For many Charleston actors with day jobs, making it to auditions can be the toughest part of getting on the stage. But Theatre Charleston has the solution: Unified Auditions. Now in its second year, the super-sized audition gives aspiring actors face time with representatives from most of the city’s major theater companies.
“We are introduced to actors whom we don’t know, and also reminded of the excellent work being done by actors with whom we’ve not yet had an opportunity to work,” says PURE Theatre Artistic Director Sharon Graci. Over 100 actors attended the first-ever Unified Auditions last year, which Exective Director of Theatre Charleston Emily Wilhoit said was a great success. “We want Charleston’s theaters to be just as good as the major cities like Chicago and New York,” says Wilhoit. “Our theater community is growing rapidly and the Unified Auditions are a big help.”
The cattle call auditions give actors 90 seconds to present a monologue or song, or combination of the two, in front of a table of about a dozen judges from participating theaters and companies of Theatre Charleston including Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina, Art Forms and Theatre Concepts, The College of Charleston Department of Theatre, The Company Company, Deuce Theatre, The Footlight Players, Midtown/Sheri Grace Productions, PURE Theatre, and The Village Playhouse.
Wilhoit stresses, “A large majority of directors and producers will be using the Unified Auditions as their only open call and will pull from these actors for their entire season.”
There will be a special audition workshop followed by a Q&A session on Sat. April 3 from 1-2 p.m. in Lance Hall at the Circular Congregational Church to answer any questions actors might have about United Auditions. Auditions will be held at the Footlight Players Theatre on April 17 from 1-6 p.m. Audition registrations are due by April 9. Slots are only open to members of Theatre Charleston. The fee to become an Individual Member is $25. You can find a copy of the application form online. For more information, call (843) 813-8578.
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