<p>My freshman D has signed a contract for a summer job in NY state doing two musicals for 10 weeks pay and room. She is very excited. She auditioned for it in NYC at a separate audition from Strawhat. She also received an offer to work on one show in upstate NY based on her Strawhat audition and callback. She didn’t audition for NETC. She has a senior classmate, male, who will be working again this summer at MUNY in St. Louis.</p>
<p>92VV92, I sent you a PM regarding an upcoming audition and link for further audition information.</p>
<p>Ponysingermom and MTMUMMY, congrats to both of your daughters!</p>
<p>My D will be performing as a resident company member of Music Theatre of Wichita. They are doing 5 musicals this summer. She is very excited. Sounds like a wonderful program!</p>
<p>Does anyone know the implications of having verbally accepted a minor role in a summer stock show, but then changing your mind before you receive and sign the contract?</p>
<p>The kid doesn’t want to harm her reputation, nor do she want to put the theater in a bad position. The contract dates were mid to late June through August, so it’s probably still early enough for them to find someone else. She hasn’t told them that she is no longer interested.</p>
<p>Any advice you can provide would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>This is a pretty common problem, and although the theater may not be happy about it, she isn’t committed to the job until she signs the contract. It’s not unusual for young actors to have several offers of employment, and they don’t all come in at the same time. She should inform them as soon as possible, so they have plenty of time to find a replacement.</p>
<p>I just re-read this thread as my daughter now has 2 offers, 1 waitlist, and is still waiting to hear from one. They all have their pluses and minuses although the non-Equity mid-west offer is off the table now that she has a better offer closer to home. I’m sure she’ll do this on her own but I will suggest she speak to some of her professors and ask their opinion.</p>
<p>Why does this feel like college acceptances all over again?</p>
<p>College admissions is just the start. For someone who has a life in theater, there is constant trying for this or that and waiting to hear and very low odds, and all that. It is never ending. My kid is out of college and I can think of some things this week alone that she is waiting to hear. One is also constantly job hunting for the next opportunity as none last that long. Also, UNLIKE college admissions, you do not hear of them all at once or have a common reply date and have to weigh opportunities as they come without knowing what may be behind the next door next week.</p>
<p>My D just booked All Shook Up and Hairspray at Celebration Music Theatre in Myrtle Beach. There are kids from her school working all over the place this summer so it will interesting to hear all the stories as the summer progresses.</p>
<p>austinmtmom, congrats to your D! Sounds like it will be a really fun summer!</p>
<p>Thanks soozievt!! We’re thrilled with the opportunity!</p>
<p>soozievt - what makes intern/apprenticeships more similar to college is that, in addition to an audition, headshot and resume, there is an application to be filled out including 3 letters of recommendations, sometimes an essay, and an application fee. Never saw that outside of college and these acting apprenticeships.</p>
<p>amtc, most summer stock doesn’t involve recs and essays. However, if your kid is applying for internships, this might indeed involve all that. My kid who is not in theater has needed recs and portfolios to obtain jobs and internships and while there is no official “essay,” she has written cover letters that are a bit like an essay about herself. </p>
<p>But ya know, it never does end. My theater kid has done many types of applications since graduating college! She has applied for certain awards. She has also applied to have her musical selected for certain workshops or residencies or festivals. She has had to write essays, create demos, samples, recs, resumes, and lots more for these submissions. I’m happy to say that she has been admitted to some and been a finalist for a major award recently. She just completed two applications for two other things. (this is not like what you are talking about where I think you pay to attend the apprenticeship, but rather these things are all expenses paid or they pay you) One of these involved huge copies my husband had made for her of scores she has written. These apps have essays and a lot more to them. She has done a lot of these in fact for various purposes. These are not for internships. I must say that both my daughters have done a lot of applications, essays, samples, recs, etc. since graduating college. (and of course, D1 has been through the grad admissions process twice) So, this sort of thing never ends!!! And it is not cheap…app fees, portfolio printing, printing of musical scores, copies of DVDs, CDs, etc.</p>
<p>Okay here’s what we’re dealing with. D had alot of callbacks…no offers. So she applied for a job as a camp counselor and was hired. Last weekend she had her last summer stock audition. I drove 5+ hours in a monsoonal rainstorm to attended this audition. She did well and was happy with her effort. This was for a paid internship that supposedly offered housing for those 18+ over (as is my daughter). NOWHERE on the intern audition page did it state that they were hiring locals EXCLUSIVELY. They even ask on the registration paper if you are 18 and need housing. They said they would make thier decision May 2. (which, btw, is AFTER the local children and adult non-paid auditions)</p>
