Audition Notice

ANNOUNCING AUDITIONS FOR THE 2026-2027 SEASON AT THE CONTEMPORARY THEATRE OF OHIO

This is an open invitation from The Contemporary to submit for our 2026-2027 Season. The Contemporary is seeking Equity and non-Equity actors for our upcoming season.    

The Contemporary’s 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. 

CONTRACTS  

AEA Contracts: Equity actors’ work is governed by the AEA SPT agreement. Please see the submission guidelines on the Equity website. Reach out to casting@thecontemporaryohio.org with any questions.    

Non-AEA Contracts: Non-Equity actors will be paid $11/hour with a guaranteed minimum of $265/week. Equity Membership Candidacy Points available. See audition information below.  

The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio does not provide housing.

Equity Auditions by Appointment with Non-Equity Walk-Ins are on Friday March 6, 2026 and Saturday March 7, 2026 at the Riffe Center – 77 S High St.  

Friday March 6: 10 AM – 6 PM, break 2 – 3 PM

       No accompanist available on this day – feel free to bring in your own backing track.

Saturday March 7: 9 AM – 5 PM, break 12 – 1 PM

       There will be an accompanist available on this day.

Equity Actors – email casting@thecontemporaryohio.org to secure an audition spot. 

Non-Equity Actors – auditions are first come, first served. Check-in with the audition assistant when you arrive to sign up.

 Submit headshot and resume here.

Non-Equity Auditions by Appointment are on Sunday March 8 at the Riffe Center – 77 S High St.  

Sunday March 8: 9 AM – 1 PM & 6 PM – 10 PM 

There will be an accompanist available on this day.

Sign up for a time here.

Please ignore signage for the Riffe Center Parking Garage that says “closed” or “full,” including any reserved signs on individual parking spaces. The garage is open and free to everyone after 6:00 pm on week days, and anytime during the weekends. If the gate is down, push the call button and say you are with The Contemporary.

Come to the 4th floor and wait in the Studio Theatres lobby. If you need help finding it, email casting@thecontemporaryohio.org.

Instead of bringing a hardcopy headshot and resume, please share your information here. 

 Please prepare a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue. If you don’t have a prepared monologue, you can read from one of the pieces here. If you wish to be considered for singing roles, please sing a brief cut in the style of the music of Jagged Little Pill. An accompanist will be provided on Saturday and Sunday. Please bring sheet music in a binder. 

To be considered for a musician role in Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, please bring your instrument and prepare a brief cut of a folk-style song. Piano will be provided. If you are only auditioning for a musician role in Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, no need to prepare a monologue.

Deadline: Friday March 6, 2026 at 10 AM.  

Please submit your video here.

Please share a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue. If you don’t have a prepared monologue, you can read from one of the pieces here. If you wish to be considered for singing roles, please prepare a brief cut in the style of the music represented in Jagged Little Pill.

To be considered for a musician role in Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, please bring your instrument and prepare a brief cut of a folk-style song. Piano will be provided. If you are only auditioning for a musician role in Where the Mountain Meets the Sea, no need to prepare a monologue.

Rehearsal and Performance Schedule:   

Rehearsals will usually be six days a week in the evenings and weekends. Actors will only be called to rehearsal when rehearsing scenes they are in for a maximum of 30 hours total per week.   

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings with Sunday matinees. The first two performances are preview performances with rehearsal continuing through opening night on Saturday.  

Commitment to Diversity:    

The Contemporary is committed to diversity and inclusion in our casting practices. We strongly encourage actors of all gender identities, ethnicities, races, and ages, as well as actors with disabilities, to audition for any role.   

Characters’ pronouns are listed for reference. We invite actors of all genders to submit for any roles they identify with. We will list race/ethnicity when specific to the characters and are otherwise seeking actors of all races and ethnicities. We will also list disability when specific to a character and are otherwise seeking actors with disabilities and well as without disabilities for all roles.  

Accessibility:   

Please email casting@thecontemporaryohio.org with information regarding any accommodations you need in an audition, rehearsal or performance space. 

