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Ace The Musical Theater Audition

Training for Professionals Sep 29 – Nov 10, 2025
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A six-week training program for those with previous musical theater experience. Work with area industry artists on vocal auditions, dance calls, monologues, and demo tapes as they guide you through the audition process. From first introductions through final bows, sharpen your skills to nail that audition and get the job.

Ages 18+

Important Information

  • Experience

    This class is intended as a professional training class for actors. Previous musical theater experience required. Contact education@sigtheatre.org if you have questions about your level of experience. No auditions required.

    Must bring headshot, resume, audition materials and appropriate attire for class.

  • Location

    Classes will take place at Signature's Education Studios, located at 2784 S. Arlington, Mill Dr, Arlington, VA 22206.

  • Class Times

    Classes take place on Mondays, September 29 - November 10 (No class October 13); 7 - 9PM

  • Tuition

    Tuition is $400. Financial aid available - click here to apply.

The Instructors

Ethan Heard

he/him SIGNATURE: Associate Artistic Director. Director: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Soft Power, The Bridges of Madison County, Pacific Overtures, Which Way to the Stage. NEW YORK: Co-Founder of Heartbeat Opera: Fidelio (NYTimes Critic’s Pick), Butterfly, Breathing Free (Drama League Nominee), Lady M, Dido & Aeneas, Kafka-Fragments, seven drag extravaganzas; Inner Voices: The Other Room; Experiments in Opera: Sisyphus; Judson: Desire|Divinity; Opera America: Truth & Reconciliation. REGIONAL: Opera Philadelphia: Madame Butterfly; Berkshire Theatre Festival: A Little Night Music, Bells Are Ringing, Little Shop of Horrors; Williamstown: Pullman, WA; Curtis: Empty the House; Princeton: Into the Woods, Next to Normal, The Producers, Poppea; Carnegie Mellon: A Little Night Music; Yale: Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along, Julius Caesar, L’Orfeo, Yale School of Drag. DC AREA: The Kennedy Center: La Susanna. INTERNATIONAL: Broadway Asia: The Secret (Resident Director). EDUCATION: Yale: BA and MFA. TEACHING: Yale, Princeton, O’Neill Theater Center. ethanheard.com. @ethanjheard  
Ashleigh King

Ashleigh King

Ashleigh King (she/her) is a Washington DC-based director, choreographer, actor, and teaching artist. Her National Tour credits include: Jenn Weber and MEP’s The Hip Hop Nutcracker. Her DC area credits include: Signature Theatre: HAIR, Ragtime, Which Way To The Stage (Helen Hayes Nomination), Hairspray, Dreamgirls; The Kennedy Center: Fovea. Ford’s Theater: Little Shop of Horrors, Grace (world premiere); Olney Theatre Center: Beautiful, World Goes ‘Round, Most Wonderful Time; Woolly Mammoth: Sentational Sea Minkettes, Teenage Dick, Fairview; Studio Theatre: Fun Home. Keegan Theatre: Seussical, Legally Blonde (Helen Hayes Award), The Full Monty; Solas Nua: Maz and Bricks; Labor Heritage Foundation: Working the Musical; Adventure Theater MTC: Make Way for Ducklings (world premiere), Big River, Alexander and the Terrible...; Artscentric: Smokey Joe’s; JMU: Head Over Heels; MCC SDT: Little Women.  Regional credits include: Northern Stage: ‘Bov Water (world premiere), Spring Awakening, Spamalot; Huntington Stage: Teenage Dick; Virginia Rep: Mamma Mia (RTCC Award). Imagination Stage: Year with Frog and Toad (Helen Hayes nom), Nate the Great; Adventure Theater MTC: Junie B. Jones, Charlie Brown, Make Way for Ducklings, Big River, Alexander and the Terrible…  
Charlotte La Nasa

