They rock Collis, they shake The Hop, but before they find their place in the spotlight, the superstars of Dartmouth's many performing groups go through a rigorous audition process that few of the less artistically inclined members of campus know about.
During the first week of classes while most students were settling in, over 100 Dartmouth students auditioned for a few extremely competitive spots in student-run performing groups.
Always a campus favorite, the six a cappella groups had over 90 students vying for membership, but most of the groups were only seeking between two and four new members.
The same was true for the campus sketch-comedy troupes, Casual Thursday and The Dog Day Players, who each chose three or four recruits out of over 40 total applicants.
Each group was looking for different talents during the 16 hours of a capella auditions, but Decibelles president Meredith McGowan '04 said that most groups looked for performers in certain vocal ranges, voices they believed were teachable and voices that would blend well with their group.
Despite a decrease in the quantity of male auditions -- about 40 this year compared to 60 in 2001 -- Paul "Bub" Cathcart '03 of The Aires claimed that the decisions were not any easier, as the quality of the men was unusually high.
Casual Thursday chose members who fit well with their fast-paced shorter skits and games, and who blended with their existing members to create a group that could act well with each other on stage.
Colin Murray '04, business manager of The Dog Day Players, said that his troupe looked for talented actors who could rise to the challenge of their longer skits. Murray also said that The Dog Day Players pride themselves on being a diverse group of students and do not look for any specific type of person
Several of the dance groups are still in the process of, or are still preparing for auditions. Sheba, Jumpstart and Fusion don't coordinate auditions, but they all have very competitive admissions, especially for female dancers.
Hillary Cain '04, a member of the swing-dancing group Jumpstart, said that the most important factor in auditions is general dancing talent, even if it a candidate is not well trained in the group's particular form of dance. She added that only about 20 percent of their members entered Dartmouth with swing experience.
