WE'VE GOT A STORY TO TELL - André Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice Non Equity Auditions

AUDITION NOTICE

We’ve Got a Story to Tell

A Production of the André Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice

2541 Bayou Road • New Orleans, Louisiana 70119

Fall/Winter Season 2026 • September 15 – December 15, 2026

About the Production

We’ve Got a Story to Tell is a 45-minute immersive theatrical and cultural experience anchored in the life and legacy of Captain André Cailloux — the first Black military hero of the Civil War and a son of New Orleans.

The experience unfolds in two movements:

• A 15-minute conductor-led docent experience that guides audiences through the lobby of the André Cailloux Center, the sacred ground of Bayou Road, and the visual triptych by artist Langston Alston that tells the Captain’s story. The Conductor anchors the journey through call and response, historical narrative, and communal reflection.

• A 30-minute one-man show written and directed by Lauren Turner Hines, Founding Envisionist and Executive Lead of the André Cailloux Center and Producing Artistic Director of No Dream Deferred NOLA. The show centers Captain Cailloux himself — a free man of color, boxer, cigar maker, husband, father, and Union soldier — and asks us what it means to carry a legacy.

The tour runs regularly Tuesday through Saturday at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM at the André Cailloux Center’s flagship location. Company B extends the story to schools through special invited performances and Cailloux @ School — our program that brings the Captain’s story directly to communities throughout New Orleans and the surrounding region.

This is a non-union production. Black artists and artists of the Global Majority are especially encouraged to audition.

Audition Dates

SUMMER 2026 AUDITIONS

Thursday, June 25

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM • Auditions Day 1

Friday, June 26

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM • Auditions Day 2

Saturday, June 27

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM • Auditions Day 3

Sunday, June 28

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM • Callbacks

Location: André Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice • 2541 Bayou Road, New Orleans, LA 70119

Attendance at one audition day is required. Callbacks by invitation only.

MANDATORY COMPANY VIEWING — JULY COMMEMORATION

Artists cast in the Fall 2026 season are required to attend a live performance of We’ve Got a Story to Tell as part of the final callback and onboarding process. This experience is essential to understanding the material and the space. Mandatory viewing performances are scheduled during the Commemoration Celebration Week:

Wednesday, July 29

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM • Commemoration Performance

Thursday, July 30

10:00 AM or 3:00 PM • Commemoration Performance

Friday, July 31

10:00 AM or 3:00 PM • Commemoration Performance

Artists must attend no less than two Commemoration performances as part of the onboarding and callback process. Dates will be confirmed with cast following callbacks.

Roles Available

THE CONDUCTOR

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Conductor is the soul of the tour’s first movement. This artist serves as guide, griot, and presence — leading audiences from the lobby of the André Cailloux Center through the history of Bayou Road, the founding of the building, and into the story of Captain André Cailloux. The Conductor uses call and response, oral tradition, and physical command of the space to create a shared moment of memory and reflection.

This role demands a storyteller with historical grounding and the ability to meet an audience exactly where they are — whether that’s a classroom of third graders, a group of adult scholars, or a school group experiencing Black history for the first time.

Gender: Open to all genders

Experience: Acting, storytelling, oral history, spoken word, educational performance, or a strong demonstrated connection to historical narrative

Duration: 15 minutes per performance

Languages (plus): Spanish or French a plus

AUDITION PREPARATION — THE CONDUCTOR

Prepare ONE of the following:

• A 3–5 minute original telling of the life of a person critical to Black history and American history — tell us who they were, why their life mattered, and why their legacy is still relevant today. This is not a memorized monologue. It is a living story in your own words.

• A 3–5 minute telling of an African American tall tale — bring the tradition, bring the character, bring the room.

Optional: prepare a song. This does not need to be audition-polished. We want to hear your voice and feel your relationship to music.

You do not need notes. You do not need a prop. You need presence and truth.

CAPTAIN ANDRÉ CAILLOUX

ROLE OVERVIEW

Captain André Cailloux was born enslaved on August 25, 1825, in Plaquemines Parish. He came to New Orleans at age five. He learned to read in secret. At twenty-one, he was granted his freedom. He became a master cigar roller, a skilled boxer, a devoted husband to Félicie Louise Coulon, and a father of four. He was known throughout the Tremé and 7th Ward as a man who lifted others.

