AUDITIONS

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WINTER CONCERT + TEN MINUTE PLAY WRITING WORKSHOPS

Registration opens Monday, August 25th at 6pm. Programs will fill quickly!

Registration instructions will be sent via email blast (like this), postedon our social media accounts, and on our website at 6pm tomorrow!For Winter Concert, you will need to know your availability this fall, andhave a current headshot or snapshot!We can't wait!

 WINTER CONCERT Audition slots are full - you can still register for the wait list!

Winter Concert is back for our 14th year! This year will feature boy bands,butterfly clips, and of course a few holiday favorites to ring in the new year!Chaotic, kitschy, and unapologetically extra-we cannot wait. Bug Street's Back-Alright!Each year 50 young performers ages 6-18 light up the Nashville Stages with afully produced two act concert of pop, musical theater, and holiday hits thathave made this production a staple winter celebration!Students must prepare and memorize 1 minute of a pop or musical theatersong. Please bring karaoke or instrumental track (No vocal) downloaded on adevice as wifi can be disruptive to playback. Students may bring anaccompanist or play for themselves so long as they are highly proficient attheir instrument and still able to perform the song to the best of their abilities.Video submissions will be accepted, but attending in person is always best!All students will be asked to attend dance call on Saturday, September 20th.We strongly suggest attending in person for the best shot at casting! A parentmeeting will be required during your performer's dance call.No previous experience required.

**Be sure to read ALL of the below information before you register**

  • Registration Opens Monday, August 25th at 6:00 pm

    • Auditions: September 17th and 18th from 4pm-9pm

    • Dance Call: Saturday September 20th 11am-3pm

    • Auditions and Rehearsals held at Dalewood United Methodist Church

    • Performances held at Oz Arts Nashville

    • Rehearsals begin: October 27th

    • No rehearsal October 31st and November 26th-30th

    • Mandatory dates: December 1st-14th (when you audition, let us know if you have a mandatory school or extra curricular event in this time as we will take two of these dates off from rehearsal)

    • Tech Dates: December 6th-10th

    • Performances: December 11th-14th

    • Tuition: $250 Financial Aid available

  • For Winter Concert, you will need to know your availability this fall, and have a current headshot or snapshot!

 Ten Minute Play Workshops

Two Playwriting Workshops for Young Storytellers

This fall, the Playground is offering two engaging workshops that build writing skills and give young people the confidence to share their stories on stage.

Ten-minute plays are the perfect entry point for young writers. They’re manageable in scope and still challenging enough to teach the essentials of strong storytelling. Students will learn how to create memorable characters, shape a story, write dialogue, and explore meaningful themes. Students see results quickly, discover their unique voice, and build momentum and confidence for larger creative projects. 

If you’re looking for inspiration and a place to start, the Intro to Ten-Minute Plays class will help students generate ideas, create original characters, and begin building their story from the ground up. The Advanced Workshopis for plays already in progress, giving writers focused feedback and tools to take their work to the next level.

Students can sign up for one or both, taking Intro first to generate new play ideas and Advanced to develop them with peer feedback.In some cases, students from the Intro class may be invited to join the Advanced Workshop based on the work developed in class. 

    • Registration Opens Monday, August 25th at 6:00 pm

    • Ages 14-18

    • Introduction to Ten Minute Plays: October 1st and 3rd 4:30-7:30pm

    • Advanced Playwriting Workshop: October 4th 9am-4pm

    • Registration Opens Monday, August 25th

    • Held at The Theater Bug Offices: 1606 Porter Road, Suite 100

    • Tuition: $125 Financial Aid Available

  • Introduction to Ten-Minute Plays
    Wednesday October 1st and Friday October 3rd
    4:30PM-7:30PM 

    The Intro Workshop is perfect for students who are new to playwriting or looking for a structured way to start. Over two sessions of interactive writing exercises, group activities, and supportive feedback, participants learn the fundamentals of dramatic writing. Students create original characters, bring them to life in scenes and monologues, and share their work in class. By the end of the workshop, your student will have a strong start on their own play and the tools to keep writing. 

  • Advanced Playwriting Workshop
    Saturday October 4th
    9am-4pm

    The Advanced Workshop is designed for students with prior writing experience who are ready to take their work to the next level. When enrolling, students are asked to submit the first five pages of a ten-minute play.(Students enrolled in both the Intro and Advanced workshops do not need to submit a sample.) In this practical workshop, they’ll receive constructive feedback, learn advanced techniques, and work through revisions. Participating writers will build a stronger script and develop valuable skills in collaboration and communication.

**Be sure to read ALL of the below information before you register**

Check out what is happening with The Playground! Interested in a WRITING project to share with others or submitting for the ten-minute play festival? Click here to find out more about our workshops and festival AT the PLAYGROUND.

