Auditions

25-26 Mainstage Productions

Fall:

  • The Balcony
  • Seussical

Spring:

  • Men on Boats
  • Chess

Spring Mainstage Productions:

Men on Boats:

  • By Jaclyn Backhaus
  • Directed by Lisa Rothe
  • March 12 - March 15, 2026

Auditions:  

  • Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 7pm-11pm & Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 5:30pm - 9:30pm in Studio A
  • Please prepare a contemporary monologue (1 minute) of your choice that highlights comedic timing, bold character choices, and/or physical storytelling. It may be memorized or read 鈥 memorization is encouraged so we can see your full range of physical and vocal choices, but it's not necessary. In addition to a short contemporary monologue, please: - Tell us a joke (any style 鈥 dad joke, knock-knock, one-liner, or a story-joke). We want to see your sense of humor and timing. - Sing 16 bars of a funny or spirited song 鈥 examples include sailor songs, pub songs, camp songs, or comic folk songs. (If you don鈥檛 know one, you can choose any lighthearted tune that lets you show personality and play.)

    CALLBACKS: Movement/Ensemble Work: Be prepared to participate in a short group movement/ensemble exercise at Callbacks. This play is highly physical, and we want to see how you work rhythmically and collaboratively. Students with backgrounds in dance, acrobatics, stage combat, or musicality are welcome to bring those skills into the CALLBACK room, but they are not required.
  • Struggling to find an audition piece that suits you?  Those unable to find other material are invited to use the song and/or monologue provided . We hope to see you at auditions!

Callbacks:

  • Monday, Dec. 1 & Tuesday & Dec. 2 from 7pm - 11pm 

Casting: 
Men on Boats is written for an ensemble of 10 performers. Historically, the characters were white cisgender men; however, the playwright specifies that the cast should be made up of actors who are not cisgender men. The play invites female-identifying, trans, and non-binary performers into the roles of the explorers, creating a theatrical inversion that exposes the absurdity of America鈥檚 myths of masculinity and Manifest Destiny.

Identity Notes:
No roles MUST be played by actors of a specific race, ethnicity, or gender identity.
Casting is intentionally expansive and should prioritize female-identifying, trans, and non-binary actors across the ensemble. Actors earn 4 credits of Theatre Practicum.

Plot synopsis:
Men on Boats hilariously reimagines John Wesley Powell鈥檚 1869 river expedition, brought to life by female-identifying and non-binary performers. The play flips the script on masculine myths of conquest, using comedy and theatrical invention to reveal the untold truths beneath America鈥檚 鈥渉eroic鈥 history.

Schedule:

  • Rehearsals:
    • Jan. 26 - March 11, 2026
  • Performances: 

    • March 12, 13, 14 @ 8pm and March 14 & 15 @ 2pm 

Roles/Character Descriptions锛

    • John Wesley Powell 鈥 Expedition leader

    • William Dunn 鈥 Hunter, rival

    • John Colton Sumner 鈥 Adventurer, practical

    • Old Shady 鈥 Powell鈥檚 brother, laconic veteran

    • Bradley 鈥 Young, eager lieutenant

    • O.G. Howland 鈥 Rough brother #1

    • Seneca Howland 鈥 Rough brother #2

    • Frank Goodman 鈥 British enthusiast, outsider

    • Hall 鈥 Mapmaker

    • Hawkins 鈥 Cook

      • Additional Roles (doubled by ensemble members):

    • Tsauwiat 鈥 Ute leader

    • The Bishop 鈥 Tsauwiat鈥檚 wife

    • Mr. Asa 鈥 a Mormon settler

Director: Lisa Rothe

Production Stage Manager: Olivia O鈥橞rien oobrien@binghamton.edu

Chess

  • Book and Music/Lyrics: Benny Anderson, Bj枚rn Ulvaeus, Richard Nelson, Tim Rice

  • Director & Choreographer: Chaz Wolcott

  • Music Director: Melissa Yanchak

  • Apil 24 - May 3

Auditions:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 7pm-11pm & Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 5:30pm - 9:30pm in Studio A

    • Please prepare a 16-32 cut of musical theatre repertoire in the style of the show (similar musicals would be Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, Rent, Jekyll & Hyde, City of Angels, Miss Saigon, Les Mis). Please find an audition song that shows a pop/rock sensibility, without sacrificing the storytelling and acting we need to see for these characters.

