Theatre Auditions and Casting

Theatre Auditions

Each year, College of Liberal Arts’ Theatre Arts Program and NTID's Performing Arts Program offer numerous exciting opportunities to audition for plays from a wide range of theatre genres and styles, including comedies, dramas, musicals, and classics.

If you have any questions about auditions or need more information, contact:

Andy Head
Assistant Professor
School of Performing Arts
College of Liberal Arts

CLA Theatre Arts Program Director

Jill Bradbury
Department Chair
NTID Department for Performing Arts
National Technical Institute for the Deaf

NTID Performing Arts Department Chair

Upcoming Auditions

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority has been to offer exciting and innovative productions while also maintaining the safety of our students and audiences. Last year's 2021-22 season saw the exciting return of live theatre to our stages. As we hope the pandemic fades further from our lives, we've created a 2022-23 season that offers a little bit of everything. We can't predict what challenges lie on the horizon, but we are still here, and we will be here with you, continuing to create theatre in this ever-changing landscape.

Ordinary Days

Ordinary Days
Written by Adam Gwon
Music and Lyrics by Adam Gwon
Directed by Kelley Holley

Production Dates: March 31-April 2, 2023
Production Location: University Gallery, James E. Booth Hall

Ordinary Days is a portrayal of four New Yorkers who lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love and cabs. When the ever-optimistic Warren finds Deb’s notes for her grad thesis, the two set in motion a series of events that not only change their lives, but the lives of fellow New Yorkers Claire and Jason. When Deb loses her most precious possession—the notes to her graduate thesis—she unwittingly starts a chain of events that turns the ordinary days of four New Yorkers into something extraordinary. Told through a series of intricately connected songs and vignettes, Ordinary Days is an original musical about growing up and enjoying the view.

Watch the Ordinary Days audition video here!


AUDITIONS:
Auditions will take place on Friday, January 20 from 6-10pm in the Student Alumni Union (SAU), room A130, on RIT’s campus. Interpreters will be provided.

No appointments necessary. Please arrive at your convenience between 6-10pm. Email Kelley (kthspa@rit.edu) if you’d like to request a copy of the script for review.

Please prepare a one-minute section of the song of your choice in English or American Sign Language.


CALLBACKS: 
Callback notifications will be sent out Friday night after auditions and you will be notified via email if you have received a callback.

Callbacks will take place on Saturday, January 21, 12-6pm in the Student Alumni Union (SAU), room A130, on RIT’s campus. The callbacks will consist of cold readings from the script. Interpreters will be provided.


REHEARSALS: starting on Friday, January 27. Rehearsals will be 3-4 times a week. Actors will be called for rehearsals only when they are in the scenes rehearsed that day.
TECH: March 27-29
SHOW: March 30- April 2

Please note: you cannot miss any tech rehearsals.


CHARACTER BREAKDOWN: This production will utilize a combination of Deaf and hearing actors working together to create characters. Doubling of roles as well as double casting may be used for various characters.

Warren: Tenor. An optimistic artist assistant in his 20s. Warren is the heart of the play, helping other characters like Deb to see the beauty in what first appeared to be ordinary and dull. Warren is idealistic and sometimes naïve. This role has great comedic moments but also is very sincere.

Deb: Mezzo-Soprano. Deb is a grad student currently writing her thesis on Virginia Woolf. Unlike Warren, Deb leans towards cynicism. She’s never quite satisfied and tends to give up when things aren’t living up to her hopes. She can be brisk and opinionated, and quick to judge, but finds a meaningful friendship in Warren, who opens her up to a new perspective on the world. She is in her 20s.

Claire: Soprano. Claire’s boyfriend Jason is moving in with her, but she’s feeling reluctant. While she originally says it’s because she’s concerned about sharing space, she must actually face trauma in her past before moving forward with Jason now. Claire’s songs are amongst the most memorable and emotionally powerful of the show. She serves as its musical heart. She can be quick to frustration and is perhaps tinged with sadness, though she has a strong bond with Jason and enjoys their time together. She is in her 30s.

Jason: Tenor. Jason is eager to move in with his girlfriend, Claire. He is the instigator of this move and is eager to move their relationship forward. He however can’t seem to penetrate the wall she’s defensively created around her emotions. He sees himself as a romantic. Unlike other characters, he knows exactly who he is and is confident in his life choices. He is in his 30s.

CASTING NOTE: Although the gender of the characters may not be altered, auditions and casting are open to all students, staff, and faculty regardless of gender identity.

If you have questions, please email Kelley at kthspa@rit.edu.

Deaf Republic

Deaf Republic
Written by Ilya Kaminsky

Production Dates: April 14-16, 2023
Production Location: TBC

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read—a partnership with Arts Midwest—broadens our understanding of our world, our neighbors, and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience. By showcasing diverse themes, voices, and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in each community. Contact Joseph Fox jwfnpa@rit.edu 585-662-3652


AUDITIONS:
Auditions will take place on Friday, January 20 from 6-9pm and Saturday, January 21 from 10am-2pm in Lyndon Baines Johnson Hall, Room 2590, on RIT’s campus.

Auditions Deaf/HOH/strong ASL roles: Two female-representing; one male-presenting; eight gender flexible.
Voicing/ensemble roles: Five to seven gender flexible. Hearing status unimportant but must be able to voice clearly.
Ensemble roles: Five to seven gender flexible, hearing status unimportant. Pantomime/gestural performance (no lines).

Contact us at ntidperformingarts@rit.edu to receive an ASL translation video to help you prepare for the audition.

Theatre Casting

Ordinary Days Cast List

Deb........................................Alison Maselek
Warren........................................Declan McHale
Claire........................................Gabriela Rivera Araujo
Jason........................................Will Buxton
Swing........................................H Rose
Swing........................................Kira Welker