Clinton Area Showboat Theatre 2026 Season - Clinton, IA — Revised
Clinton Area Showboat Theatre - Rehearsal Space
410 S 1st Street
Clinton, IA 52732
Note: This space's ventilation has not been verified by Actors' Equity Association.
Expected to attend: Courtney Ryan Crouse, Artistic Director
See breakdown for production-specific dates.
https://www.clintonshowboat.com/
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.
The venue originally scheduled for these auditions has become unavailable. The auditions will now take place at Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's rehearsal space at 410 South 1st Street in Clinton.
Friday, January 23, 2026
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (C)
Lunch 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
To schedule an audition appointment, please email
courtney.crouse@clintonshowboat.com. Please put 2026 AEA in the subject line. If you are unable to attend these auditions, you may submit a video audition (see breakdown for details).
SPT — $394 weekly minimum (SPT 2)
Equity actors for roles in Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's 2026 Season (see breakdown).
The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (CAST) strives to foster an environment that is free of racism, discrimination, harassment, bullying, and intimidation—where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, can contribute fully, and have equal opportunities. We seek to foster an environment of mutual respect, collaboration, acceptance, appreciation, and caring for all members of our company.
Please prepare one brief song cut as well as a 30-second monologue. Bring your headshot and resume and your book in case the artistic team would like to hear more. An accompanist will be provided.
Please submit your headshot, resume, and video audition to
courtney.crouse@clintonshowboat.com. In the subject line please put, 2026 AEA - Video submission.
Please submit a video recording of you performing a brief song cut with your own accompaniment as well as a 30-second monologue. If possible, please also submit a dance reel or video that shows your movement ability.
Please include in your email which productions you are submitting for as well as any roles you are interested in.
Video submission deadline is February 1, 2026.
First Rehearsal: May 26, 2026
Performs: June 11–June 21, 2026
Sky Masterson: A high-stakes gambler whose luck never seems to run out, and a wild card who surprises himself when he falls in love with the unlikeliest of women. Suave, smart, handsome. Vocal range: E5–B3
Sarah Brown: A pretty, bright-eyed woman who serves as Sergeant of the local Mission. She fully believes in her worthy cause and wishes to convert the gambling sinners to saints. Falls unexpectedly in love with Sky along the way. Prudish and uptight but eventually lets go. Vocal range: G5–B3
Nathan Detroit: A good-hearted gambler and craps game organizer who could never hit the big time. He loves Adelaide but cannot quit his gambling ways. A broke schemer with unwitting ways. Vocal range: A3–E5
Miss Adelaide: Nathan's fiancé and a lead performer at the Hot Box nightclub. She loves Nathan more than anything in the world and desperately wants to get married. Pretty, outspoken, stubborn. Vocal range: D5–A3
Arvide Abernathy: The bass drum and cymbal player in the Mission band; Sarah's loving grandfather. Wise and sweet, he wants nothing but the best for her. Vocal range: F5–D4
Nicely-Nicely Johnson: The nicest and cheeriest of the gambling crooks. High-spirited and a bit naïve, but sincere and genuine. Nathan's loyal friend and lackey. Vocal range: B5–D4
Benny Southstreet: Nathan's right-hand man and a gambler himself. Smart, slick, always moving and shaking, but with what he thinks are Nathan's best interests at heart. Vocal range: G5–D4
Harry the Horse: A crook and gambler. He is a tough guy with dollar signs as his bottom line. Brings Big Jule into Nathan's craps game and backs his cheating but is also a man of his word in the gambling community. Vocal range: G5–F3
Big Jule: A big-time craps player from Chicago who uses a gun and his own pair of rigged dice to bully his way into never losing. Tough looking; a bit of an oaf. Vocal range: G5–F3
Ensemble: Ensemble members of various vocal ranges and ages to play Hot Box Girls, Crapshooters, et al. SATB
First Rehearsal: June 16, 2026
Performs: July 2–July 12, 2026
The Cat in the Hat: Our story's omniscient narrator; fun loving and enjoys rhyming. Pops up throughout the story to help the audience. Wise and attentive. A strong rock singing voice, strong on comedy and moves well. Vocal range: F4–F2
