Frequently Asked Questions

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Actor FAQ

Production Personnel FAQ

Company FAQ

How much is the registration fee for Actors?

$65, with a deadline of 9/23/23.

How much is the registration fee for Production Personnel?

$50, with a deadline of 1/22/24.

Why do I need to submit a video if I meet the Qualified criteria?

We are asking all applicants to submit videos in the event that UPTA 2023 must be a virtual conference due to a variant of Covid-19 or for any other reason.

I would like to attend both as an Actor and as a Production person. Do I have to pay twice?

No. Your registration fee allows you to do both assuming you meet the requirements of both. Click here for criteria. However, you must fill out both the Actor and Production Personnel sections of the registration form.

What are the requirements to attend as an Actor?

Click here for criteria.

What is the difference between Pre-Professional Auditions and Regular Auditions?

All actors must submit a 90-second screening video by 9/23/24.

Pre-Professional Auditions are for those folks who will have their undergrad degrees in Theatre by 9/1/24. All Pre-Professional actors must first be screened before attending. For more information about your video pre-screening, click here.

Pre-Professional actors are looking to build their resumes and are willing to accept chorus, ensemble, and intern positions. There are generally a few less companies in attendance for Pre-Professional Auditions. Check our current list of registered companies here to see who will be attending Pre-Professional Auditions.

Regular Auditions are for those folks who have more experience and/or training under their belt. In either case, you must be available for work year-round – in other words – not returning to school in the Fall or Spring.

Make sure you are aware of the criteria involved for attending either audition. Click here for the criteria.

Again, All actors must submit a 90-second screening video by 9/23/23.

What’s this about uploading a video?

All actors must submit a 90-second screening video by 9/23/23. This is different than in previous years, in case UPTA 2024 occurs in an all-virtual format. For more information about your video, click here.

Can I register online if I don’t have an audition video ready for screening?

Yes, but your registration will not be complete. Click the button on the form which says “I do not have a video.” Your information will be submitted, however your application will not be complete until we receive a link to your video audition by 9/23/23.

I need an UPTA or TCG company validation in order to attend the Regular Auditions. Who is permitted to validate me for the UPTA and TCG member theatres?

You need to have somebody from the resident artistic leadership validate you. That includes Artistic Director, Executive Director, Executive Producer, Producer, Owner, Associate Producer, Casting Director, and the like. Every company is a little different in terms of their leadership titles. Validations from Guest Directors or folks a few levels down the leadership food chain are not acceptable. You must provide the name, email address, and position of the person validating you in your Registration Form. That person will then receive an email from us requesting a validation on your behalf. Once we have received that validation, your registration will be complete.

Must I have worked at an UPTA or TCG theatre in order to obtain a validation from them?

Some yes – some no. That answer varies from company to company. Contact the company to find out what criteria they might have in order to validate you. It’s possible the will not validate your registration.

I need to send in a validation form but I did not receive one, where can I find them?

Validation will be done by electronic communication. If a validation is required during registration, you will be asked to enter the information of the person validating you into the Registration Form. Validation requests are sent and received by email. If you have any questions about this procedure please contact Courtney Oliver for assistance.

Can I register online if I don’t have a headshot to upload?

Yes, click the button on the form which states “I do not have a headshot.” Your registration will be processed, but you must email your headshot to us by 1/10/24.

I’m filling out resume information online. Do I still need to bring headshots and resumes?

If we end up meeting in person next February, YES! Company reps will still want your real headshot and resume when you go to callbacks.

How many resumes and headshots should I bring?

Good rule of thumb is to bring twice as many as there are companies registered.

I’ve submitted the online form prior to 9/23/23. I’ve uploaded my headshot. I’ve uploaded a link to my audition video. Am I guaranteed an audition slot?

If we end up meeting in person in February, no.
Just because you sent in all your materials by all the deadlines does not guarantee you an audition slot. Audition videos are adjudicated by 5 UPTA company reps. Those with the highest average ratings will be taken in the order they were received and given audition slots. For more information about video pre-screening, click here.

We will fill up all Audition slots on a first-come first-served basis and create a waiting list. The bottom line here is “the earlier you register, the better.”

If UPTA 2024 becomes an all-virtual event, yes. While it’s not an actual audition slot, companies will receive all adjudicated videos.

Once I’m registered, am I assigned an audition number and/or time slot?

