Audition

Might you want to audition?

Are you looking to do creative improvisational theatre or music with heart? To work with communities who often don’t have their experiences honored?

Check our our Boston-area ensemble and let us know if you would like to auditon. We perform Playback Theatre for community-based organizations, honoring stories told by audience members.

Our events create a respectful atmosphere where every voice can be heard and any story told — however ordinary or extraordinary, difficult or joyful. True Story Theater offers audiences fresh perspectives, deeper connections, and a renewed appreciation for our common humanity.

What we look for:
· Strong acting skills: both as an ensemble player and as a solo performer
· Empathic listening skills
· Comfort with movement-based work
· Commitment to social justice and personal growth
· We are especially looking for men or people of color to audition for the troupe at this point.
· Additionally, we also are looking for people who want to be part of the troupe just as an improv musician. Ideally they would play percussion as well as one or two other melodic instruments.

What we offer you:
· The opportunity to perform in a wide variety of shows. (Troupe members use an online calendar to indicate which of 50-100 shows a year are of most interest and fit their schedule.)
· The satisfaction of being of service to varied and often underserved constituencies throughout greater Boston.
· Opportunity to be an active performer while keeping a sane schedule. (Many of our members have full-time jobs and/or children.)
· The joy of being part of a caring, creative, multi-generational ensemble.
·We greatly appreciate that all actors volunteer most of their time (except for modest stipends at the end of the year). We cover costs of your training, retreats, travel, and performing.

Time commitment:
· We ask new members to make a commitment to the company for one year…and hope you will stay for at least two (since a large portion of the first year you are getting up to speed).
· Perform at least nine times a year, preferably more often at first, until you’re up to speed.
· Come to a minimum of 30 hours of rehearsal the first year.  Come to most rehearsals on the first Sunday afternoon of the month in Arlington or online.  You are strongly encouraged to come to more–rehearsals happen most Sunday afternoons.
· Attend one weekend company retreat, usually in the early fall, and sometimes a one-day training per year.

Interested? Here are the steps:

a) Fill out this initial interest form.  We’ll get in touch with you within 48 hours.

b) If you haven’t yet, come to at least one show. We usually have one or two a week, including many that are not on the public calendar.  Please let us know you are coming introduce yourself afterwards.

c) If you haven’t already done so, come to at least one…and preferably to a series of classes, which will coach you in Playback Theatre and prep you for the audition.  Look at our event calender for class dates. Contact Amber(at)TrueStoryTheater.org.  If you can’t afford the regular price for the classes, if you are scheduled to audition you can pay what you can.

d) Answer and email to Amber (Artistic Director) the linked application questions.

(e) If you pass the audition (and still want to join) engage in an apprenticeship training period (for your first 15-20 hours of rehearsing), so you and everyone in the troupe can meet and play together. At the end of that point, we’ll mutually decide if it’s a good fit.