How Auditions at Trinity Work

Trinity produces four main stage productions a year, directed by faculty or guest artists, as well as a number of smaller “lab” productions—directed, designed, and managed by students. Auditions for main stage and lab shows happen separately. Student lab show auditions are held at various times during the year; these are announced on the Trinity Theatre email listserv.

For main stage productions, we welcome all Trinity students, First-Years through Seniors, regardless of major. Don’t be intimidated if you’re a First-Year or have never performed before; new students and students new to theatre get cast regularly, in all kinds of roles!

Because we audition students for two main stage productions at a time, auditions for our main stage shows happen twice a year:

• August, just as classes are beginning for the fall main stage productions.
• Late November or early December, just as classes are winding down, for the spring main stage productions.

The nature and structure of the initial round of auditions depends on the shows being cast in a particular semester.  Sometimes auditions are more traditional, where you’ll be asked to sign up for a 5-minute time slot and present a memorized monologue and/or song.  Other times, directors will hold info-sessions where they will discuss the plays being cast, read from the script, do improvisational games, or other activities in an effort to get to know the actors and their abilities. 

Regardless of how the initial auditions are structured, Callbacks will take place on a separate day.  At the end of the initial auditions, the director or stage manager will post (via email) the names of those actors they wish to see for Callbacks. Times and location will be announced via email as well. During Callback auditions, actors will be asked to read from the text of the shows they are called back for and participate in other kinds of audition activities (movement, singing, improvisation, theater games, etc.), depending on the demands of a given production. Callbacks may take place in two separate spaces, the Stieren Theater and/or the Attic Theater, our "black box" space. Both locations are within the Ruth Taylor Theatre Building.