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Auditions

Auditions for our fall productions will take place within the first day or so of the fall semester.  Details will be announced closer to that time.

  • Performance majors are required to audition for ALL productions. 
  • Our auditions are open, meaning anyone can audition. You don’t have to be a theatre major. Community members may audition also with the understanding that priority in casting will go to students.
  • Most of our auditions require prepared material. If you are not a theatre student and don’t know how to prepare and present the requested material, usually something will be supplied to you to read. Theatre majors, however, are required to prepare according to the requirements for a given audition. In the case of plays requiring very specific skills such as singing in a musical, auditionees are highly encouraged to prepare the appropriate material.

Audition Information and Tips

  • When it comes to auditions, one of the few things in your control is your level of preparation.  Reading the play is, arguably, the most important thing you can do to prepare. The plays are available from bookstores, online vendors and/or the play publishers. 
  •  It is the expectation that all performance students audition for all shows. Our auditions are designed to provide a variety of audition experiences so take advantage of these experiences right from the start. Every audition is one more step toward becoming comfortable with the process. In addition, it allows the faculty to see your work right away.
  • Take care not to “type” yourself at this point. Prepare, come on out and let the directors decide what you are “right for.” Certainly, if there is a role you are dying to play, or you are “perfect for,” shoot for that, but keep an open mind and don’t allow the attitude of “all these characters are older and I am only 18” stop you from coming to auditions. In university theatre the plays are produced to give you the opportunity to work on them.
  • Auditions are intimidating. Talk to the upperclassmen; use the performance faculty as a resource to answer your questions. However, no matter how much inquiry you make there will be no substitute for doing your personal preparation –reading the scripts, looking up unfamiliar words/references, making choices, being familiar with what the director is looking for (read audition notices carefully), getting rest, planning to dress appropriately, knowing where you are going and arriving early to sign in, warm up, etc.
  • It is smart to attend the first night of auditions if at all possible.
  • Once you are in the audition it is important to listen to instructions, have a positive attitude, be flexible when the unexpected happens, focus on what you are doing, and, of course, that age-old challenge…allow yourself to be at ease so you can do your best work.

Audition Announcements

THE TOTALITARIANS

By Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
Directed by Brandon Smith

When: Sunday, November 17th at 3:00 PM and Monday, November 18th at 6:30 PM

Where: Artis Room 352

What: The Totalitarians captures what extent people will go to in order to achieve their own desires, even if it means hurting a loved one in the process. Prepare by reading The Totalitarians. The initial audition is a memorized 1-2 minute contemporary comedic or dramatic monologue. Callbacks will take place following Monday night’s monologue auditions. Some reading from the script may take place after Sunday’s initial monologue auditions.

Seeking:  4 performers with a great sense of comedy willing to dive into the insane world and content of this play.

Characters:

Francine: female/female presenting, mid-30s – early 40s, a campaign manager, uptight, driven. Believes she has been cheated out of the career she deserves. Wife of Jeffrey. The actor playing Francine engages in theatrical intimacy with the actors playing Jeffrey and Penny.

Jeffrey: male/male presenting, mid-30s – early 40s, a doctor, tentative, gullible, caring. Has been working the same job and had the same life for more than 12 years, feels it’s time for change. The actor playing Jeffrey engages in theatrical intimacy with the actors playing Francine, Penny, and Ben.

Penny: female/female presenting, mid-40s -50s, impulsive, watchable, not very smart. Former roller derby champion mother of four-turned political candidate. Believes she is about to give her life meaning. The actor playing Penny engages in theatrical intimacy with the actors playing Jeffrey and Francine.

Ben: male/male presenting, early/mid-20s, aspiring activist, stubborn, explosive, ill. Young and full of energy and conspiracy theories. Victim of past childhood trauma and seeking revenge. The actor playing Ben engages in theatrical intimacy with the actor playing Jeffrey.

Again, the best way to fully understand the requirements of the roles is to read the play.

All moments of intimacy will be carefully choreographed. Consent and respect for the actors’ boundaries will be a foundational part of our daily practice and in the collaborative development, rehearsals, and performance of intimate scenes and theatrical violence.

Further information: Use the link below to access The Totalitarians audition announcement. Please direct any questions to Brandon Smith at bssmith2@radford.edu, or Wesley Young at wyoung@radford.edu. 

Stop Kiss

By Diana Son
Directed by Robyn Berg

WHEN:  Tuesday November 19 at 6:00pm and Wednesday November 20 at 6:00pm.  Callbacks will take place on Wednesday immediately following initial auditions, at roughly 7:00pm.  You are HIGHLY encouraged to attend the first night of auditions.  

WHERE:  Artis Center Mainstage, Radford University

WHAT:  After Callie, a jaded New Yorker, meets Sara, a visiting elementary school teacher, the two unexpectedly fall in love. Their first kiss in a public park in New York City provokes a violent attack that transforms their lives in a way they could never anticipate. Told through a series of poignant, nonlinear vignettes, Stop Kiss is a beautiful meditation on the nuances of queer relationships.  

Please come with a memorized 1-2 minute contemporary comedic or dramatic monologue.  Please bring your complete class/work/life schedule for Jan 21, 2025 – April 13, 2025.  Please also be prepared to answer questions on the audition form related to your personal boundaries.  The subject matter is sensitive, moments of intimacy are required for some characters and the play has profanity.   PLEASE READ THE PLAY ahead of time to be best prepared. 

SEEKING:  6-7 actors.  Script notes the cast should reflect the ethnic diversity of New York City.   Roles include: 

Callie: late 20’s to early 30’s, strong but messy, wants to get her life together but is struggling to do so, savvy, sarcastic, clever, guarded.

Sara: mid-20’s to early 30’s, mousy but tough, wants to be even stronger, left paralyzed after the attack, intelligent, shy, curious, open.

George: late 20’s to early 30’s, Callie’s “friend with benefits,” headstrong, loud, passionate.

Peter: mid-20’s to early 30’s, Sara’s ex but still in love with her, romantic, naive, jealous, conservative.

Mrs. Winsley: early 40’s to early 50’s, a witness to the attack, supportive, observant, inquisitive.

Detective Cole: late 30’s to mid-40’s, assigned to investigate the attack, clinical, persistent, meticulous

Nurse: late 30’s to mid-40’s, tired, kind, understanding 

Please direct any questions to Robyn Berg at rberg3@radford.edu

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