All-State Theatre Auditions, Held at ThesCon

One audition. Three opportunities.

Tennessee All-State Theatre Auditions take place on-site at ThesCon, January 15–16, 2027, at MTSU. Because the audition happens on our campus during our conference, a single audition can put your student in front of:

  • All-State, Mid-State, or Regional Distinction consideration, with All-State Distinction counting toward Tennessee graduation distinction

  • College representatives attending the college fair, who can call students back for scholarships, fee waivers, or program interest

  • Our own Senior ThesCon Scholarship, for eligible seniors

Students do not need to attend ThesCon to audition, but attending means one trip, one weekend, and multiple chances to be seen.

Learn More

Important: All-State is a separate program

All-State Theatre Auditions are organized and run by the Tennessee Theatre Educators Association (TTEA), not Tennessee Thespians. Registration, fees, schedules, and all audition questions go directly to TTEA:

We're providing this summary as a convenience because the auditions happen at our conference, but for anything official (registration, deadlines, rubrics, results), TTEA is the authority. Please confirm current details on their site before your students prepare.

What to Know

Categories: Acting, Musical Theatre, Design/Tech, Playwriting, Dance (new this year)

Registration: $15 per category, paid at registration. Students may audition in multiple categories (separate fee for each).

Key Dates

  • September 1 — Registration opens

  • November 25 — Registration deadline (late registration through December 5 with an additional fee)

  • December 5 — Playwriting submissions due

  • January 5 — Design/Tech portfolios due

  • December 15 — Audition schedule announced

  • January 15–16 — Auditions at MTSU, held during ThesCon

  • January 23 — Distinction lists announced

  • February 20 — All-State Conference & Distinction performances (attendance required for distinction)

Audition requirements at a glance:

  • Acting: one contemporary monologue, 1 minute max

  • Musical Theatre: one monologue plus a section of a musical theatre song, 90 seconds combined; live accompanist provided (bring marked sheet music, no tracks or a cappella)

  • Design/Tech: a 5 to 6 minute interview plus a digital portfolio and technical resume (portfolio due Jan 5)

  • Playwriting: original 10-page (max) script, submitted by Dec 5; no AI-assisted work

  • Dance: learn and perform provided choreography from a video sent in advance, in flights of four

No props are allowed for performance auditions, and students should not identify their school verbally or through clothing.

College fair & callbacks: Colleges attend in person, including 29 colleges from 9 states last year. Juniors and seniors receive callback notifications (via QR code) for on-the-spot conversations with college reps at the fair.

For full requirements, rubrics, and registration, visit tnallstate.com/auditions.