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Casting & Auditions

The Western Stage is committed to inclusive casting practices. We believe in the value that diverse voices bring to telling a story, and the importance of casting that pushes against historical systems. Artists of all ethnicities, genders, and abilities are encouraged to audition.

In-Person Auditions

Call back auditions are scheduled for March 12th. Please continue to submit video auditions. Check back soon for current casting. 

Video Auditions


Video auditions are being accepted for the 2023 season. Prepare two contrasting songs (uptempo and ballad) and/or monolouge, along with your headshot and resume to be considered.

 

Upload your resume and headshot to the form linked below. For videos, first upload your video to a host site, like YouTube or Vimeo, and add the link to the form. Make sure your video is not set to private and is no longer than 3 minutes.

Submit a video audition HERE.

Young Company: The Selfish Shellfish

Book, Music & Lyrics by David Wood

HS apprentices for directing/design teams

Actors ages 10- 13

Boot Camp: February 6 - 19 (required)

Rehearsal Dates: February 21 – April 2

Conflict Cutoff: April 4

Tech Start Date: April 11

Performance Dates: April 15, 16, 22, 23

Sondheim Tribute Revue

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim 

Rehearsal Dates: April 25 – May 25

Conflict Cutoff: May 16

Tech Start Date: May 25

Performance Dates: June 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25

By special arrangement with Music Theatre International (mtishows.com)

A customizable revue featuring the work of the incomparable Stephen Sondheim, widely acknowledged as the most innovative, most influential and most important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history. Song selections from over 20 titles from the Sondheim songbook, including Anyone Can Whistle, Assassins, Company, Follies, The Frogs, A Funny Thing Happened…, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Merrily We Roll Along, Pacific Overtures, Passion, Road Show, Saturday Night, Sunday in the Park with

George and Sweeney Todd. Sondheim Tribute Revue is for experienced, advanced singers. If interested in auditioning for this show, please choose a song excerpt from one of the shows listed as one of your audition songs.

Saturday Night

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Anyone Can Whistle

Company

Follies

A Little Night Music

The Frogs

Pacific Overtures

Sweeney Todd

Merrily We Roll Along

Sunday in The Park with George

Into The Woods

Assassin

Passion

Road Show

Pages On Stage

Titles To Be Announced Shortly

Title 1: 

Rehearsal: May 29-Jun 11

Performance Dates: June 9, 10, 11

Title 2:

Rehearsal: June 19 – 27

Performance Dates: June 23, 24, 25

 

Title 3: 

Rehearsal: July 10 – 23

Performance Dates: July 21, 22, 23

Imaginary

Book & Lyrics by Timothy Knapman

Music & Lyrics by Stuart Matthew Price

Rehearsal Dates: Jun 13- July 27

Conflict Cutoff: July 18th

Tech Start Date: July 28th

Performance Dates: Aug 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26

By special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide (theatricalrights.com)

An exciting, funny and inspiring musical in the spirit of MATILDA and PETER PAN about the wonder of  childhood, the power of the imagination and what it means to grow up. Milo is Sam’s only friend and they spend all their time together, using only their imaginations to transform their world into a place of adventure and excitement. But as Sam’s first day at a new school approaches, his mother worries that Milo is holding her son back, stopping him from growing up. School turns out to be a full of surprises – and secrets. With a cast of adults and kids, IMAGINARY center on an enduring friendship with other- worldly twists and turns that change lives forever.

Cast

The Children

Sam 11/12 years old. Any Gender. Clever, brave and loyal, They have an active imagination. Sam is close to their mom but is reaching the

age where they are embarrassed by her. A bit timid when we first meet Sam, they becomes more daring and truly heroic as our story progresses.

 

Milo Sam’s best friend. Any Gender. Milo is Sam’s imaginary friend, Milo could be the same age as Sam or any age. Milo is a little less mature than Sam, more mischievous and irresponsible. They feed Sam’s imaginative life and often leads Sam astray. Milo, too, matures as the story develops.

 

Alice Same age as Sam and Milo, a girl in Sam’s year at his new school. Strong, brave and serious. The Headmaster’s “upgrading” technique has turned her beloved sister Jess into an unfeeling robot of a girl, so Alice is shut off emotionally from the other children, bitter anduntrusting.

 

Dexter Friendly, happy is very much at ease with knowing that they’re not very smart. Simple tasks – such as tying shoelaces – defeat them, but they have a lot of charm.

 

Grace A good person, clever, hardworking and serious. Finds breaking school rules very difficult, even when they know they haves to –but can be very brave. 