Callbacks:

  •  Dec. 2 Wednesday & Dec Thursday. 3, 7pm - 11pm

Struggling to find an audition piece that suits you?  Those unable to find other material are invited to use the song and/or monologue provided . We hope to see you at auditions!

Casting:  
I strive to create a trauma-informed, consent-based rehearsal room where we are all empowered to do our best work. All boundaries are beautiful and will be respected. I am extremely interested in changing the culture of theatre and creating a space that is NOT plagued by a power dynamic that has long pressured folks to fake comfortability in uncomfortable material. A disclosure form will be available during the audition process for you to state your comfortability with activating content in the show, so that it can be considered in the casting process. If you have ANY questions, please reach out to me at chazwolcott@gmail.com. Actors earn 4 credits of Theatre

Plot Synopsis: 

With music by ABBA鈥檚 Benny Andersson and Bj枚rn Ulvaeus, CHESS revolves around a chess tournament between two grandmasters, one American and the other Soviet, as they fight over a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other, set amidst the rising tensions of The Cold War and the political chess moves the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. made in the 1980s.

As political leaders around the world continue to play more and more deadly games of chess with the lives of their constituents, it's important to highlight a piece of theatre that looks closely at a time where the dangers of these political games had catastrophic effects on everything that connected the nations, including simple chess tournaments. The show's score, by ABBA's Anderson & Ulvaeus, has long been celebrated because it helps to bring to life the tensions felt in the 1980s, exposing our audiences to a cautionary tale from history. This should help to deepen the understanding of some of the political chess games we see playing out in society today.

Schedule:

  • Rehearsals:
    • March 2 - Apr 23, 2026
  • Performances: 
    • Apr. 24, 25, May 1 @ 8pm, Apr. 25, 26, May 3 @ 2pm

Roles/Character Descriptions:  

  • FLORENCE VASSY 鈥 (Female-identifying) - Born in Hungary, but has been brought up in America since 1956. She is clever, theatrical, touching, vivacious, volatile. Freddie鈥檚 chess "second." Brilliant, intelligent, tough, pragmatic, and emotionally mature, Florence navigates the competing affections of Freddie and Anatoly while haunted by the trauma of her father鈥檚 disappearance during wartime. Mezzo-Soprano with a strong belt.
    Vocal range: E鈾3 to E5 (Mezzo-Soprano)
    Accent: American

  • FREDDIE TRUMPER 鈥 (Male-identifying) - An American chess champion. Temperamental, arrogant, and emotionally volatile. Mentally unstable with a big ego. His internal struggles and paranoia often sabotage his relationships and career. His chess playing is revolutionary. We need to see his artistry along with his danger and his obsessiveness. Rock Tenor.

    Vocal range: B鈾2 to D鈾5 (Tenor)
    Accent: American

  • ANATOLY SERGIEVSKY 鈥 (Male-identifying) - A Soviet chess master. Calm, introspective, brilliant, and principled, Anatoly is a man torn between personal freedom and political loyalty. Unexpectedly charming. He doesn't seem a romantic hero at first, but becomes one through his personality.
    Vocal range: F2 to B鈾4 (High Baritone)
    Accent: Russian

  • ALEXANDER MOLOKOV 鈥 (Male-identifying) - A Soviet political operative who鈥檚 head of the Soviet delegation. Calculating and brash. Charming but manipulative, Molokov plays the political game behind the scenes, maneuvering Anatoly for Soviet interests while masking threats with civility. Intellectually formidable. Anatoly's chess "second." Strong comedic timing.
    Vocal range: F2 to A4 (Bass/Baritone)
    Accent: Russian

  • WALTER 鈥 (Male-identifying) - A marketing agent who鈥檚 Head of the American delegation. Seemingly respectable, substantial, trustworthy. Presented as Freddie鈥檚 manager, Walter is covertly involved in political conspiracies, aligning closely with Florence鈥檚 storyline and US interests. Strong comedic timing.
    Vocal range: A鈾2 to F4 (Baritone)
    Accent: American

  • THE ARBITER 鈥 (Any gender) - A strict and neutral referee of the chess tournament. Cool, authoritarian, and unflinching. Strong comedic timing.
    Vocal range: flexible
    Accent: English