AUDITION TIPS

  • The first step in auditioning is choosing great, appropriate material that you love! When choosing material you'll want to make sure it:

    1. Is age appropriate. All material should be for a character that could be played by you.
    2. Is unique. Some material has been heard so many times, it gets a little lost on your audience. Let's find you something special!
    3. Plays to your strengths. If you are an awesome alto, don't choose a soprano piece.
    4. Is something you love to perform. If you love it, it will show!

  • Wondering where to find a monologue? Here are some tips:

    1. Read plays! Lots of them. Look for characters your age. Check the library, Amazon or book stores. Straight plays tend to have more monologues than musicals, but you can find them in either.

    2. Read books! Some of your favorite fictional characters may have great monologue material! These may need some editing so it sounds like it is being delivered in the present tense to another person. You'll need to edit our the "he saids" and other narrative parts. We can help.

    3. Watch movies! I bet you can find some one minute pieces from a character you love in your favorite movie!

    4. Surfing the internet for monologues can be a little risky. Many of them are not great pieces or are pretty over done. You could find a gem if you look hard enough!

  • What About Songs?

    Since we often require everyone to have sheet music for a program, we wanted to give you a hand. Some of our favoite places to find sheet music are:

    www.musicnotes.com
    www.newmusicaltheatre.com
    www.amazon.com

    OR you can check with us and we will try and help you! Please double check that the song is in the key you want!

REGISTER

Classes and Programs

We are constantly adding new programs and classes including original plays and musicals! We have programming for home schoolers, facilitate Shakespeare camps, host concerts, musicals and plays, and so much more! Be sure to sign up for our mailing list to be updated with the most current programming.

Financial Assistance

Please complete this form and return it along with your most recent tax return showing your household income to auditions@thetheaterbug.org. Thank you!

Registration and Payment Procedures

Registration will be announced through our mailing list which is also linked to our social media pages. You can register and pay for a program through our website. Once registered online you must either:

  • Pay by credit card through the website or over the phone

  • Through our Venmo@theaterbug

  • Mail a check to The Theater Bug. Our mailing address is: The Theater Bug P.O. Box 1821, Goodlettsville, TN 37070-1821

    OR

  • Download our financial aid application from our website and return it by mail or electronically by emailing it back to The Theater Bug. Financial aid applications must be re-submitted at the beginning of each calendar year, and must include a current a copy of your latest tax return showing the total household income.

If payment or financial aid form is not received within 48 hours of registration, your student may be dropped from the program and you will need to re-register them again as space allows.

We no longer offer refunds of any kind, for any reason. We understand that there are unforeseen challenges that may come up such as travel, school obligations or illness, but in order to continue to be able to offer high quality programs taught by top notch instructors for a low cost, we must ask that you register your children with the understanding that we will not offer refunds effective August, 2015.

Some programs have a specific amount of spots for girls vs. boys, or specific ages in order to be able to perform the specific script we are using. If this is the case, the registration process may have an added step where we will take email requests for a spot instead of registering through the online portal. When registration or auditions are announced for a program, please be sure to read all registration instructions carefully as they may vary program to program.

Auditions

If an audition is required to participate in a program you must register your child up for via our online form. Ideally, this should be done at least one week prior to the start of a program. You are responsible for signing up and preparing for your child’s audition. If you have questions about how to help your child prepare, please check out our audition preparation tips! You are also always welcome to call or email with questions.

If a program specifies that NOT ALL WHO AUDITION WILL BE CAST, then you will not be required to register or pay until after casting has been released.

Why do we have some shows where not all who audition are cast?

We are thrilled at the growth in popularity for our programs, but also know that with growth comes growing pains. Programs have started to fill, sometime in minutes, and we understand that not all parents have the same access to the internet when trying to register their child. Offering open audition has created more opportunity to a wider range of students and allowed us to put more new faces on stage, pursue diversification and tell truthful, important stories.

We are passionate about watching a brand new student find their love of the stage for the first time and equally as passionate about helping our students who are trying to pursue performance as a career get the experience, exposure and skill set they need to do that successfully. In order to nurture kids on all parts of this spectrum, we offer a variety of programming and will gladly help you to register your child in the program that suits them best!

We understand that the casting process can be difficult and emotional, but know that it is only a small part of a wonderful experience for your child.

Free Programs

It is expected that if you take a spot in a free program where all who audition are cast, that you treat that as a commitment to the program. These spots fill very quickly and typically have a long waiting list of kids who hope to participate. Last minute drops can mean that those children can no longer accommodate the program in their schedule and that is a disappointment for them and a loss for The Theater Bug. Please be sure of your commitment before registering for a free program.

Thank you so much for your interest, or continued interest in The Theater Bug and we are excited for an amazing year with your families!

For more information on our Policies and Procedures, CLICK HERE.