Auditions - CATCO

Our vision is to become a nationally recognized, anti-racist contemporary theatre company, anchoring a thriving Columbus theatre ecosystem in an empathetic, equitable world. Our purpose is to harness the transformational power of theatre that engages with our current moment to inspire a community of empathy. CATCO is an Equal Opportunity Employer who celebrates diversity and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law. We strongly encourage performers of all ethnicities, sizes, genders, and abilities to submit.

UPCOMING AUDITIONS

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins

Adapted by Michael Dailey from the book by Eric Kimmel
Music and lyrics by Jacob Combs
Rehearsals: Nov. 2 – Nov. 27, 2021
Performances: Nov. 27 – Dec. 12, 2021

Seeking actors as well as actor/musicians with instrumental ability to play the following characters. We are interested in seeing actors of any age, any race, and all or no genders for all roles.

Character Breakdown:

Hershel – A gifted storyteller and performer; leader of a performance troupe. Survives from using their wits and believes that their entertaining stories are as good as money.
Sara – Troupe member who also plays the characters of Villager and Goblin.
Al – Troupe member who also plays villagers and goblins.
Max – Troupe member who also plays Innkeeper and works with Tina to voice The King of The Goblins.
Tina – Troupe member who also plays villagers, and works with Max to voice The King of The Goblins.
Sammy – Troupe member who also plays the Rabbi.

Auditions:

In-person auditions will be held Monday 10/11/21 from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm in the Van Fleet Theatre at the Columbus Performing Arts Center (549 Franklin Ave). Performers 18+ of any background, ethnicity and gender identity are encouraged to apply.

Please be prepared to share a short demontration of one (or more if applicable) of the following:

Instrument(s) you play
Puppeteering abilities
Clown/physical theatre
Magician work
Singing piece

You may read from any of the selected sides from the show. Sides can be found here (Please note there are pdfs/photos of each side):

Music sides can be found here. Please note the audition selections for the following instruments:

Flute and B-flat Clarinet in the Dance of the Other Goblins Part 1, measure 90 to the end
Violin, measure 80 to the end.
B-flat Clarinet solo in the Dance of the Other Goblins Part 1.5, measures 5-22.
Guitar: Dance of the Other Goblins Part 1 Piano Part, measures 55-81.
Ukelele: Dance of the Other Goblins Part 2, piano top line, measures 23-31.

This is a Non-Equity production. Non-Equity actors over 18 will be paid $250/week. Equity Membership Candidacy Points available.

About the show: Legendary folk hero Hershel of Ostropol saves Hanukkah in this stage adaptation of the award-winning children’s book by Eric Kimmel. Will Hershel’s wit, wisdom, and delightful sense of humor be enough to outsmart the goblins, allowing the villagers to celebrate Hanukkah once again? The story comes to life with music and puppetry for audiences of all ages.

Rehearsals: Nov. 2 – Nov. 27, 2021
Performances: Nov. 27 – Dec. 12, 2021
Seeking actors as well as actor/musicians of any age, race, and all or no genders, with instrumental ability.

Theatre for Young Audiences production

ⓘ Audition Details

School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play

By Jocelyn Bioh
Directed by Shanelle Marie
Rehearsals: Jan. 4 – Jan. 28, 2022
Performances: Jan. 27 – Feb. 13, 2022

Seeking eight Black actors to play the following Ghanaian/American characters.

Character Breakdown:

Paulina Sarpong (she/her) – 18 year old Ghanaian; Most popular girl in school and she knows it. Talented, beautiful, vindictive, yet also loveable.
Erika Boafo (she/her) – 18 year old American, Biracial; light/fair skin. She is a biracial transfer student and is new to the school. Sweet, elusive, enchanting, but has an edge when needed. Confident singer.
Ama (she/her) – 18 year old Ghanaian; Paulina’s best friend. Smart, sensible, and working to be the person that tells it like it is and means what she says.
Nana (she/her) – 16 year old Ghanaian; Friends within Paulina’s group. Sensitive, quiet and never means harm. Struggles with her love of food and snacks.
Mercy (she/her) – 16 year old Ghanaian; Will do anything to stay within Paulina’s friend circle. Sidekick to Gifty.
Gifty (she/her) – 16 year old Ghanaian; Will do anything to be considered cool and to stay in Paulina’s circle.
Headmistress Francis (she/her) – Ghanaian, 40s; Headmistress of Aburi Girls Boarding School. She loves her students and tirelessly protects them and uplifts them.
Eloise Amponsah (she/her) – Ghanaian, 40s; Former Miss Ghana 1966 and currently a recruiter for the Miss Ghana pageant. She prides herself in always being a lady, poised, and well-mannered. Speaks with a slight British accent.

Auditions: To schedule an audition, please contact casting@catco.org.

About the show: Jocelyn Bioh’s witty and thought-provoking play examines the social life of teen girls in the vein of the cinema classic, Mean Girls. Set at an elite school in Ghana, the play tackles issues of class and beauty standards. Paulina controls the social scene at the prestigious Aburi Girls Boarding School, but the teen queen’s throne is threatened when a new student arrives from America. Watch and discover this comedic and heartfelt drama that sheds light on the challenges teenaged girls confront.

