Links to Audition Application, Sides, and Signup Slots at this link: TRUE WEST AUDITION INFORMATION This American classic by Sam Shepard was nominated for the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show follows a sibling rivalry between two brothers who are housesitting their mother’s home on the outskirts of the California desert. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to a producer when his brother Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in and creates tension by pitching his own script. The play uses dark humor and escalating violence to highlight family dysfunction, the search for authenticity, and disillusionment with the American Dream. Dialogue is both funny and tense as the brothers test their relationship. Audition Dates Auditions will take place at Nutley Little Theater (47 Erie Place, Nutley NJ) Performance Dates AUDITIONS: The two lead characters, Austin and Lee, require a lot of memorization and versatility as they carry the whole show and find themselves ultimately switching personalities throughout a series of slow burning scenes. These roles will require active stage combat. Auditions will consist of cold readings of scenes from the play. CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS AUSTIN (M 20-40, on stage for virtually the entire show) Lee’s brother. A squeaky-clean Ivy League graduate who works as a scriptwriter, somewhat accomplished but really looking for his big break. Has worked hard and played by the rules. He is jealous of his brother's free spirit. Austin inhabits a neat world constructed of middle-class values of rationality, self-discipline, and hard work. By all accounts, he is a success. Actor will need to be versatile, able to switch personalities, appear drunk, and handle physical stage combat. LEE (M 30-50, on stage for virtually the entire show) Austin’s brother. A beer-swilling desert rat and recluse, petty thief and a drifter. Short tempered, obnoxious and a little wild. Jealous of his brother's success, family and stability. He is the exact opposite of his brother in looks, sensibility, and degree of success. He lacks discipline and cannot tolerate frustration. Lee will be shirtless for some of the play. Actor will need to be versatile, able to switch personalities, appear drunk, and handle physical stage combat. SAUL KIMMER (M 40-60s, two scenes) A slick Hollywood producer. A symbol of status, power and opportunity. Ready to wheel and deal and is quick with the sweet talk but also used to getting what he wants. He is sincere but is motivated only by profit. Shallow and superficial, dressed in loud flowered shirts and polyester pants, he is a caricature of the Hollywood parasite who, lacking talent himself, survives by marketing the talents of others. MOM (F 60's+, one scene) Mother of the two brothers. Lonely. Dissatisfied. Loves her plants. Used to being disappointed by her loved ones. She is a bit senile and detached from reality. If you have any questions, please contact me at TrueWestNLT@gmail.com ( John Fraissinet)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wfv-vzaNeXvS2C1TWSuwxoyIYguzId_upLPJHSmlFXA/edit?tab=t.0
• Sunday January 11 at 2:00pm-4pm
• Tuesday January 13 at 7:00pm-9pm
• Callbacks (upon request) Saturday Jan 17th – 12pm-4pm
• Three weekends:
• April 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24 & 25 at 8:00pm
• April 12, 19 & 25th at 2pm
Signup for a scheduled audition slot here. Others who arrive without an appointment will be considered, but those with appointments will be accommodated first.
If you are auditioning, please fill out this audition form in advance.
• Link to audition sides
With A Capital C - free reading Nutley Little Theatre (1/18/26-1/18/26)
Nutley Little Theatre is at 47 Erie Pl Nutley NJ, nutley, NJ.
auditions Uh, Oh Here Comes Christmas” by Robert Fulghum directed by Alex Oleksij Non-Musical version When: October 26th – 6:00pm October 27th – 7:00pm Callbacks by invitation only, October 29th- 7-00pm Where: Nutley Little Theatre, 47 Erie Place (10/26/25-10/27/25)
The Waverly Gallery (10/24/25-11/8/25)
Pantry Problems original free Readers Theatre (10/12/25-10/12/25)
The Waverly Gallery auditions (8/23/25-8/24/25)
For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday (6/13/25-6/28/25)
King Lear (4/11/25-4/26/25)
Chapter Two (2/7/25-2/22/25)
Videos
![]() |
Chicago the Musical
Mayo Performing Arts Center (1/16 - 1/18) | |
|
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony
Mayo Performing Arts Center (3/29 - 3/29) | |
|
The Players Guild of Leonia announces 2025-26 season
The Players Guild of Leonia (9/12 - 6/30) | ||
|
Blackberry Smoke
State Theatre New Jersey (3/5 - 3/5) | |
|
Dirty Dancing in Concert
State Theatre New Jersey (3/18 - 3/18) | |
|
Brit Floyd: The Moon, The Wall and Beyond 2026
State Theatre New Jersey (3/4 - 3/4) | |
|
Diana Krall
State Theatre New Jersey (3/20 - 3/20) | |
|
Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Concert
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (5/30 - 5/30) | |
| VIEW SHOWS ADD A SHOW | ||