Student Blog: Summer Stock Central: Step #4 | Create Your List

Hey Summer Stock-ians,

We're back again! This time, we're talking about Step #4| Create Your List.

Before continuing on, be sure to read Step #3| Find the Auditions in this 8 Steps to Booking Work Next Summer series. To find all the steps in one place, Click Here. It'll take you to my profile, which will be the home base for all my articles in the Summer Stock Central series.

So, in picking up where we left off, after you've compiled both the season and audition information for prospective Venues in your preferred data platform (Excel, Sheets, etc.) it's time for...

STEP #4: Create Your List

Now, let's be conservative, and say that you're looking at Excel and have 25 Venues listed with their season and audition information. You've acquired these Venue names by searching through MT IGs and Master Lists (Step #2) and you've found the relevant audition/season info through perusing the Venue website (Step #3). Now it's time to take a step away from your initial list and to act as your own agent/CEO and analyze what you bring as a performer. I want you to think about the:

1. Shows you're right for

· You just know you fit into the world of the show

· Think shows currently on your resume

· Think Personal Energy + Vocal Type

2. Roles you're right for

· Roles you can step into and embody *today*

· Think what your friends see you playing

· Think characters who sing the songs in your rep book

3. Your special skills

· Especially dance styles

· Dialects?

· Skating, juggling, etc.?

I am in no way saying only submit to Venues doing these shows or needing these skillsets, I'm merely providing some topics that could be helpful to think about when trying to Create Your List and to maximize your potential callback and booking rate.

To illustrate some of these concepts:

- Maybe you come across more mature than your age would suggest and possess some Fosse/sultry undertones, look for the Chicago's, Pippin's, etc. on your list.

- Maybe your friends always tell you you'd be a perfect Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors because of your vocal capabilities and quirkiness, look for LSOH on your list.

- Maybe you've had formal ballet training since the time you could walk and possess a legit classical voice, An American in Paris would be a show to look for on your list.

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Now, once you've thought about these three areas (and maybe jotted down some titles) it's time to go back to your initial list with a sense of precision and focus. I'd start by crossing out the Venues with seasons that you know don't fit you. For example, if you're not a tapper, don't submit to the Venue doing Anything Goes and 42nd Street. However, most Venues will have multi-show seasons, so just because you don't think you'd be right for one of the shows doesn't mean you shouldn't submit for the Venue. *I'd try and follow the 50/50 rule: if you're right for at least half of the Venue's productions (1 of 2, 2 of 4, etc.) I think it's still worth a submission. After you've crossed out Venues that wouldn't be worth your time, you can start to narrow down Venues where you could see yourself succeeding. When Creating Your List, think of the 3 questions from above and also be sure to consider:

· Any Personal/ Alumni Relationships you have

· Any Relationships Your School has with Summer Stock venues

· Venues where you've been wanting to work because of:

· EMC Point Availability

· Certain Directors/Creative Team Members

· A specific location, etc.

* While some Venues only want to use the same people/company for every show of their season, it's also common for some people to only be contracted for certain shows (as I am right now on my own contract haha).

In utilizing the above criteria, you've probably narrowed down your initial 25 Venues to hopefully somewhere in the range of 12 -15. And while it's easy to just want to submit to the big names like The Muny or MT Wichita, it's important to not get hung up on relative "prestige" as you're starting out. Just like the college audition process, it's important to have a balanced list of Venues with a range of name recognition/awareness. Personally, I submitted to 13 individual Venues this past Summer Stock audition season. And as someone who loves this stuff and enjoys the #auditiongrind, I found curating 13 specific auditions to be getting close to my capacity.

By no means are the numbers I listed above (25 Venues down to 12-15 on your list, etc.) hard and fast rules. I merely picked those for the sake of example and to offer insight into my own personal experience regarding the number of submissions I completed. Submit to as many, or as few, Venues as you think necessary. Summer Stock auditions are a total numbers game and I implore you to cast a wide net, but make sure you're really targeting Venues that are most likely to hire you, Venues that are looking for performers with your skillsets and strengths--you want to set yourself up to receive as many callbacks as possible. Because more callbacks means a higher callback rate and a higher callback rate leads to a higher likelihood of booking work next summer!

That's all for Step #4!

Follow along over the next few months as I'll be addressing 1 of the 8 Steps to Booking Work Next Summer in each of my posts. To find all the steps in one place, Click Here. It'll take you to my profile, which will be the home base for all my articles in the Summer Stock Central series.

If you want to geek out about this stuff more or want to talk about your personalized goals and aspirations with regard to your Summer Stock journey and/or career writ large, hmu on IG @mattguernier. Get ready to dive into Step #5| Master the Self-Tape on my next post, but until then, stay safe and Happy Summer! :)