Skip to main content

Auditions

Audition Announcements

Auditions for our fall 2026 productions of James and the Giant Peach and Lost Girl will take place within the first week of the fall semester.  See below for details.

  • Performance majors are required to audition for ALL productions. 
  • Our auditions are open, meaning anyone can audition. You don’t have to be a theatre major. Community members may audition also with the understanding that priority in casting will go to students.
  • Most of our auditions require prepared material. If you are not a theatre student and don’t know how to prepare and present the requested material, usually something will be supplied to you to read. Theatre majors, however, are required to prepare according to the requirements for a given audition. In the case of plays requiring very specific skills such as singing in a musical, auditionees are highly encouraged to prepare the appropriate material.

Audition Information and Tips

  • When it comes to auditions, one of the few things in your control is your level of preparation.  Reading the play is, arguably, the most important thing you can do to prepare. The plays are available from bookstores, online vendors and/or the play publishers. 
  •  It is the expectation that all performance students audition for all shows. Our auditions are designed to provide a variety of audition experiences so take advantage of these experiences right from the start. Every audition is one more step toward becoming comfortable with the process. In addition, it allows the faculty to see your work right away.
  • Take care not to “type” yourself at this point. Prepare, come on out and let the directors decide what you are “right for.” Certainly, if there is a role you are dying to play, or you are “perfect for,” shoot for that, but keep an open mind and don’t allow the attitude of “all these characters are older and I am only 18” stop you from coming to auditions. In university theatre the plays are produced to give you the opportunity to work on them.
  • Auditions are intimidating. Talk to the upperclassmen; use the performance faculty as a resource to answer your questions. However, no matter how much inquiry you make there will be no substitute for doing your personal preparation –reading the scripts, looking up unfamiliar words/references, making choices, being familiar with what the director is looking for (read audition notices carefully), getting rest, planning to dress appropriately, knowing where you are going and arriving early to sign in, warm up, etc.
  • It is smart to attend the first night of auditions if at all possible.
  • Once you are in the audition it is important to listen to instructions, have a positive attitude, be flexible when the unexpected happens, focus on what you are doing, and, of course, that age-old challenge…allow yourself to be at ease so you can do your best work.

 

James and the Giant Peach

Adapted for the stage by David Wood from the book by Roald Dahl
Directed by Wesley Young

WHEN: Monday, August 24 and Tuesday, August 25 at 6:30 p.m. Callbacks will take place on both nights. Auditioning on the first night is highly recommended.  ALL Radford University students are eligible to audition regardless of major.

WHERE: The Artis Center Main Stage Theater, Artis Center, Radford University.

WHAT: The auditions will consist of improvisation/movement games and reading from the script. 

  • Bring your complete class/work/life schedule from October 5 to November 19.
  • Bring a headshot and theatrical resume (if you have those).
  • Read the script! Available by request at wyoung@radford.edu.

THE PLAY:  David Wood’s script is a lively staging of Roald Dahl’s beloved story of James Henry Trotter. Orphaned when his parents are killed by a rhinoceros, Young James is sent to live with his very unpleasant aunts who mistreat him. When a mysterious old man’s gift casts a spell on a giant peach and its eccentric insect inhabitants, James and the gang run away. Their subsequent epic journey which includes a trans-Atlantic crossing is fraught with dangers. But these bring out the best in the little family of friends as they discover all is possible when you pull together with a little imagination and a lot of heart.

ENSEMBLE:      

  • James - our hero; grows from a lonely kid to a brave “captain” of his band of friends
  • Old-Green-Grasshopper - older, genial, avuncular, musical
  • Miss Spider- sometimes sharp, sinister, but kind; her spinning helps save the group.
  • Centipede- a cocky, warm-hearted Jack-the-lad
  • Ladybird- posh but not prissy; pretty but not vain; volatile but level-headed
  • Earthworm- blind and a pessimist; but his self-esteem improves thanks to James
  • Tour Guide, Mr. Trotter, Mrs. Trotter, Rhinoceros, Aunt Sponge, Aunt Spiker, Old Man, TV Reporter, Captain of the Queen Mary, First Officer, Second Officer, Tourists, Visitors, Sharks, Seagulls, Octopi, New Yorkers

IMPORTANT:    Performers will work closely with one another—lifting each other, creating inanimate objects with their bodies, etc. Consent and respect for actors’ boundaries will be a foundational part of the rehearsal and performance process. 

PERFORMANCES:  The run is primarily school day performances requiring cast and crew to miss morning and possibly early afternoon classes Friday, November 13th through Thursday, November 19. Students with solid academic records will be strongly considered in casting. 

ANY QUESTIONS?  Contact Wesley Young at wyoung@radford.edu.

Lost Girl

By Kimberly Belflower
Directed by Mazie Wakefield

WHEN: Wednesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 27 at 7 p.m. Callbacks will follow initial auditions on August 27. Auditionees are highly encouraged to attend the first night of auditions. ALL Radford University students are eligible to audition regardless of major.  

WHERE: The Artis Center Main Stage Theater, Radford University

HOW TO PREPARE:

  1. Prepare a one-minute memorized contemporary monologue.
  2. Bring your complete class/work/life schedule from August 26 to October 4.
  3. Bring a headshot and a theatrical resume (if you have one).
  4. Evaluate your comfortability with theatrical intimacy in order to complete the audition form.
  5. READ THE SCRIPT!

ABOUT THE PLAY: What happened after the Darlings returned from Neverland? Wendy Darling is a woman now, no longer a child, but her time with Peter Pan has irrevocably changed her. In the aftermath of growing up, Wendy struggles to cope with abandonment, depression, and the realization she’s not the only girl who went to Neverland. 

SEEKING: 12 versatile actors for the following roles:

  • Wendy- a young woman, but sometimes a little girl again. Determined,  melancholic, hopeful. Our storyteller.
  • Peter- about 13, then a young man. Not the villain, just a boy. So charismatic you could just die.
  • The Female Chorus- A, B, and C. Wendy’s inner thoughts, her past selves, other girls who went to Neverland float in and out of the narrative with ease.

Aged 16-22:

  • Slightly- a former Lost Boy. Careful, thoughtful, patient, and romantic.
  • Toodles- a former Lost Boy. Sincere, optimistic, and playful.
  • Nibs- a former Lost Boy. Logical, sarcastic, sometimes harsh.
  • Curly-  a former Lost Boy. Aloof, laidback, but always paying attention.
  • Cora- No-nonsense.
  • Callie- Romantic, but self-aware.
  • Krista- Empathetic.
  • Nina- An amateur journalist, wants to know Wendy’s story.

Aged 18-25:

  • Boy- Young and growing. Knows his worth and won’t compromise it.  

Aged 35-45:

  • Mother- tired, patient, wondering how this was possible.
  • Detective- Single-minded, always on the edge of defeat.
  • Therapist- Trying his best but finding it hard to help the unresponsive.
  • Doctor- Even tempered, a good listener, honest.  

QUESTIONS? Contact Mazie Wakefield (mwakefield@radford.edu) or Wesley Young (wyoung@radford.edu)

Apply NowPlan a Visit