Signature in the Schools - For Students

To participate in Signature in the Schools in an acting or technical positions, applicants must be high school age students who are currently enrolled in an Arlington or Alexandria County Public School.

Signature wants to meet student actors and technicians of all experience levels and of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities and expressions, and students living with disabilities. While the plays are written predominantly in English, we are also always looking for student actors who are fluent in languages other than English. See “Auditions and Interviews” for more information.

This year’s world premiere production, Up in Smoke, is a powerful exploration of World War II-era Nazi book burnings and censorship. While the piece will be focused primarily on acts of resistance, the reality of life in concentration camps and ghettos, and the effects of anti-Semitism, will not be ignored in the play.

Please note that while Signature in the Schools' plays are strictly PG-level when it comes to profanity, sexuality or violence, the themes and subject matter themselves are frequently mature. Signature in the Schools' plays deal frankly with history and literature studied in area high schools and are committed to doing so in responsible and truthful ways. Participating students will be given educational tools to navigate these subjects with sophistication but should also be upfront with leadership at auditions so that we can ensure each participating student is taken care of.

When you sign up to audition, you’ll get a chance to tell us about any scheduling conflicts you may have. We will honor all submitted conflicts that do not land on mandatory dates. Any conflicts that come up after the audition will have to be approved by the director (and they might not be approved). Students who are hoping to participate in Signature in the Schools while also working on school productions should make clear that they intend to work on both; Signature Education will work with those students on crafting a schedule that allows them to do so.

View the Student Calendar

The general breakdown of how the program works is listed below:

• Part I - Boot Camp and Table Work
  • Designed to create a true theater ensemble, these sessions are devoted to theatrical skill building and hands-on lessons about the year’s given subject matter. Additionally, there are regular opportunities for the cast and crew to gather to read through the script and to discuss it with the writer as it goes through revisions.
• Part II - Rehearsals and Crew Calls
  • Once Boot Camp has concluded, the cast and stage management meet for one week in December and four weeks in January to stage and rehearse the show. During this same time, costume crew and prop crew meet one to two times a week to build the show.
• Part III - Tech and Preview Performances
  • Mandatory for all participants in the production. This is the week where the cast, crew, designers, stage managers and directors all bring their work together to create a fully produced play. They also perform it for a preview audience before they make their final revisions and open the production.
• Part IV - Performances
  • Following tech and previews, there are four performances for area field trips and up to two performances for the public. Field trip performances are on weekday mornings and public performances are in the evening. We will help you and your parents get you excused from the classes you need to miss (but not from the work you miss. This program requires responsibility!).  After tech is over, there are no more rehearsals – you just show up and do the show! After the final public performance, the show is closed, and the program is over for the year.

Signature is also looking for student actors and technicians living with disabilities.

• Technical theatre positions are available for costumes, lights, props, sound and stage management.
  • No experience necessary.
  • Technical theatre applicants will be asked questions about their work ethic, work experience and their interest in the program. 
• Actors are needed.
  • No experience necessary.
  • Acting students will participate in a group audition. Groups of 10 will be brought in for a warm-up and then will participate in a group audition consisting of theater games, ensemble work, improvisation and opportunities for the playwright and director to get to know each actor. No preparation is necessary but dressing for movement is highly recommended. Group auditions will take 60-80 minutes (but don’t worry – a new group will begin the process approximately every 20 minutes. No one will be waiting to start for long.)
• Auditioning and Interviewing for English Learning Students
  • Actors for whom English is not their native language will be given the option to audition in their first language or in English. Previous productions have featured characters that speak in Arabic, Czech, English, Japanese, Spanish and Vietnamese.
  • Students are welcome to bring a friend or family member to translate. Signature cannot guarantee a professional translator but if you’d like one for your audition/interview, please email us at sigschools@sigtheatre.org and we will do our best to accommodate.

Auditions and Interviews will take place at Signature Theatre on September 25, 2026 beginning at 3:30PM.

Callbacks will be on September 28 in the evening. If you are called back, you will be notified by phone or email as soon as possible.

• There is no preregistration for in person auditions. Simply show up to Signature as soon as you can after school and sign up for a slot. We will see people in the order that they arrive and register.
• Signature Theatre aims to be an open and accessible institution. If you need any special accommodations for your interview or audition, please email sigschools@sigtheatre.org.

If you are unable to audition or interview on September 25, we have virtual options.

Technicians: Students interested in a technical position who are unable to attend on September 25 should email sigschools@sigtheatre.org to set up a brief Zoom interview. 

Actors: Students interested in participating as an actor who are unable to attend on September 25 may apply by submitting three prerecorded audition videos:

• Video #1: A video of you performing a contemporary, dramatic, memorized one-minute monologue. Click here for some monologue suggestions if you need one.
• Video #2: A video of you in the 60 seconds before you do something that will likely change your life forever (it can be a positive or a negative change.) Let your thoughts live out loud, let us hear everything going on in your mind in these crucial moments before you make a big action with lasting consequences. It's up to you whether you say what it is that you're about to do - we're focused on hearing your mind operate in this moment of crisis. The video ends in the breath you take before you make the move. 
• Video #3: A video where you tell us the name of a book that you love and who wrote it. Then, spell out the name of a character in the book that you love (“J-A-N-E”). As you spell out their name, you should physically, vocally, emotionally transform into that character. Once you’ve become them, in character, give us a statement that you feel captures the character’s world view. It can be a single sentence or many sentences. Once you’ve completed, shake it off and become you again.

Each of the three videos should be approximately one minute long. Alternatively, you can upload them as one three-minute video.

Once you have created your videos, you’ll upload them to YouTube as “unlisted” videos (NOT “Private”) and then upload them at the link below. VIDEO SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY 10AM EST ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28.

Actors, submit your materials at the link below.

SUBMIT VIRTUAL AUDITION

Want feedback on your audition piece or want to do a practice round of your interview? Get the feedback you need to succeed at your audition! New this year, we’ll be offering open time where you can log onto Zoom and get coaching on your audition piece or your interview with a member of Signature’s staff. You can meet with a staff member on September 22, 23 and 24 between 3:30PM and 5PM (your appointment will take a max of 30 minutes, likely less than that.) To sign up for a slot with a staff member, email sigschools@sigtheatre.org with “Coaching Time” in the subject line. In your email, let us know if you’re interested in acting or interview coaching and what day/time you’d like to work with a staff member.