First Stage 2024-25 season - Milwaukee, WI EPA First Stage Milwaukee, Incorporated | Milwaukee, WI
Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA
Monday, March 25, 2024
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (C)
If you are interested in auditioning for a role in our 2024-25 season, please email
auditions@firststage.org to schedule your audition.
Audition appointments will be scheduled on a first come-first served basis until full.
TYA
$615 weekly minimum
Equity actors for roles in 2024-25 season (see breakdown).
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
Please prepare a monologue and a song.
Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
325 W. Walnut Street
Milwaukee, WI 53212
Expected to attend:
Artistic Director: Jeff Frank
Associate Artistic Director: Michelle LoRicco Director of Artistic Inclusion and Community Engagement: Samantha Montgomery Director of Young Company: Matt Daniels Academy Director: J.T. Backes
Interim Education Director: Brinn Hill Company Manager: Liv Mauseth
See production-specific personnel in breakdown.
Callbacks by invitation in person in Milwaukee in May/June 2024.
See production dates in breakdown. OTHER
We will be accepting any Equity audition reels (including a dance reel if interested in one of the musicals) through May 1, 2024.
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.
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.
ABOUT FIRST STAGE
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 Actors' 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 mloricco@firststage.org. When possible, please submit your headshot and resume electronically ahead of time.
Our 2024-25 season will include the following titles, production dates and adult casting needs:
Todd Wehr Theater
Book and lyrics by Sarah Hammond
Music by Will Aronson
Commissioned by Theatreworks USA, based on the Pete the Cat series by James Dean and Kimberly Dean
Synopsis: When cool, smooth Pete the Cat moves in with the perfectly normal Biddle family, he rocks their world with his strumming and strutting. Everybody loves Pete, except for Jimmy, the world's most organized 2nd grader. But when Jimmy draws a blank in art class, Pete takes him on the inspirational
road trip of a lifetime! The whole family will love Pete's hilarious, jazzy antics in this toe-tapping musical.
Rehearsal Dates: Sept. 4 – Oct. 3, 2024
Wed-Fri 4-8:30pm
Sat 12:30-4pm or 5-8:30pm
Sun 10-1:30pm or 2:30-6pm
Performance Dates: Oct. 4 – Nov. 3, 2024
plus, potential for added performances through Nov. 10
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Casting Needs: 3 Adults
PETE THE CAT: 20-30s, any gender identity. A very zen rocking rocking cat who lives in a VW Bus. Goes with the flow. Vocal range: B2-B4 (C5)
MOM: 30s-40s, female-identifying. Jimmy's nervous mom. Secretly, a rock star. Also plays Mrs. Creech, Mona Lisa, and Grumpy Toad. Vocal range: Bb3-Bb5 (Db6)
DAD: 30s-40s, male-identifying. Jimmy's nervous dad. Secretly, a rock star. Also plays Cat Catcher and Astronaut. Vocal range: Bb2-Bb4 (Db5 Falsetto)
Todd Wehr Theater
Based on the animated television special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the stage production directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage. Script adaptation by Robert Penola. Arrangements and orchestrations by Timothy Splain. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” animated television special adapted from a story by Robert L. May and the song by Johnny Marks, music and lyrics by Johnny Marks.
Directed by Jeff Frank
Synopsis: And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows! The beloved TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer soars off the screen and returns to our stage this holiday season. From fleeing the Abominable Snow Monster to saving Christmas, join Rudolph and his friends, Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius, as their adventures teach us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the little misfit in all of us.
Rehearsal Dates: Nov. 6 – Nov. 27, 2024
Wed-Fri 4-8:30pm
Sat 12:30-4pm or 5-8:30pm
Sun 10-1:30pm or 2:30-6pm
Performance Dates: Nov. 29 – Dec. 29, 2024
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Casting Needs: 8 Adults
SAM THE SNOWMAN: ROLE IS CAST - 30s-50s, male-identifying. A Snowman - A warm, middle aged man with a relaxed demeanor. A powerful storyteller who never gets in the way of the story he’s telling. Always on stage with many non sequitur lines. A knowing sense of humor; an appealing, warm singing voice matching the tone of Burl Ives in the animated film. Note: Actor wears a hard-shell body with rolling wheels to glide over stage. Vocal range: C5-B3.
