Audition and Casting Policies - NMU Theatre and Dance

Auditions and Casting

• All students enrolled at NMU, regardless of major, are eligible to audition for any production. All NMU Theatre and Dance Majors are required to audition for every production. Dance Majors are only required to audition for dance-specific shows.
• Audition paperwork will be made available digitally prior to all auditions and must be filled out before audition day. The audition form will close at 11:00PM on the evening before auditions.
• If a student is unable to attend auditions but would still like to be considered for a production, they should contact nmutd@nmu.edu in advance of auditions. 
• Unless otherwise noted, the only people permitted to watch auditions are directors/choreographers/music directors, theatre and dance faculty/staff, and their assistants; other performers will not watch your audition.
• Theatre and dance students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to be eligible to be cast. All students cast in a production must maintain sufficient academic progress and a 2.0 cumulative GPA. All majors must still audition regardless of academic standing.
• Theatre and dance majors must accept all assigned roles in departmental productions. Should extenuating circumstances exist, please communicate with departmental faculty and/or staff ASAP, preferably in advance of auditions.
• Casting decisions are made by the director of each production according to the needs of the production. All other factors being equal, NMU students will be given preference in casting. At the discretion of the director/choreographer, auditions for a production may be opened to NMU faculty/staff and/or members of the community. The decision of the director/choreographer is final.
• Students must only remain at auditions until they have completed their audition.
• Students will be notified if they are needed for callbacks. A callback does not guarantee a role in the production. Similarly, if a student is not called back, it does not mean they will not be cast.
• Cast lists for productions are emailed as soon as possible following auditions and callbacks.

AUDITIONS (choose one of the following audition packages):

1. Two contrasting monologues 
2. One monologue and one 32-bar cutting of a song
   1. An accompanist will be available to play sheet music. Music should be double sided, hole-punched, and in a binder.
   2. Tracks and singing acapella will not be permitted.
3. 32-bar cuttings of TWO songs
   1. An accompanist will be available to play sheet music. Music should be double sided, hole-punched, and in a binder.

   2. Tracks and singing acapella will not be permitted.

      ---

MOVEMENT/DANCE CALL: (required for ALL auditionees)

• Please wear movement/dance-audition appropriate clothing. Hair should be pulled away from the face. Please bring ballet, character, jazz, and tap shoes (if you have them).
• Three dance combinations will be taught: (cuts may be made throughout the process)
  • Dance Combination #1 (Mover): This is the least difficult of all three combinations. Fun music is used to let everyone show style and character and relax as much as possible. It will use basic dance steps.
  • Dance Combination #2 (Trained High Intermediate/Advanced Level Dancer): This combination is very different than the first combination. It will be taught much faster and use dance vocabulary. It will involve leaps, turns and choreography to show technical and artistic ability. This combination may be taught in two parts—one that includes more jazz choreography, and one that includes more contemporary/ballet choreography.
  • Dance Combination #3 (Trained Intermediate and Above Tap Dancer): The combination will require tap shoes and will use tap vocabulary. 

Rehearsals

• Rehearsals for productions are typically held in the evenings beginning as early as 6:00pm and running for up to three hours Monday through Friday, and up to four hours on Saturday. Adjustments to this are at the discretion of the Artistic Director or Director of Production. Formal requests may be made by a director, choreographer, or music director to adjust the rehearsal time.
• There will be at least one collective day off of rehearsal per week (usually Sunday) as decided by the director/music director/choreographer of each production, with the exception of tech week.
• Weekend rehearsal times will be determined by the director of the individual production.
• The following rehearsals may extend beyond the three to four-hour block restriction: tech rehearsals, dress rehearsals, rehearsal boot camps, and emergency cases approved by the Artistic Director or Director of Production.
• Directors/choreographers/music directors will make time changes as needed/approved.
• Company members are not to leave rehearsal unless dismissed by the director, choreographer, or music director.

General Rehearsal and Performance Rules

All company members will be required to sign a Code of Conduct outlining rehearsal and performance expectations. 

Frequently Asked Questions: