General Auditions

Each year PATA provides two opportunities for member performers and producers to connect in an audition setting: the Citywide General Auditions and the Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions.

These auditions provide an excellent opportunity for both emerging and established actors to showcase their skills in front of a variety of theatres, and for theatre companies and independent producers to find talent for current and future projects.

PATA members are also eligible to attend the Theatre Puget Sound general auditions in Seattle. Learn more about those auditions here.

photo credit: Craig Mitchelldyer

Citywide General Auditions

Audition for dozens of theatre companies from all across the Portland Tri-county area.

One of our most well-known programs, these auditions are a great way for local actors to get to know local theatres and vice versa.

The Citywide General Auditions usually take place between February and April. In order to be eligible to audition, you must be a current Individual level PATA member or a member of Theatre Puget Sound. There is a $10 registration fee for these auditions.

PATA Company Members at any level can register to audit these auditions for free as part of their membership benefits. Non-member organizations or Individual level members who are currently casting may guest audit for a $50 fee.

The Citywide General Auditions include the option to perform either two monologues, two songs, or a monologue and a song, and are open to actors of all ages.

The 2025 Citywide Auditions will be held March 16th & 17th at The Judy in downtown Portland. Registration will open February 15th. Scroll down for more details.

2024 Auditors:

(For a current list of registered 2025 auditors, scroll down to the bottom of the FAQ section.)

Experience Theatre Project

Harris Talent Agency

Lacy Productions

Milagro

Vox Pop Entertainment

STAR Society

Resound NW

Portland Revels

Lakewood Theatre Company

Eastside Players

Bag&Baggage Productions

Third Rail Repertory Theatre

simon max hill casting

21ten Theatre

Artists Repertory Theatre

Stumptown Stages

Douglas M Webster (FG Producer)

Jae Carlsson (FG Producer)

Spark Plug Theatre Collective

Shaking the Tree

NW Children’s Theater

Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions

The Portland-area hosts plenty of Shakespeare and Classical work – especially in the summer! The Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions showcase the distinct skill of acting in verse.

PATA Company members use these auditions to help cast a wide variety of classical and classically-inspired work beyond (and including) Shakespeare. This includes Greek drama, commedia dell’arte, contemporary works written in verse, devised works based in classical stories and styles, and more!

The Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions usually take place between December and February, and are open to actors age 18 and older.

The most recent Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions took place Saturday, February 1st, 2025 at Hillsboro Artists’ Regional Theatre. Please check back for details on the next Unified S&C Auditions.

 

2025 Auditors:

Oregon Adventure Theatre

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival

Penguin Productions

Speculative Drama

Sunstone Theatre

Karen Romero

Matt Pavik (freelance director)

Jed Sutton (season playwright with FUSE)

Fertile Ground Producers:

Anthony Orkin (The Poison Squad)

Curtis Cooper (The Poison Squad)

David Wagstaff (Cosmic Tomato Studios)

Jonathan Hernandez (The Mask I Wear)

Actor & Auditor Registration

When the registration period opens, visit the Auditions & Job Opportunities page to register under the appropriate event (actor or auditor registration), or check back on this page to find a direct link to registration.

Please follow the instructions on the registration page, making sure to note the eligibility and audition requirements.

If you are a Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) member wishing to audition, please email the PATA Office Manager (info@portlandtheatre.com) with proof of your TPS membership (a screenshot of your membership page works well).

Upcoming registration dates:

Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions

  • Auditor Registration
    • Opens: TBA
    • Closes: TBA
  • Actor Registration
    • Opens: TBA
    • Closes: TBA

Citywide General Auditions

This year we will be partnering with Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) to bring you a new registration and digital binder system. Actors will have the ability to indicate whether they would like to be considered for projects in the Seattle area, and auditors will be able to view both Portland and Seattle area talent who would like to be considered for work in PDX.

If you are unable to attend auditions in person, you may submit a video to be included in the digital binder. Actors auditioning in person will also have the opportunity to add a video to their digital binder profile.

More information on auditions, including submission guidelines, can be found below.

Become a PATA Member

2025 Audition Information & FAQ

 Please contact info@portlandtheatre.com with any additional questions.

ELIGIBILITY FOR ACTORS & AUDITORS

In order to audition, you must have a paid, Individual-level PATA membership. Free website user accounts do not qualify as a membership. Theatre Puget Sound (TPS) members are also eligible to audition.

Your membership must remain valid through the end of the audition registration period. You can check your membership status by logging in and navigating to your account page.

Due to auditor preferences and casting needs, the Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions are currently open to actors age 18+, while the Citywide General Auditions are open to all ages.

 

In order to audit, you must either have a paid, Company-level PATA membership, or pay the guest auditor fee.

AUDITION GUIDELINES & PREPARATION

Unified Shakespeare & Classical Auditions

Auditions must be 2 minutes or less, not including your introduction, and may include up to two classical or classically-inspired monologues. At least one monologue must be in verse, and PATA recommends that at least one monologue be from a Shakespeare play. Transitions between pieces are considered part of your 2 minutes. A timer will be present and may cut you off after two minutes to ensure we stay on schedule.