DONNER: 30s-40s, male-identifying. Rudolph’s father. Physically agile; tougher on the outside than he is on the inside. Requires basic tap dance ability. Also plays Snoken, Ensemble.
SANTA CLAUS: ROLE IS CAST - 40s-60s, male-identifying. Larger-than-life- personality; cheerful but distracted. Agelessly youthful but reads middle-aged. Strong singing /speaking voice reflecting that of animated film. Also, in the ensemble. Vocal range: D5-B3.
MRS. CLAUS: 40s-60s, female-identifying. Santa’s loving and kind-hearted wife.
MRS. DONNER: 30s-40s, female-identifying. Rudolph’s mother. Soft-spoken, quietly strong. Warm mezzo. Also plays Snoken, Ensemble.
BOSS ELF: ROLE IS CAST - 20s-40s, any gender identity. Humorless manager of the elves’ workshop; innate comic sensibility matching voice quality and mannerisms of the animated film character. Basic dance ability. Also plays Charlie in the Box, Ensemble.
YUKON CORNELIUS: 30s-40s, male-identifying. A prospector- tall, large man; instantly likable character; slightly absent-minded; physically agile and strong comedic ability. Basic dance ability. Also plays Coach Comet, Ensemble. Vocal range: D5-C4.
BUMBLE: ROLE IS CAST - Any age, any gender identity. The misunderstood abominable snow monster. Also plays King Moonracer, Snoken.
Goodman Theatre
by Steve and Kathy Hotchner
Directed by Jeff Frank
Movement by Samantha Montgomery
Synopsis: In this participation play the audience journey back to a world millions and millions of years ago, transported the moment they enter the theatre into the atmosphere of the last age of the dinosaurs. In front of them is a dinosaur egg, tapping out a call for help. With the help of a fellow explorer, the children interpret what the egg is saying and help the egg to hatch. They then must decide if they want form an alliance with a rough Triceratops, and choose how they will protect the newly formed dinosaur family. They’ll have to find a way to work together if they are to defeat Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Rehearsal Dates: Jan. 2, 2024 – Jan. 17, 2025
Mon, Wed-Fri 4-8:30pm
Sat 12:30-4pm or 5-8:30pm
Sun 10-1:30pm or 2:30-6pm
Performance Dates: Jan. 18 – Feb. 16, 2025
plus, potential for added performances through Feb. 23
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Casting Needs: 3 Adults
NOTE: No microphones will be used for this production.
THE GUIDE: Any age, any gender identity. A fun safari guide who finds a lonely dinosaur egg during an expedition. Facilitates audience participation throughout the play.
TANK: Any age, male-identifying. A tough Triceratops. He is a bit of a blowhard in his attempt to keep himself safe.
BRONTOSAURUS: Any age, female-identifying. A gentle and maternal dinosaur.
Todd Wehr Theater
Written and composed by Marcus Yi
Directed by Michelle LoRicco
Synopsis: Since her mother's death, Emily Song's home has always been a musical vacuum. Her father banned music from their lives for as long as she can remember. But that doesn't stop Emily from secretly taking singing lessons online. On her 12th birthday, Emily's powers manifest and she discovers she is a music mage: a sorcerer who can cast magical spells through music. When her father is kidnapped by a mysterious entity known as the Queen of Shadows, Emily must figure out how to use her newly discovered talent to save her dad, and New York City from total destruction.
Rehearsal Dates: Jan. 8 – Jan. 30, 2025
Wed-Fri 4-8:30pm
Sat 12:30-4pm or 5-8:30pm
Sun 10-1:30pm or 2:30-6pm
Performance Dates: Jan. 31 – Feb. 16, 2025
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Casting Needs: 3 Adults
NOTE: This show will involve movement to imply combat, but there is no current need for physical contact or stage combat.
BEN SONG: 30-40s. Asian American, male-identifying. Emily’s father. Also plays Trash Monster, Monostatos, and part of the ensemble who will puppeteer.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: Any age, female-identifying. Being from the realm of Edhiva. Ageless. Powerful. Like Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers. Also plays Teresa Arioso, Mrs. Sanger, Ammit, News Anchor, and part of the ensemble who will puppeteer. Vocal range: C5-B3.
CELESTE HU: 50s-70s. Asian American, female-identifying. Emily’s grandmother. Also, will be part of the ensemble who will puppeteer. Ability to play electric guitar is a plus. Vocal range: Eb5 - B3.
