SHORT NORTH STAGE 2026-27 SEASON Equity Principal Actors - Short North Stage Auditions

SHORT NORTH STAGE 2026-27 SEASON - COLUMBUS, OH EPA

Short North Stage | Columbus, OH

Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

LOCATION

Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Garden Theater
1187 N High St
Columbus, OH 43201
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (E)
Lunch 1:00-2:00 PM
Check in at the Lobby. Parking is available in the lot next door.

APPOINTMENTS

PERSONNEL

Please email
dionysia@shortnorthstage.org
Expected to attend:
Edward Carignan, Producing Artistic Director of SNS
Dionysia Williams Velazco, Associate Artistic Director of SNS

CONTRACT

SPT $605 weekly minimum (Tier 6)

SEEKING

Equity actors for our upcoming 2026-27 Season (see production dates in breakdown).

PREPARATION

Please bring your headshot and resume. Prepare 2 contrasting pieces from our season. You can find all materials at
Google Drive.

Actors unable to attend the auditions may submit a video audition by following the instructions on the theatre's website at
shortnorthstage.org/auditions.

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.

BREAKDOWN

PIPPIN

Directed/Choreographed by Edward Carignan
Rehearsals: July 21 - August 5, 2026
Performances: August 6 - August 30, 2026

Note: Because this is a “revival” of our 2019 production, some roles have already been cast.

LEADING PLAYER:

(Precast - understudy/ensemble only) The ultimate 'ring leader.' Masterfully charming and manipulative, the Leading Player is a chameleon of sorts. Guides Pippin through his own story and tries to intervene at the end. Excellent dancer. Obsessed with putting on a great show for the audience.
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: Db3

PIPPIN:

(Male presenting) (Precast - understudy/ensemble only) Our story's young and confused protagonist. He is longing to find his purpose in life. Naive, innocent, and discontent. Eventually finds love and meaning in life, with Catherine and Theo.
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: G2

CHARLES/BERTHE:

(Any gender)
Charles - Pippin's demanding father. As the King of the Holy Roman Empire, Charlemagne is more comfortable wielding a sword than breaking bread. He wears his years with great pride. Berthe - Pippin's saucy grandmother. A brassy broad full of wisdom, grace, and sass. She tries to help Pippin and encourages him to live his life to the fullest.
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: G2

LEWIS:

(Precast) Pippin's half-brother. Great dancer.

FASTRADA:

(Precast) Pippin's conniving stepmother. A seductress, who is no stranger to deceit and betrayal, she is both sexy and smart. Skilled at using her sexual appeal to benefit her and her son.

CATHERINE:

(Female presenting) (Precast, understudy/ensemble only) A widow and mother. She is beautiful and a hopeless romantic, who possesses graceful elegance. Encounters Pippin at his lowest point and eventually falls in love with him.
Vocal range top: Db5
Vocal range bottom: F#3

THEO:

(Precast, understudy only) Catherine's son. Age: 6 to 10.

SWEENEY TODD

Directed/Choreographed by Edward Carignan
Rehearsals: September 8 - September 23, 2026
Performances: September 24 - October 18, 2026

SWEENEY TODD:

(Male presenting, 40s to 50s) A wrongfully imprisoned barber seeking to right the wrongs committed against him. He is Johanna's father, singularly focused on taking bloody revenge. Our story's tormented protagonist.
Vocal range top: Gb4
Vocal range bottom: F2

MRS LOVETT:

(Female presenting, 30s to 50s) An entrepreneurial and amoral meat pie shop owner. She falls in love with Todd and turns his desire for revenge into a profitable business venture.
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3

ANTHONY HOPE:

(Male presenting, 20s-30s) A naive and youthful sailor returning to London. He helps Todd return to London and unexpectedly falls in love with Johanna.
Vocal range top: F4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2

JOHANNA:

(Female presenting, 20s) A spritely girl, full of innocence, constantly yearning for freedom. Todd's long-lost daughter and Turpin's ward.
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3

TOBIAS RAGG:

(Male presenting, teens) A poor youngster apprenticed to Pirelli. He finds a surrogate family in Todd and Lovett.
Vocal range top: Ab4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2

JUDGE TURPIN:

(Male presenting, 50s to 60s) A lecherous public official who portrays himself as a sanctimonious authoritarian. He takes advantage of his position in the city and is responsible for imprisoning Todd.
Vocal range top: Gb4
Vocal range bottom: E2

BEADLE:

(Male presenting, 40s to 50s) A pompous public official. He is deeply loyal to the corrupt Turpin.
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: D3

BEGGAR WOMAN:

(Female presenting, 30s to 50s) A deranged and schizophrenic woman who harbors a dark, surprising secret.
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: Ab3

ADOLFO PIRELLI:

(Male presenting, 30s to 40s) A flamboyant Italian rival barber; a charlatan with a secret past.
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: B2

JONAS FOGG:

(Male presenting, 30s to 60s) The owner of Fogg's Asylum. He sells the hair of madmen to wigmakers.

