NEAR WEST THEATRE IS COMMITTED TO DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE CASTING. WE WILL CAST ARTISTS WITHOUT REGARD TO DISABILITY, RACE, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, COLOR, GENDER IDENTITY, NATIONAL ORIGIN, ETHNIC ORIGIN, OR ANY OTHERWISE INDICATED BASIS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO AUTHENTICALLY CASTING TO ENSURE ALL MARGINALIZED GROUPS ARE REPRESENTED.

Character Descriptions

This production is open to participants ages 13 - 19. You must be 13 or 19 at the time of the auditions.

Orpheus - Male; Any ethnicity; Tenor with strong falsetto, D3-C5. A romantic poet and musician working on a masterpiece to bring back spring. Orpheus is kind and naive, and while he means well, he tends to fixate on his music above all else. The ability to play guitar is a plus.

Eurydice - Female; Any ethnicity; Mezzo-Soprano/Alto, F#3-D5. Eurydice is a practical girl who lives a hard life and knows how to survive. 

Hades-Male; Any ethnicity; Bass, F2-C #4. The King of the Underworld. He is a compulsive industrialist and the husband of Persephone. Rich and powerful.

Persephone - Female; Any ethnicity; Mezzo-Soprano/Alto, F3-C5. The goddess of seasons, flowers, fruit, and grain, and the wife of Hades, the underworld king, spends half her time in the underworld and half with the mortals above.

Hermes - Any gender; Any ethnicity; Tenor/Baritone, C3-B4. Charismatic guide and storyteller, a mentor to Orpheus. Messenger of the Gods and the play's narrator.

Fates (3) - Any gender; Any ethnicity; Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, E3-D5 (Fate 1 up to Eb5). Three divine siblings who decide the fate of each individual. The Fates sing in the back of everyone's minds, pushing the story to where it needs to go while commenting on the characters' choices. The ability to play one of the following instruments is a plus: violin, accordion, and tambourine.

Workers (14) - Any gender; Any ethnicity; SATB. Spirits of labor and community, a physical choral presence. The citizens and workers of Hadestown.

Auditions 

• You must be 13 - 19 years of age to audition.
• Audition dates are scheduled for Tuesday, April 22, Wednesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 24, from 7 PM to 10 PM.  Anyone auditioning must stay for the entire time. Please register below to reserve a space.
• Callbacks are scheduled for Saturday, April 26, from 10 AM to 4 PM.
• Our audition process involves group work in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You do not need a headshot or resume; no preparation is required. It is a group experience of theatre games, improvisation, characterization, and movement. Come as you are, in comfortable clothing, and be ready to engage with your peers. Decisions and notifications will be made by the end of the following week.

Expectations

• Cast members are expected to prioritize rehearsals during the eight (8) weeks this production rehearses and for the nine performances.
• By the end of your audition, you must communicate any known rehearsal or performance conflicts to the Stage Manager and/or Director.

Rehearsals

• Rehearsals are scheduled from Tuesday, May 27, to Wednesday, July 9. Rehearsal days will be Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (some Thursdays, depending on conflicts). Rehearsals are Sunday from 12 pm to 8 pm (usually a four-hour range that will vary depending on conflicts) and Monday – Wednesday from 7 pm to 10 pm. Rehearsal times will vary. The stage manager will distribute a schedule by Thursday of every week.
• Closer to the show's opening, typically tech week, rehearsals may be extended on some days, but they will not run past 11:00 PM.
• You may be required to participate in a Dry Tech Rehearsal on Saturday, July 12. This rehearsal is typically during the day.

Tech Week  (Attendance is mandatory during this week!)

• Sunday, July 13, is Tech Sunday, an extended rehearsal for all cast, staff, and crew from 12 PM to 10 PM. A potluck supper is organized and scheduled for this date. This is the first working tech rehearsal. Costumes, lighting, props, and special effects will be incorporated later in the week.
• Monday through Thursday, July 14 through 17, are mandatory rehearsals. Cast, crew, and staff are expected to be at the theater daily from 6 PM to 11 PM. Everyone must stay until the end of the rehearsal to run the show.

Performances

• The cast is expected to be at the theater at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday performance nights and at 12:30 p.m. on Sundays.
• The performances are on July 18, 19, 25, 26, 27, and August 1, 2, and 3.
• Curtain times for Friday and Saturday are at 7:30 PM, and Sunday is at 2 PM.