Auditions
Equity & Non-Equity Casting InformationGloucester Stage Company is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to submit. You can learn more about how our company is taking action build a more anti-racist culture online here: gloucesterstage.com/action-plan
Gloucester Stage Company remains committed to providing a safe environment for all of our volunteers, artists, and staff. We are proud adopters of the The Chicago Theatre Standards, and part of the #notinourhouse movement. Read more about the standards online here: gloucesterstage.com/standards
Creating theater this summer will not be normal – we are making significant investments in the safety of artists and staff to make in person performances possible. To learn more about Windhover Performing Arts Center, our outdoor venue, click here. A full artist-facing COVID safety plan will be presented to you before accepting an offer, you can find an overview online here.
Gloucester Stage Company 2023 Season Casting Call
In-Person Auditions for In-Person Performances
Gloucester Stage Company is a regional theatre in Gloucester, MA and produces shows under AEA’s New England Area Theatre (NEAT) – B6 Contract. It is GSC’s goal to create a collaborative and supportive environment for all artists to engage their process with curiosity and boldness. We strive to create and support inspiring conversations on and off the stage.
AUDITION INFORMATION
Gloucester Stage Company will conduct two in-person Equity Principal Auditions on Thursday, March 23rd, 2023 from 9:00am EST – 5:00pm EST in BOSTON at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre and on Monday, March 27th, 2023 from 9:00am EST – 5:00pm EST in GLOUCESTER at Gloucester Stage Company. Lunch will be taken from 1pm-2pm for both days.
To obtain a slot to audition in-person or to submit a video submission, please email auditions@gloucesterstage.com. We will respond with a google sign up form to gather your information and schedule an appointment.
Local actors are particularly encouraged to submit. Any actor who has previously auditioned for Gloucester Stage may alternatively submit an updated photo and resume pdf and identify which roles/shows for which you would like to be considered.
MATERIAL
Please prepare either two contrasting monologues from a play(s) of your choice or perform two sides from any of the available roles listed below. Sides will be provided ahead of the audition date. Auditions will be five(5) minutes long.
CONTRACT
NEAT B6 – $579 weekly
Non-Equity / Understudies – $15/hr
PERSONNEL IN ATTENDANCE
Rebecca Bradshaw (she/her)
Audition Reader
Audition Stage Manager
LOCATION
For Thursday, 3/23 – Auditions will be held in BOSTON at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre – 949 Commonwealth Ave, Boston MA 02215.
For Monday, 3/27 – Auditions will be held in GLOUCESTER at Gloucester Stage Company – 267 E Main St, Gloucester, MA 01930.
OTHER
In reference to the character descriptions below – most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with she/her and he/him pronouns and you will see that in the following descriptions. But however limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible and we invite gender noncomforming, genderqueer, transgender and nonbinary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. We have also listed race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities. In addition, we will list disability when specific to a character, but are otherwise seeking actors with disabilities as well as nondisabled actors for all roles. – Language borrowed from Emily Tarquin & Kevin Kantor of Actors Theatre of Louisville
All 2023 Stage Management positions have been filled; please submit for replacement only. Stage Management submissions can be sent to Claire Morse (she/her) at claire@gloucesterstage.com.
Production Breakdowns
PRIVATE LIVES
Playwright: Noël Coward
Director: Diego Arciniegas
ABOUT THE PLAY:
Tony Award and Drama Desk WINNER Best Revival. Honeymooning in 1920’s France with their new spouses, an ex-husband and wife find themselves next door at the same hotel. After days of being reunited, their fiery romance reignites. Despite their new spouses, a hilarious roundelay of affiliations ensues and new partnerships are formed.
First Rehearsal: 5/9/23
Tech Begins: 5/30/23
Previews: 6/2 & 6/3
Opening: 6/4/23
Closing: 6/25/23
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
AMANDA – Early 30s. Any race/ethnicity. Elegant, beautiful, volatile. Can turn from princess to fishwife on a dime. Doesn’t give a damn about “society”. British accent.
ELYOT – 30s to early 40s. Any race/ethnicity. Sophisticated, witty, slightly jaded except where Amanda is concerned. Has a volatile temper. Charming and sly. British accent.
