Unified General Auditions & Designers' Spotlight
The Unified General Auditions (UGAs) are general auditions that the GVPTA holds each spring. They are an opportunity for theatre actors to be seen by casting directors from throughout the region.
Despite the postponement of UGAs back in 2020 due to the pandemic, we returned this spring to provide an opportunity for performers to audition and introduce themselves to theatre directors digitally.
Designers' Spotlight
In addition to sharing recordings of auditions and introductions by performers, this year we welcomed portfolio and video submissions from designers introducing themselves and their work (Set, Props, Costume, Sound, Lighting, or Video / Projection).
The UGAs and Designers' Spotlight are held and managed on the principles of equity and diversity. We invite performers and designers from all backgrounds including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender, sexual orientation, class, mental and physical ability.
Application intake for performers and designers closed on March 11.
Note: Submitting an application does not guarantee a spot.
Directors' Registration
Applications for directors and others hiring performers and designers are closed. Click the Directors Information tab above to learn about the process in 2021.
Learn more by clicking the tabs above. For frequently asked questions from performers and designers about submitting an application, click the button below.
- Must be based in B.C.
- Individuals who have temporarily relocated outside of B.C. due to the pandemic but intend to return when it's safe to do so are eligible to apply.
- Must be one of the following:
- A full Canadian Actors Equity Association (CAEA) member in good standing;
- A full UBCP or ACTRA member in good standing with recent professional theatre credits;
- Have attended the UGAs in the past or previously attended the Qualifiers and were invited to attend the UGAs.
- A current GVPTA Individual membership is required if you are not a full union member, with the exception of the 2020 UGA invitees. A full Individual membership fee will be requested if you are invited to participate in this year's UGAs.
- Participated in the 2020 Qualifiers and were invited to the 2020 UGAs (which were subsequently cancelled);
- Did not attend the UGAs in 2018 or 2019;
- Identify as being from an underrepresented* community.
- Must be based in B.C.
- Individuals who have temporarily relocated outside of B.C. due to the pandemic but intend to return when it's safe to do so are eligible to apply.
- Must have experience or training as a designer under one of the following disciplines: Set, Props, Costume, Sound, Lighting, or Video / Projection.
Priority will be given to performers who:
- Are emerging or mid-career;
- Identify as being from an underrepresented* community.
*The UGAs are held and managed on the principles of equity and diversity. We invite performers from all backgrounds including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender, sexual orientation, class, mental and physical ability.
The application deadline for performers and designers is Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 1:00 pm PST.
Please Note: Submitting an application does not guarantee a spot.
Registration for directors will open in mid-March.
Click the Application Information menu tab at the top of this page for details on application requirements and submission forms. For answers to frequently asked questions about submitting your application, visit our 2021 UGA FAQs page.
This is a new process for all of us, so if you have any questions about the UGAs, feel free to direct them to our UGA Coordinator, Davey Calderon, at davey@gvpta.ca.
Application Deadline: Thursday, March 11, 2021, 1:00 pm PST
Please Note: Submitting an application does not guarantee a spot to audition.
The application form (link below) will ask performers to submit the following:1. General Details
- Your full name, email address, and phone number.
2. Headshot:
- We will accept ONE headshot in PDF or JPEG format (maximum 10MB);
- File format must include your Full Name, Content of file, and PDF/JPEG format. (eg. Jane_Doe-Headshot.pdf);
- Digital dimension equivalent to am 8 x 10" printed shot;
- Please ensure the headshot looks like you.
3. Theatrical Resume:
- One document, a maximum of two pages in PDF format (maximum 10MB);
- Resume is ideally one page, but can be a maximum of two pages;
- File format must include your Full Name, Content of file, and PDF format. (eg. Jane_Doe-Resume.pdf)
- Recommendations:
- Put your theatre credits at the top of the resume.
- Ensure your name and contact information are included.
- Search "Sample Theatre Resume" online for some clear examples of formatting, typically a three-column format.
