<p>So - I know that a lot of you are waiting on pins and needles - as I was last year while waiting for all the college results to float in - but next year you will all be very interested in this information - and it may help add an extra small element to (like you needed one) a final decision. So do any freshman kids (or parents of) have anything to report about this? Did your schools help to set up auditions, how is the pay, are they ready? Where were the auditions and have they heard anything back yet? Really - any information would be appreciated. Last year this was not on my radar - but I wish that I had thought about it a little more because planning has to start early - as does all things MT. I continue to follow all the journeys your kid's are on and wish everybody nothing but the best.</p>
<p>Planning for summer stock has to start in the fall of freshman year in college. There are many organizations that hold mass auditions for summer stock throughout the country. Some of the bigger ones are NETC (Boston) StrawHats (New York) SETC (Tennessee) MUNY (St Louis) PCLO (Pittsburgh) Google them and you will find all kinds of information, my D (current sophomore MT BFA) was employed last summer (theme park) and will work this upcoming summer in an Equity theatre as a result of these auditions. All these auditions are already over for 2012, so get working on 2013! I do not think that any colleges assist in the arrangement of any outside auditions it seems like it would be a conflict of interest. The pay for summer theatre is lousy to great! It all depends on where they work! D has been payed very well so far, but was worked REALLY HARD!</p>
<p>You are correct that planning for summer theatre work does need to start early (in the fall.) </p>
<p>Next year, SETC (Southeastern Theatre Conference) will be held March 6-10 in Louisville, KY. (It moves to different cities each year.) </p>
<p>In order to be eligible to audition at SETC for potential theatres/employers, college students must go through “screening auditions” on the state level at theatre conferences in the fall. It is very competitive to receive one of the audition slots for SETC. </p>
<p>Most college theatre departments that I am aware of (both BA and BFA programs) work hard to make their students aware of possible summer work/auditions. They also actively help prepare their students for these auditions – either informally or formally.</p>
<p>However, it does make sense to talk to potential colleges about how they approach guiding their students to summer work.</p>
<p>It is also important for students to become pro-active in finding summer theatre work for themselves.</p>
<p>Great thread! Thanks!</p>
<p>The sophomores, juniors and seniors at my son’s school helped bring him up to speed. They traveled by caravan to St. Louis for the MUNY auditions. An entire group of kids were unable to attend because the auditions conflicted with a show at school.</p>
<p>For my son to attend auditions in NYC or Boston would require a flight so planning is key for low price airline tkts. He was unable to travel though because he is in rehearsal for the spring musical and freshman showcase. Wichita auditions were held in Ann Arbor.</p>
<p>He was a no for Wichita and booked the MUNY (!)</p>
<p>I agree with Alibabba808, everything MT is about scheduling… even after college auditions!</p>
<p>@ logosmo, I heard about your son!!! Kudos to him! That is a major accomplishment! I saw him last year at MTCA mocks. He is very talented!!</p>
<p>I attended Strawhats this year as a sophomore. I just got the call 3 days ago offering me a performing internship with The Gretna Theatre in Mt. Gretna, PA this summer! I will be playing the role of Jan in “Grease” as well as touring in 6 of their children’s musicals. Gretna was the job I wanted all along, so I freaked a little when I got the call. It will be my first professional summer stock opportunity. I thought it was especially ironic because Bernadette Peters worked at Gretna when she was 17 and:</p>
<p>1) When I was in New York auditioning for Strawhats, she had her ticket scanned right in front of mine at the closing show of “Merrily”.
2) She was on “Smash” the night I got the offer. Weird, but cool.</p>
<p>I was the only student from CCU to attend Strawhats this year, but most people attended IODs, NETC, and SETC. So far other classmates of mine have been offered jobs at The Lost Colony, Cortland Repertory Theatre, Weathervane Theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse, Florida Repertory Theatre, Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre, Peach State Summer Theatre, Bigfork Summer Playhouse, Central Piedmont Children’s Theatre, and Hershey Park (only 20 minutes away from Gretna- so I will have some friends!).</p>
<p>CONGRATS to everyone else on all of their summer jobs! So incredibly exciting- especially The Muny. ;)</p>
<p>At JMU, where I teach, we spend quite a lot of time prepping students to attend auditions for summer/ year round work… we generally have students attend SETC, NETC, StraeHat, Outdoor Drama, and UPTA auditions each year. We also have a few theatres and theme parks that come to campus to audition students. This year we already have students who have positions in the performing companies at Lost Colony, Central Piedmont Summer Theatre, Disney Cruise Lines, Charleston Stage, Cortland Rep., Hampstead Players, Highland’s Playhouse, Barksdale Theatre, Round Barn Theatre, Papermill Theatre, Boothbay Playhouse, Thin Air Theatre, and others… that is all I can remember off the top of my head. There is quite a bit of work available in summer stock and outdoor drama! </p>
