First Stage Milwaukee, Incorporated | Milwaukee, WI
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (C)
To schedule an audition appointment please email:
auditions@firststage.org.
TYA
$615 weekly minimum - 2024-25 rates
Equity actors for roles in First Stage's 2025-26 Season (See breakdown). All Adult roles will be understudied.
Please prepare a monologue and a song in the style of our season. You can also choose to prepare two contrasting monologues instead. Your pieces, including your slate, should be 3-5 minutes in length. We will have an accompanist in the room. Also, please bring your headshot and resume stapled together.
Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
325 W. Walnut Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Artistic Director: Jeff Frank
Associate Artistic Director: Michelle LoRicco
Director of Artistic Inclusion and Community Engagement: Samantha Montgomery
Director of Production: Sammy Brown
Academy Director: J.T. Backes
Education Director: Brinn Hill
Academy Manager: Chris Orth
Expected to attend:
Jeff Frank (Artistic Director)
Michelle LoRicco (Associate Artistic Director)
Paula Tillen (Accompanist)
See breakdown for production specific personnel.
See breakdown for production specific dates. Call backs by invitation in person in Milwaukee in May/June 2025.
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.
Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition.
Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.
FIRST STAGE is proud to employ between 24-32 professional actors every season, and there are opportunities for Internships, Understudies, and Teaching Artist Fellows. FIRST STAGE employs Actor's Equity Association Actors and Non-Equity actors under a Theatre For Young Audience (TYA) Contract. First Stage is one of the nation’s largest professional theatre for young audiences. We are an Equity theatre that also hires non-equity actors and understudies for all shows. Contracts run in length from six to nine weeks. We do age-appropriate casting for our young roles and cast anywhere from five to twenty-five young performers per show. We also are interested in actors who have experience or potential as teaching artists either in our Theater in Education department or our nationally acclaimed Theater Academy. For more information about auditions, contact Artistic Director Jeff Frank at
jfrank@firststage.org,
auditions@firststage.org or (414) 267-2981 – or Associate Artistic Director Michelle LoRicco at
mloricco@firststage.org. When possible, please submit your headshot and resume electronically ahead of time.
A NOTE from First Stage and our Belonging, Equity, Access and Diversity (BEAD) Committee:
At First Stage we recognize that our audiences connect more deeply with our work when they see themselves on stage. To that end, we will list race/ethnicity/ability when specific to the character and/or story but are otherwise seeking all races, ethnicities and abilities. Additionally, while most characters we currently encounter in scripts are written with binary pronouns (he/him or she/her), our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible. We invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to submit for the roles which they most interest them. - Adopted from language originally created by Kevin Kantor and Emily Trarquin of Actors Theatre of Louisville.
We are always looking for teaching artists for our Theater in Education programs during the school year, and our Theater Academy during the school year and in the summer. Please send your interest and resume to
JT Backes at
jtbackes@firststage.org if you are interested in Academy opportunities or
Brinn Hill at
bhill@firststage.org if you are interested in working in our in-school and after school education programs.
Book and Lyrics by John Maclay
Music and Lyrics by Danny Abosch
Based on Phantom of the Auditorium from the Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine
Directed by Jeff Frank
Originally commissioned by First Stage and Oregon Children’s Theatre.
Sept. 17 – Oct. 10, 2025
Tues-Fri 4-8:30 pm
Sat 12:30-4 pm, 5-8:30 pm
Sun 10-1:30 pm, 2:30-6 pm
Oct. 11 – Nov. 2, 2025
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Best friends and long-time horror fans Brooke and Zeke are cast as the leads in the school’s new production of an old play about a phantom. Strange things start disrupting rehearsals and they have to wonder: is this someone’s idea of a joke? Or is the Phantom real?
MS. WALKER: (20s+, female-identifying) Passionate, but stressed-out theater teacher. Vocal range: Mezzo-Soprano, B3 – D5
EMILE: (20s+, any gender) The school’s custodian with inside knowledge of the Phantom. Vocal range: Baritone/Bass, F#2 – E4
World Premiere
By Mo Willems with music by Debbie Wicks LaPuma
Directed by Michelle LoRicco
Inspired by his book DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE SLEIGH
Oct. 29 – Nov. 20, 2025
Tues-Fri 4-8:30 pm
Sat 12:30-4 pm or 5-8:30 pm
Sun 10-1:30 pm or 2:30-6 pm
Nov. 21 – Dec. 28, 2025
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Mo Willems has crafted a new holiday musical sure to delight fans of all ages. Featuring Elephant and Piggie, Pigeon, and a bunch of our friends from the Unlimited Squirrels series, this musical adventure takes us to the North Pole on a rollicking journey to discover the magic of Christmas and the power of true friendship.