4. Audition Type (one option): Your intention to do a monologue-only or monologue + song audition.
5. Union Status: Whether you are a full member of CAEA or UBCP/ACTRA (member number required)
To submit an application, click the button below.
Application Deadline: Thursday, March 11, 2021, 1:00 pm PST
Please Note: Submitting an application does not guarantee a spot to audition.
- Your full name, email address, and phone number.
- Your general area of design discipline:
- Set
- Props
- Costume
- Sound
- Video / Projection
- Lighting
- Other (please specify on application)
- One document, a maximum of two pages in PDF format (maximum 10MB);
- Ensure your name and contact information are included;
- If your work experience is in multiple design disciplines, focus the majority of the resume on the ones you're interested to introduce in more detail to directors;
- If preferred, feel free to provide a maximum of two references which could include: producers/directors to shows worked, a supervising instructor or professor, or design mentor recognized in the theatre industry, etc.
- Upload a PDF portfolio and/or provide links.
- If uploading a PDF
- One document, maximum 10 pages, in PDF format;
- Each page can include, and is not limited to:
- Design images (stage photos or concept designs);
- Proposal sketches for productions worked on (ie. Costume, Set, Prop, or Event installation boards);
A list of hyperlinks to online video and/or audio players (ie clips of show trailers you’ve worked on or designer reels showcasing the work; playback for work by Sound Designers and Composers etc).
Make sure hyperlinks give context to the work being experienced (ie “Title - Video or Audio - a brief description of the work - hyperlink”)
- Make sure all images at the top of the page are titled and give BRIEF (1-2 lines per image) context of the image seen on the page:
- For example: “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches - Costumes - Design and construction of Angel’s costume is seen here, with addition to my proposal sketches seen here.”
- If only providing links (maximum of 5):
- A list of hyperlinks to online images, video and/or audio players (ie clips of show trailers you’ve worked on or designer reels showcasing the work; playback for work by Sound Designers and Composers etc).
- All links must be accessible on a platform without logging in or registering
- Make sure hyperlinks give context to the work being experienced (ie “Title - Video or Audio - a brief description of the work - hyperlink”)
- We will accept ONE headshot in PDF or JPEG format (maximum 10MB;
- File format must include your Full Name, Content of file, and PDF/JPEG format. (eg. Jane_Doe-Headshot.pdf);
- Digital dimension equivalent to am 8 x 10" printed shot;
- Please ensure the headshot looks like you.
Frequently Asked Questions & Additional Support
For general frequently asked questions about submitting your application, visit the 2021 UGA FAQs page here.
For any further questions, contact Davey Calderon, UGA Coordinator, at davey@gvpta.ca.
Performers and designers that are selected will be asked to submit a video to be seen by directors. All submissions will be available to our directors to view over a period of approximately one month.
The following are what invited 2021 UGA & Designers' Spotlight participants will be asked to submit:
Performers will submit a video introduction and audition. The audition portion can be a maximum of 3 minutes and introductions can be a maximum of 90 seconds. (The total video length can not exceed 4 minutes and 30 seconds)
Your video includes...
- A short slate of your full name and the title(s) of the audition pieces chosen (3 minutes max for your audition). You can do either:
- Monologues only - We recommend choosing two contrasting 90-second monologues. Monologues must be from a published playwright/script, and they must be memorized, OR;
- If Monologue and Singing - We recommend choosing one monologue and 32 bars from one song.
- Monologues must be from a published playwright/script, and they must be memorized
- For singing - You have the choice of doing a singing audition acapella or with music (as either a live backtrack or accompaniment by your own instrument).
- Note: We are not offering singing-only audition slots. For the audition portion of your video, please focus your gaze just off camera to the side or above camera, just like you would do for stage or taped auditions.
The remainder of the time you are welcome to introduce yourself to the directors, this may include, but not limited to:
Artistic practice - Who are you as a person and performer? What kind of training or received schooling helped define your practice? What are your values as a performer?
Relevant skills - Any relevant skills from your resume you’d like to share?
