What's this all about?

We thought you'd never ask! Click over here and read our story!

Who is eligible?

Adult (18+) artists who did NOT participate in the 2025 TCIAs, who reside in the greater Chicagoland area and are not currently enrolled in school (including high school, undergraduate, or graduate level).

If you are building your performing career in the Chicagoland area, we want to meet you!

How do I apply?

Applications Open NOW!

NO LATE APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED.

Applicants who correctly complete their application will receive their application status via email.

You'll get an email that says you are INVITED TO AUDITION, WAITLISTED, or ENCOURAGED TO APPLY NEXT YEAR. ​

If your headshot/resume submission is NOT formatted correctly to the specifications listed below, you will NOT receive ANY email that confirms your application status. NO exceptions.

It is in your best interest to follow directions.

Format Your Headshot & Resume Correctly With The Steps Below

Questions You Might Have...

ARE TCIAs AN ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE EVENT?​

We do hope so. We're still learning and open to suggestions. On your application, we'll ask you how we can make the space, audition experience, and event accessible to you. We'll have Certified ASL interpreters if needed, and volunteers to assist with building access throughout the day, accessibility signage for attendees and volunteers behind the scenes, all-gender restrooms, and both casting professionals and in-room personnel will have audition rosters with your pronouns.

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You are important to us.

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WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA?​​

• You must be at least 18 years old;

• You are not a student (high school, undergraduate, and graduate programs all apply);

• You are a resident of the Chicagoland area with residency in the state of Illinois.​

• You did not participate in 2025 TCIAs

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CAN I GET SOME DEETS ON THE AUDITION ITSELF?

Of course!

This is not an all-day endeavor. YAY!

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Those invited to attend will receive a guaranteed audition appointment at a specified time. Your audition is 90 seconds with a hard stop, but the time is yours to use as you please. You could do a monologue, a movement piece, share a story, or something else we aren’t saying. The room is yours to command and we want to see anything that makes you feel the most YOU. If you aren’t sure what to do, a monologue is always a beautiful option.

If you choose to do something musical, please note we will not have an accompanist or a way for you to play music. So stick to your favorite a cappella options.

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You will NOT need to provide a physical HS/R on the day of the audition. Our casting professionals will receive digital notebooks with a color thumbnail of your lovely face and a place to take notes on your brand of awesome.

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HOW DOES TCIA DETERMINE THE FINAL LIST OF INVITED ACTORS?

Each application is evaluated by the entire committee and we come to a consensus. This ensures that there is no one person who can guarantee or deny an actor an appointment. The time at which you submitted your application has no bearing on whether you're invited to attend -- unless you submitted it PAST the deadline. We seek a final audition roster that represents the spectrum of identities, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences that make Chicago a beautiful place to create art.

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CAN I GET INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK ON MY APPLICATION?

Sorry, you can't. Just like in the real world, we will not provide individual feedback on any application, so please don't email us asking for it.

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HOW IS TCIA FUNDED?

We purposefully do not charge our actors a fee to participate, but this event does cost us money to present. We rely on community contributions and sponsors to help us make this happen. If you would like to become one of our sponsors please click here for our sponsorship packet.

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​​MY THEATRE WASN'T INVITED. CAN WE PARTICIPATE?

​We have limited space available. Please reach out via email with inquiries about attending TCIA 2026.

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YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION. UGH!

We'd love to, though! Email us and we’ll get back to you.

Special thanks to our partners in joy, Bramble Arts Loft!

The space they provide make this day the most incredible day!

The Space