Hello Teens, Parents and Guardians!
The Listen Up Project is an original musical inspired, written, and performed by Vermont teens. The musical will bring voice to current youth issues including mental health, trauma, resiliency, friendship, love, family, community as well as issues that affect Vermont and the world. This show includes mature themes and language.
The Listen Up Project is underwritten by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vt, The Vermont Department of Health, Burton Snowboards, VSAC, The Alchemist Foundation, the Bay and Paul Foundation and many other donors. For more information to www.listenupvt.org.
We hope to answer many of your questions here, and are always happy to answer any additional questions as they come up.
This is a free program. Room and board will be provided during rehearsals and the tour.
Auditions are open to teens 13-19 years of age.
Because of Covid 19 we will not be doing Auditions in Person.
We are asking teen actors to send us a video, no longer than two minutes, with a monologue and song. Fill out the audition form and upload the video here. Please say your name at the top of your video!
The monologue can be any spoken word piece from a play, film, TV show, poem, rap or your own work. If you don’t have a monologue in mind, you can use one of our suggestions.
If you have any dance experience, you can additionally upload a clip of you dancing alone or in a group. This is not mandatory, but feel free to share with us if you would like.
TIME COMMITMENT:
If you are cast there will be a handful of informational meetings in June to prepare you and the ensemble members for the rehearsal period.
You will need to be available between July 3-August 15th.
Here are the planned dates and towns for our rehearsals, tech, and tour:
SUMMER INTENSIVE REHEARSALS:
July 3 - August 3 at Lyndon Institute, Lyndonville, VT/ Room and Board provided
TOUR DATES (Dates & Places Subject to Change):
8/4-5 - Lyndonville
8/7-8 - Woodstock
8/10-11 - Putney
8/12 - Castleton
8/13-14 - Shelburne
8/15 – Montpelier
Transportation to tour dates will be provided on buses and vans.
Rehearsal Intensive:
For the duration of the rehearsal time in July we will provide room & board at Lyndon Institute in Lyndonville, VT. We will be housing cast and crew members in dorms and eating together in the cafeteria at the school. We will have counselors on-staff who will live in the dorms to supervise students. We will be staying as closely as possible in a pod.
COVID RESTRICTION WILL BE ENFORCED. CAST MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE DETAILED COVID PROTOCOLS. IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET VACCINATED BEFORE WE START REHEARSALS.
Available dorm rooms will be primarily singles. There are shared bathrooms on each floor with three bathroom stalls and three shower stalls each. One of the dorms also has a common area which includes a kitchen.
We will arrange to have students arrive on campus on Saturday, July 3. We will use the day to get settled in, get to know each other, review our ground rules and expectations and get ready for a full week of rehearsals.
We plan to rehearse six days a week while we are together. We will be creating a “safe bubble” with the teens so as of now, teens will not be able to return home on their day off which will be Sundays. However, this may change due to lifted restrictions. Please stay tuned for updates.
STIPENDS AVAILABLE
If you are a teen in need of financial support because of a job that your family depends on you doing this summer or if there are other financial barrier’s in the way of participating in the six week Listen Up rehearsals and tour dates, please let us know. We have some funding to help support in this way.
How Will The Tour Logistics Work?
We have a fantastic Tour Manager who will be working to coordinate the many moving parts involved with our statewide tour. She will be in contact with parents and guardians when we are on the road.
We will be putting cast members up primarily in dorms and at hotels or possibly with parents when we are on tour.
Ways That Parents and Guardians Can Help Support the Show
Our Tour Manager will be coordinating all transportation and housing with parents/guardians and kids. However, here are some ways you might get involved. This is all subject to change depending on restrictions:
● To support your child with transportation to and from rehearsals and shows
● To house your child and possibly other cast members when the tour date is local to you
● To occasionally provide food for a potluck dinner before a show
● To ensure that you and your child understand our rules and expectations (which will be provided once students are cast)
What About COVID?
We have been working with a liaison at the Department of Health to make sure we will be following all of the required safety protocols to keep everyone as safe as possible from COVID. Cast members will be expected to practice “low-risk” behavior for 10 days prior to arrival for rehearsal and provide proof of a negative COVID test result from no longer than 3 days prior to the start of rehearsals.
If you have additional questions, please contact:
Melissa Leo, Managing Director at: melisleo@gmail.com