had a great time and got some great experience. The actor’s life is not for the faint of heart!
@actormommy Regarding accepting Summer Stock work, I agree with @Inspired59 that it is truly up to the individual and what they want from their Summer Stock experience. My D is a junior this year and has done 2 summers of Summer Stock. Her perspective has changed as she has grown – but her number 1 goal is to get a paying job! Ideally, she would like to get a good salary plus room and board at a theatre that has a great season for her type/skills. That’s the ideal. At a minimum, she wants a decent salary with housing – and hopefully a theatre that has a season with at least one musical. When she was a freshman, she went to IOTs in January (I think – very early) and got an offer within a week. The offer was $150 per week + housing + meals w/ a good season (no musicals). She didn’t know what to do – since she still had many auditions ahead of her – and consulted with her professors. She got a lot of opinions (including “stay here and do an unpaid internship”), but her MT prof basically said, “bird in hand” – so she took the job. It was the right decision for her. She was the only freshman in her program to do Summer Stock that year, and it really gave her a leg up. The theatre was awesome – it was a wonderful job and a great summer, and even though she was the youngest, she was cast in 4 out of 5 shows and had 2 leads. Then last year, my D had a couple bad scares. At her SETC pre-screen at KTAs in Oct, the accompaniest started the song in the wrong place, and D thought the song was ruined, and she wouldn’t pass the pre-screen. But she did pass and get an SETC slot!! Yay! Except, if you read above, when she was finally at SETC in the Spring, she was sick, lost her, voice and couldn’t sing — and that was the end of her audition season. Yes, she did get a good job at the 11th hour . . . But, all this to say, even though my D is more experienced, there’s a lot to be said for “bird in hand”! Fingers-crossed for this audition season! Maybe she will have many offers to sort through – but it’s very scary when you think you might not get any . … Best of luck to all! We will have to compare notes after MWTA next weekend!
@Inspired59 and @janne006 Thank you for this wonderful info. Have any of you by chance know of The Okoboji Summer Theater? I believe they are affiliated with Stephens College. He is auditioning for them today! They do cover housing, pay and meals which is nice. He is not sure if there will be EMC points offered which he would like,
@actormommy … I don’t know anything about them, but I do not believe they are an equity theatre, but here is a website that might help with that … http://www.cengage.com/resource_uploads/static_resources/0495898074/24674/summer_theatre_companies.html
I also found this information on this website about the audition, and it does states, “weekly compensation as well as housing and meals provided while in residence” … here is that website … http://www.leagueofchicagotheatres.org/component/industryaudition/industryauditiondetails/3326.html?template=industry
Hope that helps 
Well Straw Hats is a no for my D. 
She just found out tonight. I am surprised, and at the same time not surprised – if that makes sense. She is an MT junior with a lot of educational credits, including a number of leads. And she has also done two summer stock seasons, where she has also had leads. So I think she has a pretty good resume. She must just be one of many similar applicants. As the wait got longer, we thought she probably didn’t have a slot. We were hopeful, since she didn’t have a no – but waiting six weeks since she received her login id for a yes . . . well, we figured at this point it was a long shot. Time to work harder to fill up the audition calendar! Maybe she can go to Twin Cities instead . . .
That’s such a bummer! We are in the same boat and frantically trying to find something for my daughter this summer! I’ve told my daughter to check backstage website… but it’s unfortunate that our kids didn’t get a Strawhat slot. Even a standby would have been ok!
@janne006 and @duxellen, breathe.
My daughter (who is a Tisch grad) never got a real MT slot at Strawhats either and I can’t explain why. Perfectly fine resume which should have been worthy of an appointment and bias aside as best I can, she’s talented. Applications were also always submitted early. So go figure. Can’t explain it but that was her experience.
The two years she tried (only 1 for SH but 2 for NETC) she was standby and or got an acting vs. MT slot. She would not look back on these opportunities and say they were make or break for her. She might look back and say that she tried hard to move mountains to get to them thinking they were really that critical because at the time she did think so. (Long bus rides to/from in the case of NETC and getting back after an all night bus ride just in time to make it to class on no sleep for example.)
She booked paying summer work both years she submitted to these group auditions anyway. It can be done. Yes do check the Backstage website. Hopefully your kids are all somewhere in proximity to audition outside of these large group auditions. They are not the keys to the kingdom that you might think they are.
@halflokum Thank you for the encouragement. My D seems to be taking it in stride. I’m hoping she has a good weekend at MWTA. This year she has more friends in her program, and I think that helps a lot. It’s always easier to handle the bumps and bruises along the way when you have friends on the same journey. Thanks all!
Our one experience with NETC: My S got an acting slot, checked “no internships” and got ZERO CBs…so hahaha, $500 down the toilet. He’s worked every summer in Chicago or thereabouts though and had very good luck with backstage.com.
Re: Summer stock audition wear
Maybe it’s covered in this thread and I’m too lazy have not had enough coffee yet to find it … BUT … does the audition wear for summer stock differ from college auditions?
In another thread, @halflokum spoke about her daughter being reprimanded by a NYC agent because she looked too much like an MT girl. (I think that was the gist of it! I apologize if I got it wrong @halflokum !)
I remember from college auditions that you could always pick out the straight acting kids because they looked so interesting … and the MT girls were all (at that time) in jewel toned dresses.
I know that lemming look has to change once they get out in the real world - but what about summer stock auditons? Is it like college auditions, part deux?
@KaMaMom - our D has totally changed what she wears to audition. She did wear a dress for college auditions. She now typically wears jeans (sometimes white depending on the season) with a cute solid bright colored top. I am pretty sure she wears heels, but she is short so that may be why. But I think the key is the same for both - wear something you are comfortable in that allows you to give your best performance in the room, that is also not distracting from your audition. I don’t think it is wrong to wear a dress if that is what you are most comfortable in. But don’t feel you have to.
@KaMaMom Yep I did say that. And I don’t know the answer for real. But I “think” the better bet is to look like you do out in the real world outside of college auditions (and maybe inside them too but I’m too far out to really know so don’t trust that advice.) For sure casting pp will hand you your a_ _ for both not wearing something that truly represents you AND for not having a headshot that represents who you are or who they think you are which may not actually = who you think you are in terms of casting but be open to their advice. They hold the keys to the kingdom. This is actually from a hot off the press discussion today with a friend with respect to her daughter’s headshot and feedback she got from a Telsey agent. Not sure if it is something worth pushing back on or not but it’s a “thing” to take in in the greater scheme of things and noodle. I know my daughter takes things in. Processes… and then moves forward with still giving her own view of the world its due.
My D is just a freshman MT and she has definitely moved away from the jewel-toned dress (for school auditions and summer stock auditions) - which is too bad since she has a closet full of those dresses LOL. She also switched to a different headshot that’s more casual - where she’s wearing a tank-top. It seems fitting that they start to reflect more individuality once in college - and perhaps feel more confident in their choices and personal style. And, although she LOVED being in her character shoes in past auditions, it sounds like short boots are her current choice. Seems like the message of “show us who YOU are” is reaching the kids and they are wearing ‘outside the audition room outfits’ like pants/jeans and fun tops.