If we end up meeting in February, possibly. We haven’t yet figured out all the details for an in-person event because Covid-19 guidelines continue to change. Much will depend on guidelines supplied by local health offices closer to February. If we end up meeting in February, you will be assigned either an audition number or a time slot.

How long will the audition process take?

If we end up meeting in person, the audition process for you will all happen in one day. Your 90 second audition will be during the day. Your dance callbacks and acting callbacks for the companies will hopefully occur that afternoon and evening. Again, we’ll know more once we get closer to February and have a better handle on Covid-19 precautions.

What are the Dance Callbacks all about?

Normally, upon seeing your initial 90 second audition, companies will decide whether or not they’d like to see you at the dance callback after the main auditions have ended. Videos of the 2024 Dance Auditions have been sent out to be learned ahead of time for those attending in-person, and to be learned and filmed for virtual submission for those attending ‘virtual only.’ If you did not receive these videos, please check spam and junk folders. If they are not there, please contact Courtney Oliver at courtney@upta.org.In the meantime click here for some great advice from our choreographer, Kiersten Mays.

How do I get to Memphis and around Memphis?

UPTA has partnered with a number of airlines in order to provide discounted airfares to Memphis.

All of the information you need can be found on our Travel Information Page.

When should I arrive for my audition, and when should I leave?

If we meet in person in February, we suggest you arrive at least a day before your audition to get your bearings, and leave no earlier than the day after your audition. Don’t leave the day of your audition – your call backs may go late into the night. Of course you’re welcome to come earlier and stay longer!

When will the next UPTAs take place?

We plan to be around for quite some time, and we’d like you to be with us. Next year UPTA will take place February 2 – 5, 2024.

Production Personnel FAQ

What are the requirements to attend Production Personnel interviews?

Click here for criteria.

What is the interview process for Production Personnel?

All Production Interviews will be conducted online or by phone.  Company reps will receive a digital copy of your resume and portfolio and will be invited to contact you at their discretion via email or phone.

When can I expect to hear from Company Reps?

Once the Companies have all of your information at the conference in February, they will be free to reach out to you anytime from the beginning of February and throughout the rest of their season.

Company Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the registration fee for my company?

$150.

I’m interested in having my company attend. Is the registration fee per person, or per company?

The fee is for your company. That’s it. No per-person fee, no other fees.

What are the requirements to attend as a company?

Click here for criteria.

How do callbacks work?

You will see approximately 200 actors each day. They’ll have 90 seconds onstage at Playhouse on the Square. After every group of 25, we’ll collect your callback sheets for those you would like to further interview or have do more monologs/songs. If you choose to have interviews/callbacks, you’ll need an interview table or callback space at either the Sheraton Memphis Downtown or the Renasant Convention Center. These spaces are secured through either the Sheraton directly, or through Michael Detroit (Audition Coordinator) for the Renasant Spaces. Michael will send you this information with availability and prices in a separate email once your company is registered.

If you have interviews/callbacks, you will determine what timeframes you would like those to be each day. You might see one person every 10 minutes, you might see folks in groups of 5 every 20 minutes, etc., – you decide the timeframes, and the actors will go to your interview/callback space to sign up for a time that works in their callback schedule.

You should plan to have your interviews/callbacks each day for the folks you see that day because the next day, you’ll see 200 more people, some of which will need interview/callback time on that day. Many of the actors leave the day after they audition.

If you have more than one rep with you, you can start your interviews/callbacks during the day when auditions are still occurring at Playhouse on the Square. If you are the only rep in attendance, you will want to wait till after 5p or so, when auditions end at Playhouse, or perhaps even later after dance call, which should finish up by 8p each day. You will also have the option to interview/callback talent after you see them at dance call.

In the off-chance that UPTA 2024 becomes an all-virtual event, you will have access to all talent screening video links. In addition, we will provide you with links to talent video reels and websites for you to follow up. If you would like to see more from them, it will be up to you to contact the talent directly for additional materials.

How do Production Personnel interviews work?

We will no longer have in person production interviews. They will be virtual only. Production talent will have uploaded a PDF of their resumes and associated materials to us which will then be forwarded to all companies. You would then contact each other directly for follow-up interviews.

I’d love to have my company attend, but we can’t. Is there still a way for us to participate?

YES! You can register, and if we meet in person in February, we will list you as “Registered, but not in Attendance.” This way, all the registered talent will receive your casting information, and you will receive all headshots and resumes for all actors and production folks. It’s also possible we will have some sort of hybrid event with company reps here in person, and others watching via streaming. As we get closer to February, we’ll have a better idea.