THE PIGEON: (20+, Any Gender) Mischievous, persistent, and larger than life. Vocal Range: Tenor/Mezzo-Soprano, Bb3 – G5
ELEPHANT GERALD: THIS ROLE IS CAST, NEEDS UNDERSTUDY (20+, male-identifying) A careful, somewhat anxious elephant who overthinks everything but has a big heart. Best friends with Piggie. Strong comedic timing and ability to play neurosis with warmth. Vocal Range: Baritone/Tenor, C3 – F4
PIGGIE: THIS ROLE IS CAST, NEEDS UNDERSTUDY (20+, female-identifying) An outgoing, enthusiastic, and spontaneous pig who loves fun and adventure. The emotional heart of the story, balancing Gerald’s worries with joy. Vocal Range: Mezzo-Soprano/Soprano, G3 – F5
Adapted by Doug Rand from the Novel by JM Barrie
TYA version adapted by Jeff Frank and First Stage
Directed by Jeff Frank
Jan. 28 – Feb. 19, 2026
Tues-Fri 4-8:30 pm
Sat 12:30-4 pm or 5-8:30 pm
Sun 10-1:30 pm or 2:30-6 pm
Feb. 20 – Mar. 22, 2026
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Rediscover the loopy fun and the darker corners of J.M. Barrie's original novel with this faithful, fast-moving, and easy-to-stage adaptation. When the carefree and careless Peter Pan flies into the nursery of the Darling home, Wendy follows her instincts for maternity and adventure, bringing her little brothers along to the magical Neverland to take care of the motherless Lost Boys. Soon the Darling children are swept into Peter's deadly battle with Captain Hook and his mostly-fearsome pirate crew. With so much excitement, why ever go home again...?
NOTE: This show will involve highly stylized, Koken movement, lifts, and potential stage combat.
FATHER / CAPTAIN HOOK: (30s+, male-identifying) Dual role as both the stern and proper Mr. Darling and the theatrical, villainous pirate captain. (Stage combat)
MOTHER/KOKEN: (30s+, female-identifying) Doubles as both Mrs. Darling and a key Koken performer, manipulating the world of the play. Strong, fluid movement required for scene transitions and special effects.
STARKEY/KOKEN: (18+, any gender) A flamboyant, dramatic pirate with a flair for the theatrical. Stylized pirate movement and fluid Koken work; may include partner lifts or assisting flight illusions. Combat.
SMEE/KOKEN: (18+, any gender) Hook’s bumbling but endearing first mate, providing comic relief. As a Koken, assists with movement illusions. Strong physical comedy skills: will manipulate props and assist in transitions and stylized sequences. Combat.
PIRATE 1/KOKEN: (18+, any gender) A member of Hook’s crew and an integral part of the Koken ensemble. Will function in choreographed fights and assist with flying and illusions; strong movement-based acting skills. Combat.
PIRATE 2/KOKEN: (18+, any gender) A member of Hook’s crew and an integral part of the Koken ensemble. Will function in choreographed fights and assist with flying and illusions; strong movement-based acting skills. Combat.
Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson-Lopez
Book by Jennifer Lee
Originally directed on Broadway by Michael Grandage
Based on the Disney film written by Jennifer Lee and directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.
Directed by Michael Dean Morgan
Assistant Directed & Choreographed by Michelle LoRicco
Mar. 11 – April 10, 2026
Tues-Fri 4-8:30 pm
Sat 12:30-4 pm or 5-8:30 pm
Sun 10-1:30 pm or 2:30-6 pm
April 11 – May 17, 2026
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, Disney’s Frozen includes all the film’s beloved songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, along with new music written exclusively for the stage. In the beautiful mountainous kingdom of Arendelle, Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from each other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends on Arendelle, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home – with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf.
ELSA: (20s+, female-identifying) The reserved but powerful Queen of Arendelle. Vocal Range: Mezzo-Soprano with strong belt, F3 – E5
KING AGNARR / DUKE OF WESELTON: (30s+, male-identifying) The wise but cautious King of Arendelle (Elsa and Anna’s father), and the comically pompous, scheming nobleman Weselton. Vocal Range: Baritone, D3 – E4
QUEEN / ENSEMBLE: (30s+, female-identifying) The warm and caring Queen of Arendelle (Elsa and Anna’s mother), later appearing in ensemble roles. Vocal Range: Mezzo-Soprano, B3 – C#5
PABBIE / OAKEN / ENSEMBLE: (20s+, any gender) Pabbie, the wise leader of the mystical trolls, and Oaken, the jolly owner of Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna. Some stylized movement as Pabbie; comedic physicality for Oaken. Vocal Range: Baritone/Bass or Alto, (A2 – D4)
BULDA / ENSEMBLE: (20s+, any gender) Bulda, a loving and eccentric troll who “adopts” Kristoff, appearing later in ensemble roles. Vocal Range: Mezzo-Soprano/Alto, B3 – D5
Videos
