New Art City Theatre's Festival '26 Equity Principal Actors - New Art City Theatre Auditions

REVISED

LOCATION

Updated Notice Name and dates in Breakdown.

Namba Performing Arts Space
47 S. Oak Street
Ventura, CA 93001

AUDITION DATE

Friday, April 3, 2026
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (P)

No lunch scheduled. See breakdown for production specific personnel.

PERSONNEL

Expected to attend: Founders/Co-Executive and Artistic Directors: Beverly Ward and Kirby Ward. See breakdown for production specific personnel.

APPOINTMENTS

To schedule an audition appointment in Ventura, please use this link:
https://forms.gle/wqQNRBPmk4FzTZAs5

OTHER DATES

1st Rehearsal: on or around June 13th, 2026
Performances: June 18th–21st, 2026

CONTRACT

Independent Theatre Contract — $457 weekly minimum. Salaries will be prorated based on total workdays. Plus 2 weeks - Pension & Health. The full rehearsal schedule will be made available at the auditions. The producer will run all aspects of this audition. An Equity Monitor will not be provided.

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in New Art City Theatre's Festival '26 (see breakdown). New Art City Theatre's Festival ’26 is a one-week festival of staged readings. Four new plays will be presented at this public event. Attendance is free with reservation.

This is a two-week contract rehearsing four days in Los Angeles and presenting for one day with a matinee and evening performance in Ventura. Equity Actors and Stage Managers will receive two weeks of Pension and Health and reimbursement for parking on rehearsal days. Salaries will be prorated based on total workdays.

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.

Newartcitytheatre.org

PREPARATION

Please prepare two contrasting contemporary monologues, each no longer than 2 minutes. Please bring your headshot and resumé.

JOHN DILLINGER GETS A MANICURE

Written by Elise Forier Edie

Rehearses: June 14–17
Days off: June 18–19
Performance: Matinee and evening, June 20

SYNOPSIS

Rising from the mire of the great depression, celebrity bank robber John Dillinger stages his most daring stunt to date. Having broken out of jail, he takes a break from criminal activity to visit his family for the weekend, forcing his big sister into a position of complicity that puts the entire family in peril.

SEEKING

AUDREY HANCOCK: A 45 year old woman. John’s older sister. Keeps cool under tremendous pressure. Fiercely trying to protect her daughter.

MARY HANCOCK: Audrey’s 18 year old daughter. Smart. Adventurous. Full of hope, joy and romantic ideas of the outlaw life.

DOT DUNCAN: Mary’s friend, age 19. Truly naive and a bit of a goofball. A talker.

HUBERT DILLINGER: Age 24, Audrey and John’s brother. Oblivious to, and excited by, the danger John’s presence brings into the house.

BILLIE FRECHETTE: Age 27, John’s lover who calls herself his wife. She’s half-indigenous, raised on the Menominee reservation. A gangster’s moll, with no filter and no moral compass.

JOHN DILLINGER: Age 30, a gangster with tremendous charm and charisma. Can turn on a dime and be threatening, even to those he loves.

JACK CEJNAR: Age 35, a federal agent posing as a reporter. Has courage and great composure.

LAUGHING MATTER

Written by Rob Ulin

Rehearses: June 13–16
Days off: June 17–18
Performance: Matinee and evening, June 19

SYNOPSIS

What makes something funny? And what are the moral obligations of a comedian? Howard is a neuroscientist fascinated by the world of stand-up comedians Calvin and Adam. His obsession takes him on a journey that explores the nature of humor and the human connection.

SEEKING

HOWARD: A stiff, socially awkward scientist, obsessed with the world of stand-up comedy. Can’t tell a joke to save his life but would give anything to be funny. Has a questionable sense of what is ethical.

MEG: An equally stiff, socially awkward scientist. Wishes she had different taste in men. She knows who she is and has a strong sense of ethics.

CALVIN: A very self-assured and talented stand-up comic. Has no problem with being accused of being a sociopath — as long as he’s a funny one.

ADAM: A much less confident stand-up comic with a strong moral compass. Always honest with Calvin but can’t work up the courage to tell Stephanie he’s crazy about her.

STEPHANIE: A comedy writer and talented stand-up comic. Strong enough to make a place for herself in a man’s realm.