<p>I am also the SETC state screening coordinator for Virginia… we are a border screening state for New York, NJ, MD and New England states. We do have quite a few college students come down from those states each year to screen for an SETC audition slot. Other states are also border states for SETC screening… I know that WV is a border state for PA… possibly OH as well? There is quite a bit of information on the SETC website. If you attend school in an SETC member state, you attend the screening auditions in the state where you attend school. The screening auditions for the March auditions are generally in October or November of the prior year. Depending on the year approximately the top scoring 30% - 35% in-state applicants and top scoring 30% - 35% out of region applicants from each screening state are offered audition slots at SETC. Let me know if you have other questions about the SETC screening.</p>
<p>Alexa, My son just booked Gretna Theatre as well! He’ll be playing Johnny Casino in Grease. It’s his first summerstock experience as well and he is truly excited. Congrats and break legs this summer!</p>
<p>Congrats Alexa! Your CC Fan Club is cheering for you! Cool Bernadette Peters connections by the way. :0)</p>
<p>Internships are very similar to applying to college - you need to fill out forms, send your headshot and resume and have letters of recommendation from teachers. You do need to start pretty early. Last summer my daughter was offered an audition time slot for NETC and got a great internship from that but was rejected from Strawhats. This year she had an audition time slot for Strawhats and rejected from NETC. Go figure! </p>
<p>A few things about internships - you will work hard and long. Most have required classes and workshops in addition to casting you in at least one show and some stage crew requirements. Last year my daughter was cast in two mainstage shows (Hair and Finians Rainbow) so she was very busy most of the summer. It was also good for her to perform in 8 shows/week for 3-4 weeks, much more like “real” theatre work as opposed to a college schedule of one or two weekends per show. This actually “broke” two kids at her theatre - they just didn’t like the schedule and found that it wasn’t “fun” so they planned to transfer out of MT in their schools. The living situation is often crummy - bad food, tight shared rooms, etc. I told her it would prepare her for tours! But the best thing was that she got Equity Points which makes her EMC (she’s already AFTRA/SAG) and brings her to a whole other level for professional auditions.</p>
<p>She’s decided she would like to stay home (NY) this summer so she reintroduced herself to her agent and will be doing NY film and televsion gigs instead of live theatre. It will also round out her resume since she will be a senior next year. Never forget that this is a business and you build your resume in so many ways, not to mention the financial bonus of having Union tv or commercial credits.</p>
<p>If you can afford low/no pay internships for one summer it is well worth it I think.</p>
<p>@ Kat MT, how do we find out the date for the screening for SETC next fall? Do you do the auds at JMU or elsewhere? Thanks.</p>
<p>BvilleLady- That’s amazing! I have been really interested to find out who else I will be working with, but I’m not actually sure how to do that. I am excited to meet him. :)</p>
<p>In the end my daughter is good for this year as she was cast in a production at the Little Theater of the Rockies (summer stock that is located at her school). This works out great as she will live in the house she will be sharing with her room mates in the fall (that we are paying for through the summer anyways). I may post more about Colorado summer stock opportunities in the University of Northern Colorado sub forum. I guess I am trying to start thinking about next year - if my daughter wanted to audition on the east coast. Lojosmo - What got me thinking about the whole thing was the father of my daughter’s friend - who is also an MT freshman at U Mich - said that they had done some sort of journey for summer stock auditions and it piqued my interest. Thanks everyone for the info - it has been very helpful.</p>
<p>LuLu63 they will posted on the SETC website… but it looks like the VA screening (which also includes NY students) will be in Reston, VA the weekend of October 27th. The SETC website is [STOP</a>!!! SETC Screenings](<a href=“http://www.setc.org/theatre/professional/setc-screenings]STOP”>http://www.setc.org/theatre/professional/setc-screenings)</p>
<p>The applications for screenings will open September 15.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Hey Alexa, Spoke to DS who would love to connect on this summer’s production. Just PM me so we don’t distract from the main discussions, thanks!</p>
<p>Congrats to all of you who have booked work for this summer. A piece of advice for those who will be doing it in the future. Start early and do your research. Some of the summer stock positions are not ones that most students would want.</p>
<p>Thanks so much KatMT!!! And GO ORANGE tonight! :)</p>
<p>I agree with starting early! Not only on your research, but also your applications: For some of the places I applied, I need three reference letters and my third reference ended up breaking her arm and not able to write to me in time for me to apply there. Luckily, I got a job offered by my top choice which didn’t require any letters!</p>
<p>Have any folks here had experience doing summer shows on your campus? If so, what are the pros and cons of accepting summer work at your university?</p>
<p>I would not call it summer stock, but my daughter did work on an original musical several summers affiliated with her university both while a student and right after graduation. This was paid (actually it paid very well). This was at NYU for something called NYU Reality Show and the cast members create and write the show all summer and rehearse it and it is put on for all incoming students at orientation at Madison Square Garden. She was a writer/performer, but was also the musical director. After graduating, she gave up performing and did the job as musical director for 2 summers (I can’t recall details) for both the NYC show and the Abu Dhabi show, but has since given that position up. She loved getting to be in NYC in the summer (did not want to do summer stock which she did after freshman year in another state).</p>