AUDITIONS: A Midsummer Night's Rock
|
Read Play Love's Hit Summer Musical returns for an all-new cast and production for Summer 2025! In keeping with RPL's tradition, we write our shows so that every child participating has a role created especially for them.
When a bunch of mismatched kids are stuck together in a Shakespeare Class in summer, a music competition leads them on an unforgettable adventure that brings Shakespeare characters to life to mirror their modern-day counterparts. This is a colorful rockin' musical that tells a story with heart through music with soul! |
Production Details
- Performances: August 1-3 at Wylie Acting Group
- Ages: Open to kids age 4-19. Every child participating gets a role created for them.
- Free Workshops: Free Workshops for all age groups are happening June 12 and 13! Come learn a song from the show and get a taste of Read Play Love theatre! Get Workshop info here!
- Auditions: Two Days Only: June 12 and 13. Timeslots are before and after the Free Workshops. Auditions are first-come, first-served. Guarantee your audition spot by signing up here.
- Production Fees:
- Production Fees are due prior to the first rehearsal (June 19) unless other arrangements are made. Click here to pay the fee.
- Non-Member Production Fees: $270/1 child. $100 per additional child
- Discounted RPL Member Fees: RPL Members in active standing save 2/3 off the regular production fees. For "A Midsummer Night's Rock" the member rates are: $90/1 child, $130/2 children, $170 for 3+ children. Click here for info about RPL Membership.
- Other potential costs may include:
- Costume costs (for this production, costume will be jeans and an assigned color t-shirt, embellished with decorations to match the character)
- Printed Script: Each actor who reads is responsible for the printing and binding of their script at their own cost. For music, we will send song links of MP3 tracks, which you can download to a playlist
- A Concessions/Supplies Donation of $10 per production is requested of all families to help with paper/cleaning products and concessions needs.
- Tickets to the live shows and livestreaming access are reserved by donations of any amount
- Optional Fundraisers, such as t-shirts, photobooks, raffles, and silent aucitions, are optional and up to the discretion of each family.
- Rehearsals:
- REQUIRED: All Cast Members age 7+ have a required group rehearsal on every Friday, 2:30-4:00, except July 4. (If a performer cannot attend this Group Rehearsal but still wants to participate, please talk to us - we might be able to work something out.)
- Rising Stars (age 4-6) will rehearse Fridays 1:30-2:15 only, until the week before production.
- Additional Rehearsal Times for Featured Roles: Performers age 7+ can choose to only participate in group numbers (with the required rehearsal Fridays 2:30-4:00) OR they can audition for a featured role, which will require one additional weekly rehearsal timeslot during one of the following times: Thurs 3:30-5:00, Thurs 5:00-6:30, or Fridays 12:30-1:30.
- Teens: Performers age 13-19 can choose to only participate in group numbers (with the required rehearsal Fridays 2:30-4:00) OR they can audition for the Teen Ensemble, which will have an additional weekly time of Fridays, 4:30-6:30pm.
- Final Rehearsals & Performances - Required by ALL:
- July 24-25, 3:00-6:30pm - Full run-throughs at RPL
- July 29, 30, 31 - tech and dress rehearsals at WAG. (approx 3:00-7:00pm, exact times TBA)
- Aug 1, 2, 3 - 4:30 call times for 6:00pm Show at WAG
- We do our best to accommodate family conflicts. Submit any conflicts on the form at the time of your audition. With the exception of illness or emergency, attendance is required at all rehearsals unless you have a previously-arranged excused absence
- While we are primarily a homeschool organization, we welcome any family who is able to make rehearsal times work.
- Rehearsal Expectations: Rehearsals are held at Read Play Love in Lowry Crossing (East McKinney). As a community-focused organization, RPL is not a drop-off facility, and parents are required to stay on-site during rehearsals. Rehearsal times are enjoyable social times for parents, and offer opportunities to contribute on projects for the production. If you have multiple kids, you'll love having a place where everyone can have fun, even when they aren't in rehearsals. Families can come before or after rehearsals to participate in our RPL Summer Classes or enjoy hanging out in the outdoor playspaces or in the library. Siblings are welcome. Here is the schedule for the Summer Mini-Mester that runs concurrently with rehearsals.
- At-home practice is required, especially for roles with significant stage time, and we require each family to commit to rehearsing at home. We will give you tools to help kids with repetition and memorization in between group rehearsals.
- Parent Volunteer Time- Lastly, please know that parents are expected to volunteer in a capacity, based on their interests, skills and time available. A form for indicating preferences is given the first week of rehearsals. This investment of time is crucial for an all-volunteer production, and we work with each family to find the best fit that works with your schedule.
About the Audition Process
First and foremost: RPL auditions are designed to be fun and empowering experiences for kids of all ages. And best of all, every child not only gets a role, but a part that is specifically designed and tailored for them!
We see auditions as an opportunity to get to know each child, and connect with them 1:1 to celebrate their individual personality. We love seeing returning RPL performers come back with expanded confidence with each audition! We also love welcoming new kids and getting to know them in a safe and encouraging environment. When it's a child's first audition experience, we go out of our way to make it an ultra-positive one!
Some notes about the audition process:
* Sign up for auditions here. Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
* Children age 4-19 are welcome to audition. Our goal is to make auditions a fun, empowering experience where the kids feel great!
* For this show in particular, we need youth of all ages participating, from older kids who can play high-school age characters with emotional maturity, to younger children of all ages.
*We create a role for every single child participating! As we produce our own original musicals, we can freely adjust script and songs to give every child a chance to shine.