THE HENRY CLYDE CANNING MURDER HOUSE

Written by Christian Missonak

Rehearses: June 13–16
Day off: June 17
Performance: Matinee and evening, June 18

SYNOPSIS

Years after Henry Clyde Canning is convicted for the murder of sixteen women in the family home, his now-grown children grapple with their father’s legacy and how it reflects on their struggles for a normal life.

SEEKING

HARRY: Early–mid 40s. The only son and namesake of an infamous serial killer. While he can be so glib, cynical, and opportunistic as to seem amoral, Harry feels things very deeply even if he's hesitant to let it show.

ELISE: Mid–late 30s. Harry's younger sister. An Olympic-level athlete. Tough, acerbic, and embittered, Elise's sharp, sly sense of humor belies a strong sense of justice that borders on moral superiority.

LUKA: Mid–late 30s. Elise's partner, both in life and business. Also a former Olympian. Born and raised in Croatia, he speaks with a somewhat thick accent. A devout Catholic, Luka is moral, gentle, tolerant, friendly, and, above all, fiercely loyal to Elise.

VERA: Early 30s. Harry's business partner with whom he also has a vague, largely unimportant, sexual relationship. A once rising star in TV production who's found herself abruptly out of the business. Chatty and awkward due to her unfamiliarity with the setting, she slowly reveals herself to be clever, incisive, and morally ambiguous.

TESSERACT

Written by Scott Sickles

Rehearses: June 14–17
Days off: June 18–20
Performance: Matinee and evening, June 21

SYNOPSIS

During a far-right extremist coup, a 9-year-old trans boy goes missing during an airlift. His mothers enlist every resource at their disposal, but their son could be anywhere on the planet and has left no trace.

Casting note: For the reading of this play (especially for the role of THE SON), the producer will consider actors who are non-binary for characters listed in this breakdown as cis- or trans-.

SEEKING

THE WIFE: A teacher in her 40s. A favorite with students and parents alike. Strong willed, kind and confident. Cis-female. Married to THE WOMAN. “Mumma” to THE SON.

THE SON: A trans male. Ages from 9–13 during the play. Playful. Inquisitive. Child of THE WOMAN and THE WIFE. NOTE: Parents should be aware: the young actor playing this role will portray both genders. We acknowledge this may be uncomfortable for some children. Parents, please be sure that your child understands this requirement before auditioning.

THE WOMAN: An attorney in her 40s. Straightforward and capable. Decisive. Ready to take action. Cis-female. Married to THE WIFE, birth mother/“mommy” of THE SON.

THE GRANDMOTHER: A stern woman in her 70s/80s. The personification of passive aggressive. Both stern and capricious. Capable of great deceit. Believes she’s a hero. She’s THE WOMAN’s mother and THE SON’s grandmother. Will double as THE OLDER ATTENDEE: a woman of real grace and true fortitude; PASSENGER #2: an empathetic woman; ICMP LIAISON: from the International Commission on Missing Persons. A professional who has seen many terrible things.

ENSEMBLE #1: AIRPORT SECURITY: Female-identifying. A woman who understands the danger in the airport created by the coup, but remains cool and steady under pressure; INTERPOL LIAISON: a career pro. Not jaded, but all business; THE FRIEND: a talker. Wants to make everyone feel welcome but often puts her foot in it. Takes action to be the best kind of friend.

ENSEMBLE #2: MILITARY OFFICER: Female-identifying. She’s queer and so identifies with THE WIFE. Goes above and beyond to help the mothers; UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) LIAISON: efficient but works with compassion; THE LEADER: what you would hope from the facilitator of a support group for families of missing children. Warm. Patient. Keeps the group on track; also doubles as AIRPORT WORKER and STAND IN (the Airport Worker and Stand In are non-speaking roles that may or may not be used as part of the reading at Festival ’26).

ENSEMBLE #3: Female-identifying. GATE AGENT and STATE DEPARTMENT REP.

ENSEMBLE #4: THE FATHER: Trans male. Determined. Has a wry sense of humor. Grateful for the kindness of the support group. PASSENGER #1: clueless complainer. UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) LIAISON; also doubles as MALE AIRPORT SECURITY, and THE MAN. (The Male Airport Security and The Man are non-speaking roles that may or may not be used as part of the reading at Festival ’26.)