Interests - What are your interests? Inspirations in theatre? Fun facts about yourself?
Introductions about your audition is not a requirement for your audition video, but very much welcomed!
Each director will have access to your performer headshots and resumés, so they can directly contact those performers they wish to see for a specific callback at a later date.
Designers will submit their video introduction which can be a maximum of 5 minutes.
Your video includes...
A short greeting, including your full name and the main designer roles you would like to introduce yourself as.
Providing us more information about you as a designer, this can include, but not limited to:
Artistic Mandate - Who are you as a designer? What are your influences and/or inspiration for your work? What are artistic and/or working values for you?
Practice - How do you describe the design aesthetic or genre you default to? Briefly, what are one or two examples of work in the past that are most representative of your body of work?- Interests and Other - Any other interests or information you may feel compelled to share?
We encourage designers to edit their video in a way they feel best represents their work and how they are compelled to share that. See the FAQ page to expand further on video structure possibilities. Also, if a video introduction is a barrier, we will also accept audio-only introductions.
All submission videos must be in .MOV or .MP4 format (no video links)
Resolution: 720 p - 1080 p (HD)
Compressed files preferred (maximum 200 MB)
Filmed horizontally
For designers submitting audio only, file format must be in .MP3 and .WAV format
See the General FAQs for best practices and advice when recording your video.
Thank You!
Registration for the UGAs and Designers' Spotlight by directors and those responsible for hiring performers and designers is now CLOSED.
We thank all of those who submitted an application to participate in this new online process for 2021. Learn more about the past process below.
Who can attend the UGAs as someone seeking new talent?
Directors and other personnel responsible for hiring performers or designers for your company's productions or theatre projects are now invited to submit a request to take part in this year's Unified General Auditions and Designers' Spotlight. Those participating will receive access to an online platform over a limited timeframe to review performers' audition and introduction videos, headshots, resumes, and designers' portfolios.
Each member of your organization who is interested in participating (up to a maximum of five) must be listed on the application. This may include artistic directors, technical directors, production managers, or others responsible for hiring performers or designers for your productions. Additional follow-up details and instructions will be provided to applicants after eligibility is confirmed.
Eligibility and Fees
Only individuals within your organization who have responsibility for recommending or hiring performers or designers are eligible. Approved registration is at the discretion of the GVPTA.
- Company Members - No additional fee.
- Associate Members - No additional fee.
- Non-Members - $35+GST per person.
- Must be a company or individual with a history of directing or producing shows;
- Must be casting for an upcoming show.
What can I expect from the UGAs and Designers' Spotlight?
What to Expect
Performers Auditions: You will have access through an online platform to view approximately 50-60 audition and introduction videos, resumes, and headshots. CAEA performers will be shown first.
Designers Portfolios: You will have access through an online platform to view approximately 10 introduction videos and resumes, along with their portfolio which they are either incorporating in their video, as a PDF, or weblink.
- Each performer or designer video will be no longer than 5 minutes.
- You will be provided access to the downloadable files (resumes, headshots, and PDF portfolios). Audition and introduction videos will not be downloadable.
- You will access the materials through an online presentation platform which will be best viewed using Chrome or Firefox. Further details will be provided upon confirmation of your participation.
How do I participate?
Application and Access Steps (APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED)
- Submit a registration request for one or more members of your organization. We require the name and unique email for each person as the presentation platform is registered by email address. Each person can apply for themselves, or you may have one person apply for multiple people within your organization.
- GVPTA will review your application to ensure eligibility to access the materials (see "Eligibility" above).
- Once the portal(s) is open for viewing (commencing the week of April 12), we will send a unique access link to each eligible registered person. Note: The email addresses submitted through the application form are the addresses to which the access link will be sent.
- You will have access to the performer and/or designer portal(s) for approximately four weeks. You may stop and log back in as you need during the course of the four weeks to continue where you left off.
- Once access is closed, a survey will be sent out to ask about your experience.
Questions? Email Amanda Peters at amanda@gvpta.ca.