SYBIL – Early 20s. Any race/ethnicity. Self-satisfied. Completely conventional English Rose. Stubborn as a mule. British accent.
VICTOR – 30s. Any race/ethnicity. Tweedy, pompous English gentleman. Utterly conventional. British accent.
LOUISE – Any age. Any race/ethnicity. Louise speaks French and the actor must have a perfect French accent. A plain maid. Needs a comedienne with physical talents.
All roles will be understudied. An intimacy director will be included in this process.
THE DING DONGS
Playwright: Brenda Withers
Director: Rebecca Bradshaw
ABOUT THE PLAY:
When sweet-faced strangers show up on a suburban doorstep, the tight-lipped homeowner finds their story suspicious: the house, they claim, was their childhood home and they’ve come in hopes of getting a quick peek around. As they cheerily muscle their way across the threshold, it becomes clear the couple has no intention of leaving.
Tech Begins: 8/8/23
Previews: 8/11 & 8/12
Opening: 8/13/23
Closing: 8/27/23
SEEKING UNDERSTUDIES ONLY. All roles have been cast.
JOE RAKATOA – 40s. Any race/ethnicity. One half of the couple that shows up on a stranger’s doorstep. Curious and leads from a place of wonder. He always tries to smooth things over, especially when his wife is coming on a little too strong.
NATALIE RAKATOA – 40s. Any race/ethnicity. One half of the couple that shows up on a stranger’s doorstep. Strong with a confident air. She is assertive and constantly calculating her next move.
REDELMO SMITH – 40s. Any race/ethnicity. The Every Man. Unsuspecting of strangers, but finds Natalie and Joe strange and slightly alarming. After his brother’s passing, he’s trying to find his footing as a new family man.
STEW
Playwright: Zora Howard
Director: Rosalind Bevan
ABOUT THE PLAY:
2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Drama. Three generations of women gather at their family home to cook and honor an anniversary together. Tensions simmer with all the Tucker women under one roof, and things come to a boil as the outside world begins to intrude upon the sanctity of Mama’s kitchen.
First Rehearsal: 6/13/23
Tech Begins: 7/3/23
Previews: 7/7 & 7/8
Opening: 7/9/23
Closing: 7/23/23
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
LIL’ MAMA – a Black girl in her pre-teens. Lillian’s daughter. Drama with a capital ‘D’ – Full of questions – Precocious.
NELLY – a Black girl soon to be eighteen. Lillian’s younger sister and Mama’s daughter. Wants to be grown so badly. Would much rather be with her boyfriend than here. Isn’t afraid to get in her older sister’s business.
LILLIAN – a Black woman in her thirties. Mama’s eldest daughter and Lil’ Mama’s mother. Holds a lot close to the vest and works hard to appear like she has it all together. Worried about Mama’s health.
MAMA – a mature Black woman. Don’t ask her age. The matriarch of this family and this is her kitchen so she’s in charge. Has high expectations of her family. Determined.
All roles will be understudied.
TALL TALES FROM BLACKBURN TAVERN
Playwright: John Minigan
Director: Bryn Boice
ABOUT THE PLAY:
In celebration of Gloucester’s 400+ Celebration, Gloucester Stage has commissioned playwright John Minigan to write TALL TALES FROM BLACKBURN TAVERN, based on folklore from Gloucester’s 400-year history. A world premiere of epic proportions, this play brings to life the infamous Gloucester Sea Serpent, the unheard-of Ghost Army of 1712 fought off by Ebenezer Babson, and the secrets from the Witches of Dogtown. A devised piece employing projections and puppetry to tell these larger-than-life fish tales, audiences of all ages will revel in the magic of this community’s oral history.
Rehearsals Begin: 8/8/23
Tech Begins: 8/29/23
Previews: 9/1 & 9/2
Opening: 9/3/23
Closing: 9/24/23
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
Four malleable ensemble members to explore the wicked and the wickedly funny. True storytellers that can fully embody a wide-range of characters. There is currently a moment of a capella singing as well as puppetry included in the play, so we’d love to know if you have any specialized skills – however weird or irrelevant they may seem. Any age. Any race/ethnicity.
All roles will be understudied.