ENSEMBLE:

Townspeople; Policemen; Lunatics.

ROCKY HORROR SHOW

Directed/Choreographed by Edward Carignan
Rehearsals: October 13 - 21, 2026
Performances: October 22 - 31, 2026

Note: Due to this being an annual production many roles are precast.

USHERETTE/MAGENTA:

Female, Age Flexible (Range: Mezzo Soprano Belt, Bb3-Eb5) - One of Frank’s servants.

BRAD:

Male, 26-35 (Range: Bari Tenor, Bb2-G4) - Quirky, but very much in love with his fiancée, Janet. Overly optimistic at times.

JANET:

Female, 26-35 (Range: Mezzo Soprano Belt, A3-Eb5, precast- understudy only) - Good girl who is madly in love with Brad. Always seems to be frightened of something. Keeps losing more of her clothes throughout the story. Emotionally weak and caves into pressure easily.

NARRATOR:

Male, Age Flexible (Non-Singing Role - Precast, understudy only) - Follows our two heroes through the story by narrating directly to the audience.

RIFF RAFF:

Male, 25-40 (Range: High Rock Tenor, D3-B4) - Creepy man resembling more of a zombie. Often makes harmless conversation seem awkward and foreboding. One of Frank’s servants.

COLUMBIA:

Female, Age Flexible (Range: Mezzo Soprano Belt, E4-E5) - One of Frank’s servants.

FRANK-N-FURTER:

Male, 30-45 (Range: Baritone, D3-G4 - Precast, understudy only) - Master of the castle. Welcomes Janet and Brad with open arms. Obsessed with creating a man to be part of his sexual entourage. Master of seduction.

ROCKY:

Male 18-30 (Range: Tenor, A3-G4) - Frank’s magnificent creation. Sexually appealing with prominent muscles.

EDDIE/DR. SCOTT:

Male, 28-40 (Range: Baritone, E3-F#4) - Eddie, delivery man, “went to pieces.” Misses the rock and role of life. Comes back to life only to die after his solo. Scott is Eddie’s Uncle.

4 PHANTOMS/TRANSYLVANIANS:

SATB - Various Singer/Dancers.

HAIRSPRAY

Directed/Choreographed by Dionysia Williams Velazco
Rehearsals: November 3 - 18, 2026
Performances: November 19 - December 27, 2026

Casting note: As Hairspray is set in 1962 and encompasses the era of the Civil Rights Movement, it is important that the characters’ racial identities be portrayed to ensure the story is told the way it was meant to be.

TRACY TURNBLAD:

(Female-identifying, white, 18+ to play teenager) - Charismatic, excellent singer/dancer. Confident, talented, and incredibly determined. A romantic with a good heart and desire to cut up the dance floor. Always on top of the latest trends. She is bigger in size than the other girls, but she isn't shy about it - she can still dance with the best of them!
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: G3

CORN COLLINS:

(Male presenting, white, late 20s to early 40s) - The charismatic host of the Corny Collins' Show. Good looking and smooth-talking, he is a genuinely nice guy both on and off camera.
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: D3

EDNA TURNBLAD:

(White, female, late 30s to 50s) - Tracy's big and blonde mother. She is a working housewife who has lost her confidence and dream to be a plus-size clothing designer. Boisterous and commanding. Actors of all genders encouraged to audition for this role. Role has been played by Harvey Feinstein and George Wendt.
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: F3

PENNY PINGLETON:

(Female presenting, white, 18+ to play teenager) - Tracy's best friend and dorky sidekick. Not the brightest girl, but she has good intentions. Bursting to get free of her mother's dominating control, she falls for Seaweed with childlike curiosity.
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: A3

VELMA VON TUSSLE:

(Female presenting, white, 40s to 50s) - Amber's mother and the director of Corny Collins show. She is a devious taskmaster and snobby racist. The former Miss Baltimore Crabs will go to any length to ensure her daughter is the next big thing.
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3

AMBER VON TUSSLE:

(Female presenting, white, 18+ to play teenager) - Link's girlfriend and Tracy's nemesis. She is pretty, thin, shallow, snobby, and racist. Can't dance but is expected to win Miss Baltimore Hairspray. Always feels the need to be the center of attention.
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: A3

LINK LARKIN:

(Male presenting, white, 18+ to play teenager) - The star heartthrob on Corny Collins' show. He is extremely attractive and talented. Hoping to get his big break with a recording contract, he unexpectedly falls for Tracy.
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: G3

SEAWEED J. STUBBS:

(Male presenting, Black, 18+ to play teenager) - Tracy's classmate and friend, who is discriminated against due to his skin color. He is cocky but surprisingly lovable. Talented in song and dance. He falls for Penny.
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: F3

LITTLE INEZ:

(Female presenting, Black, teenager) - Seaweed's little sister. Great singer/dancer.

