a test of the performance capability of a person, to ascertain fitness for a particular task; in sports, a test by which the fitness of a player or contestant to remain in a certain class is determined.
one or more performances of a play prior to the official opening, held at a location outside of the city where it is to be formally presented, conducted for the purpose of determining audience response or ascertaining weaknesses needing correction.
Preparatory run to check or test equipment, lubricant, stock, tools, or methods prior to a production run. Production tryout is run with tools previously approved; new die tryout is run with new tools not previously approved.
Tryout is a term referring to a legitimate theatre show being tried out of town first for possible revisions and evaluation before heading to Broadway or the West End. The Shubert Theatre (New Haven) is a famous example of a theatre traditionally specializing in such tryouts for Broadway.