MUSICAL TITLE TBA Equity Principal Actors - Chicago Shakespeare Theater Auditions

MUSICAL PRODUCTION TBA- Chicago EPA

Chicago Shakespeare Theater | Chicago, IL

Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

LOCATION

Monday, April 27, 2026
Chicago Shakespeare
800 E Grand Ave
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (C)
Chicago, IL 60611-5436

PERSONNEL

Artistic Director: Edward Hall
CAT Casting Director: Bob Mason
Casting Associate: Alexis Taylor

CONTRACT

Expected to attend:
$1122 weekly minimum (Tier 6) increasing to $1167 weekly minimum on 10/5/26.

OTHER DATES

SEEKING

CONTRACT

OTHER

Black actors, singers, and dancers are encouraged to
audition. While characters may be written on the binary, casting will be expanded to consider the entire range of the gender spectrum. An Equity Monitor will be provided.

PREPARATION

Please prepare a brief cut of a song from the Harlem Renaissance (1920s to 1930s). You may also prepare a short monologue, but it is not required. No a cappella. Bring sheet music in your key. An accompanist will be provided.

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

MUSICAL PRODUCTION TBA

NOTE: TRACKS 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 have been budgeted for possible out-of-town contracts with housing and travel.

SEEKING:

• TRACK 1. FEMALE. 20s. Black. Alto with a strong belt. Moves very well. A songwriter. Exceptionally fresh, exuberant, and full of big dreams. Determined to succeed in a man's world by making herself a man. Fresh off the train from Mississippi.
• TRACK 2. MALE. 30s to 40s. Black. Strong baritone/tenor. The greatest bandleader in Harlem but a mere shadow of what he used to be. Though handsome and nattily dressed, he is melancholy and self-absorbed. He hasn't been able to make music since being rejected by the lady of his dreams. He can be full of himself and a bit of a misogynist.
• TRACK 3. FEMALE. 30s to 40s. Black. Mezzo-alto with strong belt. The Diva. A dynamic, highly charismatic songstress and the undisputed Queen of Harlem nightlife. When crossed she can be meaner than a dog on gunpowder but has a vulnerable side as well.
• TRACK 4. MALE. Mid 30s to 50s. Black. Baritone/tenor. Moves well. The most pious, conservative, and uptight man in Harlem. Serves as the backstage manager. Deems himself superior to the rest of his community. Looks like he sucks on sorrow and swallows all the seeds. Enamored of the Diva to an embarrassing degree.
• TRACK 5. MALE. 40s to 50s. Black. Baritone/tenor. A great dancer. A nightclub performer. A man who loves the mirror and women in that order. A bit of a ladies' man and a jokester. Mr. Slick. He leads the group in humiliating the pompous backstage manager.
• TRACK 6. MALE. 40s to 50s. Black. Strong bass/baritone. Good-humored. A performer who feels like he's moving backwards in his career and doesn't want to settle down.
• TRACK 7. FEMALE. 30s to 40s. Black. Strong alto. The frustrated girlfriend of Sweets. Fussy and brisk-moving. She is tired of playing maid to the Diva. Misses singing and longs to move to a place where she could raise kids and sing again. NOTE: Scatting is helpful.
• TRACK 8. FEMALE. 20s to 30s. Black. Mezzo soprano. Young and beautiful. A hat check girl. Has a walk perfected to stop traffic. Will double in the Ensemble.