Auditioning for your first show can be nerve wracking! Don’t worry, we’re here to help. There are some key things you should know before your first audition to help you have a positive and successful experience!
We invite all students ages 5-18 who are interested in auditioning for their first show to join us for a free NTPA UpSTARt Workshop – a 2-hour workshop designed for the new student who wants to learn more about being a star on an NTPA stage!
The workshop will educate new students and parents on the expectations for involvement in a major production at NTPA and help you feel prepared going into your first audition. Each two-hour workshop will be taught by one or more NTPA directors.
3 Things You’ll Learn at UpSTARt
- Theatre Terminology – Students will expand their theatre vocabulary. They will learn the meanings and applications of terms such as slate, projecting, callbacks, monologue, sides, and understand the three tools of an actor. Students will apply this audition based vocabulary when participating in a mock audition during the workshop.
- Warmup Skills – Students will learn a variety of vocal and physical warmups that they can do to prepare their voice and body before auditions, rehearsals, and performances. They will also learn how to introduce their communication, focus, confidence, imagination and teamwork through improvisation exercises and theatre games.
- Audition Basics – Students will learn how the audition process flows and what is required for setting up a successful audition video. Students will acquire knowledge on how to approach and deliver monologues successfully to nail their first audition. Kids will have an opportunity at the end of their performance to receive tailored notes from the director on how to improve skills learned in the workshop and what to look out for when reading through a monologue.
By taking an UpSTARt workshop, kids will be given the tools to build confidence while auditioning for their next production. Each UpSTARt concludes with an informational parent meeting on expectations for auditions, callbacks, and rehearsals. There is a Q&A for parents at the end of every workshop, allowing parents to feel comfortable assisting their kid during the audition process.
We encourage our first time students to participate in this informational and fun workshop in order to build a solid foundation for their future participation on stage. Our workshops focus learning and fun together to make sure the tools our students learn stick with them for their future performances!
Meet the Writer & Resident Director – Zayde Vetter
Zayde is a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, receiving her B.A. in Theatre with minors in Communication and Psychology. Her acting resume includes Pugsley in The Adams Family, Florence in Souvenir, a Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins, and Jaquinetta in Love’s Labors Lost. During a study abroad program at Oxford, her passions grew to include directing, playwriting, and dramaturgy. Some of her previous directorial productions include The Glass Menagerie, Ugly Lies the Bone, and Into Evil: a Musical Revue, as well as debuting at NTPA as Assistant Director for Frozen Kids.
Zayde believes that theatre has the power to inspire and foster growth. She is extremely excited to join the team at NTPA and hopes to encourage the love of theatre in the next generation of thespians.