Departmental Casting Policies
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa – Department of Theatre and Dance
(Last Updated 2/23/2015)
The primary goal of the Department is to provide an education in theatre and dance for students enrolled at UHM. One of the ways students learn to perform is by appearing in Department productions. Public performances show to campus and community audiences the results of these educational efforts. It is therefore the priority of the Department to cast all roles in our Kennedy Theatre Mainstage and Earle Ernst Lab Theatre productions from among currently enrolled UHM students; other UH system students, faculty, and staff are also welcome to audition from within the UH system.
In order to carry out this aim of education in performance:
Auditions will be widely publicized, i.e., on campus by poster, by Ka Leo notices, online on our website and through social media, or by ads.
Student organizations of the Department are encouraged to take an active role promoting audition turnouts.
All Department majors and students enrolled in performance classes will be urged to audition.
Directors and choreographers will make a strong effort to make general rehearsal dates and commitments clear at auditions and will post cast lists as soon as is possible.
Students are expected to honor the commitments they make. Unless an unanticipated circumstance arises that prevents participation, by accepting a role the student agrees to participate in the production.
Theatre-specific policies:
- Plays will be chosen that can be performed by student actors.
- Plays will be chosen that offer diverse roles that challenge and stimulate growth in student actors.
- In general, casting for all plays will include auditions open only to UH students. However, in some instances the director may pre-cast an invited guest artist in a particular role, offering students an opportunity to perform with an older, experienced actor.
- Directors may invite students to indicate on audition cards which roles they are available for and will accept.
- To audition and be cast in any of the mainstage Asian Theatre productions, students need to be enrolled in at least one of the specific training classes for the production.
- Whenever possible, all undergraduate actors cast in productions should be enrolled in THEA 200 or 400B during the semester of the production, or in the subsequent semester. Graduate students should consult with their advisors about credit for production participation.
- Occasionally, if the special nature of a production demands it (large cast, unusual skills, etc.), auditions may be opened to those outside the UH system. These cases will be decided by the Director as part of the season play selection.
- If an insufficient number of UH students attend auditions to enable a play to be cast, the director may cast from those outside the UH system. In all circumstances casting priority is given to UHM students first, then to UH system students, faculty, and staff.
Theatre Casting priority Audition Notes:
Normally, plays are cast in order of their performance as reflected by the season’s schedule.
Plays will be cast when the preceding play has completed its announced series of auditions and call-backs, which normally takes up to a week in total. When two (2) plays are opening within a week or less of one another, or where the director feels he/she needs additional rehearsal time than the norm and auditions might conflict, directors will consult with one another to arrange auditions. As a general rule, Mainstage and MFA productions take precedence in casting, should there be an unresolvable conflict in establishing audition schedules.
In the case of productions that are the culmination of semester- and year-long training programs and guest artist residencies, casting may occur on an earlier schedule; directors of relevant productions will be consulted and students informed of potential conflicts prior to auditions. In these instances, casting may occur on an earlier schedule; directors of relevant productions will be consulted and students informed of potential conflicts prior to auditions.
Joint auditions, when appropriate, are encouraged.
Size of production/numbers in the cast:
According to the Late Night Theatre Policy, cast size for Late Night productions will have a maximum of 7 performers. Any exceptions must be brought for a full-faculty vote before casting.
Rehearsal length:
It is generally assumed that most plays will require 6-7 weeks rehearsal; musicals, Asian plays, and special events may require 2-3 months or more. This is not a hard and fast rule, but should be noted in establishing audition schedules.
Dance-specific policies:
- Choreography and choreographers are chosen to best suit the current UHM dance student population.
- UHM dance and theatre students are given priority in all casting decisions.
- Though not the norm, non-UHM dancers may be cast in a dance production if specific skills are required.
- No roles are pre-cast.
- It is recommended that performers cast in a dance production be enrolled in a dance technique class during the rehearsal and performance period of the production.
- Auditions for the annual Mainstage production are normally held early in the fall semester. However, casting may be dependent on guest artist residency periods.
- Cast membership may change as a developing choreographic work necessitates casting changes, or in the case of injury.
- Selection of dancers for student-choreographed Footholds productions are lead by the respective choreographers.
Dept. of Theatre + Dance
1770 East-West Rd Honolulu HI 96822
Main Office: (808) 956-7677
Box Office: (808) 956-7655
