Plays in Place is holding auditions for its upcoming production of Newport Divided: Tales of Hunter House, three original site-specific plays about Hunter House, a property of The Preservation Society of Newport County in Newport, Rhode Island. Written by Patrick Gabridge, Ken Green, and Lily Mathews, and directed by Rachel Walshe, the plays will be performed from June 30 - August 29, 2026, on the beautiful grounds of Hunter House overlooking the Bay.
Auditions will be held on Saturday, February 7, from 9:00a-5:00p at the University of Rhode Island Kingston Fine Arts Center (105 Upper College Rd, Kingston, RI 02881). Plays in Place is casting actors available under both AEA and non-AEA contracts. The AEA actor base pay is $30/hour for rehearsals and $105/performance, and the non-AEA actor base pay is $23.50/hour for rehearsals and $70/performance. Four (4) non-AEA understudy roles are also available. We are seeking actors who are local to or near Rhode Island, as travel and housing stipends or accommodations are not provided.
About the Plays:
Developed through archival research, three original plays unearth the layered histories of Hunter House during the Revolutionary War (1778-1781). Seven characters whose lives interacted with the home navigate slavery and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, love and honor. Personal secrets complicate political upheaval. Their overlapping footsteps reveal how history never really leaves a place.
Important Production Dates:
Rehearsals will begin the week of June 8 and will run for three (3) weeks, with an anticipated rehearsal schedule of 10 hours per week.
Performances will run for nine (9) weeks from June 30 - August 29, with two (2) shows/week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Show times are TBD but will be late afternoon and before sundown.
Available Roles:
DINAH WANTON
Age mid-20s, Black. Enslaved woman living in the Wanton household with her young son, Newport, throughout the family’s political upheaval. Wife of James (Newport’s father). Her position as a Loyalist comes mostly from her proximity to the Wantons and their circle of acquaintances, but also from her pragmatism and will to protect her family.
JAMES
Age 25, Black. Shipyard worker and an enslaved man living on the Champlin property. Husband of Dinah and father of their young son, Newport. Hardworking and optimistic, he is determined to fight for the Patriots for the chance of his freedom and a better life for his family.
SARAH BRENTON WANTON
Late 20s, White. Wife of Joseph Wanton, Jr. Over the course of the plays transforms from society hostess to exiled widow. War has taken nearly everything, but a stubborn fire lives beneath an unsteady surface.
PEGGY CHAMPLIN
Age 17, White. Young Newport debutante from a Patriot family. Longs deeply for one of the young French army officers who has left Newport with General Rochambeau.
COUNT AXEL VON FERSEN
Age 26, Swedish aide-de-camp. Son of a prominent nobleman. On a mission of extreme importance. Also happens to be the secret lover of Marie Antoinette.
ADMIRAL DE BARRAS
Age 61, very French. Officer from an aristocratic family. Places an extreme value upon honor and duty. Not quite sure what to make of this American war.
Non-AEA Understudies:
(1) Black female - for the role of Dinah
(1) White female - for the roles of Sarah Brenton Wanton and Peggy Champlin
(1) Black male - for the role of James
(1) White male - for the roles of Count Axel von Fersen, Admiral de Barras, and Thomas Wickham
The role of Thomas Wickham has been cast at this time.
Scheduling an Audition:
Audition slots are 5 minutes in length from 9:00a-5:00p, with the exception of during the lunch break (1:00-2:00p). Actors will read sides from the play; no monologues required. A reader will be provided.
Please email Plays in Place Co-Producer Jessica Chace at
jessicabchace@gmail.com with a headshot and resume to schedule a slot, express interest in being considered for specific roles, and/or ask any questions. We will provide sides to prepare when confirming your audition time. If you are interested in auditioning but unavailable on February 7, please let us know so we can arrange other accommodations. Thank you!
About Plays in Place:
Plays in Place is an award-winning site-specific theatre company that specializes in creating new work in partnership with museums, historic sites, and other cultural institutions. Past partners and sites include Boston’s Old North Church, the Massachusetts State House, the National Park of Boston, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Historic Northampton, and others.
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