Summer Musical:
A Midsummer Night's Rock
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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....a colorful rockin' musical that tells a story with heart through music with soul! |
BONUS OPPORTUNITY!: Our Summer Mini-Mester includes a Shakespeare Maker Space, an out-of-the-box art class that is all about giving kids the space to imagine and create works of art from "junk". As inspiration, we will exploring common themes in Shakespeare, with fun introductions to Shakespeare's works to enrich the exprerience. It's the perfect way to bring Shakespeare to life before taking the stage!
It's a great companion to preparing for the show! Get information here!
Production Details
- Performances: August 1-3 at Wylie Acting Group
- Casting ages 4-19. Every child participating gets a role created for them.
- Free Workshops & Auditions: Dates To Be Announced. Email us to get notified when workshop and audition days are scheduled.
- Rehearsals begin June 5 on Thursdays and Fridays, in the following rehearsal timeslots. Most roles will rehearse once a week, though the day may not always be the same.
- Thursdays 3:45-5:15
- Thursdays 5:15-6:45
- Fridays 2:00-3:30
- Fridays 3:30-5:00
- From this list of timeslots, families will indicate the rehears times for which they are available, which will determine casting and schedule. We do our best to accommodate family schedules, with casting and the rehearsal schedule creatively built around the conflicts of participating families. A detailed rehearsal schedule will be distributed the first week of rehearsal.
- With the exception of illness or emergency, attendance is required at all rehearsals unless you have a previously-arranged excused absence.
- Required Rehearsals:
- Run-throughs are July 24-25 @ 3:00-7:00pm. (For our youngest cast members, we aim to get their parts done first)
- Production Week: Dress Rehearsals at WAG on July 28-31 @ 3:00-7:00pm
- While we are primarily a homeschool organization, we welcome any family who is able to make rehearsal times work.
- 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.
- Rehearsals are held at Read Play Love in Lowry Crossing (East McKinney), in a combination of both indoors and outdoors.
- As a community-focused organization, 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 Homeschool Activities 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.
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:
* Once the audition signup form is available, reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to be notified when the auditions are ready to sign up, please contact us.
* 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:
* Once the audition signup form is available, reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to be notified when the auditions are ready to sign up, please contact us.
* 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. Song excerpts will be available once auditions are posted.
* 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!
* Each child will be asked if they want to have lines by themselves, and if they want to sing a solo, or only in a group. If you like, you can talk to them about this ahead of time, but it's also fine to let the conversation unfold naturally during their audition fine.
* A word to "RPL veterans": We encourage you to use this opportunity to show us 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!
* 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. Song excerpts will be available once auditions are posted.
* 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!
* Each child will be asked if they want to have lines by themselves, and if they want to sing a solo, or only in a group. If you like, you can talk to them about this ahead of time, but it's also fine to let the conversation unfold naturally during their audition fine.
* A word to "RPL veterans": We encourage you to use this opportunity to show us 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!
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 always 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 always 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!
What Does It Cost?
* Non-Member Production Fees: $270/1 child
Family Friendly Pricing: $100 per additional child
* Discounted RPL Member Fees: The RPL Membership program allows families who are invested in our mission to receive ongoing member benefits and discounts. RPL Members in active standing save 2/3 off the regular production fees. For "Gifted" the member rates are: $90/1 child, $130/2 children, $170 for 3+ children.
Note that in order to receive the reduced fees, Membership must be within an active 6-month cycle, or at the initiation of a new six-month commitment. Click here for info about RPL Membership.
* Non-Member Production Fees: $250/1 child
Family Friendly Pricing: $100 per additional child
* Read Play Love Members: For current RPL Members in a six-month membership commitment to the RPL Community, there is a one-time production fee of $90 for 1 child, $130 for two children, with a family-friendly cap of $170 for 3 or more children. Membership is $30/month for 1 child and $60/month for 2+ children. Click here for info about RPL Membership.
* Costume costs are the responsibility of parents, but parents work together to decide and make everything as easy and most importantly, cost-effective as possible, often using shared, donated, or secondhand materials to keep costs minimum and much less expensive than other theatre production opportunites.
* 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 or burn to your own CD.
* A Concessions/Supplies Donation of $10 per production is requested of all families to help with paper/cleaning products and concessions needs.
* Fundraisers, such as t-shirts, photobooks, and production videos, are optional and up to the discretion of each family.
* Parent Crew - Parents are expected to volunteer in a capacity, based on their interests, skills and time available. A form for indicating preferences is given at the time of auditions. 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.
Family Friendly Pricing: $100 per additional child
* Discounted RPL Member Fees: The RPL Membership program allows families who are invested in our mission to receive ongoing member benefits and discounts. RPL Members in active standing save 2/3 off the regular production fees. For "Gifted" the member rates are: $90/1 child, $130/2 children, $170 for 3+ children.
Note that in order to receive the reduced fees, Membership must be within an active 6-month cycle, or at the initiation of a new six-month commitment. Click here for info about RPL Membership.
* Non-Member Production Fees: $250/1 child
Family Friendly Pricing: $100 per additional child
* Read Play Love Members: For current RPL Members in a six-month membership commitment to the RPL Community, there is a one-time production fee of $90 for 1 child, $130 for two children, with a family-friendly cap of $170 for 3 or more children. Membership is $30/month for 1 child and $60/month for 2+ children. Click here for info about RPL Membership.
* Costume costs are the responsibility of parents, but parents work together to decide and make everything as easy and most importantly, cost-effective as possible, often using shared, donated, or secondhand materials to keep costs minimum and much less expensive than other theatre production opportunites.
* 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 or burn to your own CD.
* A Concessions/Supplies Donation of $10 per production is requested of all families to help with paper/cleaning products and concessions needs.
* Fundraisers, such as t-shirts, photobooks, and production videos, are optional and up to the discretion of each family.
* Parent Crew - Parents are expected to volunteer in a capacity, based on their interests, skills and time available. A form for indicating preferences is given at the time of auditions. 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.