New York Stage and Film 2026 Season of Musicals Equity Principal Actors - New York Stage and Film Auditions

NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM 2026 SEASON (MUSICALS) - NYC EPA

New York Stage and Film Company | New York, NY

Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

LOCATION

Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Actors' Equity New York Audition Center
165 W 46th St
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM (E) 16th Fl
New York, NY 10036
Lunch 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

PERSONNEL

Expected to Attend:
Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens: Associate Artistic Director & Artistic/Line Producer
Terence Odonkor: Musical Director
Joel DeCandio: Accompanist

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in New York Stage and Film's 2026 Season of Musicals. See breakdown for production specific personnel.

OTHER DATES

Preparation:
Please prepare a brief contemporary monologue and 16-bars of a song. Bring sheet music for your song; a piano accompanist will be provided. Bring a photo/resume stapled together. An ASL interpreter will be on-site and provided for the full duration of the day. EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor 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

NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM 2026 SEASON (MUSICALS)

PAPER MENAGERIE

Based on the Short Story The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu
Book by Lloyd Suh
Music by Thao Nguyen
Lyrics by Thao Nguyen & Lloyd Suh
Directed By Chay Yew
Musical Supervision by Chris Fenwick

First Rehearsal: July 7, 2026
Performance: July 19, 2pm

SYNOPSIS:

In PAPER MENAGERIE, based on the short story “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu, a biracial son struggles to understand an enduring rift with his Chinese immigrant mother. Through ancestral magic and an array of paper animals his mother breathes to life on stage. This new musical explores the magic that is possible when what was left unsaid is finally heard.

SEEKING:

• JACK: biracial white and Chinese, male, early 20s in present day
• MOM: Chinese female, late 40s to mid 50s in present day, in flashback starting in her early 20s
• YOUNG JACK: in flashback, starting at about 6 years old, until about 12
• NURSE: Filipino American, any age, any gender
• LAOHU: a paper tiger, Asian American, any age, any gender
• MARK: white male, about 12
• DAD: white male, seen in his 40s to 50s
• UNCLE: white male, 40s or 50s
• CHORUS: Assorted PAPER ANIMALS

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Jim Steinman
With book by Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Orchestrations by David Cullen & Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed by Bill Rauch

In collaboration with LW Entertainment Ltd, Deaf West Theatre, PAC NYC, and New York Stage & Film

First Rehearsal: July 21, 2026
Performance: July 31, 2026, 7pm; August 1, 2026, 7pm; August 2, 2026, 1pm

SYNOPSIS:

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND revolves around the time and place where the word teenager was invented. Swallow, struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother, discovers a mysterious stranger whom she believes is Jesus. In a town where a miracle is long overdue, the children fight to protect him from an adult world determined to find an escaped convict hiding in their midst. As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow is torn between the two and begins to discover who she is and where she is going. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s emotive score combines hauntingly beautiful love songs and explosive rock music with lyrics by acclaimed rock’n‘roll songwriter Jim Steinman. This exciting integration of Sign Language and deaf culture adds yet another layer to this poignant story of belonging, understanding, and faith.

CASTING NOTE: The cast will be a mix of Deaf and hearing actors in the roles. All roles will have a combination of ASL and/or sung and spoken English. Some hearing actors will be asked to learn and perform ASL for their roles as well. Cast configurations will be determined at a later date. If anyone auditioning has a preferred preference of accessibility or need, please don’t hesitate to let us know by reaching out to us at
info@newyorkstageandfilm.org with a Subject Line of “WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND EPA - ACCESSIBILITY/NEED”. ASL interpreters will be on-site and provided for the full duration of the day.

SEEKING:

• Swallow: deaf - Late teens. Sweet, young girl / A special kind of girl with a home-grown yet ‘other world’ character. She’s a farmer’s daughter, a dreamer, with inner strength and spiritual conviction. The only deaf member of the congregation, at the beginning of the story she is isolated during a church service without an ASL interpreter.
• Brat: hearing - Loyal sibling who signs fluently with Swallow, bridging the spoken world.
• Poor Baby: hearing - Loyal sibling who signs fluently with Swallow, bridging the spoken world.
• Boone: hearing - Mature Baritone / Father of Swallow, Poor Baby, and Brat. Fierce, flawed, committed to oralism; believes forcing Swallow to speak is an act of love. Embodiment of parental fear and misguided protection.
• Ghost of Swallow’s Mother: hearing, some knowledge of ASL preferred - Lyrical soprano/ Mix to high F / Seen only by Swallow, she is exclusively focused on her daughter’s loneliness and needs.
• The Man: deaf - Deaf escaped prisoner mistaken for Jesus by children, catalyst for hope and fear. Is filled with rage at the world and remorse at the murder he’s committed but unexpectedly finds hope through the children’s kindness.
• Ghost Prison Guard: hearing - High Baritone to top A / Hearing ghost of the man The Man killed, seen only by the Man, tormenting with guilt and voicing the signed lyrics of The Man.
• Edward: deaf - Black, Laborer on Boone’s farm and in the local bar; his ability to communicate through lip reading further convinces Boone that Swallow should be exclusively oral.
• Earl: CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) - Young sounding high tenor / Creepy, manipulative presence who represents dangers of fanaticism and twisted power.
• Amos: hearing - Late teens. Rock Tenor to Top B / The local hot head teenager with a big ‘attitude’ problem. Knows some sign language and uses his privilege over the deaf characters like a bridge and a barrier at once.
• Snake-Handling Preacher: deaf - A charismatic revivalist preacher – also an energetic and seductive salesman. Should be physically domineering. Carries one big song.
• Candy: hearing - Late teens. More mature belt to High D. / A Black waitress who longs for a wider world. She’s caught in the crosshairs of prejudice and expectation.
• Ensemble Children/ Kids: 8 deaf and hearing youth/young adults will be cast alongside the 3 named children above.

Ensemble Adults: Some additional “Grown-ups” (deaf and hearing) to play some additional minor characters noted in the Script:

• Minister
• Radio
• Newscaster
• Pianist
• Local
• Elizabeth
• Deputy
• Local Shop Owner
• Vikki
• Louis
• Ramona
• Clarence
• Jackie
• Lavonne
• Curly
• Winston
• Charity
• Preacher
• Person 1
• Person 2
• Local 1
• Local 2