Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory FAQs

1. Which song should I sing?

You should sing the song that best suits your voice and that you have prepared.

2. How many audition panelists are there and who are they?

Usually around 4-8 people judge the auditions. They are members of the Paper Mill staff and teachers who work in the Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory.

3. How do the audition panelists judge an audition?

There are 3 areas of scoring: Vocal, Personality/Presentation, and Dance. Each audition panelist will score these areas between a 1 and 5, with 1 the lowest score and 5 the highest. We then tally all these scores and average them. The auditioners with the highest average scores in all three areas are admitted into the programs.

4. In which division will the auditioner be placed?

We try to place auditioners into the division we feel most suits them. We spend weeks deciding who will be accepted and what division they would benefit them. Although age is used as a guideline, the talent, ability and maturity demonstrated by the student at the auditions also plays a part in determining placement.

5. What if I feel the auditioner is placed into the wrong division?

We ask that you trust our judgment and know that every division of our program is taught by fully qualified teachers and is challenging.

6. If the auditioner does not get accepted initially, what are their chances of getting in if people drop out?

We have a wait-list, made up of every auditioner, ranked by the scores they received from the audition panel. Although it is rare that students do not accept the offer of the Conservatory, when that does happen we call the student with the next highest scores and offer the slot to them. Please do not call us about your wait-list status. We will contact you if a spot opens.

7. Is it possible to get the audition panel's feedback?

Absolutely! After the letters have been mailed, you can ask about your results by sending an email to Deana Sangemino, Education Associate at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We would be happy to share any feedback with you by email!

8. Are there any other summer programs that you can refer?

We suggest you contact the NJ Theatre Alliance (NJTA) which is a coalition of all of the professional theatres in NJ. The NJTA hosts a wonderful searchable database of theatre education programs called "Class Act" which is a thorough listing of all the educational theatre programs in NJ, including internships and summer programs. The publication can be found online at www.njtheatrealliance.org.

We look forward to a terrific summer. Thank you for auditioning!

The Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory is generously supported by Investors Savings Bank Foundation, The Ambrose & Ida Fredrickson Foundation, and The Bloomingdale's Fund of the Macy's Foundation and Wyeth. Additional major funding for Paper Mill Playhouse Education Outreach is provided by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and MetLife Foundation.

Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is grateful for generous contributions from numerous corporations, foundations and individuals.