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THE SOUND OF MUSIC & THE STEPHEN FOSTER STORY - The Stephen Foster Drama Association Non Equity Auditions

Posted January 28, 2025
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC & THE STEPHEN FOSTER STORY - The Stephen Foster Drama Association

Now in its 66th Season, The Stephen Foster Drama Association is committed to providing a quality entertainment experience while sustaining the legacy and music of America’s first great composer, Stephen Collins Foster and the community that influenced his life and career. His interpretation of the African American experience of the time, as well as his desire for family, friendship and love served as inspiration for his enduring and meaningful songs.

The amphitheater, located in historic Bardstown, Kentucky – voted The Most Beautiful Small Town in America by Rand McNally & USA Today - is a very special resource for the productions, providing a beautiful setting for outdoor theatre. In the 2025 summer season, the SFDA will present a mainstage rotating repertory season of The Stephen Foster Story, & Rodgers & Hammerstein's timeless classic The Sound of Music. For more information, visit: www.StephenFoster.com

Compensation package includes furnished apartment-style housing for out-of-town actors. 3-5 performances per week with no additional non-performance related duties. $300 - $450/Week (neg. based on role and season casting)

- TO SUBMIT AN AUDITION:
To streamline your experience auditioning with us, we are requesting you to record our audition materials for your initial submission. Linked below is a folder with our casting breakdowns, scenes, songs and tracks for each character in either show. Please select the character you feel best suits your skillset. Once you have recorded the scenes and songs for your character, please upload them via the instructions in your character’s folder. Video submissions are due no later than February 23, 2025.


AUDITION INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS AND MATERIALS


- TO SUBMIT FOR A MANAGERIAL/TECHNICAL POSITION:
Please e-mail BronsonM@StephenFoster.com with subject line: 2025 Managerial/Technical Submission with your note and resume along with position(s) you feel best qualified to fill.
Currently accepting submissions from all managerial and technical fields including: Stage Management, Technical Director, Master Electrician, A1 & A2, Head of Props, Carpenters, Paint Charge, Scenic Artists, Stitchers & Dressers.

Roles:

[STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER]
(20s-30s / MALE / BARITONE)
A YOUNG POET AND GENIUS SONG-WRITER WHO BATTLES HIS FAMILY'S INSISTENCE ON STABILITY WITH HIS DESIRE TO MAKE A LIVING AS A GREAT ARTIST. SEEKING AN EXCEPTIONAL SINGING ACTOR WITH EMOTIONAL AVAILABILITY TO PORTRAY A RANGE FROM YOUTHFUL HOPE AND JOY TO SULLEN, OUTCAST AND LOST. PRINCIPAL.

[JANE MCDOWELL]
(18-20s / FEMALE / SOPRANO)
STEPHEN’S MUSE. BRIGHT, DETERMINED, AND STRONG-WILLED. AS A YOUNG WOMAN OF MARRYING AGE IN THE 1850S, JANE'S PRACTICAL NATURE AND THE SOCIETAL EXPECTATIONS PUSHED ON HER BY HER MOTHER ARE OFTEN AT WARE WITH THE PASSIONATE, MUSIC-FILLED SHE SECRETLY DREAMS OF FOR HERSELF. PRINCIPAL

[JOE AIKINS]
(20s – 50s / MALE / BARITONE)
THE MCDOWELL’S CARETAKER; BIG-HEARTED, JOVIAL, LOYAL AND KIND. A CLOSE CONFIDANT OF STEPHEN. CHARACTER IS BLACK/INDIGENOUS/PERSON OF COLOR. PRINCIPAL.

[LIEVY PISE]
(20s-40s / FEMALE / ANY VOICE TYPE)
THE FOSTER’S CARETAKER; PRAGMATIC, MATERNAL, NURTURING AND LOVING. CHARACTER IS BLACK/INDIGENOUS/PERSON OF COLOR. PRINCIPAL.

[MARTIN DELANY]
(20s-50s / MALE / ANY VOICE TYPE)
MEDICAL APPRENTICE TO DR. MCDOWELL, A JOURNALIST, SCHOLARLY, CHARMING & ASTUTE. CHARACTER IS BLACK/INDIGENOUS/PERSON OF COLOR. PRINCIPAL.

[DUDLEY MORTON]
(20s-30s / MALE / BARI-TENOR)
A RISING YOUNG LAWYER; CRISP, CLEAN CUT AND MUSTACHED; IN LOVE WITH JANE. A BIT OF A POMPOUS COMEDIC FOIL. PRINCIPAL.

[BANJO / GUITAR PLAYER]
(ANY AGE, ANY GENDER, ANY VOICE PART)
SINGER/ACTOR/INSTRUMENTALIST WITH BANJO/GUITAR SKILLS. PLEASE SUBMIT PERFORMANCE REEL – NO SIDES OR SONGS PROVIDED.

[MARIA RAINER]
(FEMALE / 20s-30s / SOPRANO)
A POSTULANT AT NONNBERG ABBEY – MARIA IS A HEADSTRONG, FREE-SPIRITED YOUNG WOMAN. SHE IS SPUNKY, OPINIONATED, WARM, RESOURCEFUL, YOUTHFUL, GENTLE AND KIND WITH MUCH DETERMINATION.

[CAPTAIN VON TRAPP]
(MALE / 25-40s / BARITONE)
A RETIRED AUSTRIAN NAVAL CAPTAIN. HE IS A WIDOWER. HE’S POLISHED, YET VERY MILITARY IN THE
WAY HE RUNS HIS LIFE; UNDERNEATH, HE IS WARM, UNDERSTANDING AND DETERMINED. REGIMENTED,
DIGNIFIED, COMMANDING, NOBLE, INTELLIGENT.

