Main Stage and Summer Hot Dog Series Production Auditions

Auditions are held at Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, part of the Lucie Stern Community Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA.

The theatre is located between the Boy Scouts and the Children's Library.

You can also enter the Community Center from Harriet Street, via the alleyway to the left of the Palo Alto Children's Library at 276 Harriet St, Palo Alto, CA.

Prepare a one minute monologue and 32 bars or up to one minute of a song.

Don’t be intimidated by the audition requirements!

If your participant doesn’t have a monologue (a short speech from a play, movie or even a novel), they will be given something to read. Participants are also welcome to try one of the sample monologues that we have listed below and the Children’s Library also has monologue books that your family can check out!

For the song, bringing sheet music is preferred, but if your participant does not have a song with sheet music prepared, they can sing anything familiar, such as “Happy Birthday” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”

Sample Monologues

Parents should accompany their participant to the audition sign-up table, so that they can fill out basic contact information and the audition form. If participants arrive on their own, be sure that they can provide their name, age, parent/guardian’s name, phone and email address.

Conflict/Scheduling forms will be sent home at auditions to be returned at callbacks. Please provide accurate details on the conflict forms. Only conflicts written on the forms will be honored during rehearsal scheduling. If too many additional conflicts arise, it may result in the participant being dismissed from the production.

While attending auditions and callbacks are strongly encouraged to have the best chance of being cast and to gain the most from the learning experience, if you cannot make either day or auditions and/or callbacks, please email Stage.Manager@paloalto.gov. All forms can be provided electronically and will still need to be filled out in advance of auditions and callbacks in order to be considered.

It depends on the production; we try to have as large of a cast as the script can allow.

We do not double cast roles in Main Stage, Playhouse or Summer Hot Dog Productions (one participant per role). For Main Stage, Playhouse or Summer Hot Dog Productions, not everyone who auditions will be cast, but we encourage participants to come back to future auditions.

“Company Lists” (the list of participants who are cast) will be posted outside the theatre after 5 p.m. the day immediately following callbacks. Roles are not included on the Company List - they are assigned on the first day of rehearsals. For online access to the Company List (usually the first place the list is posted), we suggest joining the Palo Alto Children's Theatre Parents Facebook Group. Company Lists will also be e-mailed out to all auditionees on Mondays following auditions, usually in the early afternoon. If your participant is cast, you will also receive a “more information” email on Monday.

Usually, rehearsals are held after school in the afternoons/evenings plus possible weekend mornings or afternoons. During the final weeks of rehearsal, most participants will be called every day, and rehearsals may go a little later (until 8 or 8:30 p.m. sometimes) and may include weekend evenings, as well.

Schedules vary depending on a variety of factors, including size of role and rehearsal plan, but participants should generally be available for at least 2-3 days a week plus possible weekend days before the no conflict period in order to audition.

The No Conflict Period is the window of time during which no conflicts will be excused, and attendance at every rehearsal or performance is mandatory. If conflicts arise during this period, participants will have to be dismissed from the production.

Main Stage Schedule: Thursdays at 6 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. 

Summer Hot Dog Schedule: Wednesday - Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in June and July and at 6:00 p.m. in September.

Participants are usually called to the theatre 90 minutes prior to the performance start time. Note: Pre-performance call times are considered part of the no-conflict period. On week days, if the participant’s school release time will conflict with the call time, please email stage.manager@paloalto.gov to let the production team know this prior to casting.

Please email stage.manager@paloalto.gov.

In a 3-session series of private coaching with a Children's Theatre Teaching Artist, participants will work on character development, and audition and acting techniques, including preparation of a monologue for a future audition. Open to Age 8+ | Three 45–Minute Sessions | 1:1 Coaching.

Residents: $225  |  Non-Residents: $258.75

To request scheduling of a series of private sessions, email childrens.theatre@paloalto.gov. (Subject to availability.)