MILLBURN, NJ — Paper Mill Playhouse welcomes audition videos from students 10- 18 years old seeking to attend the institution’s prestigious Summer Musical Theater Conservatory for young artists to be held this summer. The program culminates in a video presentation titled, New Voices of 2021! This original program will premiere online in September.
The 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory will take place June 28 to July 23, 2021, at Paper Mill Playhouse and the Paper Mill Studios in Millburn. Students will be offered a hybrid schedule of live training three days a week and alternating with virtual instruction two days a week. Classes will be modest in size with all current CDC guidelines and state mandated protocols in place for live instruction.
Auditions for the Summer Conservatory are by video submission only. There will be no live auditions scheduled. For audition video guidelines, submission instructions and other important information on tuition and available scholarships, visit Paper Mill Summer Conservatory Auditions.
The Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory is a program of rigorous study led by Paper Mill’s professional artistic staff. Students have the opportunity to enhance their individual performance potential while developing a broad base of theater experience and knowledge. Students participate in intensive classes including musical theater performance, acting, dance, private voice lessons, monologue coaching, and improvisation, while also attending guest workshops taught by professional actors, directors, and casting agents. Time during every instructional day is devoted to rehearsing and filming the virtual New Voices performance that debuts September 2021. Key to the curriculum is the development of self-discipline, respect, and a commitment to excellence that will serve these young artists throughout their lives.
“Paper Mill Playhouse’s Summer Musical Theater Conservatory is one of the finest young artist professional development programs for musical theater in the United States,” stated Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill’s Producing Artistic Director. “It is amazing to see these young performers learn and grow into professional artists culminating in a performance produced by leading industry professionals.”
As one of the nation’s leading theaters, Paper Mill Playhouse has a well-earned reputation for launching both performers and shows for the Broadway industry. Since its inception in 1996, the Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory and the New Voices Concert have ignited the careers of many notable performers. Conservatory alumni include Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Tony Award winners Laura Benanti (Gypsy), Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Ali Stoker (Oklahoma!), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin), Jelani Remy (Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations), Shanice Williams, star of NBC’s The Wiz Live! and Olivier Award nominee Jared Gertner (The Book of Mormon).
The New Voices performance is the culmination of the four-week program. Also appearing will be numerous winners and nominees of the 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards presented by Investors Foundation, who win scholarships to attend the Conservatory.
“From the first day of class all the way through the New Voices performance, we require our students to rise to the demands of this rigorous program,” says Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill Playhouse Director of Education. “We ask them to work harder than they ever have before as young performers, and we strive to build an incredible ensemble company, while each student hones their own individual performance skills.”
The summer of 2020 saw the introduction of online classes, and despite everyone’s desire to be in studio, the virtual Conservatory soared and enrolled students from across the country.