2025 Women In Theatre, New Play Festival Auditions

Festival Coordinators: Anika Thompson and Jess Hughes

Directors: Shea Callaghan, Kay Capasso, Lou Divine, Penny Olson, Molly O'Neill, Cortney Schmidkunz,  Hannah Siedlecki, AJ Valentine

Duluth Playhouse is excited to announce auditions for our Women In Theatre New Play Festival! Performers may be cast in multiple roles depending on availability. All actors cast in the festival will receive a stipend for their participation. Housing is not provided. More details will be provided upon casting.

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity and welcome performers of all races, genders, abilities, and backgrounds to audition. 

AUDITION DETAILS:

• Dates: Sunday, April 27th
• Location: Auditions will be held in person at the NorShor Theatre Rehearsal Studios located at 211 E. Superior St. Duluth, MN 55802. Please enter through the “Lights on Duluth” door located next to the Box Office.
• Time: 2 pm - 5 pm. Sign up for a 5-minute slot. You may be asked to stick around and cold read sides.
• Preparation: Please prepare a short monologue (1-2 minutes) from a contemporary play.
• Sign Up: https://signup.com/go/VgOAnJF
• Audition Form: Please fill out THIS FORM

VIDEO SUBMISSION 

If you cannot attend auditions, please send in a video submission to womenintheatre@duluthplayhouse.org no later than Friday, April 25th at 12pm. Video submissions must include: 

• Video Audition: Please prepare a short monologue (1-2 minutes). You can send a Youtube, Vimeo, Google Drive, or Dropbox link.
• Headshot and Resume: Please email a resume and picture of yourself. 
• Audition Form: Please fill out THIS FORM  

REHEARSAL DATES & TIMES

Starting May 5th as determined by director & cast

With team: Tech Week: June 2-4; Invited Dress: June 5 at 7:30pm

PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES

June 6 at 7:30pm

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

Our beloved New Play Festival, formerly known as What She Said, is undergoing a transformation to better reflect its core mission of elevating the voices of women artists. This new name encapsulates the essence of what we aim to achieve—a platform dedicated to showcasing the brilliance of women playwrights staged by local women directors. The Women in Theatre, New Play Festival is a celebration of diversity, creativity, and the power of women's voices in the world of theatre.

AVAILABLE ROLES‍

The following are the available roles across our selected plays:

The Ascension of Maxi

• Maxi – An adult woman of any race.
• Multi – An adult woman of any race. Plays multiple roles: Announcer, Bodyguard, Kathy, Barbara, Janice, and God Maybelline.
  

G-Complex

• Person A (The Creator) – A young man facing the challenges of creating a story. He has many ideas but is ultimately clueless.
• Person B (The Creation/The Character) – A young woman experiencing everything for the first time… or is she?
  

Days of Awe

• Gabriel – Male, middle-aged or older.
• Eve – Female, middle-aged or older.
  

I Watched My Mother Die Before She Died (Monologue)

• Woman – Any age.
  

Life Corps

• Monica Duncan – Female, 30-45. A caged animal. Tense, impulsive, passionate, impatient, decisive. A single mother to a toddler.
• Crane – Female, 30-60. A corporate attorney. Polished, confident, quick-witted, and a consummate professional.
• Perdu – Female, 25-45. An overworked pro bono attorney who has lost the luxury of compassion.
• Judge Dinah Cato – Female, 50-80. Intellectual, bored, and privileged. Adjudicating the same case repeatedly has made her numb.

Bumper Suit

• Poppy – A woman artist, dreamer, 20s-60s. Any race. Preferably luscious and fat—no fat suits, pillows, or padding allowed.
• Keanu – Poppy’s dream. Male, 20s-50s, any race. Sweet and earnest. Might or might not resemble Keanu Reeves.
• Deadman – Poppy’s nightmare. Any gender, race, or age. A mannequin or dummy she keeps close, always.

Best Supporting Actress

• Millie – Female, 20s-30s. Works in an office. Pensive and a little shy.
• Jennifer – Female, 20s-40s. A fairly new hire, a natural leader, older than Millie.
• Greg – Male, 20s-30s. Works in an office and is dealing with a lot right now.
• Nathan – Male, 20s-40s. Greg’s mentor and friend, possibly older than Greg.
• Tanya – Female, 20s-40s. Greg’s girlfriend. Great style, funny, and loving.
  

Sorry About the Galvanism

• Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin – Female, 19. A writer, thinker, sarcastic, and clever.
• Percy Shelley – Male, 24. A poet, Mary’s fiancé, and the glue of the friend group.
• Lord Byron – Male, 28. A poet and general wildcard, always ready to go head-to-head with Mary for fun and sport.
• Doctor Polidori – Male, 21. A physician and writer. Smart but also a scaredy cat.
  
  

For more information, please contact womenintheatre@duluthplayhouse.org.

Join us in bringing these incredible new works to life on stage! We can’t wait to see you at auditions!