July 20 – August 7 (3 weeks)
Training and rehearsal Monday–Friday, 9am–4pm* (except the day of final showcase)
Final showcase Friday, August 7 at 7pm
People's Light's advanced musical theatre program, Performance Lab, is open by audition for students who will be entering grades 8 through pre-college. This is is the pre-professional level of Summer Studios 2026.
Half of each day is an advanced conservatory-style program, working with professional artists in classes in acting, choreography, and song preparation skills. The other half will be devoted to creating and rehearsing an original cabaret: The Roaring Twenties: Then and Now which will perform on August 7.
This performance opportunity on our larger Leonard C. Haas Stage is designed to highlight every performer with both solo and ensemble work. The Roaring Twenties will explore techniques that allow students to work across time periods, genres, and styles — looking back to the groundbreaking artists of the vaudeville era and forward to Broadway today. Actors work as an ensemble to create an original cabaret which will celebrate the Jazz Era of the 1920s juxtaposed alongside 2020s musical theatre innovations; expect a mash-up of dance styles, comedy routines, and musical theatre challenges as the we remix standards with modern takes.
Throughout the summer, teen artists will meet artistic role models connected to our mainstage summer production of Ain't Misbehavin', as well as the artistic leadership of People's Light, through both formal instruction and more casual brown-bag lunches and other intersections. From discussing college and professional expectations, to sharing perspectives on balancing a healthy creative life and illuminating the other roles and collaborators in the theatre ecosystem, Performance Lab participants access diverse viewpoints and are immersed in the daily rhythms of a robust professional theatre.
All People's Light Summer Studios are tuition-based, with scholarship assistance available by application. Full details are available online.
Video auditions are due on February 22, 2026. In-person callbacks will be held at People's Light on March 8.
Auditioners should prepare either:
A) a brief contemporary monologue and a song, or
B) two song selections, not to exceed four minutes total in length.
The Roaring Twenties: Then and Now is an original cabaret, spanning music of both the 1920s and today. Students may audition with jazz, pop or musical theatre songs from any part of the last century. Songs should demonstrate range as well as showcase the performer’s ability to embody a character and tell a story through song.
Students are also welcome (but not required) to include a brief additional clip (2 minutes or less) of any special skills they possess (i.e. juggling, tap dancing, clowning, acrobatics, plate spinning, yo-yo-ing, ventriloquism, fluency in a second language, playing a musical instrument, solving a rubix cube, or telling a really excellent joke.) We encourage you to use this space to share something fun and unique about yourself - your passions, interests, or weird hidden talents, no matter how small.
Please provide a link to your audition material via the Online Audition Portal linked here. We recommend using either YouTube or Vimeo links. You may set the controls to unlisted or private, but please provide all necessary passwords in your audition form in order to allow the team to access your materials.
Check out our Audition FAQs for more helpful info and tips. If you have additional questions, email Director of Artist Training Liz Filios at [email protected].
