Dance Company Auditions:
- For Ballet - Thursday September 4th from 5:00-8:00pm in Newman Dance Studio, New Hampshire Hall
- For *Tap – Friday September 5th from 5:00-6:15pm in Newman Dance Studio, New Hampshire Hall (arrive at 4:30)
- For *Jazz – Friday September 5th from 6:15-8:00pm in Newman Dance Studio, New Hampshire Hall
*Students are encouraged to audition for both Tap and Jazz regardless of experience*
PREPARATION
Tap: Wear tap shoes and dance clothes.
Ballet: Wear ballet shoes, leotards and tights. Pointe shoes are optional (though bring if you have them), and students with any kind of dance background are welcome to audition.
Jazz: Wear leotards, black tights, shorts or leggings. Combinations will be given out at the audition for each dance form. Come to the audition 15 mins. before the start to sign in.
Ballet Company audition form: https://forms.gle/yYb9UDgENPuacsi29
Jazz/Tap/Aerial audition form: https://cola.unh.edu/sites/default/files/media/2022/06/audition_form_jta.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COORDINATED FALL AUDITIONS:
THE ½ WRITTEN PLAY, GODSPELL, MASK & DAGGER
Auditions for the fall THDA main stage and Mask and Dagger productions will be held in a coordinated process allowing actors to audition for all three shows, if they wish to.
Please note: The Directors will confer with each other before casting. If a student is being sought to be cast by more than one Director, the actor will be cast in the role that the Directors determine will be most beneficial to them. That usually, but not always, means the more substantial role.
Actors may choose to audition for one, two or all three productions. Actors are required to accept their role, as cast, for the production(s) they have auditioned for.
WHEN: Video submissions are due by Tuesday, August 19 by 11:59pm
Godspell callbacks on Sunday, 8/24 2:00 (music, acting, dance) Location TBA. Mask and Dagger callbacks on Sunday, 8/24 7:00, The ½ Written Play on Monday, 8/25, Time and place, TBA
AUDITION FORM: One audition form will be distributed to all three directors.
Fill out this form by August 19, 2025.
AUDITION INFORMATION
The Half-Written Play
Conceived and Directed by David Kaye
Audition Dates
- Video Submission: August 19, 2025 by 11:59pm
- Call Backs: Monday, August 25, 2025. (EXACT TIMES AND PLACE TBA)
Rehearsal Dates
- Aug 27- Oct 5. Generally, Sunday-Friday 6:30-10pm
- There will be a short break after the development period to complete the written script.
Performance Dates
- October 6-11
- There may be an additional performance on Oct 12
- There may be two performances on October 11
General Information
What is the “Half-Written Play?”
The Half-Written Play is an idea... that will soon become a performance! It will involve the creation and development of a unique approach to interactive theatre. The project will have a distinct focus on issues related to sustainability. It will require actors who can achieve the highest levels of truthful and authentic performance in both scripted and improvisational scene work. The project will also utilize a distinct approach to group problem solving called “design thinking.” In addition to performing, the plan is to have the actors cast for this project also trained to be “design thinking” facilitators.
Here is what we are planning to do:
We are going to develop “act one” of a play (about 20 minutes long) where eight characters, created through research to be representative of a cross-section of college-aged students, are brought together to wrestle with a difficult policy issue related to sustainability. This policy will be very controversial and divisive. (One idea I have been thinking about is a push to have UNH become a meat-free campus). The structure of the play will have these characters introduced to the audience through a series of interwoven monologues. This will lead to the heart of the play as this group tries to work through this issue. This will be the scripted part of the play (which we will use a devising process to create). Ultimately, the group’s efforts will fall apart. At this point, we confess to the audience that the play is a disaster. We hate where it is going, and we need their help. We ask them to assist us in writing Act II. It must remain truthful and authentic, but we want it to show some kind of progress by the end of the play. We will then be using some techniques I have developed for UNH PowerPLAY (our professional applied theatre company) to learn more about the characters. At this point, the audience will be divided into small groups, and, with an actor/facilitator assigned to each group, they will use design thinking to develop the rest of the play. The groups will share what they have come up with, and through another facilitated process, the gameplan for the rest of the play will be established. The actors then restart the production and improvise the second part of the half-written play.
Right now, the plan is to double cast this production. There will be between 6 and 8 performances. Each company member would act in half and serve as a design thinking facilitator for the other half.
Because the Johnson and Hennessey theatres will be closed for the early fall, we will be having all of our performances in a large classroom in Ham-Smith.
Please note: This is an evolving artistic idea and what I have noted above is subject to change.
What to prepare for your video-taped audition:
I will be giving you about 30 seconds of a monologue that will be broken into two sections. You need to have that memorized. I am going to ask you to improvise an opening to the monologue that is about 10-20 seconds long, and then, seamlessly, go into the first part of the memorized text. Then when that is done, go seamlessly into another 20-30 seconds of improvisation and then, seamlessly finish with the final scripted lines of the monologue.
I am going to ask you to do no more than two takes of this and send me what you think is the best one. (I don’t want you to do more than two because then the entire piece will start to become a fully scripted and memorized monologue. Scouts honor on this!
Once you start to speak- keep this very much a monologue. That is to say- don’t add some kind of additional imaginary line that you pause for allowing the person you are speaking to to ask you and question that you then respond to. (Obviously they asked you a question that prompted the beginning of the monologue).