When the Civil War broke out, André Cailloux joined the 1st Regiment Louisiana Native Guards — the first Black regiment to serve under the Union flag. On May 27, 1863, at the Battle of Port Hudson, he led charge after charge under enemy fire, refusing to leave the field until he fell. He was 37 years old. His funeral in New Orleans drew thousands. His name has been honored, forgotten, and reclaimed.

This role is the center of the 30-minute one-man show. The artist playing Captain Cailloux holds the full weight of the narrative and moves the audience through his life, his resistance, and his legacy.

Gender: Men and male-presenting artists

Experience: Professional or serious pre-professional theater experience required. Experience in solo performance, historical drama, or community-centered theater strongly preferred.

Duration: 30 minutes per performance

AUDITION PREPARATION — CAPTAIN CAILLOUX

Prepare one monologue of your choosing, no more than 3–4 minutes. Choose something that shows us who you are as a performer. Classical, contemporary, comedic, or dramatic — the choice is yours. What we are looking for is presence, range, and the ability to carry a room alone.

Note: You may audition for both the Conductor and Captain Cailloux in the same session.

Company Structure

We’ve Got a Story to Tell operates with two performing ensembles for the Fall/Winter 2026 season. Artists may be cast in Company A, Company B, or both based on availability and casting needs.

COMPANY A — RESIDENT PERFORMANCES

Company A performs the regular weekly run at the André Cailloux Center’s flagship location at 2541 Bayou Road. Public performances are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday at 4:00 PM. Morning performances at 11:00 AM are by special invitation and advance booking only.

Compensation: $325 per week

Season: September 15 – December 15, 2026

Schedule: Tuesday through Saturday, 4:00 PM

COMPANY B — SPECIAL INVITED PERFORMANCES & CAILLOUX @ SCHOOL

Company B performs special invited performances at the André Cailloux Center and through Cailloux @ School — our program that brings the story of Captain André Cailloux directly to schools and communities throughout New Orleans and the surrounding region. Bookings are confirmed with a minimum two-week advance notice.

Compensation: $90 per performance day

Off-site travel stipend: $25 for Cailloux @ School visits requiring travel

Advance notice policy: Two-week minimum confirmation for all Company B bookings

COMPANY FLEXIBILITY

Artists may be part of both companies based on availability. A Company A artist who performs a school or special invited day is compensated at the Company B day rate of $90. A Company B artist who covers a full resident week is compensated at the Company A weekly rate of $325, and may still earn the $90 day rate for any school performances that same week. All 11:00 AM invited and school performances are compensated at $90 per performance day regardless of company track.

Rehearsal Schedule

INTENSIVE REHEARSALS — JULY 2026

Artists cast in the fall season will participate in intensive rehearsals throughout July. All rehearsals are at the André Cailloux Center at 2541 Bayou Road.

Tuesday–Thursday

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Saturdays

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

July Dates

14, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 30

FALL SEASON BRUSH-UP

A brush-up rehearsal will be scheduled ahead of the season launch on September 15. Details will be shared with cast at least two weeks in advance.

How to Audition

SIGN-UP PROCESS

Auditions are by sign-up only. Please complete the audition sign-up form using the link below and on the ACC website. Walk-ins will be accommodated as time allows, but sign-up guarantees your slot.

Sign-Up Link: [accneworleans.com/auditions] — link active now

The sign-up form will ask for your name, contact information, the role(s) you are auditioning for, your preferred audition date, a brief performance background, and any known scheduling conflicts for July rehearsals or the fall season.

WHAT TO BRING

• Prepared material as described above for the role(s) you are auditioning for

• A completed audition form if not submitted in advance (forms also available at the door)

• An open schedule for callbacks on Sunday, June 28, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM (by invitation only)

QUESTIONS?

Contact the ACC Production Team at lth@accneworleans.com or visit accneworleans.com.

About the Organizations

ANDRÉ CAILLOUX CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AND CULTURAL JUSTICE

The André Cailloux Center is a Black-led 501(c)(3) cultural institution on Bayou Road in New Orleans, Louisiana. Named for the Civil War hero Captain André Cailloux, the Center builds permanent Black cultural infrastructure through the arts — producing transformative performances, immersive experiences, community residencies, and educational programming rooted in the histories and futures of Black New Orleans. We’ve Got a Story to Tell is a production of the André Cailloux Center.

LAUREN TURNER HINES

Lauren Turner Hines is the Founding Envisionist and Executive Lead of the André Cailloux Center and the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of No Dream Deferred NOLA. We’ve Got a Story to Tell is written and directed by Lauren Turner Hines.