Jojo: The mayor’s son, a Who that is always finding trouble. Bright, creative, and inadvertently mischievous. Possesses a wildly expansive imagination and finds solace in his friendship with Horton. Vocal range: C5–Ab3
Horton the Elephant: Our story's main character; a compassionate and gentle elephant. Commonly misunderstood because of his larger size. Protective and loving of all creatures in the jungle. Vocal range: F4–A2
Gertrude McFuzz: Horton's one-feathered-tail bird neighbor. Sweet and timid. Kind and loyal but self-conscious of her shortfalls. Vocal range: F5–F3
Mayzie LaBird: The most beautiful bird in all of the jungle. Oblivious to her self-centered ways; relies on manipulation and intoxicating beauty to navigate life. Vocal range: Eb5–G3
Sour Kangaroo: The 'leader' of the jungle. Loud, brassy, and stubbornly set in her ways. A caring mother, unabashedly sassy and soulful. Vocal range: F5–F#3
Ensemble: Ensemble members of various vocal ranges and ages to play Whos, Bird Girls, Wickersham Brothers, et al. SATB
First Rehearsal: July 7, 2026
Performs: July 23–August 2, 2026
Clyde Barrow: A charming small-town boy who craves notoriety. Bonnie's reckless, bold, daring lover. Vocal range: C5–A2
Bonnie Parker: A beautiful girl torn between love and fame. Clyde's ambitious, stubborn lover. Vocal range: F5–G3
Marvin “Buck” Barrow: Clyde's brother and an outlaw troubled by his wife's distaste for his lifestyle. Adventurous and loyal. Vocal range: G4–B2
Blanche Barrow: A religious woman who disapproves of the criminal lifestyle. Honorable and righteous. Married to Buck Barrow. Vocal range: Eb5–G3
Cumie Barrow: A kind woman among those suffering in the Depression. Loyal and selfless. Mother to Clyde and Buck.
Ted Hinton: A police officer struggling to separate his feelings from his duties. Kind and honest. Madly in love with Bonnie. Vocal range: A4–C3
Preacher: The town's evangelist. Loud, passionate, boisterous. Vocal range: C5–A2
Henry Barrow: A hard-working man, struggling to survive. Humble and quiet. Father of Clyde and Buck.
Governor Miriam Ferguson: An enforcer of the law and Governor of Texas. Tough and harsh.
Ensemble: Ensemble members of various vocal ranges and ages to play Cops, Guards, Shop Clerks, Townspeople. SATB
First Rehearsal: July 24, 2026
Performs: August 6–16, 2026
Chip Tolentino: An athletic, social boy scout and champion of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; he returns to defend his title but finds puberty hitting at an inopportune moment. Vocal range: B4–C3
Logainne Schwartzandgrubeniere: The youngest and most politically aware speller, often making comments about current political figures. Driven by pressure and a desire to make her two fathers proud. Somewhat of a neat freak, speaks with a lisp, and will be back next year. Vocal range: G5–G3
Leaf Coneybear: The second runner-up in his district; gets into the competition on a lark and finds everything about the bee incredibly amusing. Home-schooled and from a large family of former hippies. Has severe attention deficit disorder and spells words correctly while in a trance. Vocal range: A4–A2
William Barfee: A Putnam County Spelling Bee finalist last year, eliminated due to an allergic reaction to peanuts and back for vindication. His famous Magic Foot method has boosted him to spelling glory, even though he only has one working nostril and a touchy, bullying personality. Develops a crush on Olive. Vocal range: Bb4–C3
Marcy Park: The ultimate over-achiever. Comes from a family where excellence is expected. A parochial school student with many talents including piano, dance, martial arts, and baton twirling. Vocal range: Eb5–A3
Olive Ostrovski: A young newcomer to competitive spelling. Her mother is in an ashram in India; her father is working late but may attend the bee. Found comfort in words and her dictionary at a very young age. Starts enormously shy, then blossoms. Vocal range: F#5–A3
Rona Lisa Peretti: The number-one realtor in Putnam County, a former Putnam County Spelling Bee Champion herself, and the returning moderator. Sweet and loves children, but can be very stern when dealing with Vice Principal Panch. E5–C4
Douglas Panch: The Vice Principal. Frustrated with his life and alienated by the drive of the young spellers. After five years' absence, Panch returns as judge. There was an incident at the Twentieth Annual Bee, but he claims to be in a better place now, thanks to a high-fiber diet and Jungian analysis. Infatuated with Rona Lisa Peretti, but she does not return his affections.
Mitch Mahoney: The Official Comfort Counselor. An ex-convict performing community service with the Bee, handing out juice boxes to losing students. Has no idea how to offer comfort but wishes to make the kids feel better. Vocal range: A4–E3
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