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To celebrate Signature in the Schools‘ 30th anniversary, all high school age students in the DMV area are eligible to audition for acting or technical positions in Signature in the Schools 2025. Don’t miss your chance to participate in this award-winning program. The following year, it will return to being a program only for Arlington and Alexandria public school students.

Interested in participating in Signature in the Schools? You’ve come to the right place. Signature in the Schools is a theatrical training program unlike any other.  If chosen to participate in the program, here’s what awaits you:

  • The opportunity to work on a world premiere production written, directed and designed by professional theater artists.
  • Working on a professional-level play in Signature Theatre’s state-of-the-art MAX Theatre as an actor, stage manager, prop crew member, costume crew member, lighting board operator, spotlight operator or sound board operator.
  • Creating a production that also features a professional actor in the cast.
  • Creating a piece that creates conversations about issues that matter. Past productions have looked at things like wrestling with classic but problematic literature; institutional abuse of women; social media and mental health; and the New Deal and its contemporary relevance. This year’s production will look at contemporary anxiety over failure by looking at figures throughout history who were deemed failures but were actually revolutionaries.

And it’s all completely free to participate in.

Signature in the Schools needs you. This program aims to reflect the communities of the DMV onstage and backstage, telling stories about people from a wide variety of backgrounds. The play is not written until it’s cast, and it is all tailored to what you bring to the table. We cannot wait for you to experience this program.

Eligibility

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the program, Signature in the Schools is available to all high school students in the DMV area who can meet the rehearsal and performance commitments for the 2024-2025 production.

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.

Content

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.

Time Commitment

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).

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 two weeks in January and three weeks in February 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. 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.

Auditions and Interviews

Auditions for the 2024-2025 Signature in the Schools are completed. Please check back in summer 2025 for information on the coming auditions for next year's program.

Have questions about Signature in the Schools? Send your questions to sigschools@sigtheatre.org.

Signature is committed to becoming a more equitable, anti-racist organization. In this company, we condemn all acts of racism, discrimination and hatred. Signature Theatre celebrates diversity and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics. Signature Theatre is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.

Signature in the Schools is sponsored by