MOTORMOUTH MAYBELLE:

(Female presenting, Black, 40s to 50s) - Seaweed and Little Inez's mother, she also appears as the Guest DJ on the Corny Collins Negro Day show. Big, blonde, beautiful and proud of it. She is sassy and confident. In this story, she is the face of the Civil Rights Movement and sings the beautiful anthem, I Know Where I've Been.
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: F3

WILBUR TURNBLAD:

(Male presenting, white, 50s to 60s) - Tracy's simpleminded and kind father. He owns a joke shop and supports his daughter in spite of everything else. He also loves his wife, Edna, very much.
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: A3

PRUDY PINGLETON:

(Female presenting, white, 40s to 50s) - Penny's strict mother. Very conservative, controlling, and closed-minded.

THE DYNAMITES:

(Female presenting, Black) - The Dynamites (Judine, Kamilah and Shayna) are a dynamic musical trio, iconic of the Motown era and the 1960s. Think the Supremes. Need three singers and dancers who complement each other. They don't need to look alike but a group that can be synchronous in their music and dance.
Vocal range top: A5
Vocal range bottom: E4

MR PINKY:

(Male presenting) - Mr. Pinky owns a ladies' clothing shop and is a salesperson inside and out - he is always the first to give a compliment. Great character role.

COUNCIL MEMBERS:

Brad, Tammy, Fender, Sketch, Shelley, IQ, Brenda and Lou Ann are the famed teenage performers on The Corny Collins Show. Great singers/dancers with lots of personality.

ENSEMBLE:

Strong singer dancers to cover principals.

SWINGS:

Strong female and male presenting singer, dancer, actors to cover ensemble roles.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN

Directed by Brandon Kelly
Rehearsals: January 5 - 20, 2026
Performances: January 21 - February 14, 2027

EVAN HANSEN:

(Male presenting) - Smart, sincere, and excruciatingly self-conscious, Evan prefers to hover in the background, a supporting player in his own life, too afraid to step forward into the spotlight and risk ridicule or, what might be worse, no one noticing him at all.
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: G2

HEIDI HANSEN:

(Female presenting) - Evan’s mother. Overworked and stretched too thin, Heidi loves her son fiercely, but fears they have begun to grow apart. She is prepared to do anything to repair the damage.
Vocal range top: Eb5
Vocal range bottom: F3

ZOË MURPHY:

(Female presenting) - Sensitive and sophisticated, with a sharp sense of humor, Zoe could care less about the status games and popularity rites of high school. She feels a terrible ambivalence over her brother’s death.
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: F3

CONNOR MURPHY:

(Male presenting) - An angry, disaffected loner, Connor has been a troubled kid for as long as anyone can remember, an enigma and a source of endless consternation to his long-suffering parents.
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: C3

CYNTHIA MURPHY:

(Female presenting) - Connor and Zoe’s mother. To Evan, she seems to be the perfect mother, nurturing, available, and willing to talk about anything. To her own children, it’s a bit more complicated.
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: F3

LARRY MURPHY:

(Male presenting) - Connor and Zoe’s father. Though often tense and taciturn, Larry shows a different face to the world, representing for Evan the dad he always wished for: strong, confident, and more than anything, reliable, someone to be counted on.
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2

JARED KLEINMAN:

(Male presenting) - Droll and sarcastic, Jared covers his own insecurities with a well-practiced swagger and a know-it-all arrogance.
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: D3

ALANA BECK:

(Female presenting) - Earnest to a fault, prone to melodrama, Alana hides a deeper loneliness beneath an ever-present smile and an almost aggressive friendliness.
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: F3

THE PRODUCERS

Directed/Choreographed by Edward Carignan
Rehearsals: February 23 - March 10, 2027
Performances: March 11 - April 11, 2027 (possible extension to April 18)

MAX BIALYSTOCK:

(Male presenting, 40s to 50s) - The consummate con man. Naturally animated and bombastic, he is never at a loss for charm and manners. Typically conspires with Leo.
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: A2

LEO BLOOM:

