Audition

Q. How do I sign up?
A. Anyone can sign up for an audition on Casting Manager, where you can create a profile, fill in your information, submit your conflicts, and sign up for an audition time. You are also welcome to fill out the Casting Manager form at The Playhouse on the day of auditions as a walk-up. Our audition crew will help you get signed in with Casting Manager if you need assistance. (You will have an earlier audition time and a shorter wait if you sign up online in advance, and we strongly encourage this.)

Q. What if I can’t sign up in advance?
A. Please attend anyway! We welcome “walk-up” auditions. You can show up the evening of auditions, and we will find a time to make sure you are seen. You may be asked to come back for a later time slot, but we will find a place for you.

Q. Can I submit a video audition?
A. Yes, you may. Anyone can submit a video audition through Casting Manager prior to the audition date. If you have trouble submitting, you may email your video to Derek Phelps, volunteer and production coordinator. Check out the following tips for creating a quality audition video:

1. Use a smartphone or tablet to film your audition. If you have a friend who can film and be a reading partner, that is great! If not, prop the device on a stack of books or something similar and take a test video to make sure you are in the frame.
2. State your name and the part you are auditioning for at stage volume and clarity at the beginning of your video. If you can do this separately and then film your readings in separate takes, that is best as you can take time to get into character.
3. Please film in a tight to medium frame from the chest up. Choose a quiet room with a neutral background and good lighting that doesn’t cast shadows in your video.
4. Please choose a reading partner to read the lines that are not yours from off-camera. The most important part of your partner’s reading is that you can hear them and we can see your response in your video. They do not need to be on camera.
5. Enjoy yourself, don’t look directly into the camera, and don’t stress! If you can memorize the scenes, that is great. If you are holding a script, that’s okay too. Prepare by knowing the story, who you are in the play, and what is happening in the scene, but don’t spend hours and hours doing multiple takes and stressing about the video. Save yourself time by doing your actor homework before you film.

Q. I need help using Casting Manager!
A. Not to worry. Click here for an instructional video. You can also just show up the night of auditions, and we will get you signed up in person. If you need assistance with an online form, please contact Derek Phelps, volunteer and production coordinator, 563.292.8962.

Q. What roles are right for me?
A. To discover whether there is a role for you in a show, click the Casting Information header in Casting Manager for detailed role descriptions. If in doubt, sign up and audition! You never know what you might be just right for, even if you didn’t think of yourself for a certain role. 

Q. What should I prepare for my audition?
A. Many directors choose to post “sides,” or excerpts, from the script that you can read and prepare ahead of your audition time. Other directors have you read “cold” (no prior practice) at auditions. You can always read the script, listen to the soundtrack, and do your own research on the story and show so that you know for what role you are auditioning and how that character fits into the show.

If you are auditioning for a musical, you must prepare 16-32 bars (or 30 seconds to 1 minute) of a song in the style of the show for which you are auditioning. It is preferred that you bring sheet music and sing with a live accompanist provided by The Playhouse. You may bring an accompaniment track to play from an iPhone or similar device.

Q. Can I read a script before auditions?
A. You can check out a script for one week at a time any time leading up to the audition date. Visit the Playhouse ticket office, Tuesdays-Fridays, Noon-5:00 PM, if you would like to check out a script. Call the ticket office at 515.277.6261 before coming over to make sure there is a script available.

Q. How do I know when auditions are coming up?
A. The best way to find out about dates for auditions is to look at this page! You can sign up to receive an audition notice via email by clicking here and choosing Volunteer Updates: Audition Notices (acting).