Applicant Requirements

Show proposals can be submitted by any student who has been involved in our Summer Independent, SummerStock, or Institute Training program. The proposal team should be high school students or college undergraduates aged 20 or younger, studying theater or a related field. Most of the proposal team should be students who have been trained at KIDSTAGE. The strongest teams have existing relationships with mentors as well as history working at Village Theatre and other theatrical settings.

This year’s proposal team should be comprised of a director, plus at least one of the following team members: Music Director and/or Choreographer. It is recommended that any teams who are proposing also have a list of interested Designers and Assistants included in their proposal. Interviews and selections for those positions will be done after the proposed show has been selected.

How to Pick a Show

Picking shows for your proposal requires a lot of thought into what makes a production successful. Considerations such as your target audience, the skills required to put on the show, and how the show compliments the Village Theatre KIDSTAGE program are all important to having the strongest possible proposal.

For the 2025 Summer Independent Production, we have selected a list of shows that we have acquired royalties for. We ask that you pick a show from this curated list to propose:

1. 9 to 5 the Musical
2. Footloose
3. RENT School Edition
4. Sister Act the Musical
5. Xanadu

Please note: if you have another show title you wish to propose, we ask that you please get it approved by KIDSTAGE Production Management before continuing. Also, there is no guarantee that the rights will be able to be acquired.

Things to consider when putting together your proposal:

• The show needs to operate with a low budget
• The show needs to operate with an orchestra of 7 or fewer musicians. If the show has an orchestra larger than 7, how can the orchestrations be adapted?
• The show cast size should be around 20 performers
• The show will be performed at Cope Gillette Theatre in Everett in July 2025

Include in Your Proposal

Your proposal should include:

• A cover letter that explains why you want to work on a show at Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE
• Bios of the Creative Team (Director, Music Director and/or Choreographer)
• An explanation of what you believe the show is about (not the plot, but the ideas), your artistic vision for the production (which could include performance style, staging or choreographic approach, design approach, etc.), and any themes you aim to highlight that are important to telling the story. This should be the brunt of your proposal and you may wish to break it into more than one section if it warrants.
• Address production challenges and how you might meet them (please address both limited resources and any script challenges for a youth production)
• It is helpful to include research, drawings, inspiration images, or other materials that represent your vision. The more visuals you can provide, the easier it is for others to understand what you see in your head.

It is helpful to include research, drawings, inspiration images, or other materials that represent your vision. The more visuals you can provide, the easier it is for others to understand what you see in your head.

It is REQUIRED that you reach out to KIDSTAGE Production Management to get feedback on your proposal before you submit. Please contact us KIDSTAGEproductions@villagetheatre.org.

SUMMER INDEPENDENT PROPOSAL APPLICATIONProposal EXAMPLES [coming soon]

After you submit a proposal, you may be contacted about setting up an interview. Please be aware that not every application is guaranteed an interview. Ideally, your entire creative team (Director, Music Director, and/or Choreographer) should be present at your interview. The interview will focus on the artistic vision of your show selection and what your team brings to the artistic process.

Below is a brief overview of the positions that can be included in the proposal. It is encouraged to have a Director and either a Music Director or Choreographer on the team before submitting your proposal. If support is needed in completing a proposal team, please reach out to KIDSTAGE Production Management.

Director

Directors are responsible for the artistic rendering of the show. They collaborate with the artistic team and designers to tell a cohesive story. They create stage pictures, do dramaturgical research, communicate their concept to visual designers, and coach actors in scenes. Directors are creative, patient, team players, skilled compromisers, and natural leaders.

DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

Choreographer

Choreographers create the dance and movement to tell the story of the show. They create original choreography, teach and notate dance steps and formations, clean dance combinations, teach students techniques and dance steps, and run daily fitness conditioning warm-ups with actors. Choreographers are experienced dancers, patient teachers, clear communicators, and able to visualize stage pictures and movement.

CHOREOGRAPHER JOB DESCRIPTION

Music Director

Music Directors are responsible for the musical rendering of the show, by integrating vocal and orchestral elements into a production. They manage both singers and musicians, working with performers to teach/rehearse music, harmonies, parts, and to clean vocal and orchestral performances. Music Directors are knowledgeable about vocal technique and instrumentation, patient teachers, clear communicators, natural leaders, and able to balance the needs of vocalists and instrumentalists.

MUSIC DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

More information about the Summer Independent Program, can be found here (Link back to: https://villagetheatre.org/youth-education/production-programs/summer-independent-internships/