What’s Different About This Year’s Shiki Theatre Audition?

Hi everyone, I’m Mayu.

Applications for the Shiki Theatre Company auditions have started!

There is a pretty significant difference compared with last year.

Last year, they were only recruiting trainees, so experienced performers who could step directly into professional roles weren’t being accepted.

This year, however, it looks like they are accepting both trainees and experienced professionals.

The trainee program is for applicants aged 25 or younger, so if you’re over 25, the experienced-performer route may be your only option.

However, even for experienced performers, I’ve heard that the annual number of hires can be as low as one person, and usually no more than three.

So, it’s an extremely competitive audition.

There have also been some major changes to the application process and requirements this year.

One of the new features is an internship program for candidates who pass the main audition.

According to the official website, candidates who make it through the main selection will join the company for one week.

It sounds somewhat like a trial period.

Then, based on how they perform during that week, the final hiring decision will be made afterward.

So, why would they introduce a system like this?

Let’s think about it.

Under Japanese employment law, once a company hires someone, it can’t simply fire them immediately.

In the entertainment industry, fixed-term contracts and contract renewals are common, so once a company hires someone, there are still obligations associated with employing that person during the initial contract period.

And of course, the Shiki Theatre Company is also a business.

From a company’s perspective, continuing to employ someone when they realize that hiring that person was a mistake can become a significant burden.

During an audition, the company can carefully evaluate your technical abilities.

But it’s difficult to fully understand someone’s personality, attitude, and everyday behavior during just a few hours of auditions.

So, my interpretation is that this one-week internship gives the company an opportunity to see what a candidate is really like in a professional working environment.

Of course, some people might think,

“It’s only one week. How much can they really learn about me?”

But believe me, one week is plenty of time to notice things like how you greet people, how you behave, how you speak to others, and how professionally you conduct yourself.

If those things aren’t already part of your everyday behavior, it will become obvious very quickly.

That’s why, as performers, we need to work not only on our technical skills, but also on becoming professionals in the way we behave and conduct ourselves every day.

The online application period is already over, but you still have time before the preliminary audition.

So, make sure you work on those aspects of yourself as well, not just your singing, dancing, or acting.

Your technical skills may get you into the room.

But your professionalism is what can make people want to work with you.

Good luck with your audition!

Mayu