We see auditions as an opportunity to get to know each child, and connect with them 1:1 to celebrate their individual personality. We love seeing returning RPL performers come back with expanded confidence with each audition! We also love welcoming new kids and getting to know them in a safe and encouraging environment. When it's a child's first audition experience, we go out of our way to make it an ultra-positive one!
Some notes about the audition process:
* Sign up for auditions here. Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
* Children age 4-19 are welcome to audition. Our goal is to make auditions a fun, empowering experience where the kids feel great!
* For this show in particular, we need youth of all ages participating, from older kids who can play high-school age characters with emotional maturity, to younger children of all ages.
*We create a role for every single child participating! As we produce our own original musicals, we can freely adjust script and songs to give every child a chance to shine.
Preparing for the Audition
* To prepare, we simply ask each child to sing. It can be absolutely any song, with a maximum of 1:30 (one minute, thirty seconds.) Kids can sing with a backtrack, or sing a cappella (without accompaniment.) If you plan to use a backtrack, please have it ready to play on a device (such as the parent's phone)
* Want to sing a song from the show? This is completely optional, but we offer it as a possibility for children who may be motivated to learn something new. Audition Excerpts from the show are available here.
* Kids may be asked to read a short piece from the script (non-readers can "echo back" lines), but this is not necessary to prepare ahead of time. We do have quite a few non-singing roles, so kids who are more interested in acting than singing are very welcome!
* If a child is interested in participating but is not comfortable singing or reading/speaking by themselves, please don't worry! Sign up for an audition and we'll just have a conversation. Definitely don't pressure for any kind of preparation - it's fine to show up, just as they are!
* For this production, we're organizing things a bit differently: performers age 7+ can choose to only participate in group numbers (with the required rehearsal Fridays 2:30-4:00) OR they can audition for a featured role, meaning that they would have spoken lines or sung solos. As outlined at the top of the page, a featured role will require an additional weekly timeslot for rehearsal, so please check your schedule before your child requests a solo or individual lines. (For returning RPL performers, this is different than our usual approach, so please take note.)
* A word to "RPL veterans": We encourage you to use this opportunity to show something new...perhaps a side of your singing voice that we haven't heard on our stage, or a type of character that is new for you. You already know that our auditions are fun and easy, so take this chance to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone. Perhaps show something I've not seen you do before, or learn one of the songs from the show. A well-prepared song in auditions that demonstrates your at-home effort definitely makes a difference....for both of us!
*Remember to sign up for auditions here!
* To prepare, we simply ask each child to sing. It can be absolutely any song, with a maximum of 1:30 (one minute, thirty seconds.) Kids can sing with a backtrack, or sing a cappella (without accompaniment.) If you plan to use a backtrack, please have it ready to play on a device (such as the parent's phone)
* Want to sing a song from the show? This is completely optional, but we offer it as a possibility for children who may be motivated to learn something new. Audition Excerpts from the show are available here.
* Kids may be asked to read a short piece from the script (non-readers can "echo back" lines), but this is not necessary to prepare ahead of time. We do have quite a few non-singing roles, so kids who are more interested in acting than singing are very welcome!
* If a child is interested in participating but is not comfortable singing or reading/speaking by themselves, please don't worry! Sign up for an audition and we'll just have a conversation. Definitely don't pressure for any kind of preparation - it's fine to show up, just as they are!
* For this production, we're organizing things a bit differently: performers age 7+ can choose to only participate in group numbers (with the required rehearsal Fridays 2:30-4:00) OR they can audition for a featured role, meaning that they would have spoken lines or sung solos. As outlined at the top of the page, a featured role will require an additional weekly timeslot for rehearsal, so please check your schedule before your child requests a solo or individual lines. (For returning RPL performers, this is different than our usual approach, so please take note.)
* A word to "RPL veterans": We encourage you to use this opportunity to show something new...perhaps a side of your singing voice that we haven't heard on our stage, or a type of character that is new for you. You already know that our auditions are fun and easy, so take this chance to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone. Perhaps show something I've not seen you do before, or learn one of the songs from the show. A well-prepared song in auditions that demonstrates your at-home effort definitely makes a difference....for both of us!
*Remember to sign up for auditions here!
What Makes Read Play Love Different?
* Our primary focus is simple: building confidence & nurturing the creative self-discovery of each one of our kids!
* Even our auditions are designed to be 100% empowering, inspiring experiences where the kids feel GREAT!
* We create a role for every single child participating! Our tradition of producing original musicals allows us complete flexibility to adjust our scripts & songs in order to give every single child a chance to shine!
* We mentor kids where they are and help them feel great, stretching them a bit further than they expect...all while being part of a high quality production!
* Busy schedule? We do our best to work around the schedules of busy families.
* We are known for developing new musicals as part of our series of "New Musicals for a New Generation!" Our musicals feature rich storytelling with affirming, positive messages for our kids.
* RPL is the ideal place for kids to try theatre for the first time, as well as more experienced performers to stretch their wings & grow!
* Even our auditions are designed to be 100% empowering, inspiring experiences where the kids feel GREAT!
* We create a role for every single child participating! Our tradition of producing original musicals allows us complete flexibility to adjust our scripts & songs in order to give every single child a chance to shine!
* We mentor kids where they are and help them feel great, stretching them a bit further than they expect...all while being part of a high quality production!
* Busy schedule? We do our best to work around the schedules of busy families.
* We are known for developing new musicals as part of our series of "New Musicals for a New Generation!" Our musicals feature rich storytelling with affirming, positive messages for our kids.
* RPL is the ideal place for kids to try theatre for the first time, as well as more experienced performers to stretch their wings & grow!
