Round House Theatre 2026-27 Season Equity Principal Actors - Round House Theatre Auditions

Round House Theatre 2026-27 Season - NYC EPA

Round House Theatre | Bethesda, MD

Notice: Audition • Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

LOCATION

Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Actors' Equity New York Audition Center
165 W 46th St, 16th Fl
New York, NY 10036
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM (E)

BREAK

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

PERSONNEL

Artistic Director: Ryan Rilette

Executive Director: Ed Zakreski

Associate Artistic Director - Casting & Artist Management: Sarah Cooney

CONTRACT

LORT Non-Rep
$889 weekly minimum (LORT D)

EXPECTED TO ATTEND

Equity actors for roles in Round House Theatre's 2026–27 Season (see breakdown). All roles will be understudied. See individual breakdowns for production-specific personnel.

OTHER DATES

See breakdown for production-specific dates.

PREPARATION

Please prepare one of the following options: a 2-minute contemporary monologue, OR a 1-minute monologue and 32 bars of a song playing one of the musical instruments listed in the production breakdowns in a blues or folk style. An accompanist will not be provided. Please bring a hard copy of your headshot and resume. Be prepared to show your Equity membership card upon arrival.

EPA procedures are in effect for this audition. An Equity Monitor will be provided.

For more information, visit
www.roundhousetheatre.org.

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

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM

(A co-production with Olney Theatre Center)

Director: Lili-Anne Brown
Playwright: August Wilson

1st Rehearsal – Aug. 4, 2026
1st Preview – Sept. 9, 2026
Opening – Sept. 14, 2026
Closing – Oct. 11, 2026
Possible Extension – Oct. 18, 2026

Please note: performers who play instruments (the blues) are encouraged to audition. Performers who do not play instruments will also be considered.

SEEKING:

[MA RAINEY] — THIS ROLE IS CAST.

[LEVEE] — THIS ROLE IS CAST.

[STURDYVANT] — he/him, white, 40s–60s. Recording studio owner; has no patience for artist attitudes. Insensitive to Black performers and prefers to deal with them at arm's length. Quick to jump to the worst conclusions; anxious and self-serving. He and Ma are like oil and water — they do NOT get along.

[IRVIN] — he/him, white, 40s–60s. Ma’s long-time manager. A tall, fleshy man who prides himself on his knowledge of Black people and his ability to work with them. Always putting out fires and used to managing stress. Knows the best way to calm someone down is to make them feel heard; self-serving and calculated.

[CUTLER] — he/him, Black, 50s–60s. Plays guitar and trombone. The leader of the group and the most sensible band member. Experienced, wants to clock his time and go home. Little patience for cocky young musicians. Well aware of societal dangers and limitations that come with being a Black man. Playing is solid and almost without embellishment; a loner without introspection.

[TOLEDO] — he/him, Black, 40s–60s. Plays piano. The only member of the band that can read music. Self-taught and proud; tends to misunderstand and misapply knowledge. Quick to penetrate a situation with thought-provoking insights. Outspoken and frustrated with band members’ lack of education; quick to take the bait when provoked.

[SLOW DRAG] — he/him, Black, 40s–60s. Plays bass. Deceptively intelligent but appears slow. The band member most bored by life; physically resembles Cutler but lacks his energy and leadership. A large man with a wicked smile; innate African rhythms underlie everything he plays, and he plays with an ease that is at times startling.

[DUSSY MAE] — she/her, Black, early–mid 20s. A young dark-skinned woman with natural sexual energy. Ma’s lover, careful to keep the relationship quiet. Off-limits to the men; beautiful, funny, alluring, always dressed in the best; loyal to Ma.

[SYLVESTER] — he/him, Black, late teens–early 20s. Ma’s nephew. An Arkansas country boy the size of a fullback; very anxious, stutters, easily steamrolled. Ma is intent on him making something of himself, but he hates being the center of attention.

[POLICEMAN] — he/him, white, 20s–40s. A product of his time; doesn’t have much patience for Black folx but is willing to look the other way to line his pocket.

CULT OF LOVE

(Regional Premiere)

Artistic Director / Director: Ryan Rilette
Playwright: Leslye Headland

1st Rehearsal – Oct. 13, 2026
1st Preview – Nov. 18, 2026
Opening – Nov. 23, 2026
Closing – Dec. 27, 2026

Note: Performers who sing and play instruments (folk) are highly encouraged to audition.

SEEKING:

[William “Bill” Dahl] — he/him, 60s, white. Patriarch of the Dahl family. Unaware he is declining mentally; has been known to get lost in his music. Loves having all his children together. A strong singer & piano/guitar player.

[Virginia “Ginny” Dahl] — she/her, 60s, white. Matriarch of the Dahl family. A strong singer. Deeply in denial and refuses to acknowledge the family’s dysfunction. Wants to hold onto the past.

