Auditions
Get the details!
Our 2023-2024 Season Auditions for Adult Professionals
We hold our season auditions together with our friends at Unicorn Theatre.
WHAT: The Coterie Theatre and Unicorn Theatre will hold combined auditions for professional actors (18 years of age and older) – Equity and non-Equity – for their respective 2023/2024 seasons. All auditions will take place in person.
WHERE: Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri
OTHER: Actors are asked to perform two contrasting contemporary monologues (no classical, no Shakespeare); two minutes each; no musical material. Singing auditions will occur only if called back. Actors must bring two head shots and two resumes.
**READ CAREFULLY TO DETERMINE YOUR AUDITION OPTION!!**
*Actor’s Equity Members –
Auditions for a 5-minute slot are by appointment only on:
-Tuesday, May 16, 2:00-5:00pm & 6:00-10:00pm
-Wednesday, May 17, 1:00-5:00pm
-Friday, May 19, 1:00-5:00pm
Actors’ Equity Members – CLICK HERE to schedule an audition
*Equity Candidates and Non-Equity Actors –
Auditions for a 5-minute slot are by appointment only on:
-Saturday, May 20, 1:00-6:00pm
-Monday, May 22, 1:00-6:00pm*
If all audition slots are full, check back. Cancellations do happen and any open slots will be reflected in the scheduling calendar.
Non-Equity Actors and Equity Candidates – CLICK HERE to schedule an audition
*JUST ADDED: In-Person Wait List Open Call FRIDAY, MAY 19, AT 3:00-5:00PM
Equity, EMC, and non-Equity actors unable to secure a scheduled appointment on the dates/times provided may be seen via an IN-PERSON wait list on Friday, May 19 only.
-Unicorn Theatre’s lobby will open at 2:45pm for an in-person first come/first seen wait list at 3:00-5:00pm.
-Equity and EMC actors will have priority.
-Prepare the same material required for a scheduled slot, but lead with your strongest monologue first in case there is time for only one piece.
-Bring 2 headshots and 2 resumes.
-Continue to check the schedule as there are usually cancellations. It is always best to have a scheduled (guaranteed) appointment.
ONLY FOR Actors who have attended The Coterie/Unicorn call two or more times OR worked onstage at BOTH The Coterie & Unicorn – IN LIEU OF AN AUDITION, you are welcome to:
–Bring 2 headshots and 2 resumes to the Unicorn Theatre Administrative Offices, May 8-19, during business hours (Monday-Friday, 12:00-5:00pm).
-Include a cover letter stating the productions for which you would like to be considered. See Character Breakdown on each theater’s site with rehearsal and performance dates.
–Everyone must be correctly masked to enter the Unicorn lobby
The Coterie’s 2023-2024 Season
- Justice At War
- Electric Poe 2023 (pre-cast)
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [musical]
- The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical [musical]
- Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience [musical]
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [musical]
- Project Daylight [local tour], educational local tour January-May 2024
CLICK HERE for Character Breakdowns/Descriptions
Roles for AEA and Non-AEA actors for the mainstage shows.
All contracts are for local hire. We do not provide housing, air fare, or per diem.
On-Stage Opportunities for Youth/Teens
Callback auditions for The Coterie’s upcoming season normally take place in August-October.
The Coterie does not offer general open call auditions for youth. Callbacks are by invitation. Our suggestion is to take a Coterie class to help us know you and your talent. We urge interested youth in grades 5-7 and grades 8-12 who would like to be a young professional on our mainstage to join a spring or summer Audition Lab class.
– Audition Lab class is for those auditioning just for the experience, or future mainstage seasons. The class is also an audition for The Coterie’s invitation-only Master classes. The final day of each Audition Lab culminates in an audition with professional directors of our mainstage season.
Helpful Hints for Young Auditioners
About youth auditions at The Coterie
Advice by Nancy Marcy, Coterie Master Class instructor emeritus
Usually auditions will entail:
- A one-minute to one and a half minute memorized monologue. No poetry, please.
- A short improvised momement pantomine. The improvisation will be described on the audition form that you fill out when you arrive. As you wait your turn to audition you should plan a beginning, middle and an end to the improvisation and then rehearse it to match the time limit given.
- A photo of yourself. School or family photos are fine but they will be kept by the theatre for future reference.
- A simple resume. If you have a resume, bring it with you. If this is not possible, there are questions on the audition form that will provide the theatre with necessary information.
You will be notified by email if you need to come to a “callback” to read for a specific part. It is important to clearly print an email address on the form that will be checked regularly. Please understand that sometimes these callbacks are held months after your initial audition! Do NOT call the theatre to ask about whether or not your are being considered for any role.
How a Play is Cast
By its very nature, the selection of a cast is a difficult and sometimes unpleasant process for all concerned. The actors who audition are risking rejection, and usually most of them come away empty-handed. Some win roles and some do not, so it is vital for young actors to develop a healthy perspective towards what this process is all about. No matter how many times one auditions, there will always be disappointment at not being cast. Rejection is rejection; it goes with the territory. An actor, no matter what age, must find a perspective for the audition process. The Coterie is looking for something specific in an actor to fill a given role. Whether or not you are called back or cast for a role depends upon production requirements, and there are very few roles for young actors. As difficult as it is to accept, rejection is seldom the result of an actor’s incompetence or lack of inherent talent.
How to Perform the Best Monologue
Choose something that is close to yourself in terms of age and experience. Never audition with a character you would not be cast to play – if you’re 13 years old, don’t audition with a 25 year old’s monologue. Rather than using monologues from “books of monologues”, you might try to find a monologue from a piece of literature that you love. You will know and understand the character and his/her story, and that will benefit your performance tremendously. Be sure the monologue stays within the time limit and that it is a self-contained selection that has or implies a beginning, middle, and end. Prepare your monologue – rehearse it “out loud” many times. You shouldn’t memorize it like you memorize material for a test in school. If you are just thinking the words, they will leave your brain when you need them the most. Keep in mind that the theatre is larger than your bedroom – practice with projection!
To Do’s…and NOT To Do’s
- Bring something to do while you wait. This will help to keep you focused and to avoid the “jitters.”
- Be polite to everyone you meet. Your audition begins the moment you arrive at the theatre, and your ability to be a cooperative team player is vital to casting. Everyone who works for the theatre is aware of the attitude and energy needed for a Coterie actor!
- Dress: don’t wear sandals, clogs, crocs, platforms, outrageous clothing, hats, dangling jewelry, or hair that covers your face – you don’t want to distract attention away from you. Maximize your assets.
- Do not apologize about yourself or your monologue. Audition with confidence – think “I’ve got something very important to share with you.”
- Do not explain the monologue. You need to simply state the name of the play or book that it’s from and the author.
- Avoid delivering your monlogue directly to those sitting at the table, or glancing at them while performing. Create a “fourth wall” for yourself.
Break a leg at your audition!
