ARENA STAGE 2026-27 SEASON "ACT 1" Equity Principal Actors - Arena Stage Auditions

ARENA STAGE 2026-27 SEASON ACT 1 - WASHINGTON, D.C. EPA REVISED

NOTICE: AUDITION

Call Type: EPA REVISED

Updated Salary & Breakdown.

AUDITION DATE

Tuesday, June 16, 2026
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (E)
Lunch 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

APPOINTMENTS

These calls will be run on a 1st come, 1st served basis. The sign-ups will begin at 9am.

CONTRACT

LORT Non-Rep
$1320 weekly minimum (LORT B+)
$1213 weekly minimum (LORT B)
$1114 weekly minimum (LORT C)

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in Arena Stage's 2026-27 Season Act 1 (See breakdown). Also seeking understudies (for all roles) and swings. Equity Performers of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities and expressions, and performers living with disabilities are encouraged to audition.

PREPARATION

Please prepare 1 short song & 1 short monologue OR 2 contrasting short monologues. Auditions may not exceed 3-minutes total. An accompanist will be provided. Please have a headshot and resume (as a pdf) on your phone ready to upload to an online form. Please bring a hard copy of your headshot and resume stapled together. Always bring your equity card to EPAs.

LOCATION

Arena Stage
1101 6th St SW
Washington, DC 20024
Please enter the building through the main doors on Sixth St. Please be ready to show ID at main desk. The Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle

PERSONNEL

Expected to attend:
Raiyon Hunter: Casting Director

OTHER DATES

See breakdown for production specific dates.

OTHER

www.arenastage.org
Please do not attend both DC and NYC auditions. Please choose your closest location.
Arena Stage will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals who request them in advance. Accommodation requests may include but are not limited to: Large Print Materials, Social Narratives, and ASL Interpretation. Please call 202-554-9066 with any questions.

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.

BREAKDOWN

Arena Stage 2026-27 Season Act 1

Some character breakdowns within this document include gender specifications that reflect the identity of the characters as written by the playwrights. However, we encourage performers with any gender expression and/or gender identity to audition for any role. All dates are subject to change.

NIKOLA (KREEGER STAGE, LORT B)

First Rehearsal: 8/31/26
First Preview: 10/9/26
Opening: 10/22/26
Closing: 12/6/26
Directed by Marshall Pailet
Choreography by Katie Spelman
Music Supervision by Dominic Fallacaro
Music Direction by Heath Saunders.

SYNOPSIS: Nikola - A New Musical charts the rise of famed inventor Nikola Tesla from unknown engineer to eccentric genius to “mad scientist.” As his celebrity rises and the war of the currents with Thomas Edison heats up, Nikola pushes himself, his followers, and the limits of electric power to dangerous extremes to connect the world and reach his vision of a new tomorrow.

Nikola features book and lyrics by Nikko Benson and Benjamin Halstead, music by Nikko Benson, music supervision by Dominic Fallacaro (& Juliet), choreography by Katie Spelman (The Notebook), and direction by Marshall Pailet (Private Jones). Meet the visionary. See the visionary electric musical.

SEEKING:

• Nikola Tesla [Tenor, Mid 20s - early 30s]: A visionary inventor whose vivid visions of the future often leave him feeling isolated, misunderstood, and at times even a little insane. With an overactive imagination and near-photographic memory, he can visualize inventions fully formed in the air around him. At first, Tesla believes science can transform the world for the better, but after Edison’s betrayal, he becomes increasingly consumed by the need to prove his vision right at any cost.
• Katharine Underwood [Soprano, 20s - 30s]: A dazzling New York City socialite who has mastered the art of connection in a world where women are rarely taken seriously. She offers both Tesla and herself the possibility of a more human future built on connection rather than power.
• Thomas Edison [Tenor, mid-30s to early-50s]: A charismatic, larger-than-life showman of an inventor who commands every room like a stage, driven by a deep fear of being forgotten.
• Robert Underwood-Johnson [Tenor, late 20s - early 40s]: A slick, charming reporter who knows exactly who to be in every room, using his constructed persona to uncover truth in others and conceal his own.
• J.P. Morgan [Soprano, 30s]: The ruthless king of American capitalism, sharp and intimidating, who seeks to maintain his hold on power.
• George Westinghouse [Baritone, 40s-50s]: A big-hearted industrialist devoted to making the world fairer, who champions Tesla until he becomes financially ruined by Tesla’s vision.
• Guglielmo Marconi [Tenor, 20s - 30s]: A young immigrant inventor who initially admires Tesla but becomes an antagonist due to his own insecurities.

ENSEMBLE SINGERS:

Ages 20s – 30s, all gender identities, all ethnicities, all body types. Seeking strong and vivid singer/actor/dancers to play various members of society. Most ensemble tracks will understudy principal roles.

ENSEMBLE DANCERS:

Ages: 20s – 30s, all gender identities, all ethnicities, all body types. Seeking energetic/expressive/dynamic dancers. Strong vocals an advantage.

PRIMA FACIE (KOGOD CRADLE, LORT C)

Kogod Cradle
First Rehearsal: 10/13/26
First Preview: 11/13/26
Opening: 11/20/26
Closing: 12/27/26

SYNOPSIS: Tessa is a brilliant criminal defense attorney who has fought her way to the top of her field, defending men accused of sexual assault. But when the unthinkable happens to her, she finds herself sitting where her clients’ accusers once sat. What follows is a reckoning with the law's patriarchal power and the gap between the burden of proof and truth. Prima Facie by Suzie Miller is an electrifying, award-winning one-woman show that demands we do something about justice.

SEEKING:

TESSA [White, woman, 30s]: A brilliant, ambitious defense barrister who is sharp, charismatic, funny, and fiercely competitive in the courtroom.

PURPOSE (FICHANDLER STAGE, LORT B+)

First Rehearsal: 1/5/27
First Preview: 2/5/27
Opening: 2/11/27
Closing: 3/28/27

SYNOPSIS: Meet the Jaspers — a Black political dynasty of civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen who have long anchored Black American life. When the youngest son, Naz, returns home with an unexpected guest, long-buried resentment boils over, fracturing the family's foundation. Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a provocative, deeply felt exploration of legacy, belonging, and the cost of believing in something bigger than yourself.

SEEKING:

• SOLOMON JASPER [Black, Man, 50-60s]: The patriarch of the Jasper family, a commanding civil rights leader concerned with legacy.
• CLAUDINE JASPER [Black, Woman, 50s-60s]: The matriarch who is fiercely protective of the family.
• NAZARETH JASPER [Black, Man, 30s]: The introspective youngest son and the play’s narrator.
• SOLOMON “JUNIOR” JASPER JR. [Black, Man, 40s]: The eldest son recently released from prison.
• MORGAN JASPER [Black, Woman, 40s]: Junior’s wife facing prison time.
• AZIZA HOUSTON [Black, Woman, 30s]: Naz’s friend unexpectedly pulled into the family gathering.