Nauvoo Productions, under the direction of the Church’s Missionary Department, is now accepting applications for the summer 2018 Young Performing Missionary program in Nauvoo, Illinois.
The YPM opportunity is open to young men and women, ages 18 to 25. Each year, 24 stage missionaries, 4 to 6 tech missionaries, and 16 to 18 brass band members are selected through a rigorous audition process and will receive a four-month Church-service mission call to the Illinois Nauvoo Mission, assigned to serve in Nauvoo. Applications for summer 2018 (May 4 through Aug. 15, 2018) are now being accepted and processed through Nov. 30, 2017.
Stage
Stage YPMs sing, dance, and act in seven separate productions in addition to entertaining on the streets of historic Nauvoo. They also participate as dancers for the Nauvoo Pageant during the month of July.
All YPMs must be in excellent physical and mental health, as they are required to consistently put in 12- to 14-hour performance days, 7 days a week for the entire season, with very little downtime.
Band
Band YPMs perform on a horse-drawn bandwagon throughout the streets of Nauvoo. They also participate in stage shows, give daily concerts, and participate in the Nauvoo Pageant.
Tech
Tech missionaries are responsible for stage management, setting and running lighting and sound, and overseeing all technical aspects of each performance.
Applicants are asked to submit a full audition application, including a YouTube video. Between 300 and 400 applications are received each year. From these initial packets, 50 stage applicants and 40 to 50 band applicants are invited to participate in a full-day call-back audition, at the conclusion of which the final YPM candidates will be selected for the summer 2018 season.
All YPMs are called as LDS Church-service missionaries, which means that once they are selected, they must obtain an ecclesiastical recommend and complete service missionary application documents. They are expected to live in mission companionships, abide by all mission rules, and provide their own financial support (outside of travel, which is provided).
Interested applicants can find more information, as well as the application, online at www.historicnauvoo.net under “Participate YPMs.”