[Mark Dahl] — he/him, 40s, white. Eldest son; a former Lutheran minister, now a lawyer, still searching. In a shaky marriage and a strong singer and musician (guitar and banjo).

[Rachel Dahl] — she/her, mid–late 30s, any ethnicity. Mark’s wife. Familiar with the family’s dysfunctions. Secretly separated from Mark and just wants to get through the holiday.

[Evie Dahl] — she/her, mid 30s, white. The second Dahl child. Newly married, striving for parental approval, unsure how to incorporate her new family with her old. Protective of Pippa and easily provoked. A strong singer.

[Pippa Ferguson] — she/her, 30s, any ethnicity. Evie’s wife. A proud queer woman, recently married and newly pregnant. Smart, worldly, and an outsider who wants acceptance but won’t censor herself.

[Johnny Dahl] — he/him, early 30s, white. The third Dahl child. An addict in recovery; the black sheep, perpetually late and in and out of rehabs. Unafraid to say uncomfortable things. A strong singer who plays guitar.

[Loren Montgomery] — she/her, 20s, any ethnicity. Johnny’s friend. Sober and new to the group; was not invited and is a fish out of water. Brings a youthful outsider perspective.

[Diana Dahl Bennett] — she/her, late 20s, white. The youngest Dahl, pregnant with her second child. Battling mental health issues and extremely religious; believes she is a prophet. A singer with “a voice of an angel.”

[James Bennett] — he/him, early 30s, white. Diana’s husband. An Episcopal priest with unconventional ideas. Homophobic, devoutly religious, devoted to Diana, and believes God has a plan for them.

CHINESE REPUBLICANS

(Regional Premiere)

Director: TBA
Playwright: Alex Lin

1st Rehearsal – Dec. 21, 2026
1st Preview – Jan. 27, 2027
Opening – Feb. 1, 2027
Closing – Feb. 21, 2027

NOTE: All performers in this production will speak Mandarin.

SEEKING:

[Ellen] — she/her, 48, Chinese-American. An oak tree carved out in the center. Managing Director, South American Trading. #GIRLBOSSGASLIGHT. Innovative and tough. Never late. Speaks Mandarin, but not as well as she’d like others to think.

[Katie] — she/her, 24, Chinese-American. A flower bud waiting to bloom. Senior Research Associate in Wealth Strategies. Inquisitive and hopeful. Speaks fluent Mandarin with an American accent.

[Phyllis] — she/her, 65, Chinese-American. A real battle axe. Executive Consultant (former Head of Investments). Been around the block; Qin Dynasty legalist ruler with Johnny Walker Red vibes. Speaks fluent Mandarin.

[Iris] — she/her, 31, Chinese immigrant. A full moon out on a summer’s day. Lead Software Engineer, Trading Systems. Here on an H1B visa. Doesn’t pull punches. Brilliant and bold. Speaks fluent Mandarin.

[Waiter] — he/him, 30s–40s, white. Just a normal guy who speaks fluent Mandarin.

BABY SHOWER KATIE

(World Premiere – 2027 Bonnie Hammerschlag National Capital New Play Festival)

Director: Jessica Fisch
Playwright: Beth Hyland

1st Rehearsal – Mar. 9, 2027
1st Preview – Apr. 14, 2027
Opening – Apr. 19, 2027
Closing – May 9, 2027

SEEKING:

[REBECCA] — THIS ROLE IS CAST.

[DR ALMOND] — THIS ROLE IS CAST.

[HANNAH] — she/her, 33. Chaos-forward with an iron will beneath. Gets through wrongdoings with charm and main-character energy. Spikey and quick with mean zingers that cover deeper feelings of low self-worth, sadness, and fear about where she is in life. Phone screen always broken.

[KATIE(S)] — she/her. Three different Katies: KATIE B. (33, Rebecca and Hannah’s childhood best friend; high-strung and pure), KATIE M. (38, Hannah’s boss; high-status, woo-woo, and very rich), and KATIE S. (37, Rebecca and Hannah’s acquaintance from high school; an influencer girlie with a heart of gold). Three distinct Katies whose baby showers we attend over the course of a year. Must have strong comedic chops.

THE WHITE CHIP

(Regional Premiere)

Playwright / Director: Sean Daniels

1st Rehearsal – Apr. 27, 2027
1st Preview – June 2, 2027
Opening – June 7, 2027
Closing – July 3, 2027

SEEKING:

[STEVEN] — he/him, 30s, any ethnicity. We follow Steven’s story from alcoholism to recovery. An artist and artistic director. Funny, very smart, an addict.

[#1] — she/her, 20s–40s, any ethnicity. All of the women in Steven’s story.

[#2] — he/him, 20s–40s, any ethnicity. All of the men in Steven’s story.