 

Harvey The cool kid. Confident, charming, charismatic – but not very academic

 

Helen Shy, nervous about going to the new school. Goodhearted but quiet.

 

The New Kids

Classmates of the above.

The Big Kids (teens/young adults)

All have been transformed by the Headmaster’s “upgrading” technique into robot-like drones, who move and think in a rigidly controlled manner.

Jess One of the Big Kids. Alice’s older sister. We first see them as the poster girl for “upgrading”: severe, serious, unfeeling, hostile. But Alice’s memory of them offers us a glimpse of the person they used to be, creative, guitar-playing and loving.

 

The Parents

Beth Sam’s mother. A single mother, she’s done everything she can to make Sam’s life interesting and colorful – despite there not being much money about. At the beginning of the story, she and Sam have just moved out of their small flat and into a little house, so things are looking up economically, but she worries that Sam is stuck emotionally – he still has an imaginary friend, even though he’s old enough for secondary school – and she blames herself for indulging his taste for fantasy and daydreaming.

 

Flick Dexter’s mum. Loving but despairing about her son’s inability to perform basic tasks, she’s sending him to this school because she’s heard how they get amazing exam results out of even the most unpromising students.

 

Liam and Marco Grace’s dads. Very proud indeed of their academically gifted daughter but also rather emotional about her first day at secondary school. She’s very relaxed about it, they’re the ones feeling the separation anxiety.

 

Tony Harvey’s dad. An important corporate boss. Very strait-laced and disciplined. Cares a lot about results.

 

Tash Helen’s mum. Caring but perhaps a little exasperated by her daughter’s shyness.

 

The Staff

The Headmaster 45 years old. Brilliant, charismatic and megalomaniac, the Headmaster is an evil genius who has developed an “upgrading” technique that removes the imagination from his students, and so enables them to pass exams with machine-like efficiency. This, he hopes, will eventually result in world domination. He had an unhappy childhood, as we see when we flashback to the Boy Headmaster – a miniature version of his older self. His parents encouraged his inventing but then broke his heart when

they told him that his best friend was imaginary. In love with – or at least, strangely drawn to - Miss Stoker.

 

Miss Stoker The I.T. teacher. Cold-hearted and ruthless, and admiringly in love with the Headmaster.

 

Dr Goole The Mathematics teacher. Evil, like his colleagues, the only thing he regrets about the Headmaster’s “upgrading” is that the pupils are never naughty, and so cannot be punished.

 

Frau Rammstein

The Business Studies teacher. A scary, Wagnerian person, she speaks with a heavy German accent.

 

Mr Gruntt The P.E. Teacher. As his name suggests, Gruntt cannot speak –he communicates in grunts that we, the audience don’t understand, but that the other teachers somehow seem to understand perfectly. As the story develops, we realize that what he’s trying to say every time is “Oogie”, which is the name of his long-lost imaginary friend. During “upgrading” sessions, Gruntt assists the Headmaster, playing Igor to his Frankenstein. Reunited with Oogie, he repents and reveals his good side. The Minister of Education

Charming, devious and utterly unreliable. A future Prime Minister.

 

The “IFs” or Imaginary Friends (Teens-Adults)

 

Brenda The weirdest, craziest-looking creature you’ve ever seen, there is no doubt that Brenda was the product

of a child’s very fertile imagination. Initially charming and motherly – and presiding over an Imaginary

Land that is one long party -we later discover that she rules Imaginary Land with a rod of iron – locking

the gates that separate it from the real world, and making all newly-arrived IFs forget their human

friends. We learn this is because she was once the Boy Headmaster’s IF, but they fell out and he

punished her by transforming her from Brenda Jr - a human-looking child - into the monstrously

improbable creature she is today. Female, but could be played by a male actor, in the English

“Pantomime Dame” tradition.

 

The Brendettes Big Brenda’s henchpersons and backing singers. Cool, superior and fabulous.

 

Oogie The one rebel in Imaginary Land. Oogie is an IF who has refused to forget his human friend. He lives in

hope of his friend communicating with him, and so has stayed by the large telephone that the humans

can use to call their IFs back into their lives. Alas, the phone has not rung in all the many, many years

since Oogie arrived and his faith is beginning to run out. But he’s an irrepressible character – quick to

embrace hope and eager to do anything to help Milo, his new best friend.

