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ThinkTank Theatre's
Young Artists’ Ensemble Intern Company
Info to Know!!!
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Are you ready to take your theater training to the next level?
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Who we are:
ThinkTank Theatre is Tampa Bay’s professional theatre company dedicated to creating high-quality theatrical productions and programs for our target audience – Tampa Bay’s Young adults and families!
What is the YAE:
Our Young Artists’ Ensemble (YAE) is a group of high school students from around the Tampa Bay Area who work with ThinkTank in an internship capacity. We are specifically looking for talented young performance and production track individuals to serve as members of our YAE Company for the remainder of our 25/26 season and on into our 26/27 season! As a YAE member, you’ll have the opportunity to rehearse, understudy, perform, direct, design, stage manage and so much more alongside those theatre professionals employed in ThinkTank’s Main Stage Productions. There are many incredible experiences that come with being part of the YAE Company, but the most significant is gaining a network of theatre professionals available to mentor you as you venture from high school to beyond
YAE Member Scarlett Sofia (right) as Helena with cast member Georgios Tsambis in our November 2025 production of
A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Click YAE Logo to meet our current YAE Company
YAE Member Ashlin Sullivan (C) in our May 2025 production of Songs for a New World
Guidelines and other Registration Info for Auditions/Interviews:​
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Audition or Presentation/Interview:
All those participating in the YAE Company Auditions or Presentations/Interviews should secure an interview time. Auditions/Interviews will take place at Lab Athletics Dance Studio located on S. MacDill Ave. on Saturday, April 11th, 2026 from 12:30 - 4:00pm. Walk-up slots are not available. (See info packets below for further details)
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Age Requirement:
Those auditioning/interviewing must be a current 9th – 12th grader and at least 14 years of age by April 11th, 2026.
(Current 8th graders are not eligible to audition for the YAE Company.)
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Forms:
Please download the information packets via the tabs just below the "What happens after your Audition/Interview" section. Those auditioning or presenting/interviewing will need to complete a YAE Company Info Form and a Parental Consent Form. These are included in the info packets.
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Expectation:
Each audition/interview will take approximately 15 minutes. When you email for an audition time, please request a time between 12:30 - 2:30pm or 2:30pm - 4:00pm. (You may also say anytime works for you.) If you are unavailable to attend the in-person session on April 11th , you may email and request a virtual audition/interview option. All this information is included in the audition/interview forms below.
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Email Contact: Education@ThinkTankTYA.org
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Please check out the Frequently Asked Questions Section below.
YAE Member Sofia Acosta performing "Nothing" from
A Chorus Line at our
March 2026 Spring Cabaret.
YAE Member Rook Narvarte serving as the Stage Manager during rehearsals for our staged reading of My Tree alongside director John M. Perez presented at our 5th Annual Playwrights Festival in August 2025
YAE Member Anny DePolis as Snug in our November 2025 production of
A Midsummer Night's Dream
What happens after your Audition/Interview?
Offers:
We will begin making offers the week of April 20th. If offered a spot, the deadline to accept is Monday, April 27th.
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Investment:
There is yearly program fee – $350 – that can be paid in two parts: $175 by May 4th and the remaining $175 by May 18th. This yearly fee allows us to cover the cost of insurance, help with promotions and assist with budgeting for YAE members cast in our professional shows and other YAE production opportunities! There is no cost to audition. Scholarship Opportunities are available.
Performance and Production Opportunities:
New members are eligible to take part in our spring New Play Festival, our staged reading of Number the Stars in collaboration with the Florida Holocaust Museum and our summer Tandem Series production of The SpongeBob Musical with freeFall Theatre. These productions and events will take place throughout the months of May - August of 2026 and we are in the process of planning our 26/27 season. YAE members get the opportunity to be part of each of these productions and projects!
YAE Members Kylan Cotton, Mary Pope, Audrey Daniels, Erin Gordon, and Anny DePolis in our March 2026 Spring Cabaret Performance
YAE Members Skye Stockard, Ashlin Sullivan, Abbey Yokum, Audrey Daniels, Ava Zeinteck and cast member Samantha Bolling with our visiting playwrights for our 5th Annual Playwrights Festival Showcase reading of
Camp Cattywampus
YAE Member Skye Stockard as Peasblossom in our November 2025 Production of
A Midsummer Night's Dream. Skye also served as the Assistant Director on the play.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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- When it says the YAE is an apprenticeship, what does that mean? It means we focus on the professional setting. When you come to rehearsals or perform with ThinkTank, you are working as one of our professionals. This is not a classroom type experience by any means. We expect that you will continue educational growth outside of these rehearsal/performance opportunities with classes you might be taking at your school, through other educational theatre programs, or through private study.​
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- Do I have to be involved in all of ThinkTank’s productions? That’s the beauty of being a company member. If you can be involved, we will make sure you are part of the production; if you can’t be involved, no worries. You still get the all the benefits of being a YAE member and we’ll see you for the next one! Plus, there are lots of ways to be involved in the show from a producing standpoint, as well. We can always use help with house management, social media, working or subbing backstage for a show, etc.
- What will happen in rehearsals and when will they be? We rehearse like other professional companies here in the Tampa area. For our Main Stage Productions, the commitment is usually 5 to 6 weeks. For a typical production, weeks 1-3 are for rehearsal, week 4 focuses on Tech and Opening Weekend, and weeks 5 and 6 are for the run of the show. Generally, our rehearsal schedule for week 1 - week 3 is Tuesday - Friday 6:30 – 10:00 pm (if possible, YAE are released early), and Saturdays from 12:00 - 5:00pm. Sometimes we use Sundays as well. Tech week usually includes lengthier rehearsals, but dates are given well in advance, and we prepare our YAE for the heavier workload involved in this week. We also have opportunities for Understudy Performances which require some extra rehearsal time during week 5 to prepare for those performances! Our Cabaret Series and Playwrights Festival have a slightly modified rehearsal schedule, and the time commitment is generally 1 to 2 weeks.
- I’m a senior. Can I still audition? Absolutely! There is a discount available for those who are seniors, graduating in 2026, who are interested in auditioning.
- I’m an 8th grader. Can I audition? Unfortunately, no. All YAE Company Members need to be current high school students. This ensures that all YAE Members will have time to be involved in our program, because our schedule takes into consideration other high school activities that you may be involved in.
- I don’t have a lot of theatre experience can I still audition? Yes! We love young people who have an earnest interest in theatre and what it means to work professionally in this field!
- Can I earn Bright Futures hours through the YAE? Yes, you can! We have guidelines on how to qualify service hours for the time you spend with ThinkTank during a production.
- What if I’m interested in multiple areas? We love when our YAE want to experience multiple production platforms and yes there is opportunity to do so. For your audition or presentation/interview you’ll have to select one area – performance or production. During your interview, we can certainly chat about serving in multiple areas and what experiences you might have in each.
YAE Company Members Erin Gordon, Tavo Perez, Rio Ricardo, Julianna Spataro and Yara Amani take part in the talkback for our 5th Annual Playwrights Festival Showcase Finalist Remembering Margot in August 2025.
YAE Member Alex Butts performs "Grow for Me" from Little Shop of Horrors at our March 2026 Spring Cabaret
YAE Company Members Jonah Gamson (R), Erin Gordon (Center R), Scarlett Sofia (Center Back), and Ashlin Sullivan (Center L) take advantage of a break with other cast and production team members during rehearsals for our May 2025 production of Songs for a New World.