(Male presenting, 30s to 40s) - An accountant. Boring and mousy, he is a hesitant optimist who longs for something more. Dragged into a scheme by Max.
Vocal range top: F4
Vocal range bottom: A2

FRANZ LIEBKIND:

(Male presenting, 30s to 50s) - German loyalist playwright. From his lederhosen to his pigeon, Adolph, his love for the motherland is unmistakable. He is imposing yet tender.
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: F2

ROGERS DEBRIS:

(Male presenting, 40s to 60s) - New York's most famous and flamboyant stage director. Surrounds himself with deliciously beautiful clothing, people, and possessions. In a crowd, it would be impossible to miss him.
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: G#2

CARMEN GHIA:

(Male presenting, late 20s to 40s) - Roger Debris' faithful assistant. Carmen is severe in looks and passion for Roger. He may appear younger than he actually is thanks to skilled surgeons.
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: C3

ULLA Inga Hansen Benson Yonsen Tallen-hallen Svaden-svanson:

(Female presenting, 20s to 30s) - A young and hopeful actress. Though her beauty might eclipse her talent, Ulla is passionate about life and art. Quite a clueless seductress in some ways.
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: A3

ENSEMBLE:

Strong singers and dancers, may cover principal roles - Accountants; Bavarian Peasants; Convicts; First Nighters; Little Old Ladies; Storm Troopers; Chorus Girls; Girl Prisoners; Usherettes.

SWINGS:

Covers for the ensemble.

MEAN GIRLS

Directed/Choreographed by Dionysia Williams Velazco
Rehearsals: April 27 - May 12, 2027
Performances: May 13 - June 13, 2027

CADY HERON:

(Female presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - A new junior at North Shore High School, Cady grew up in Africa and was homeschooled by her wildlife biologist parents. She is warm, bright, and strong enough to take on The Plastics. Is the emotional heart of our story.
Vocal range top: Gb5
Vocal range bottom: G3

REGINA GEORGE:

(Female presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - Regina is the Queen Bee of the Plastics. When she shines her light on you, you feel like the most important person in the world. When that light goes cold, you want to die. She is regal, still, and “hot,” but at her most vulnerable moments, she is just a kid in over her head.
Vocal range top: Gb5
Vocal range bottom: F#3

JANIS SARKISIAN:

(Female presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - An “Art Freak” and social outcast, Janis is not afraid to be weird or make others uncomfortable. She paints herself as an objective observer, but, like so many of us, she longs to avenge the devastating events of eighth grade.
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: Ab3

DAMIAN HUBBARD:

(Male presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - Outgoing and an active member of the student activities committee, Damian is a fiercely loyal friend to Janis and they have the close rapport of a comedy team.
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: F2

GRETCHEN WEINERS:

(Female presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - One of the Plastics. Desperate to please Regina and to maintain her position in the Plastics, Gretchen is a nervous wreck. She is a “banker” meaning she befriends people to “bank” their secrets so she can trade them later for her own benefit. Her fragility at times is heartbreaking.
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: G3

KAREN SMITH:

(Female presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - One of the Plastics. Although her intellect and personality never had a chance to develop, Karen is essentially kind, relaxed, and a generous laugher.
Vocal range top: Gb5
Vocal range bottom: G3

AARON SAMUELS:

(Male presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - A cute boy with a good moral compass and a backbone. He’s not immune to all the female attention he gets, but he’s not going to let himself be a pawn in their chess game either. Broadway and pop tenor.
Vocal range top: Bb4
Vocal range bottom: B2

MRS. HERON/MRS. GEORGE/MS. NORBURY:

(Female presenting, 30s to 50s) - Mrs. Heron is Cady’s intellectual mom who can’t understand why her daughter is devolving before her eyes. Ms. Norbury is Cady’s world-weary Calculus teacher who pushes Cady to be her smartest self. Mrs. George is Regina’s “cool mom.” She’s desperate to look young and feel like one of the teens. She’s also desperate for Regina not to repeat her mistakes. Great singer. Distinctly defines these three characters.
Vocal range top: Eb5
Vocal range bottom: G3

MR. DUVALL:

(Male presenting, 30s to 50s) - The principal of North Shore High. Mr. Duvall may have once taught computers at Joliet penitentiary, but nothing prepared him for the harsh realities of out-of-control junior girls. Funny and a strong singer.

KEVIN G:

(Male presenting, 18+ to play teenager) - Kevin is the extremely driven captain of the North Shore Mathletes. He is a confident student and a decent rapper.

ENSEMBLE:

Strong singer/dancers to play teenagers and character roles. Cover the principals.

SWINGS:

Ensemble covers.