AUDITIONS
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Spend the Summer at The Bug with two great original shows!
Auditions and Callbacks: April 29th-May 4th
Audition Registration Opens: Wednesday, April 2nd
We encourage all who are able to audition for both shows for the best opportunity to be cast! If you are unable to audition in person, video auditions will be accepted upon request, though we encourage in person auditions if at all possible!
All Rehearsals and Performances will take place at Nashville School of the Arts Roxy Theater
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For Field Day we ask all students to prepare a one minute comedic memorized monologue
For Stories we request a one minute musical theater song with an accompaniment track (instrumental only, no vocals). No A Capella please. And a one minute monologue in the style of your choice.
For Both: Please prepare a one minute comedic monologue and a one minute musical theater song cut.
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Field Day
Ages 6-18By Nate Eppler
Rehearsals: May 27th-June 6th, Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm
Mandatory tech and shows: June 9th-14th Times TBA
$200 tuition - Financial aid available
*Not all who audition will be cast*
Field Day Synopsis:
At Derrydale Junior-Senior High School, Field Day isn’t just a friendly competition, it’s a school-sanctioned no-holds-barred battleground with water balloons and matching t-shirts. When the reigning Seniors rig the games to protect their legacy, this year’s competitors must outwit, outplay and outlast them in a series of increasingly absurd events. But the teams can't prevail unless they put aside rivalries and start to work together. This year, it's not about winning or losing, it's about where you stand on the field.
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Stories_: A New Stage Musical
Ages 6-18By Cori Anne Laemmel, Megan Murphy Chambers, and Pascia Weeden
Music By Cori Anne Laemmel and Tyson Laemmel // Arrangements by Laura Matula and Tony Matula
Rehearsals: June 23rd-July 18th, Monday-Friday from 10am-3pm
Mandatory Tech and Shows: July 21st-August 3rd. Times TBA.
Tuition Free
*Not all who audition will be cast*
[Directed by Cori Anne Laemmel & Bakari King]
[Musical Direction by Laura Matula]
[Choreography by Bakari King]Stories_ Synopsis:
Based on the original musical web series produced by The Theater Bug in 2020, Stories_ returns reimagined as a full length stage musical!! After finding a time capsule his mom made in 1998, Cam Ames decides to make a virtual time capsule for his senior year by creating a page where the students of Westview High can post about their stories, and the things they want to remember. This show follows the on-screen and IRL stories of Andie, Ty, Sonia, Isabell, and of course Cam and the whole Ames Family. This show addresses gender equality, LGBTQIA+ youth, racism, police brutality, and the death of a child. As humorous as it is heartbreaking, this new musical hopes to be a time capsule of what it is like to be a young person in our world today.
Check out what is happening with The Playground! Interested in a WRITING project to share with others or submitting for the ten-minute play festival? Click here to find out more about our workshops and festival AT the PLAYGROUND.
AUDITION TIPS
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The first step in auditioning is choosing great, appropriate material that you love! When choosing material you'll want to make sure it:
1. Is age appropriate. All material should be for a character that could be played by you.
2. Is unique. Some material has been heard so many times, it gets a little lost on your audience. Let's find you something special!
3. Plays to your strengths. If you are an awesome alto, don't choose a soprano piece.
4. Is something you love to perform. If you love it, it will show! -
Wondering where to find a monologue? Here are some tips:
Read plays! Lots of them. Look for characters your age. Check the library, Amazon or book stores. Straight plays tend to have more monologues than musicals, but you can find them in either.
Read books! Some of your favorite fictional characters may have great monologue material! These may need some editing so it sounds like it is being delivered in the present tense to another person. You'll need to edit our the "he saids" and other narrative parts. We can help.
Watch movies! I bet you can find some one minute pieces from a character you love in your favorite movie!
Surfing the internet for monologues can be a little risky. Many of them are not great pieces or are pretty over done. You could find a gem if you look hard enough!
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What About Songs?
Since we often require everyone to have sheet music for a program, we wanted to give you a hand. Some of our favoite places to find sheet music are:
www.musicnotes.com
www.newmusicaltheatre.com
www.amazon.comOR you can check with us and we will try and help you! Please double check that the song is in the key you want!

REGISTER
Classes and Programs
We are constantly adding new programs and classes including original plays and musicals! We have programming for home schoolers, facilitate Shakespeare camps, host concerts, musicals and plays, and so much more! Be sure to sign up for our mailing list to be updated with the most current programming.
Financial Assistance
Please complete this form and return it along with your most recent tax return showing your household income to auditions@thetheaterbug.org. Thank you!
Registration and Payment Procedures
Registration will be announced through our mailing list which is also linked to our social media pages. You can register and pay for a program through our website. Once registered online you must either:
Pay by credit card through the website or over the phone
Through our Venmo@theaterbug
Mail a check to The Theater Bug. Our mailing address is: The Theater Bug P.O. Box 1821, Goodlettsville, TN 37070-1821
OR
Download our financial aid application from our website and return it by mail or electronically by emailing it back to The Theater Bug. Financial aid applications must be re-submitted at the beginning of each calendar year, and must include a current a copy of your latest tax return showing the total household income.
If payment or financial aid form is not received within 48 hours of registration, your student may be dropped from the program and you will need to re-register them again as space allows.
We no longer offer refunds of any kind, for any reason. We understand that there are unforeseen challenges that may come up such as travel, school obligations or illness, but in order to continue to be able to offer high quality programs taught by top notch instructors for a low cost, we must ask that you register your children with the understanding that we will not offer refunds effective August, 2015.
Some programs have a specific amount of spots for girls vs. boys, or specific ages in order to be able to perform the specific script we are using. If this is the case, the registration process may have an added step where we will take email requests for a spot instead of registering through the online portal. When registration or auditions are announced for a program, please be sure to read all registration instructions carefully as they may vary program to program.
Auditions
If an audition is required to participate in a program you must register your child up for via our online form. Ideally, this should be done at least one week prior to the start of a program. You are responsible for signing up and preparing for your child’s audition. If you have questions about how to help your child prepare, please check out our audition preparation tips! You are also always welcome to call or email with questions.
If a program specifies that NOT ALL WHO AUDITION WILL BE CAST, then you will not be required to register or pay until after casting has been released.
Why do we have some shows where not all who audition are cast?
We are thrilled at the growth in popularity for our programs, but also know that with growth comes growing pains. Programs have started to fill, sometime in minutes, and we understand that not all parents have the same access to the internet when trying to register their child. Offering open audition has created more opportunity to a wider range of students and allowed us to put more new faces on stage, pursue diversification and tell truthful, important stories.
We are passionate about watching a brand new student find their love of the stage for the first time and equally as passionate about helping our students who are trying to pursue performance as a career get the experience, exposure and skill set they need to do that successfully. In order to nurture kids on all parts of this spectrum, we offer a variety of programming and will gladly help you to register your child in the program that suits them best!
We understand that the casting process can be difficult and emotional, but know that it is only a small part of a wonderful experience for your child.
Free Programs
It is expected that if you take a spot in a free program where all who audition are cast, that you treat that as a commitment to the program. These spots fill very quickly and typically have a long waiting list of kids who hope to participate. Last minute drops can mean that those children can no longer accommodate the program in their schedule and that is a disappointment for them and a loss for The Theater Bug. Please be sure of your commitment before registering for a free program.
Thank you so much for your interest, or continued interest in The Theater Bug and we are excited for an amazing year with your families!
For more information on our Policies and Procedures, CLICK HERE.