How can I participate in PTG?

PTG has five shows in the school year: a fall musical, a winter play, FutureStars, a spring musical, and Student Productions. In addition, our Comedy Troupe puts on several productions throughout the year. The easiest way to become involved in theater is by coming to the weekly Monday Meetings, held at 4 pm in the Little Theater, where you will learn what to prepare for your audition or how to join a crew. If you are interested in participating in a specific show, you can email the student board (ptguild@gmail.com) to see when the auditions will be held. Auditions for each show usually happen the week after the previous show closes. Anybody can audition/participate in ANY show, regardless of experience and even if you missed the auditions for past shows earlier in the year!

What does the audition process look like?

Auditioning (trying out) for a PTG show is usually a week-long process. As mentioned above, this is usually the week after the previous show closes. Only those interested in being in the cast (people on stage) need to audition. There is no audition necessary for those interested in participating in a backstage crew.

1. The audition process starts at the Monday Meeting, where members of the student board will inform you on where to go and what to prepare, and answer ANY questions that you have. After this Monday Meeting, you will sign up for an audition date and time for your vocal audition and your dance audition on a piece of paper outside the Little Theater door. However, not every show has a dance audition, in which case you will only sign up for a vocal audition.
2. Then, audition workshops take place. During these workshops, you will learn the different song cuts (portions of the songs) that you can sing at your vocal audition and learn the combination (dance routine) that you will do at your dance audition. Again, not every show will require a dance audition.
3. Next, you must show up to the audition day and time that you signed up for. It’s encouraged that you show up at least fifteen minutes before your audition time in case they are running ahead. You should come to this audition with all your online forms filled out. Vocal auditions are usually held in Room B104, which is a multipurpose room in the hallway to the left of Schreiber Auditorium. You will sing one or two of the cuts that you prepared for the directing team, which might consist of the director, the assistant director, the music director, and/or the assistant music director.
4. If there is a dance audition, you will show up and dance with a group for the choreographer and/or the assistant choreographer.
5. The directors will then send out a callback list. This is a list of people who they would like to see for specific roles and read for specific leads in the show. If you are not called back, that does NOT mean that you are not in the show! Many people are called back for one role, and one person can be called back for many roles. Callbacks usually occur the Sunday after audition week.
6. After callbacks, the directing team will send out a cast list of everybody cast in the show and the roles they will play. This marks the end of the audition process and the beginning of the rehearsal process!

What are the different backstage crews?

There are seven backstage crews: sets, lights, costumes, props, sound, makeup, and paint. All of them meet almost every day during the rehearsal process, but attendance for every single day is definitely not required. Each crew has an adult supervisor and a student crewhead, who usually is an experienced upperclassman who acts as a representative and leader in the crew. If you are interested in learning more about crews, come to a Monday Meeting and talk to people in the crew that you are interested in joining! If you are interested in seeing all of the shows free of charge, you can participate in house crew, who are ushers that show up an hour before each show starts to hand out programs and set up the seats beforehand. House crew does not meet during the rehearsal process.

What is the time commitment like?

Rehearsals for the cast are Monday to Friday, from 4:00 to 6:30pm, for approximately two months. Members in the ensemble will likely have more days off towards the beginning of the rehearsal process, getting more intense towards the opening of the show. Students who are lead roles also may have some days off in the beginning, but it is usually a bigger time commitment. Limited conflicts are allowed if they are sent to a stage manager in advance. The time commitment gets a little steeper during the week before the show, or tech week. Here, students generally leave rehearsals at around 9:00. During these extended rehearsals, quiet homework spots are available, and some teachers  have more flexibility.

Crews have a little more lenient schedule. Students can let their crewhead know the days that they are unavailable, and schedules can be worked around. However, students are more than welcome to come every day to work in their crew. Also, each crew has an independent schedule, with the crews that generally require less time (makeup, lights, sound) meeting later in the rehearsal process than other crews that generally require more time (sets, paint, props, costumes).

I play a sport. How easy is it to participate in PTG?

There are many PTG members who also play a sport at Pioneer. Most of them participate in theater during their off-season (e.g. Women’s Tennis has a spring season, so they would participate in a fall show during their off-season). Joining a backstage crew is a great option if you can’t commit too much time to a show.

 

Any other questions? Email the PTG Student Board at ptguild@gmail.com!