<p>My D has to give the camp her decision by this coming Monday so she emailed the directors of the program and asked if there was any update on the status of her intern application. They finally replied today stating that they were having housing issues (I know for a fact that they have 2 cast houses) and were trying to cast interns who had thier own housing in the area. They said they were impressed by her audition and felt she would be a good fit with the theater but unfortunately she is not at the top of the list due to her housing status. I don’t know how to take this other than flat out rejection…which would be ok if I had known from the start that they planned on using only local talent. The audition was only a week ago…you mean to tell me they didn’t know about the housing issue then? I could have saved myself a weekend of driving plus gas and hotel expense. Ugh!!! Any advice on what this kid should do?</p>
<p>soozie - Of course you’re right, what an ignorant fool I am. Oh and by the way, this is a paid apprenticeship.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what it is you are saying. I was saying that for internships and apprenticeships, including paid ones, often there are applications involved and these may involve essays, though summer stock (which this thread was initially about) usually doesn’t. Your initial post in #66 sounded like you were talking of summer stock and then a later post mentions internships/apprenticeships and never seeing essays and such required, but I know my kids have had to write essays or submit various things for stuff of that sort, which works differently that pure summer stock which is mostly just an audition. </p>
<p>I thought you shared some interesting stuff, though at first, I thought you were talking about summer stock and then later about apprenticeship programs, which are not entirely the same, but maybe I am confused by what you were referring to?</p>
<p>In any case, I was AGREEING with you that these things NEVER end…college admissions is like the start and they go through processes of this nature many time again in the future.</p>
<p>Examples for others who are reading along…(not a reply to amtc)</p>
<p>A professional theater apprenticeship program may be like the one at Walnut Street Theater and there is an audition, but also an application including essays and there is a paid stipend if accepted. The Signature Theater Company internship (in NYC) also involves essays, recommendations, resumes, etc. and pays a stipend. Internships at the McCarter Theater provide housing and a stipend, but I don’t think these involve acting. Same with the internship program at The Goodman. </p>
<p>There are professional theater apprenticeship programs such as Powerhouse Theater at Vassar or the program at Williamstown Theater Festival or the one at Brown and essays and recommendations are required, and some require DVD samples, but you also have to pay to attend if accepted. </p>
<p>Then, there is summer stock which is by audition and not applications, such as The MUNY, PCLO, Ogunquit Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, Forestburgh Playhouse, and many others.</p>
<p>stagemom23, if I were your daughter, I would take the camp job and not look back. I, too, would take this as a polite “no thanks” to my kid, though I suppose your daughter could write back and say she will be responsible for her own housing, though you would then have to find housing for her and pay for it. However, this could be awkward for everyone. I would suggest she just take the camp job and enjoy it. There is always next year to find a summer stock job, and not every kid in an MT program in college does summer stock. I would say that most don’t.</p>
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<p>stagemom23 - I agree that if it were my D I would tell her to just take the camp job and move on. Summer stock jobs will be there again next summer and she can try again.</p>
<p>My D decided not to audition for summer stock this summer and landed a great job as a camp counselor at a performing arts camp about 2 1/2 hours from our house. She gets her housing and food plus a good salary for 9 weeks. All the counselors they hire are college theatre kids so it should be a fun summer. And the best part for us is that we can go see her when she has a day off!</p>
<p>Thanks for the words of wisdom NotMamaRose and showmom858…she is taking the camp job and looking at the positives of only working 7 weeks out of the summer with free room/board and time off! She really wanted to be a counselor in the drama program but they had no open spots. Fortunately for my D, her love and experience with yoga, dance and zumba was what got her the job. So, even though she has technically been hired as part of the fitness staff she was told they would love her to help out with the drama program as needed… Plus she’ll stay fit and active all summer!! And the camp is only 1/2 hour away so visits home are certainly more than possible!!</p>
<p>Wow! After writing all those positives out I feel so much better!</p>
<p>Question…my daughter was offered a part in two productions at the same theater for the summer…can she accept only one and say she has a conflict for the other?</p>