November 16, 2017 *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *PLAYERS GUILD THEATRE ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS * *FOR MAINSTAGE MUSICAL, RAGTIME!* CANTON, OH – Players Guild Theatre Producing Artistic Director, Joshua Erichsen, is pleased to announce that auditions for the Tony-award winning musical, RAGTIME, will be held on Sunday, December 3 and Monday, December 4, 2017. Capturing the American experience at the turn of the 20th century, RAGTIME confronts the contradictions inherent in American reality; experiences of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America. RAGTIME will be directed by Jon Tisevich, with choreography by Michael Lawrence Akers and music direction by Steve Parsons. Auditions will be held at the Players Guild Theatre, located at 1001 Market Ave., N., in the Cultural Center for the Arts, on Sunday, December 3rd from 6:30 – 8:30 PM, and Monday, December 4th, 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Dance Callbacks will be held on Tuesday, December 5th and Principal Callbacks will be held on Thursday, December 7th. Actors are asked to please prepare 32 bars of a musical theatre song that best showcases their vocal ability, and bring the corresponding sheet music in the appropriate key. An accompanist will be provided. In addition, they are asked to bring a current photo or provide a headshot/resume if available. *Diverse and non-traditional casting will be considered for all roles.* Those wishing to audition are asked to make an appointment for an audition time slot by filling out the online audition form at *www.playersguildtheatre.com/audition <http://www.playersguildtheatre.com/audition>*. RAGTIME will be presented on the Mainstage, and is scheduled to open on Friday, February 16th and will run through March 4th, with performances on Fridays & Saturdays @ 8:00 PM and Sundays @ 2:00 PM. *Character Breakdown/Roles Available**: * *RAGTIME AUDITIONS; Non-Equity, Limited PAID Roles Available* *Coalhouse Walker Jr* - (Male, African American, late 20s-40s) a leading man of passion, power, presence, integrity, and charisma; an educated man of nobility and a ferocity that is discovered when he is confronted with the ugly realities of prejudice in America. Voice: powerful, rich baritone with strong top notes; low Ab-high A. *Mother* - (Female, Caucasian, 30s-50s) graceful and gracious, poised, beautiful; Longing to burst from the confines of American upper class. Maintains a proper and dutiful relationship with her husband and discovers her own desires and passions as the story progresses. Voice: beautiful soprano with a strong belt (to C#); low G-high F# (optional High B). *Sarah* - (Female, African American, 18-30s) beautiful, passionate, headstrong, innocent, simple, a bit naïve and shy. Sarah gives birth to Coalhouse’s son. Sarah and Coalhouse share a brief but passionate relationship. Their future is cut short when Sarah is killed trying to be an advocate for Coalhouse’s cause. Voice: must have controlled mix with belt : low G-high F#. *Tateh* - (Male, Caucasian, 30s-50s) a dynamic performer; a Jewish immigrant and artist; Tateh leaves his old life and seeks a better one for his daughter; even when it seems he is beaten by society, his innate strength and humor lift him up; warm, funny, filled with life and passion; tenacious, a survivor and a very clever man. Voice: bari-tenor; low A-high F#. *Younger Brother *- (Male, Caucasian, late teens – 30s) idealistic and difficult, he searches for a sense of self; obsessed with Evelyn Nesbit, he becomes embittered and depressed and soon becomes a young revolutionary to fight injustice. Voice: strong tenor; low B-high G#. *Father* - (Male, Caucasian, 30s-50s) a wealthy businessman; good, proud, upstanding citizen; represents the traditional views held by many turn-of-the-century Americans; after his return from his trip to the Arctic, he feels alienated from his family and his environment; he is baffled and befuddled by the new world that he has been blind to. Voice: baritone; low A-high F#. *Evelyn Nesbit* - (Female, Any Ethnicity, 20s-40s) Self-aware, confident, secure in her sexuality; strong comedic role; the iconic symbol of sex and beauty at the turn of the century. Voice: soprano. *Harry Houdini* - (Male, Any Ethnicity, 20s-40s) a magician and performer; a sly sense of danger and charisma; headliner of Vaudeville; an immigrant raised in the Midwest. Voice: baritone. *Young Boy ‘Edgar’* - (Male, Caucasian, 8-13) precocious, intelligent, observant, and curious, he is constantly learning about the world around him; a prophetic voice--seems to know things before they happen. *Booker T Washington* - (Male, African American, 30s-50s) a towering, poised, well-educated African American leader and orator who fights for reconciliation and unity in the midst of unsettling racial turmoil in America. Voice: baritone. *Emma Goldman* - (Female, Any Ethnicity, 20s-50s) an anarchist and social activist; earthy, warm, ironic, full-voiced; a rabble-rouser; Voice: Huge Broadway belt to A. *Grandfather* - (Male, Caucasian, 50s-70s) a feisty, stubborn, upper-class old gentleman who holds on to an outdated ideology ; baritone. *Little Girl* - (Female, Any Ethnicity, 7-12) fragile, earnest daughter of Tateh. Longs for a new life with her father. Haunted by the loss of her mother. *Wille Conklin* - (Male, Caucasian, late 20s-40s) Racist volunteer fireman who destroys Coalhouse’s car. *Sarah’s Friend* - (Female, African American, late teens-30s) a warm, soulful singer/actress who passionately and ferociously leads the Harlem Ensemble during Sarah’s funeral. *Henry Ford* - (Male, Any Ethnicity, 30s-60s) an inventor; lanky, folksy; A bit full of himself. There’s an edge underneath the public smile; tenor. *J P Morgan* - (Male, Any Ethnicity, 30s-60s) an incredibly wealthy financier; portly, pompous, blustering; baritone. *Ensemble* - (Males & Females, Any Ethnicity, late teens-60s) strong vocalists that blend beautifully; strong actors and dancers needed. Will play multiple roles; domestics, firemen, coalhouse gang members, Ford workers, policemen, vacationers, protestors, bathing beauties, reporters, etc. The Players Guild Theatre receives support from these generous partners: Arts In Stark, The Ohio Arts Council, The Canton Repository and 89.7 WKSU. ####