Charlotte Sandor

DC AREA: As Producer: Theater J, Solas Nua, NextStop Theatre Company, 4615 Theatre Company, Shakespeare Theater Company Academy. As Director: The Perfect Immigrant (Capital Fringe Festival), Little Women (NextStop Theatre Company), Sense and Sensibility (Imagination Stage, Acting Conservatory). As Assistant Director: Memoirs of a Forgotten Man, Wrecked (Contemporary American Theater Festival), A.D. 16 (Olney Theatre Center), Webster's Bitch (The Keegan).TEACHING: Saint James School  
Brenna McDonough

Brenna McDonough

Brenna McDonough is a full-time professional actor and author. Her work includes commercials, corporate videos, indie, feature films and voice over work. She founded her own studio, On-Camera Training, in 1995 in Silver Spring, MD. Brenna began her career in her hometown of Chicago where she was a student of Paul Sills at Second City. She then studied and worked in Los Angeles and New York before settling in the Washington, DC area. She has taught her on-camera acting class at New York University, Catholic University of America and the University of Maryland as well as Shakespeare Theatre Education and Theatre Lab. Brenna recently directed her first indie, Unheard Melodies for RSK Productions. She and her actor husband, John Leslie Wolfe are the co-authors of You Can Work On-Camera. This book is used in several universities and schools. She is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and Actors Center.
Tracy Lynn Olivera

Tracy Lynn Olivera

Tracy Lynn Olivera is an actor and instructor in the DC area. Signature performing credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Assassins; Simply Sondheim; Signature Vinyl; A Little Night Music (Helen Hayes award); Titanic; The Fix; Gypsy; Company; Hello, Dolly! (Ford’s Theatre co-production); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; Brother Russia; The Hollow; The Boy Detective Fails; Les Misérables (Fantine, Helen Hayes nomination); ACE; The Happy Time; Merrily We Roll Along (Helen Hayes nomination); Allegro (Helen Hayes nomination); Follies; Side Show; Sweeney Todd and countless concerts and cabarets. Tracy appeared on Broadway in the 2009 revival of Ragtime. In the DC area, she has performed in Ragtime (Ford’s Theatre and the Kennedy Center); Sunday in the Park with George (Kennedy Center); Passion (Kennedy Center); Merrily We Roll Along (Kennedy Center); Candide (The Shakespeare Theatre); Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre); 110 in the Shade (Ford’s Theatre—Helen Hayes Award); Meet John Doe (Ford’s Theatre); Shenandoah (Ford’s Theatre); Comedy of Errors (Folger’s); Closer Than Ever (MetroStage); The Last Five Years (MetroStage); Cinderella (Olney); On the Town (Olney); and Bachelorette (Studio Theatre).  Additionally, she has performed at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in Candide. She has taught at Signature, Adventure Theatre, BAPA and The Theatre Lab. Tracy received her training from Catholic University and is now an adjunct professor there in the musical theatre department and at American University as well.  
Aaron Posner

Aaron Posner

Aaron Posner is a director, playwright and educator. As a writer his works include: Stupid Fucking Bird; Life Sucks; No Sisters (all Chekhov re-imaginings); The Chosen; My Name is Asher Lev (adapted from Chaim Potok); Who Am I This Time? (And Other Conundrums of Love); Sometimes a Great Notion; A Murder, A Mystery and A Marriage (with James Sugg); The Gift of Nothing; and Me…Jane: The Dreams & Adventures of Young Jane Goodall (with Andy Mitton & Patrick McDonnell). He has served in Artistic Director capacities at the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia and Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. As a director he’s worked at Folger Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Arena Stage, Roundhouse Theatre, Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre, Theatre J, American Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Seattle Rep, The Alliance, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Arizona Theatre Company, Milwaukee Rep, California Shakespeare Theatre, American Player's Theatre and many others. His awards include an Outer Circle Critics Award, The Gassner Prize, a Joseph Jefferson Award, an Elliot Norton Award, a Bay Area Critics Award, six Helen Hayes Awards and two Barrymore Awards.    

Signature's Education and Community Programs Sponsored by

Signature's Education Studios

2784 S. Arlington Mill Dr Arlington, VA 22206

Getting Here Learn More

Signature is grateful to Amazon and The Village at Shirlington for their partnership on the Education Studios, as well as to the foundation and individual donors that have contributed to the development of this new facility.