Auditions for
Theater Arts & Dance

Theater Arts & Dance Auditions

All UCSC students are invited to audition for our staged productions! Schedules and requirements for performer auditions vary and may even be held a quarter before the production will be staged. Rehearsal schedule details to be announced at first rehearsal meeting. There are different selection processes for students who wish to participate as designers, stage managers, or dramaturgs. For production-specific admission/enrollment details, see below or contact the Theater Arts & Dance academic advisor: theater-ugradadv@ucsc.edu. PLEASE CHECK BACK HERE REGULARLY FOR UPDATES.

• Theater Arts majors: Please review info about the Production Requirement for the Major.
• Theater Arts and Dance minors: There is no production requirement for our minors, but upper division productions may be used to satisfy minor requirements – please see info below or check with the Theater Arts Advisor about this: theater-ugradadv@ucsc.edu.

RANDOM: WITH A PURPOSE DANCE
INFO FOR THE WINTER 2026 PRODUCTION

Informational meeting for Random: With a Purpose XXXIV The Experiment:

•  THIS SUNDAY, OCT. 5, 11AM-12PM 
  • The info meeting Zoom link, application form for choreographers and sign-up system for dancers will be shared in THIS GOOGLE DOC, which will be updated regularly, so please check it often! 

• See general info. about Random: With a Purpose HERE. 
• Questions?: Email rwap@ucsc.edu

Students participating in Random: With a Purpose will enroll in THEA 139 for 5 units of credit in winter quarter. Choreographers will also enroll in THEA 128 for 2 additional units.

The class is open to all UCSC students for credit, experience and fun! THEA 139 can also be used toward an Upper Division Elective and/or the Production Requirement for the Theater Arts Major, an Upper Division Studio for the Theater Arts Minor, or an Upper Division Elective for the Dance Minor. Ask the Theater Arts advisor if you have questions about this: theater-ugradadv@ucsc.edu

FALL 2025 PRODUCTION & AUDITION INFO

Auditions for The Sponge Bob Musical and Barnstorm Theater Company’s 1972: The Future of Sex have passed.
Keep an eye out for additional Barnstorm auditions for other shows later in the quarter.

Lower Division Production 

• THEA 55A (5-units) / THEA 55B (2-units) Barnstorm Theater Company 
• Learn more about Barnstorm here.
• Questions about future Barnstorm auditions?:
  • Contact the Barnstorm Directors: 
    ad.barn@ucsc.edu and md.bard@ucsc.edu.

Upper Division Production

• THEA 151-01
  • The SpongeBob Musical
  • Directed by Dr. Rebecca Wear
  • Theater Arts Mainstage
    • “Plunge into this stunning all-singing, all-dancing, dynamic stage show! When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world. With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world!”

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STANDARD GENERAL AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:

General Auditions are traditionally held on the first Thursday and Friday of Fall, Winter and Spring quarters, unless posted otherwise on this page (no productions are staged in summer). Occasionally, productions have separate auditions, or special requirements for auditions – that information would be listed on this page.

These are the standard General Audition requirements that are typically used – it is helpful to always be prepared to perform these, BUT, always check for variations and details for specific quarters in the information at the top of this page:

• 90 second monologue (please be off-book/memorized)
• 30 second music piece (voice and/or instrument) *
• 60 second movement piece **

• Headshot/photo of yourself:
  • Bring a hard copy.
  • This is primarily to help directors identify and remember auditioners.
  • Some directors in the department may require that headshots follow industry standards, some will not. Please see details above on this page or check with the Student Production Liaison each quarter.
• Performer résumé:
  • Bring a printed hard copy.
  • If you don’t already have one, here is one template example (from Backstage) – you can copy it, delete anything that doesn’t apply to you and customize it with your information.
    • Your resume should, at minimum, list performances and position (character role, SM, etc.), performance involvement, and performance classes taken (at UCSC or elsewhere). 

• * ACCOMPANISTS are NOT provided.
  If you feel it necessary, you may play music with a portable music device, e.g., a smart phone with speakers or old-time boom-box, though this is not required (singing may be a cappella and movement pieces may be silent). 
  