Todd Wehr Theater
Disney and Pixar’s
Theatre for Young Audiences Version
Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Kristin Anderson-Lopez
Book adapted by Lindsay Anderson
Music and Orchestrations Adapted and Arranged by Myrna Conn
Based on the 2003 Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds and directed by Andrew Stanton.
Directed by Jeff Frank
Co-Directed & Choreographed by Michael Dean Morgan
Synopsis: Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.
Rehearsal Dates: Feb. 5 – Mar. 7, 2025
Wed-Fri 4-8:30pm
Sat 12:30-4pm or 5-8:30pm
Sun 10-1:30pm or 2:30-6pm
Performance Dates: Mar. 8 – Apr. 6, 2025
plus, potential for added performances through Apr. 13
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Casting Needs: 5 Adults
MARLIN: 30s-40s, male-identifying. An anxious clownfish and Nemo’s overprotective father, who, after the tragic death of his wife Coral, prefers the safety of his anemone to the frightening unknowns of the open ocean. Vocal range: Eb5-C4.
DORY: 20s-40s, female-identifying. An optimistic and bubbly blue tang, experiences frequent short term memory loss and finds herself wandering through the ocean with no place to call home. Also plays Pearl’s mom. Vocal range: F5-B3.
PROFESSOR RAY: Any age, male-identifying. A stingray and Nemo’s enthusiastic teacher, takes pride in sharing the curiosities and marvels of the world with the class and encourages every student to be a brave explorer. Also plays Bruce, Nigel, and Crush.
GILL: Any age, male-identifying. A relentless and inspiring leader who will stop at nothing to return to the freedom of the ocean. This Moorish idol fish believes in the Tank Gang and concocts countless plans to bust them out of the aquarium. Also plays Chum, Moonfish, and puppeteers in the ensemble.
CORAL: Any age, female-identifying. A loving mother-to-be clownfish, married to Marlin, who will stop at nothing to protect her eggs. Also plays Tad’s Mom, Anchor, Gurgle, Moonfish, Lobster, and puppeteers in the ensemble.
Todd Wehr Theater
Adapted by Alvaro Saar Rios
From the book by Pam Muñoz Ryan
With original music by Dinorah Marquez
Directed by Michelle Lopez-Rios
Synopsis: First Stage Playwright in Residence Alvaro Saar Rios, with frequent collaborator and composer Dinorah Marquez, combine their talents to bring a new fast-paced theatrical version of the powerful story to the stage, underscored with original music. Two young storytellers, with the help of an ensemble of actors, take the stage and begin to weave the tale of Esperanza - a wealthy Mexican
girl whose privileged existence is shattered when tragedy strikes, and she and her mother must flee to California. Forced to work in a migrant labor camp, Esperanza must learn to rise above her difficult circumstances and discover what she's truly made of. Set in the turbulent 1930s, and based on the popular book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising is a poetic tale of a young girl's triumph over adversity.
Rehearsal Dates: Apr. 9 – May 1, 2025
Wed-Fri 4-8:30pm
Sat 12:30-4pm or 5-8:30pm
Sun 10-1:30pm or 2:30-6pm
Performance Dates: May 2 – May 22, 2025
plus, potential for added performances through June 1
*There will be two casts of young performers performing on alternating dates Wednesday through Sunday.
Casting Needs: 3 Adults
MAMA: 30s-40s, Latine, female-identifying. Esperanza’s mother, Ramona Ortega. Beautiful and gentle in a way Esperanza hopes to one day be, Mama is also strong and becomes a source of inspiration for Esperanza as their lives change.
ABUELITA: 30s-60s, Latine, female-identifying. Esperanza’s grandmother and mother to Ramona. Abuelita is loving, eccentric, patient, and clever. She is a calming influence before and after the events that change Esperanza’s life. Also plays Hortensia, Miguel’s mother and Alfonso’s wife. She is a housekeeper in Esperanza’s family home at El Rancho de las Rosas.
ALFONSO: 30s-50s, Latine, male-identifying. Miguel’s father. He is the lead worker on El Rancho de las Rosas. He is loyal to Esperanza’s family and offers advice, caution, and connections that provide a way forward for Esperanza and Mama after tragedy. Also plays Esperanza’s Papa.
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