Auditioning for Shows at NYU

Now, as you may know, you will be placed in an acting studio for your primary training. You can read more about the studio system and the different studios here.

Most studios will have a curricular show by the end of the primary training. This means that everyone is guaranteed casting. Some studios require an audition, some format it like a reading or a cabaret. You should read each studio’s curriculum to better understand all the options that will be available to you once you get your assignment.

For my curricular show, at Strasberg, we did a staged reading of An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen. I got to play a character that I wouldn’t usually be cast as and had a lot of fun doing a lot of in-depth text analysis.

There are two studios that have student production tracks, Playwrights Horizons and the Experimental Theatre Wing. The students pursuing their Additional Practical training, usually having done the primary training in that studio as well, get the space and the support to produce their show. All ideas are welcome, from one-person plays to experimental pieces to adaptations. The shows usually have a short run and cast at the beginning of each semester.

Playwrights Horizons students famously host an open audition in which you will perform your piece in front of all the production leaders, which is more than 30 people in the room! Then, you might be called back to different callbacks for each project.

I did two Playwrights Horizons shows and they were a blast. It was really different to be directed by a peer and definitely sensed a big growth from the beginning to the end of the production.

Casting calls are usually announced by email as well as Instagram!

The Department of Drama puts up 4 shows per season, two in the Fall and two in the Spring. The season is filled with straight plays and devised pieces, and the Spring has one musical.

Casting calls are emailed by Tisch Drama and are filled with information about the production, the creative team, and the director.

The latest season was encompassed by The Bacchae, Waiting For Lefty, Sweeney Todd, and The Duck (an adaptation of The Wild Duck).

Main Stage productions are an interesting opportunity because they allow the students to work with invited directors and actors from other studios. There is a very high production level, and all of the design and Stage Management is done by the Production and Design students – making it an overall learning opportunity for all.

Over 10 years of history, the Lamplighters has been dedicated to creating, developing, and performing theatre for young audiences and families throughout the NYC area. ‘Touring’ their shows around NYC and putting up shows at NYU, they also welcome students from local communities to participate in the production. Currently, they are working on Bye, Bye, Birdie.

They post casting calls on their Instagram, so make sure to give them a follow!

Tisch New Theatre is a student-led not-for-profit organization that produces an off-Broadway show every semester. Their shows are open to every undergraduate student at NYU and are in the pursuit of empowering the artistic minds of the student body.

They also post casting calls on their Instagram, find them @tischnewtheatre!

For those who are interested in screen acting, there are several opportunities to work on film during your time at NYU.

• Sight and Sound

These are the films usually produced by first-year Film and TV students. Sight and Sound is a required class and their final project is to make a short film. This means that there is constantly an array of opportunities with the most distinct themes and genres. Casting calls are usually posted on Instagram.

• Thesis films

The thesis films are higher-level production by the upperclassmen, usually their final film before graduating. They have access to more advanced cameras and techniques, as well as a budget. Since students are looking to get their work in film festivals, it is a great opportunity to be seen and get your work out there! There are films being made by students at Columbia, Pace, SVA, and the New School, too.