Auditions
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Auditions for Adult Professionals
The Coterie seeks union and non-union performers for their general auditions for the 2024/2025 Season
The Coterie invites you to participate in its general auditions for consideration in their upcoming 2024-2025 season! Our season of shows run September 2024- August 2025. This is a great opportunity to introduce yourself to our new Producing Artistic Director, Khalia Davis, and re-introduce yourselves to The Coterie community at large! While the theater utilizes age-appropriate casting at times, this general audition is for artists 18 years and older. More information on youth auditions will be posted below when available.
WHO WE ARE
The Coterie is a non-profit organization, established in 1979, with the mission of providing professional classic and contemporary theatre which challenges audience and artist and provides educational, dramatic outreach programs in the community. We seek to open lines of communication between races, genders, and generations by redefining children’s theatre to include families and diverse audiences. Learn more about us HERE >>
CONTRACT
- TYA Equity Contract
- Non-Equity paid weekly stipend
**SPECIAL NOTE**
We are a theatre dedicated to creating work that is fully inclusive of young people. Our spaces are specifically designed to encourage interactive engagement from our young audiences. The Coterie productions often serve as an introduction to the arts, and we passionately seek artists who will both ensure our young audiences feel welcome in our spaces and encourage active participation in storytelling.
The Coterie is joyfully and boldly committed to ensuring the diversity and equity in casting of each of its productions. Performers of all types regardless of race, gender, age, or disabilities are welcome!
WHEN:
Equity Principal Audition: Saturday, April 13 from 10:00am-5:00pm*
Non-Equity/EMC/Equity members who can’t make Saturday’s call: Sunday, April 14 and Monday, April 15 from 5:30pm-10:00pm
*EMC may be contacted to fill up available slots on this day
WHERE:
The Coterie Theatre, located on the first floor of Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108
WHO WILL BE THERE:
- Khalia Davis, Producing Artistic Director
- Mackenzie Goodwin Tran, Production Stage Manager
- Stephanie Laaker, Booking Coordinator
WHAT TO PREPARE:
Please prepare material that shows you off in your best light that does not exceed 2 minutes (choose one of the options below):
- A 60 second monologue of your choice and a 16-32 bar cut of a song
OR - Two contrasting monologues
A piano accompanist and a bluetooth speaker will be provided.
HOW TO SIGN UP AND SUBMIT:
Want to audition in person?
Want to audition via video submission?
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL WELCOME:
The Coterie is always looking for additional stage managers and teaching artists to add to our roster! If you have interest in being a part of our production team, teaching artist, or in-school performer for our upcoming season, please send any relevant materials to casting@coterietheatre.org to sign up for an interview.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to casting@coterietheatre.org.
We look forward to seeing you at auditions!
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
Show #1 – Performs 9/11/24 – 10/6/2024
*All performers 18 years old and up
- Actor 1: can play a 15-year-old Black girl
- Actor 2: can play a 40ish-age white man
- Actor 3: can play a 40ish-age white woman
- Actor 4: can play a Black man, plays 40s to 70s
- Actor 5: can play a Black woman, plays 40s to 70s
- Actor 6: can play a Black man who can play teen to 20s
Show #2 – Performs 11/6/2024 – 12/30/2024
- Need 8 versatile performers who sing of varying genders who can play multiple characters, 1 actor 10-12 years old, 7 actors 18 years old and up
*Puppetry experience a plus.
Show #3 – Performs 1/29/2025 – 2/23/2025
- Need performers 18 years old and up to authentically depict characters of varying genders and abilities including but not limited to:
- An actor with diabetes
- An actor with asthma
- An actor who uses a wheelchair
- An actor who is blind or low vision
- An actor who is deaf or hard of hearing
- An actor who is dyslexic
- An actor who is on the autism spectrum
- An actor who has down syndrome
- An actor who has ADHD
Show #4 – Performs 3/19/2025 – 5/4/2025
*all performers 18 years old and up
- Actor 1- can play an 11-year-old girl of Latinx descent- bilingual a plus, singer
- Actor 2- can play an 11-year-old girl of Afro-latinx or Black descent, singer
- Actor 3- can play an 11-year-old boy, any ethnicity, singer
- Actor 4- can play between 25-45 years old, Latinx, singer
Show #5 – Performs 6/11/2025 – 8/3/2025
- Need 5 versatile performers who sing of varying genders who can play multiple characters, 18 years old and up
On-Stage Opportunities for Youth/Teens
Callback auditions for The Coterie’s upcoming mainstage season are typically held August-October.
