Saturday, November 11 between 12noon and 3pm OPEN CALL - come anytime before 2:30pm

Welcome to the auditions for the Sandcastle Theatrical Troupe. This unique program has been praised many parents, kids and industry professionals as one of the best training grounds for young musical theatre performers around. With 35 of our 300+ alumnae having "graduated" directly to Broadway and National Tour leads, we have an astounding track record for developing stage skills, confidence, concentration and raw abilities. More importanly, kids love it here. After the 3 hour rehearsals, many kids parents have to drag them out the door!

Auditioning - "Seasoned performers" will find our troupe is a place to really hone their vocal, comedy, diction, movements, improvisational, and other stage skills and gain practical experience on stage in front of 400-500 person audiences - but you don't have to be experienced to audition! In fact, our troupe is often the first item on kids resumes. The most important thing to remember when auditioning is not to be shy. We strive to make the auditions a fun, stress-free environment, but kids may feel pressure to do something magnificent or even be "good enough," which is not often helpful in performing. Take that pressure away by simply letting them know they are going to "meet someone and sing for him" - and to have fun!!! The main deciding factor is singing, and if a child can stay in tune and in rhythm, it is a great start. If they are not ready for the troupe, we may make recomendations and encourage the child to come back again. We try our best to make auditions a positive experience for everyone.

Casting - There is an "Active Cast" (or more specifically, a pool of actors that we cast each individual show from) that performs at least 3 public shows per 3-month session at school assemblies and theatre venues, and an "Training Cast" that learns the show and performs one performance for family and friends at the end of the 3 month session. When auditioning, an actor who displays certain skills may be asked to directly join the Active Cast if there is an opening for the upcoming session. If the available slots get filled, or if the director feels they need to develop their skills more, they will be invited to join the Training Cast. Actors may participate in the Training Cast for as many sessions as it takes to get ready to perform publicly, and may even try different roles each time.

Structure - The program is structured into 3-month sessions. For Active Cast members, each session starts with 2 weeks of training which includes 4 classes to attend (offered at a choice of times). Then there are ongoing workshops to develop stage skills and rehearsals to prepare for shows. Then there are the shows. Public performances are usually at area schools during the day (assemblies), but are also shows at commercial theatre venues, such as NYC's Off-Broadway York Theatre. Training Casts have their own weekly rehearsals on Tue or Wed and culminate in a show for family and friends. However, they may attend other rehearsals and workshops as well, so the two casts interact frequently. Finally, there are cast events like "Movie Nights" at our studio and fun cast parties, which make the troupe more like a "club."

Shows: Our troupe performs two shows (with a third one in development) - the original works of writer/director Paul Armento: The People Garden - a musical about life lessons learned in kindergarten (for actors under age 11 and/or shorter than 4'5"); and The New Kid - a musical about confronting bullying, peer pressure and cliques (for actors older than 9 and/or taller than 4'5"). These shows reflect a value of Armento's that is not only designed to inspire an audience, but is central in our own rehearsal and performance process - the respect and appreciation of ones' peers. As a result, we have developed a wonderful and unique bunch of creative children and teens who have truly "found themselves" in this troupe and have made life-long friendships in the process.

Characters - Both shows have an ensemble of various character types for the kids to play - from wacky comedy characters to frightening antagonists to dramatic leading roles. There are no "extra" roles - every character is a unique challenge to be mastered. Girls can even play boys' characters! Kids that stay with the troupe for many years ofen play numerous characters on a regular basis - one week a "geek," the next, a bully. It gives them amazing control over their acting abilities. Some kids have played every role in their show! There is simply nothing else like this anywhere!!!

Cost - the cost per session is $275 per child, but with some family discounts for sibling members.

That's it. Come prepared to have a good time. If you love singing and acting, just show us how much.