There are usually around 5-10 auditors in attendance. You can find a list of registered auditors at the bottom of the FAQ section, which will be updated throughout the open registration period. We cannot gaurantee that all registered auditors will be present at your audition.

 

Citywide General Auditions

Auditions must be 2 minutes or less, not including your introduction, and may consist of either two monologues, two songs, or a song and a monologue. PATA recommends choosing contemporary monologues for this audition. Transitions between pieces are considered part of your 2 minutes. A timer will be present and may cut you off after two minutes to ensure we stay on schedule.

There are usually around 20-30 auditors in attendance. You can find a list of registered auditors at the bottom of the FAQ section, which will be updated throughout the open registration period. We cannot gaurantee that all registered auditors will be present at your audition.

 

HEADSHOTS & RESUMES

This coming year, PATA will be switching to a new system for assembling a digital binder containing each actor’s headshot and resume. When registration opens, there will be updated instructions on how to submit your “binder materials” (headshot and resume).

The information below is subject to change.

 

Specifications for headshots for Citywide audition binder:

  • In .jpg format
  • Ideally, the file size should be above 1MB and under 20 MB
  • The file name format should be “Lastname_Firstname.jpg” and match the name on your PATA profile. Example: Little_Stuart.jpg

Specifications for resumes for Citywide audition binder:

  • One-page
  • .pdf format
  • File size less than 10 MB
  • Excludes your home address
  • The file name format should be “Lastname_Firstname.pdf” and match the name on your PATA profile. Example: Little_Stuart.pdf

VIDEO SUBMISSIONS

If you are unable to attend in-person auditions, you may submit a video audition. Video auditions must be submitted by the in-person audition date.

When registration opens, we will include information on how to submit your video audition.

    Video Formatting Requirements

    • Your audition video must be  less than 3 minutes total.
    • You must have a slate, i.e., an introduction including your name, your pronouns, and a brief description of the pieces you are presenting (character name, song or excerpt title if applicable, show title, and author).
      • Example: Hello. My name is Anna May Wong. My pronouns are she, her, and hers. I will be singing “Love Look Away” from Flower Drum Song by Rodgers and Hammerstein and David Henry Hwang. Also, I will be playing Shizuko Mizoguchi from Velina Hasu Houston’s Kokoro (True Heart).
    • The performance portion, including transitions between pieces, must be less than 2 minutes total. You may use your two minutes as you wish, however, most performers present programs in the following formats.
      • One monologue and one song (recommended)
      • Two contrasting monologues (recommended)
      • Two short songs
      • One long monologue
      • One long song
    • You may use the platform of your choice for posting your video, and the option to submit passwords for password-protected videos is available. However, most auditors find YouTube videos set to Unlisted easiest to use. An Unlisted privacy setting means that anybody who has the video link can watch the video without submitting a password, but YouTube will not go out of their way to show the video to the general public.

    Click here to watch our video audition tutorial for tips on filming your PATA audition.

    NEED TO CANCEL?

    If you must cancel, please do so as early as possible. If you fail to cancel your audition before your audition time, you may be ineligible to audition the following year.

    To cancel a registration, please email the Office Manager.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    PATA has compiled a comprehensive audition guide that includes all of the information above, plus additional tips on audition preparation, technical issues, and common errors to avoid.

    (We are currently working on creating an updated version of our audition guide. Please check back for updates.)

    If you have any other questions, please email the Office Manager.

    LIST OF AUDITORS

    Here are the auditors currently registered for upcoming auditions. We cannot guarantee the attendance of any auditors on the list.

    Citywide General Auditions 2025:

    21ten Theatre

    Artists Repertory Theatre

    Compass Productions

    David Obele

    GoKartMozart Productions

    Harris Talent Agency

    Karen Romero

    Lacy Productions

    Matt Pavik

    Metropolitan Performing Arts

    Milagro

    Northwest Theatre Workshop

    Portland Revels

    Stumptown Stages

    Theatre 33

    Third Rail Repertory Theatre

    Fertile Ground Projects/Producers:

    Everybody’s Eyes are on The First! – Teague Shattuck

    One Thousand Times – Eric Martin Reid

     

     

    Thank you to our sponsors

    STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy

     

    Other Opportunities

    Dance Wire Citywide Dance Auditions

    Check https://dancewirepdx.org/city-wide-dance-audition/ for updates.

    Theatre Puget Sound – Unified General Auditions

    Did you know, through a reciprocity agreement, an individual level membership in the Portland Area Theatre Alliance includes eligibility to audition at Theatre Puget Sound‘s Unified General Auditions (provided other TPS eligibility requirements are also met).

    Learn more about TPS Unified General Auditions here: https://unifiedgeneralauditions.com/

    Have Questions?

    Audition Event Questions