Rehearsals: Jan. 4 – Jan. 28, 2022
Performances: Jan. 27 – Feb. 13, 2022
Seeking eight actors to play Ghanaian/American characters.

ⓘ Audition Details

Head Over Heels

songs by The Go-Go’s, adapted by James Magruder, based upon The Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney, conceived & original book by Jeff Whitty
Directed by Leda Hoffmann
Rehearsals: Feb. 15 – Mar. 18, 2022
Performances: Mar. 17 – Apr. 3, 2022

Seeking eight actors of any race for the following roles. All roles require strong singing with a rock belt.

Character Breakdown:

Basilius (he/him) – Tenor. 35-65. King of Arcadia, husband to Gynecia and father to Philoclea and Pamela. Demanding, arrogant, loves himself and his kingdom.
Gynecia (she/hers) – Alto. 35-65. Queen of Arcadia, wife to Basilius and mother to Philoclea and Pamela. She feels stuck in a loveless marriage and disappointed that her life feels like it is only going through the motions.
Pamela (she/hers) – Mezzo-Soprano. 18 – 40. Princess of Arcadia, favorite daughter of King Basilius and Queen Gynecia, sister to Philoclesia. Somewhat vain in her looks and regarded as the most beautiful woman in Arcadia. She rejects all suitors and wonders if she will ever find someone who will make her happy.
Philoclesia (she/hers) – Soprano. 18 – 40. Princess of Arcadia daughter of King Basilius and Queen Gynecia, sister to Pamela. She feels rejected and has a lifetime of being ridiculed and demeaned by her father, King Basilius, who favors Philoclesia’s sister, Pamela. Philoclesia is in love with Musidorus, a lowly shepherd, however her father would never allow them to marry.
Mopsa (she/hers) – Mezzo-Soprano. 18 – 40. Royal handmaiden to Princess Pamela. Mopsa is in love with Pamela and seeks to win her love.
Musidorus (he/him) – Tenor. 18 – 40. Poor shepherd in the kingdom of Arcadia. In love with Princess Philoclesia and is willing to go to great lengths to be with her.
Dametas (he/him) – Tenor, Baritone, Bass. 35 – 65. King Basilius’ royal viceroy and father to Mopsa. His ultimate concern is protecting the kingdom of Arcadia, including its traditional ideals of love and marriage.
Pythio (they/them) – Alto, Bass. Any age. The Oracle of Delphi who desires for all Arcadians to live life to their greatest potential.

Auditions: To schedule an audition, please contact casting@catco.org.

About the show: The music of The Go-Go’s (“We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation”) fuses with the 16th century pastoral romance, The Arcadia. The result is a musical comedy that challenges the boundaries of gender, class, and social institutions. Follow the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their kingdom, only to discover “the beat” lies within each of them. An exuberant celebration of love and gender in all its forms.

Rehearsals: Feb. 15 – Mar. 18, 2022
Performances: Mar. 17 – Apr. 3, 2022
Seeking eight actors of any race; all roles require strong singing with a rock belt.

ⓘ Audition Details

Prima Donna

World Premiere
By Chris Leyva
Directed by Laura Gordon
Rehearsals: Mar. 29 – Apr. 29, 2022
Performances: Apr. 28 – May 15, 2022

Seeking six actors of any race to play the following roles.

Character Breakdown:

Irene Adler (she/her), 30s-40s, an opera singer with a flair for the dramatic at all times. Adept at multiple dialects (Standard British, Polish/Eastern European, New Jersey).
Pamela Proctor (she/her), 30s-40s, cunning and whip-smart, waiting for her day in the sun. A talented opera singer. Adept at multiple dialects (Standard British, German, New Jersey).
Wilhelm Von Ormstein (he/him), 30s-40s, the crown prince (and later king) of Bohemia. He’s charming, but has his own issues. German dialect.
Godfrey Norton (he/him), 40s, a lawyer and confidant to Irene and Pamela, charming in his own awkward way. Standard British dialect.
Sherlock Holmes (he/him), 40s, a detective with a penchant for disguises and observation. Adept at multiple dialects (Standard British, Cockney, Irish).
John Watson (he/him), 40s, a doctor, assistant, and best friend to Sherlock. Standard British dialect. Also plays Clergyman and Drunk Man.

Auditions: To schedule an audition, please contact casting@catco.org.

About the show: Direct from CATCO’s New Works Festival comes a thrilling play by Columbus playwright Chris Leyva. Opera star Irene Adler adventures across the grand cities of Europe, leaving intrigue and scandal in her wake. How did a girl from New Jersey become the woman who outsmarted the brilliant Sherlock Holmes? This contemporary retelling of A Scandal in Bohemia explores the costs of revenge and deftly deconstructs the difference between a person and their persona.

Rehearsals: Mar. 29 – Apr. 29, 2022
Performances: Apr. 28 – May 15, 2022
Seeking six actors of any race.

Theatre for Young Audiences production

ⓘ Audition Details

Be the first to know about upcoming CATCO auditions.

JOIN OUR AUDITION EMAIL LIST