Jagged Little Pill – Studio One
Book by Diablo Cody, Music by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard
Directed by Leda Hoffmann, Music Direction by Jonathan Collura, Choreography by Nicholas Wilson
First Rehearsal August 18
First Preview September 17
Opening September 19
Closing October 4
Student Matinee – Sept 23rd at 10:30am

CALLBACKS
Sat, March 28: 6 PM – 11 PM
Sun, March 29: 9 AM – 5 PM, 6 PM – 10 PM
Mon, March 30: 6 PM – 10 PM

Eureka Day – Studio Two
By Jonathan Spector
Directed by Allie Moss
First Rehearsal October 13
First Preview November 5
Opening November 7
Closing November 22

CALLBACKS
Thurs, March 19: 6 PM – 10PM
Fri, March 20: 6 PM – 10 PM
Sat, March 21: 10 AM – 3 PM

John Proctor is the Villain – Studio One
By Kimberly Belflower
Directed by Leda Hoffmann
First Rehearsal February 2
First Preview February 25
Opening February 27
Closing March 14
Student Matinee – March 3 at 10:30am

CALLBACKS
Tues, March 17: 6 PM – 10PM
Wed, March 18: 6 PM – 10 PM

Where the Mountain Meets the Sea – Studio Two
By Jeff Augustin
Directed by David J. Glover
First Rehearsal April 6
First Preview April 29
Opening May 1
Closing May 16

CALLBACKS
Sat, March 28: 10 AM – 5 PM

JAGGED LITTLE PILL

MARY JANE – she/her, white, 40s-50s, Vocal Range: F3-F5
Suburban mom desperately clinging to her “perfect” image while battling a drug addiction. 

FRANKIE – she/her, Black, mid teen, Vocal Range: F#3-F#5
A riot grrrl ready to fight for her beliefs, including (if not especially so) her own mother. 

STEVE  – he/him, white, 40s-50s, Vocal Range: A3-A5
Corporatized workaholic father, eager for a physical connection with his wife.

NICK – he/him, white, late teen, Vocal Range: Eb4-Bb5
An Ivy-League-to-be homegrown hero, yet struggles to know what his true desires are when others aren’t putting their own expectations on him.

BELLA – she/her, any race/ethnicity, late teen, Vocal Range: F#3-A5
Liberal free spirit who aspires to go to art school, and good friends with Nick.

JO – she/her any race/ethnicity, mid teen, Vocal Range: E3-G5
Lives for the chaos and goes for the joke, while always being genuine and upfront. Rebels against her very religious mother and is experimenting with their gender presentation.

PHOENIX – he/him, any race/ethnicity, mid teen, Vocal Range: E4-Bb5
The mysterious, sensitive new kid, who becomes close with Frankie. Has a strong bond with his family.

ANDREW – he/him, white, late teen, Vocal Range: (D4)F#4-A5
Comes from a family that is wealthy and considered ‘town royalty’. Likes to party while blind to the consequences.

JILL/As Cast – she/her, any race/ethnicity, 30s-60s, Vocal Range: Any
a suburban mom. Also plays a pharmacist.

COURTNEY/As Cast – she/her, any race/ethnicity, 30s-60s, Vocal Range: Any
a suburban mom. Also plays a receptionist.

DENISE/As Cast – she/her, any race/ethnicity, 30s-60s, Vocal Range: Any
a suburban mom. Also plays a teacher.

For the following roles, we are auditioning actors 14 – 17: 

CHARLIE – any pronouns, any race/ethnicity, mid/late teen, Vocal Range: Any
a high school student 

LANCER – he/him, any race/ethnicity, mid/late teen, Vocal Range: Any
a high school student who hosts a party, goes to church

DANNI – any pronouns, any race/ethnicity, mid/late teen, Vocal Range: Any
a high school student

KELSEY – she/her, any race/ethnicity, mid/late teen, Vocal Range: Any
a high school student

PHOEBE – she/her, any race/ethnicity, mid/late teen, Vocal Range: Any
a high school student

LILY – she/her, white, mid/late teen, Vocal Range: Any
a high school student, the popular girl

—————————————————

EUREKA DAY

SUZANNE – she/her, 40s-50s, white
Warm and Gracious. Moved to Berkeley after college when her then boyfriend now-husband started graduate school at UC Berkeley. Raising her family and nurturing the school are her life’s work, and fully entwined. Once her youngest was in school she started working part-time as a life-coach, after being encouraged to it by so many friends who she’d helped through difficult times. Has a home worth four million dollars (though she’ll tell you it was much much much cheaper when they bought), but thinks of herself as “comfortable” rather than “wealthy.” Mother of Sebastian, Arlo, Izzy, Juniper, Tompkins, and Walden.

DON – he/him, 50s-early 70s, white
Head of school. A calming presence. Has worked hard to become the man he is. From New England, moved to Berkeley in the mid-80s chasing the last gasp of hippie-dom. Started in education as a music teacher, and on difficult days fantasizes about going back to it. Has lived with his partner in the same rented In-Law unit for 25 years. She makes pottery. They do silent meditation retreats at Esalen three times a year. No kids.

