Breaking Boundaries: How the Colorado Theatre Guild's Unified Auditions Impacts Local Talent

The Colorado Theatre Guild's (CTG) Unified Auditions is back for a second act, reshaping the way the state's theater scene comes together. Think of it as speed dating between actors and theaters, but with more monologues and less awkward silence.

"My biggest takeaway from last year is that this little dream of mine could work in Colorado and start to change the landscape," says CTG president Betty Hart. "For a brief moment, the theater community gets to be in the same room together, and the joy of seeing one another and getting to do something where there is no competition is pretty magnificent. Every actor can encourage one another, and every producer wants every other producer to discover great talent. It's kind of a beautiful metaphor for who we are."

Much like its predecessors, the Unified Auditions in Atlanta and the StrawHat Auditions in New York, on which it was modeled, the CTG Unified Auditions aims to distill the chaotic process of casting into a streamlined, inclusive event. Taking place over April 21 and 22 at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, the innovative initiative brings actors and theater companies from across the state together for a vibrant showcase of talent.

Designed to streamline the audition process, the Unified Auditions offers a singular platform for both union and non-union actors to perform in front of theater companies and freelance directors, making it the largest audition event of its kind in Colorado. It's filmed by Ray Bailey so that producers in attendance can review the video of the audition throughout the year, and Hart teases that there are plans for these recordings "to help benefit the actors, as well."

Reflecting on the inaugural Unified Auditions, which was hosted April 23 and 24 last year at Curious Theatre Company, CTG boardmember and key member in orchestrating the auditions, Steve Wilson, says that he was taken aback by the atmosphere in the room.

"My biggest surprise, and this was reflected in the feedback survey of all the actors, producers and observers, was that a lot of people mentioned the vibe," he recalls. "People enjoyed the synergy in the room. It's not something I even really thought about, but we, as theater directors, producers and artistic directors, don't have a lot of time to sit in a room together. What was cool about the auditions was that it brought artists from around the state together, and the actors felt the love in the room. I know it's kind of touchy-feely, but that was my biggest surprise."

Hart and Wilson are incorporating suggestions they received after last year's gathering in order to turn forthcoming auditions into an even more dynamic event. "We had comments from actors saying they wanted more time, so we've increased the audition window," Wilson says. "Last year it was ninety seconds, and this year it's 120 seconds — so from a minute-thirty to two minutes — and we don’t pre-script those two minutes. In other words, actors could do a ninety-second song and then a short thirty-second monologue; it's whatever they want their creative journey to be. We've also moved to the Aurora Fox, which has more easily accessible parking."

"Another change that we are in the process of implementing is a system for alternates," adds Hart. "When you have an amazing stage management team, led by Connie Lane, things move faster than you intend. We had some extra time last year, so we are going to use that time strategically to allow a few more performers to be seen this time around."

This year's audition will also allow freelance directors, musical directors or choreographers to join theater companies in the observer group. Wilson shared that this move was motivated in part by his background as a freelance artist.

"Last year, because I wanted to be official, I approached Kate [Vallee, artistic director of Candlelight Dinner Playhouse] and asked, 'Hey, do you mind if I come with you?' But it occurred to me that if I didn't have that relationship and if I were a freelance director who directed two or three shows a year in different theaters, I would be unable to participate," explains Wilson.

"Most theaters are bringing their artistic director and executive director, as they absolutely should, so the idea was to get more decision-making eyes in the room," he continues. "There are a lot of amazing directors who work all over the place, so we wanted to widen that pool of potential folks who influence the casting process. ... We have more seats this year at the Fox, so while we don't know yet whether we'll be at capacity, that would be the only reason we would limit those slots."
Audition submissions are meticulously reviewed by a committee reflective of Colorado's theater community, and priority is given to underserved populations if those submissions exceed capacity. The auditions are a benefit for CTG, but Hart stresses that "there is no sense of pay-for-play." CTG has a scholarship fund in place that is available year-round to alleviate financial barriers to membership, ensuring that all actors, regardless of economic circumstances, have the opportunity to join the guild and showcase their talents.

Preparation is key for participants, and CTG hosted an audition workshop on February 26 to demystify the audition process. Facilitated by Wilson and featuring guest directors Hart; Amanda Berg Wilson, artistic director of the Catamounts Theatre Company; and Robert Michael Sanders, chief operating officer of Town Hall Arts Center, the event was designed so attendees would know what to expect from the process.

"It's two parts: part one simply lays out the basic logistics of the audition this year — which, again, you can read about but we also want people to be able to ask questions — and then part two is an audition workshop on best practices," Wilson says. "We've got 88 submissions for the Unified Audition, which is roughly half of what we can accommodate, and we just started," he adds. "Seventeen percent consider themselves members of the disabled community, and 24 percent consider themselves members of the BIPOC community, so we've already got a good, diverse group, and there's still more time until applications close on March 10."

Following its events this year, CTG intends to continue improving the Unified Auditions' operations and increasing attendance each year as part of its mission to connect the Colorado theater community.

"Long-term goals would be for the number of performers to increase and for us to be able to have 75 percent or more of all the theaters in Colorado, whether they are members of CTG or not, participate," Hart says. "I have a dream of inviting regional theater representatives in the West to come to Colorado because there isn't a regional audition, so why can't we have our friends from Arizona, New Mexico, California, Texas, Utah, etc., coming here to see some of the great talents that they can hire and bring to their states? Those are some of the dreams that I have for Unified moving forward."