  • SVETLANA 鈥 (Female-Identifying) - Anatoly鈥檚 estranged wife. Caught in the personal and political consequences of Anatoly鈥檚 choices, she will do anything to maintain her family and her status. A dramatic contrast to Florence, not a contemporary cosmopolitan woman. Mezzo-Soprano with a strong high belt.
    Vocal range: F3 to E5 (Mezzo-Soprano)
    Accent: Russian

  • ENSEMBLE - Looking for playing various roles throughout the show including: Gregor Vassy, Nikolai, Young Florence, Joe, Harold, Reporters, Press Rep, Messenger, Russians, Americans, Crowd, Police, CIA Agents, Ben, Pete, Josef, Choir, Hungarian Woman, Attendant, Maitre D鈥, TV Techs, Journalists, Merchandisers, etc.
    Note: Ensemble will employ various dialects in their roles, and will appear throughout the show in various roles, including dancing in certain sequences. Some will understudy principal roles.

Director: Chaz Wolcott - chazwolcott@gmail.com

Production Stage Manager: Olivia O鈥橞rien - oobrien@binghamton.edu

Further Information on Auditions

It is the auditioner鈥檚 responsibility to become acquainted with the roles, the nature of the production, and the scope of commitment prior to casting. It is strongly recommended that auditioners read scripts and production materials before the first audition. Links to the script will be posted above. 

Who can audition for a theatre production? EVERYONE!

Any and all registered 黑料视频 students are welcome to audition for all Theatre Department Productions. We do NOT require that an auditioner is a Theatre Major or Minor. We hold open auditions for our MainStage and Studio Shows. Always arrive a few minutes early to fill out paperwork/discuss logistics ahead of time. See below for our casting policy.

Here's some tips for auditioning from our directors:

  • Choose a song that you feel passionate about. Something that makes you say to yourself "I have to do this!" Practice, practice, practice.
  • Ask friends and family to listen to you do your material. Listen to feedback but only use that which you feel certain in your heart you can apply to your work.
  • Sing while you do the dishes, while you drive, while you do the laundry, when you take a walk. Sing your song hundreds of times.
  • Know, deep within you that the people who are auditioning you want you to be great. They are not looking for your problems but rather your promise!

Casting Policy for 黑料视频 Students:

Eligibility:

Any person is eligible for auditioning and casting who will be registered for four or more semester hours of credit in any course taught in the University, other than the production itself, during the semester in which the production for which the auditions are being held is performed. Simply stated, one must be a registered student during the semester of performance. However, under certain conditions, Theatre faculty members or persons designated as "Artists in Residence" may be cast.

Note: All students are expected to familiarize themselves with and to take full advantage of the actor training sequence of classes offered by the department so that their acquired skills and abilities will make them more competitive and more readily recognizable to the faculty.

Representation, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in casting and production: 

The educational mission of the 黑料视频 Theatre Department is to provide equal opportunities and apprenticeship experiences to students without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, nationality, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We believe that theatre is stronger when our season selection, casting process, and production needs are filled inclusively. Inclusivity will take many forms, including the variety of stories we choose to tell, assembling diverse artistic teams, making production assignments available to as many students as possible and engaging in color conscious casting.

Color-conscious casting 鈥渋ntentionally considers the race and ethnicity of actors and the characters they play in order to oppose racism, honor and respect cultures, foster stronger productions, and contribute to a more equitable world. Without it, we risk perpetuating a system that privileges whiteness with greater access and opportunity, and appropriates the cultures of communities of color.鈥 (American Theatre) Likewise, we practice an attitude of respect, and opposition to bias and discrimination regarding gender and gender identity, including (but not limited to) trans and gender queer identities. 

Where a playwright鈥檚 intention calls for casting actors of a particular race, ethnicity, and/or gender, the director and/or casting agent must do all within their power to adhere to the playwright鈥檚 intention. If an actor of the appropriate race, ethnicity, or gender is not found, the director will initiate a conversation with the department to discuss what the next appropriate steps would entail. Steps may include, but are not limited to, seeking permission from the copyright holder for alternative casting permission, or canceling the production. At the same time, we encourage an experimental learning environment in which all directors stretch beyond historical expectations, casting traditions, or commercial conceptions of 鈥渢ype,鈥 especially in cases where race, gender, ethnicity, or identity may not appear to be a major thematic element of the production.