• ** MOVEMENT PIECE
  Unless any of the auditioning shows are musicals, the movement piece is primarily meant to demonstrate that you are comfortable in your body on stage (or at least can act as though you are!), and that you are willing to move on stage vs. staying in a narrow comfort zone of standing or sitting in one place. The movement section also offers you an opportunity to demonstrate any particular movement or performance skill if you happen to have any—e.g., pantomime, clowning, acrobatics, juggling, dance. Otherwise, even jumping jacks, the Macarena, running back and forth, etc., can show a basic willingness to move in front of people. If one of the auditioning shows is a musical, and/or if any of the directors want to see specific pieces or skills, there will be details above the sign up sheet or instructions will be given for those invited to callbacks. 

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT & RELATED INFORMATION:

DESIGN WORK & STAGE MANAGEMENT FOR PRODUCTIONS

• Please see the “Tech Interest Form”/ Production Experience & Interest Form section in the Theater Arts Undergraduate Handbook.
  • Please fill out the tech interest google form to get recruited for shows!
  • We will start looking at Fall quarter soon and will be reaching out to students in May.

ENROLLMENT IN PRODUCTIONS

• Students who are cast in productions, or who have been selected to participate as designers, stage managers or dramaturgs, will be given an enrollment permission number to enroll through MyUCSC.
• Enrollment permission numbers are typically distributed by the stage manager or director of the production.
• IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO ENROLL BY THE QUARTER’S ADD/DROP/SWAP DEADLINE (date posted in the current Academic and Administrative Calendar).
• Attention Barnstorm students: be sure you are enrolling in the correct class – THEA 55A for 5 units (and to take care of the Production Requirement and/or the Lower Division Elective for the for the major), or THEA 55B for 2 units (doesn’t satisfy a course requirement). Students enrolled in the 5-unit version of the class will be expected to complete approximately three times more work than students enrolled in the 2-unit version.

BY-AUDITION OR INSTRUCTOR PERMISSION STUDIO COURSES

• Production auditions are different from those required for admittance into our studio courses (courses which mention “audition” or “interview” in the course description).
  • Please see the By-Audition or Instructor Permission Studio Courses of the Undergraduate Handbook for more information.

SATISFYING DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
WITH PRODUCTION CLASSES

SATISFYING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE THEATER ARTS MAJOR

• Theater Arts Majors may use the 5-unit lower division THEA 55A Barnstorm or THEA 56R Rainbow Theater to satisfy the lower division elective requirement and/or the Production Requirement (see below) for the THEA B.A.

Production Requirement for the Major

One of the requirements for the Theater Arts major is participation in a 5-unit THEA production class. 

• The Production Requirement is fulfilled with either the lower division classes THEA 55A Barnstorm or THEA 56R Rainbow Theater, classes that may also be used to fulfill the Lower Division Elective requirement for the major, or with any 5-unit upper division production class: THEA 137, 137A, 139, 151, 151A, 151I, or 155 – classes which may also be used to fulfill one or both of the major’s two Upper Division Elective requirements.
• Please see the Production Requirement for the Major section of the Theater Arts Undergraduate Handbook for more information on fulfilling this requirement as a performer, designer, stage manager or dramaturg.

SATISFYING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINORS

• There is no Production Requirement for either the Theater Arts or Dance minor.
• Theater Arts Minors may use any 5-unit upper division production class to fulfill one of the two upper division studio requirements.
• Dance Minors may use the upper division dance production classes THEA 139 (Random: With a Purpose), THEA 137 or 137A to fulfill upper division elective requirements.
• The lower division THEA 55A Barnstorm or THEA 56R Rainbow Theater do NOT satisfy a minor requirement (and the 2-unit THEA 55B does not fulfill any degree requirement). 

Questions about THEA or Dance degree requirements? Contact the Theater Arts Academic Advisor via email, theater-ugradadv@ucsc.edu, or schedule an appointment through Navigate Slug Success.

QUESTIONS?

• General Auditions questions: Contact the Theater Arts Student Production Liaison, theaspl@ucsc.edu.
• Barnstorm-related questions: Contact the Barnstorm Directors: 
  ad.barn@ucsc.edu and md.bard@ucsc.edu.
• The Theater Arts advisor can also answer basic questions about auditions: theater-ugradadv@ucsc.edu.
• Please also check the UCSC Theater Arts Events and Information Facebook page and the Theater Arts Instagram.