 

Chutney, Mutley and Frank Three IF friends

4000 Miles

By Amy Herzog

Rehearsal Dates: Aug. 8 – Sep. 10

Conflict Cutoff: September 5

Tech Start Date: September 12

Performance Dates: September 29, 30 Oct. 7, 8, 13, 14, 21, 22, 27, 28

By special arrangement with Concord Theatricals (concordtheatricals.com) /Samuel French, INC

After suffering a major loss while he was on a cross-country bike trip, 21-year old Leo seeks solace from

his feisty 91-year old grandmother Vera in her West Village apartment. Over the course of a single

month, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately reach each other. 4000 MILES looks

at how two outsiders find their way in today’s world.

** This title will be presented in repertory with another 4-person play that is pending licensing.

Cast

Leo Joseph-Connell 20-30

Vera Joseph 91

Amanda 20’s, Asian American

Bec 20-30

The Thanksgiving Play

Will be performed in repertory with 4000 Miles​

Rehearsal Dates: Aug. 8 – Sep. 17

Conflict Cutoff: September 12

Tech Start Date: September 20

Performance Dates: Sep. 30, Oct. 1, 6, 7, 14, 15, 20, 21, 28, 29

It's A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play

Adapted By Joe Landry

Rehearsal Dates: Sep. 19 – Nov. 2

Conflict Cutoff: October 24

Tech Start Date: November 3

Performance Dates: November 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, December 2, 3

 

By special arrangement with Playscripts (playscripts.com) & Broadway Licensing (broadwaylicensing.com)

This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940’s radio broadcast. With the help of an

ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers

ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.

Holiday drama

75 - 90 minutes

5-25 actors possible: 1-10 W, 1-15 M

Cast plays multiple characters:

STAGE MANAGER

FREDDIE FILMORE (also called ANNOUNCER), the actor playing Joseph and others

JAKE LAURENTS the actor playing George

SALLY APPLEWHITE the actress playing Mary

LANA SHERWOOD the actress playing Violet and others

HARRY “JAZZBO” HEYWOOD the actor playing Clarence and others

MARY HATCH George’s girl

ROSE BAILEY George’s mother

HARRY BAILEY George’s kid brother

OLD MAN GOWER a druggist

BERT a cop

VIOLET BICK a small-town siren

HENRY F. POTTER the richest and meanest man in all the county

BILLY BAILEY George’s uncle

PETE George’s son

ZUZU George’s daughter

CLARENCE George’s guardian angel

JOSEPH the superintendent of angels

YOUNG GEORGE George as a child

YOUNG HARRY Harry as a child

 

BOYS

YOUNG VIOLET Violet as a child

YOUNG MARY, Mary as a child

GEORGE BAILEY a typical American dreamer

PETER BAILEY George’s father

ERNIE a cab driver

SAM WAINWRIGHT an entrepreneur

OLD MAN COLLINS an eavesdropper

BOARD MEMBERS

DR. CAMPBELL on the board of the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan

MATILDA secretary at Bailey Bros. Building & Loan

RUTH DAKIN BAILEY Harry’s wife

MRS. HATCH Mary’s mother

ED at the run on the bank

CHARLIE at the run on the bank

MAN (at run on bank)

MRS. THOMPSON at the run on the bank

SCHULTZ a German at the Martini house dedication

MARTINI an Italian bar/restaurant owner

HORACE THE TELLER at the bank

SADIE VANCE the state bank examiner

JANIE George’s daughter

TOMMY George’s son

 

MR. WELCH a schoolteacher’s husband with a temper

RESTAURANT PATRONS

MAN (at Martini’s)

NICK a bartender

BRIDGE KEEPER

BINKY a bouncer

COP

SHERIFF

Show

First Rehearsal

Conflict Cutoff

Tech Start Date

Performance Dates

Squirrel Girl

January 31

March 7

March 17

March 24, 25, 26, 31, April 1, 2

February 6

April 4

April 11

The Selfish Shellfish

April 15, 16, 22, 23

April 25

May 16

May 25

Stephen Sondheim Revue

June 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25

May 29

Pages On Stage
Title #1 TBA

June 9, 10, 11

June 19

Pages On Stage
Title #2 TBA

June 23, 24, 25

July 10

Pages On Stage
Title #3 TBA

July 21, 22, 23

June 23

July 18

July 28

Imaginary

August 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26

August 8

September 5

September 12

4000 Miles

Sept. 29, 30, Oct. 7, 8, 13, 14, 21, 22, 27, 28

August 8

September 12

September 20

The Thanksgiving Play

Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 6, 7, 14, 15, 20, 21, 28, 29

September 19

It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

October 24

November 3

Nov. 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, Dec. 2, 3

ABOUT TWS
The Western Stage is a professionally managed community based theatre company, located on campus at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, Ca. Our productions join trained professionals, community performers and theatre students, to create theatrically rich and relevant productions.

 
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