[ELSA SCHRAEDER]
(FEMALE / 20-40s / MEZZO)
A VERY WEALTHY WIDOW, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF HER LATE HUSBAND’S CORPORATION. ELEGANT,
SOPHISTICATED CITY PERSON. CLEVER AND CANNY, SHE HAS BEGUN A FLIRTATION WITH CAPTAIN VON
TRAPP. SHE IS VERY MUCH INTO MAKING A GOOD SOCIAL ARRANGEMENT.

[MAX DETWEILER]
(MALE / 25-40s / TENOR)
A THEATRICAL AGENT AND FIRST SECRETARY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE – A PERSONAL FRIEND OF
VON TRAPP AND A SORT OF UNCLE TO HIS CHILDREN. HE IS CLEVER AT HIS JOB, CHARMING, WITTY, AND
QUITE PUSHY TO GET WHAT HE WANTS. HE HAS A HUMOROUS PERSONALITY. HE ENJOYS THE GOOD
LIFE AND THOSE THAT LIVE THE GOOD LIFE.

[MOTHER ABBESS]
(FEMALE / 40s-60s / SOPRANO)
AN INSPIRATIONAL LEADER FOR ALL THE NUNS AT THE ABBY. SHE IS A TRUE BIG-HEARTED MOTHER FIGURE, LOVED, ADORED AND RESPECTED. SHE HAS A BIT OF HIDDEN SPUNK.

[LIESL VON TRAPP]
(FEMALE /16 / SOPRANO E5 to B3)
THE ELDEST OF THE VON TRAPP SIBLINGS. SHE IS INNOCENT, NAÏVE, COY, FLIRTATIOUS, HEADSTRONG
AND INFATUATED WITH ROLF. SHE IS PRETTY BUT UNSOPHISTICATED AND TENDS TO THINK
EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL. SHE HAS A MATERNAL EDGE TO HER AND CARES VERY DEEPLY AND
LOVINGLY FOR HER YOUNGER SIBLINGS.

[ROLF GRUBER]
(MALE / 17 / BARI-TENOR)
THE TELEGRAM DELIVERY BOY. FRIEND OF LIESL. HE IS SELF IMPORTANT, BOASTING, A VERY PLEASANT
YOUNG MAN, AND SOMEWHAT AGGRESSIVE BUT IN A GENTLE WAY. HE SEEMS TO KNOW AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WHAT IS GOING ON BECAUSE OF HIS JOB AND SEEMS TO RELISH HIS SPYING TACTICS.

[ENSEMBLE DAN-CERS]
(ALL GENDERS / 18-30s / ALL VOICE TYPES)
SEEKING DANCERS TO BE A PART OF THE 2025 SEASON. STRONG BALLET & PARTNERING TECHNIQUE. MUST HAVE ENSEMBLE SINGING EXPERIENCE. DANCERS MAY PERFORM (OR UNDERSTUDY) SUPPORTING AND FEATURED ROLES IN THE STEPHEN FOSTER STORY AND THE SOUND OF MUSIC. PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

STORYLINES:

[THE STEPHEN FOSTER STORY]
THE STEPHEN FOSTER STORY HAS BEEN DELIGHTING AUDIENCES AT THE J. DAN TALBOTT AMPHITHEATRE SINCE 1959. THE SHOW IS SET IN THE MID-19TH CENTURY AND FOLLOWS AMERICA’S FIRST GREAT COMPOSER STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER AS HE PAVES THE ROAD FOR FUTURE SONGWRITERS THROUGH LOVE, HEARTACHE, AND THE STRUGGLES OF THE TIME. FEATURING DOZENS OF FOSTER’S GREATEST COMPOSITIONS SUCH AS “OH! SUSANNA”, “CAMPTOWN RACES”, “BEAUTIFUL DREAMER”, “HARD TIMES (COME AGAIN NO MORE), & KENTUCKY’S STATE SONG “MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME, THE STEPHEN FOSTER STORY CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF A BY-GONE ERA THROUGH SONG, DANCE, BREATHTAKING COSTUMES, AND THE PICTURE-PERFECT SETTING OF MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME STATE PARK IN BARDSTOWN, KY.

[THE SOUND OF MUSIC]
THE FINAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN WAS DESTINED TO BECOME THE WORLD’S MOST BELOVED MUSICAL. FEATURING A TROVE OF CHERISHED SONGS, INCLUDING “CLIMB EV’RY MOUNTAIN,” “MY FAVORITE THINGS,” “DO-RE-MI,” “SIXTEEN GOING ON SEVENTEEN” AND THE TITLE NUMBER, THE SOUND OF MUSIC WON THE HEARTS OF AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE, EARNING FIVE TONY AWARDS AND FIVE OSCARS. THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY, BASED ON THE MEMOIR OF MARIA AUGUSTA TRAPP, FOLLOWS AN EBULLIENT POSTULATE WHO SERVES AS GOVERNESS TO THE SEVEN CHILDREN OF THE IMPERIOUS CAPTAIN VON TRAPP, BRINGING MUSIC AND JOY TO THE HOUSEHOLD. BUT AS THE FORCES OF NAZISM TAKE HOLD OF AUSTRIA, MARIA AND THE ENTIRE VON TRAPP FAMILY MUST MAKE A MORAL DECISION.

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