The Coterie does not offer general open call auditions for youth. Callbacks are by invitation. Our suggestion is to take a Coterie class to help us know you and your talent. We urge interested youth in grades 5-7 and grades 8-12 who would like to be a young professional on our mainstage to join a spring or summer Audition Lab class.
– Audition Lab class is for those auditioning just for the experience, or future mainstage seasons. The class is also an audition for The Coterie’s invitation-only Master classes. The final day of each Audition Lab culminates in an audition with professional directors of our mainstage season.
Helpful Hints for Young Auditioners
About youth auditions at The Coterie
Advice by Nancy Marcy, Coterie Master Class instructor emeritus
Usually auditions will entail:
- A one-minute to one and a half minute memorized monologue. No poetry, please.
- A short improvised momement pantomine. The improvisation will be described on the audition form that you fill out when you arrive. As you wait your turn to audition you should plan a beginning, middle and an end to the improvisation and then rehearse it to match the time limit given.
- A photo of yourself. School or family photos are fine but they will be kept by the theatre for future reference.
- A simple resume. If you have a resume, bring it with you. If this is not possible, there are questions on the audition form that will provide the theatre with necessary information.
You will be notified by email if you need to come to a “callback” to read for a specific part. It is important to clearly print an email address on the form that will be checked regularly. Please understand that sometimes these callbacks are held months after your initial audition! Do NOT call the theatre to ask about whether or not your are being considered for any role.
How a Play is Cast
By its very nature, the selection of a cast is a difficult and sometimes unpleasant process for all concerned. The actors who audition are risking rejection, and usually most of them come away empty-handed. Some win roles and some do not, so it is vital for young actors to develop a healthy perspective towards what this process is all about. No matter how many times one auditions, there will always be disappointment at not being cast. Rejection is rejection; it goes with the territory. An actor, no matter what age, must find a perspective for the audition process. The Coterie is looking for something specific in an actor to fill a given role. Whether or not you are called back or cast for a role depends upon production requirements, and there are very few roles for young actors. As difficult as it is to accept, rejection is seldom the result of an actor’s incompetence or lack of inherent talent.
How to Perform the Best Monologue
Choose something that is close to yourself in terms of age and experience. Never audition with a character you would not be cast to play – if you’re 13 years old, don’t audition with a 25 year old’s monologue. Rather than using monologues from “books of monologues”, you might try to find a monologue from a piece of literature that you love. You will know and understand the character and his/her story, and that will benefit your performance tremendously. Be sure the monologue stays within the time limit and that it is a self-contained selection that has or implies a beginning, middle, and end. Prepare your monologue – rehearse it “out loud” many times. You shouldn’t memorize it like you memorize material for a test in school. If you are just thinking the words, they will leave your brain when you need them the most. Keep in mind that the theatre is larger than your bedroom – practice with projection!
To Do’s…and NOT To Do’s
- Bring something to do while you wait. This will help to keep you focused and to avoid the “jitters.”
- Be polite to everyone you meet. Your audition begins the moment you arrive at the theatre, and your ability to be a cooperative team player is vital to casting. Everyone who works for the theatre is aware of the attitude and energy needed for a Coterie actor!
- Dress: don’t wear sandals, clogs, crocs, platforms, outrageous clothing, hats, dangling jewelry, or hair that covers your face – you don’t want to distract attention away from you. Maximize your assets.
- Do not apologize about yourself or your monologue. Audition with confidence – think “I’ve got something very important to share with you.”
- Do not explain the monologue. You need to simply state the name of the play or book that it’s from and the author.
- Avoid delivering your monlogue directly to those sitting at the table, or glancing at them while performing. Create a “fourth wall” for yourself.
Break a leg at your audition!
