Auditions
Get the details!
Auditions for Adult Professionals
We hold auditions for our mainstage season together with our friends at Unicorn Theatre. These joint auditions are typically held in the Spring. Once auditions are set for The Coterie’s and Unicorn’s upcoming 2024/2025 seasons, details will be posted here.
On-Stage Opportunities for Youth/Teens
Callback auditions for The Coterie’s upcoming mainstage season are typically held 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!
