School Play Audition Newsletter: What to Send Families

The audition newsletter is the first communication in a production season, and it sets the tone for the entire experience. Families who understand the process before it begins, who know what their student is preparing and what the commitment involves, support the production differently from families who are playing catch-up from the start.

What the newsletter needs to accomplish

The pre-audition newsletter has three jobs: describe the show, explain the audition process, and communicate the full production commitment. All three need to happen before any student steps onto the audition stage.

The most important of these is the commitment. Families who see the rehearsal schedule before their student is cast can make a genuine decision about whether the time works. Families who learn about tech week after their student is in love with their role feel like they have no good options.

Describing the show

Give families a real description of the show, not just the title. If the show is well-known, a sentence on what makes your production's approach distinctive. If the show is not widely known, explain what it is. "We are producing 'The Wiz,' a reimagining of the Wizard of Oz set in an urban African American context. The show is energetic, contemporary in its musical style, and requires students to bring both vocal and movement skills."

Audition preparation section

Tell families specifically what their student should prepare:

• If a monologue is required: how long (thirty to sixty seconds is typical), what kind of material is appropriate, whether the school provides options.
• If a song is required: the typical range requirement, whether students choose their own song or sing a provided excerpt, whether an accompanist is provided or students use a track.
• If there is a cold reading: what that means (reading material the student has not seen before), how it works, and that no specific preparation is required.
• What to wear: comfortable clothes that allow movement. Avoid advice that can be misread.

The casting conversation

Address casting outcomes directly in the pre-audition newsletter. Families who receive this language before auditions are better prepared for any outcome:

"Not every student will receive their first-choice role. Every role in this production is part of the whole. Students who commit fully to the role they receive, regardless of size, develop faster as performers than students who remain disappointed about what they did not get. That is worth saying before auditions, not after."

The production commitment section

List the rehearsal schedule as completely as you can at the time of the newsletter. Include weekly rehearsal days and hours, tech week schedule, and performance dates. Put the total estimated hours somewhere in the newsletter. Families who see "sixty hours over eight weeks" make an informed decision. Families who see "after-school rehearsals" do not.