CARINA – she/her, late 30s-40s, Black
A joiner. Her parents were in the Foreign Service. She grew up overseas and had gone to eight different schools by the time she graduated from high school. This made her skilled at landing in a new environment, figuring out the rules, and putting other people at ease. Her wife is from the Berkeley and always wanted to come back, so they moved nine months ago from the East Coast. Isn’t sure how much she loves living here, but is working hard to convince herself she does, because her wife never wants to leave. She’s worked for non-profits her whole professional life, so has spent A LOT of time in board meetings. And dealing with well intentioned white people. Mother of Victor.

MEIKO – she/her, 30s-40s, biracial Asian/white
Describes herself as Hapa. Berkeley native. Wry sense of humor. Went to UC Berkeley and has never lived anywhere else, or wanted to. A landscape architect, which she’s good at but a little bored by. A year after the end of a tortured on again off-again eight-year relationship, became a single mother by choice, of Olivia. When her daughter was young, Meiko’s mother was effectively a co-parent, but less so now. Would like to have another child, but feels like she’s too old to think about doing it alone, again.

ELI – he/him, 30s-40s, white
Jewish or half-Jewish. Oblivious but well meaning. From Southern California, went to Stanford and then straight into working at a tech start-up. Cashed out three years ago, and has been in search of how to occupy his time and exercise his mind. An expert pickler, competitive rock climber, manager of family wealth. Went through an intense Ayn Rand phase in college, which now fills him with shame, but which he has also never fully shaken. When he and his wife first decided to open up their marriage, they spent many hours in therapy making sure they were approaching it in a thoughtful and intentional way. But that was a long time ago. Father of Tobias.

—————————————————

JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN

Carter Smith – he/him, white, 30s
a former golden boy, but one of those rare smart and sensitive ones. now he’s a great teacher: charming, engaging, goofy.
“it’s a really intense time
but that’s what literature is for
that’s what art is for
to make sense of moments in time like this one”

Shelby Holcomb – she/her, any race/ethnicity, 16
her brain works faster than her mouth, but her mouth works pretty dang fast. people have always underestimated her.
“I think Walt Whitman probably said it best:
I contain frickin multitudes”

Beth Powell – she/her, any race/ethnicity, 17
nervous and ambitious and enthusiastic. kind of like if Rory Gilmore and Paris Geller had a baby and raised her in the Deep South.
“my mom says I’m an old soul!”

Nell Shaw – she/her, BIPOC, 16
from Atlanta. grounded and sincere. genuinely curious about things. a good judge of character, and a quick study.
“everywhere worth going would love that you spoke truth to power”

Ivy Watkins – she/her, mixed-race or white, 17
fiercely loyal and always well-intentioned. from old Southern money. resist the urge to play her as a mean girl.
“nothing should happen to anybody until there’s like
a trial”

Raelynn Nix – she/her, any race/ethnicity, 16
a cheerleader type who’s always lived her life by other peoples’ standards. she was paying careful attention the whole time.
“I just think
we haven’t really even listened to her yet”

Mason Adams – he/him, any race/ethnicity, 17
he’s never really tried before, and he’s surprised by how good it feels. earnest and affable.
“I’m really into how smart you are?
which is like a new thing for me and it really
I don’t know if that sounds like a line?
but it’s not?”

Lee Turner – he/him, white, 16
a carhartt-wearing good ol’ boy. deeply insecure and without the tools to deal with it. he’s always been good at getting what he wants.
“I am listening, you’re just not telling the truth”

Bailey Gallagher – she/her, any race/ethnicity, mid to late 20s
School counselor. sweet in all the ways Southern women are supposed to be. this is her first real job out of college, and she really cares about it.
“we have to be aware of the ripple effect our actions can have”

—————————————————

WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE SEA

Jean — he/him, 50s-60s, Haitian
A school teacher from Haiti who traveled to America with a dream. Yearns for love, and falls for it hard and fast. Becomes hardened for the sake of his son, but has a smile that fits among the constellations.

Jonah — he/him, 20s-30s, Haitian-American
An agnostic, queer, PhD candidate in pursuit to teach at UCLA. Yearns for intimacy, to combat his loneliness. Though weighted by his past, he is reminded to live in the moment and embrace his vulnerability.

Musician 1 – any pronouns, any age, any race/ethnicity
A singer/musician who aides in the language, dance, and music of the play.

Musician 2 – any pronouns, any age, any race/ethnicity
A second singer/musician who aides in the language, dance, and music of the play.