Don’t worry- this is not about playwriting. What I am trying to see is if you can be fully believable and authentic using both memorized text and improvisation.
Please video this with your phone in landscape/horizontal position and in a medium shot. (About waist up).
Here is the piece:
IMPROVISE FOR ABOUT 10-20 SECONDS
(Then go into this memorized text)
I’m not sure what to tell you. I mean… sure I know the basics, but I’m a Business Administration major. We don’t exactly spend a lot of time talking about environmental issues and stuff like that. An accounting class is not too focused on climate change or…what was it you asked about? “Vulnerable communities impacted by flooding?” Wow. That’s a mouthful. Look, I’m not saying I don’t care. I do. It’s just, the truth of the matter is…
IMPROVISE FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS
(Then go into this memorized text)
So that’s pretty much where I’m at. Hey- are you going to the game on Tuesday? I was thinking I might try to go. It depends if I head home for the weekend or not. Son of a….now you’ve got me thinking about all this stuff. Thanks a lot. I’ll text you if I’m going home or not.
AUDITION INFORMATION
GODSPELL (2012 version)
Directed by Carol Jo Fisher
By John-Michael Tebelak,Music and New Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
CONCEPT: This contemporary retelling of the Gospel of Matthew, is as relevant today as it was at its creation in the ‘70s. It continues to be performed because of the fabulous music by Stephen Schwartz, the dynamic storytelling, the vibrant characters and focus on cohesive ensemble. My concept is to draw on the cultural and personal upheavals of the ‘70s and compare it to the societal and personal challenges that we face today. Relevant themes will focus on the universal ideas of kindness, tolerance, and love.
The time periods will include the style of both the 70s and the present.
DATES:
- Video due by August 19, 11:59, Call-backs- Sunday Aug. 24, 2:00, Location TBA
- Rehearsals begin Sept. 8 and run 5-6 days per week, Sunday-Friday, Time TBA
- Tech and Dress Rehearsals Nov.1-Nov.4.
- Performances run Nov.5 - Nov.9.
WHAT TO PREPARE:
1. Prepare 16-32 bars of a song in the style of the show (students are WELCOME to sing from the show.) 2. Tell a one-minute upbeat story of any type or perform a one-minute upbeat monologue with some movement. Upbeat = “positive, cheerful or optimistic attitude or feeling.”
3. (Optional). Perform one-minute or less of physical movement or dance
4. Also, mention any musical or relevant talents. (Ex. juggling, magic, etc.)
CAST: CHARACTERS- 3 M, 4+ F, 4+ non-gender specific, depending on your vocal range.
JESUS (M)— Must be the most charismatic individual in the cast. High energy, charming, funny, gentle but with strength. He is the sort of person others instinctively follow.
JOHN THE BAPTIST/JUDAS (M)— He has attributes of both Biblical figures: he is both Jesus’ lieutenant and most ardent disciple and the doubter who begins to question and rebel. Like Jesus, he is also charismatic, but in more of an overt revolutionary way. He is the most “serious” and intellectual of the group, though as with all the actors, he must still possess a good sense of physical comedy.
NICK (M or F) — Very high energy. Impish and playful. Helpful if they can play an instrument.
TELLY (M or F) —They are a little slow on the uptake. But there is a great sweetness and innocence about them. Because he sings “All Good Gifts,” they must be a very good singer.
GEORGE (M or F)- The comedian, the class clown.
ANNA MARIA (F) -Strong character,, but basically open and sweet. Perhaps the youngest of the group. She is the first of the group to commit to following Jesus in the song “Day by Day.”
LINDSAY (F)— The confident one, the show-off. The first one to volunteer, sometimes she jumps in before she really understands what’s going on.
UZO(F)— The shy one. Sometimes a little slow to get things, but when
she does, she commits all the way. Has an “earth mother” kind of warmth to her.
MORGAN(F)— Sassy and slightly cynical, the most urban of the group. Also the “sexy” one, but her sexiness contains a large element of put-on.
CELISSE(F)— The female equivalent of the class clown. Goofy and a cut-up.
SWING (M or F)- TBA
AUDITION INFORMATION
MASK AND DAGGER
SHOW TBA
Directed by Juliana Desnoyers
---For Mask and Dagger, prepare 16-32 bars of a contemporary pop/rock song. If auditioning for both Godspell and Mask and Dagger, prepare a contrasting style song to the one used for Godspell. While we cannot yet announce the show, it includes themes of Love, Loss, and Self-Discovery through relationships. Please film in a medium shot with your phone in a horizontal position. A medium shot is filmed about waist up.
Video Submission: August 19, 2025 by 11:59pm
Call Backs: Sunday, August 24, 2025. Starting at 7:00 p.m. (EXACT TIMES AND PLACE TBA)
Callbacks will begin with about an hour of movement led by Grace Giannetti, so please dress accordingly.
First day of rehearsal will be 8/26. We will be rehearsing 6 days per week.
Generally, Sunday-Friday 6:45 – 9:45, days and times subject to change.
Tech and Dress Rehearsal 9/21-9/24. Performances run 9/25-9/28.
QUESTIONS: For questions regarding Godspell, contact Carol Fisher at carol.fisher@unh.edu. For questions regarding ½ Written Play, contact David Kaye at djk@unh.edu. For questions regarding Mask and Dagger play, contact Juliana Desnoyers at jd1549@usnh.edu.
