Theater J 2026/2027 Season Equity Principal Auditions

Theater J, Washington, DC | Notice: Audition • Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

April 9 and 10, 2026

8am-3pm EST

LOCATION
Edlavitch JCC Kay Community Hall
1529 16th NW, Washington, DC 20036
8am-3pm EST

PERSONNEL

Artistic Director: Hayley Finn,
Associate Producer & Theater J Casting: Manna-Symone Middlebrooks

To schedule an audition appointment, please go to: https://forms.gle/ADSDiqY5zGsHM7B89
Equity Actors unable to attend may submit a video at: https://forms.gle/5krJZFiF2SZ3fRyE6
Non-union performers who wish to be considered may submit here: https://forms.gle/RFb3aN4vSzAxyrHZA

See breakdown for production-specific personnel.

CONTRACT

$885 weekly minimum (Ref. to SPT 9) - 2025-26 rates
See breakdown below for production-specific dates

OTHER DATES

See breakdown for production-specific dates.

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in Theater J's 2026/2027 Season (see breakdown).

Theater J encourages performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, genders, and cultures to audition, as Theater J is committed to a diverse casting practice that accurately reflects the diversity of our world and Judaism. Roles that are racially or ethnically specified in the production will be designated as follows. Theater J is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.

PREPARATION

Please prepare one monologue or two contrasting monologues of no more than 3 minutes total, and bring a stapled headshot and resume.

BREAKDOWN

PRODUCTION #1 – THE FLYING LOVERS OF THE VITEBSK

The Flying Lovers of the Vitebsk

by Daniel Jamieson

Directed by Hayley Finn

Rehearsals begin: September 8, 2026

Performances: October 7, 2026 – November 1, 2026

Contract type: SPT 9 - $885 weekly minimum salary

Synopsis: Before the paintings, poems, and fame, Bella and Marc Chagall were two young dreamers whose love transformed the world around them. Through music, movement, and theatrical magic, their journey unfolds from a small Jewish town into a vivid landscape of imagination, devotion, and resilience. Tender, whimsical, and visually enchanting, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is a love story that reminds us how art and love can lift us beyond the gravity of everyday life.

MARC CHAGALL (20-40): He/him. Jewish. Any race. Strong mover.

BELLA CHAGALL (20-40): She/her. Jewish. Any race. PRE-CAST.

FEMME AERIALIST (20+): Strong mover with experience in aerial movement and performance. An embodiment of Marc Chagall’s paintings.

MASC AERIALIST (20+): Strong mover with experience in aerial movement and performance. An embodiment of Marc Chagall’s paintings.

MUSICIAN 1 (20+): Any gender. Singer and instrumentalist.

MUSICIAN 2 (20+): Any gender. Singer and instrumentalist.

PRODUCTION #2 – TROPICAL SECRETS

Tropical Secrets

by LM Feldman

Directed by TBD

Rehearsals begin: November 3, 2026

Performances: December 2, 2026-December 27, 2026

Contract type: SPT 9 - $885 weekly minimum salary

Synopsis: Daniel, a young German Jewish refugee, finds himself on the shores of Havana and meets Paloma, a young Cubana with some painful secrets of her own. The two children on the verge of adolescence try to save themselves and others in a world of borders, violence, and family separation. Tropical Secrets is a beautiful theatrical quest for audiences ages 8 & up about the families we lose and the families we make, about how the world changes us and how we change the world, and about oranges and drums and becoming someone new.

DANIEL (20s): He/him. An 11-year-old refugee who escaped Nazi Germany. Quiet, gentle, shimmery, but determined. A flute that becomes a drum.

PALOMA (20s): She/her. A tenacious 10-year-old Cuban girl. PALOMA is headstrong, radiant, and courageous. She loves birds and is a budding activist. A 10-year-old Cuban girl who loves birds and becomes an activist.

DAVID (50+): He/him. A Russian refugee living in Havana, Cuba. DAVID was a doctor in Russia and now sells ice cream. He rarely discusses his past. An ice cream seller with a past he never talks about. This actor track also includes GRANDFATHER and REFUGEE

PAPÁ (30-40): He/him. A Cuban businessman turned Minister of Immigration. PAPÁ raises Paloma alone. He is straightforward and does not tolerate nonsense. This actor track also includes DAD, MUSIC VENDOR, OFFICER, and COUSIN.

MIRIAM (30-40). She/her. Open to any ethnicity/race. MARTA is a refugee from Munich traveling with her mother-in-law after losing the rest of her family. She is a fierce survivor. This actor track also includes MOM, REFUGEE, FOOD VENDOR, CAPITAN CRUZ, MAMA, REFUGEE, NEWSPAPER VENDOR, BORDER PATROL AGENT.

PERCUSSIONIST/FUTURE DANIEL (20+): Open to any gender. Open to any ethnicity/race. Plays the cajon. The embodiment of Daniel’s musical hopes and activist dreams. This actor track also includes ERNESTO LECUONA.

PRODUCTION # 3 – AVAAZ

AVAAZ by Michael Shayan

Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel

Performances: January 27, 2027 – February 14, 2027

Contract type: SPT 9 - $885 weekly minimum salary

Synopsis: A dazzling hostess, Michael’s Roya welcomes the audience into her home to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. She prepares a feast for her guests in both the form of a meal and the tale of her life: she’s a resilient and hilarious narrator, diving deep into the immigrant experience as a single mother of a queer son, a Jew in Iran, and a Persian in America, all while crafting an irresistible feast for her guests. It’s the dinner party of the season - and one you won’t want to miss.

ROYA (30-40): she/her. Iranian, Jewish. A fabulous and resilient mother. PRE-CAST

PRODUCTION # 4 – AMERICAN GIRLS

AMERICAN GIRLS

by Emily Feldman

Directed by Hayley Finn

Rehearsals begin: February 15, 2027

Performances: March 17, 2027 - April 11, 2027

Contract type: SPT 9 - $885 weekly minimum salary

Synopsis: In this world-premiere coming-of-age story, two friends grow up in the pivotal awakenings of girlhood, the cultural moments that shaped the Millennial generation, and political events that changed the world forever. As history pulls at the seams of their identities, they discover the meaning of chosen family and ask if a love born of innocence can survive everything that comes after.

SOPHIE (25-40): she/her. White, Jewish. Ages 12-40.

YARA (20-40): she/her. South-Asian, Muslim. Ages 12-40. A lawyer and childhood friend of Sophie.

PRODUCTION # 5 – BECOMING EVE

BECOMING EVE

by Emil Weinstein

Directed by TBD

Rehearsals begin: May 4, 2027

Performances: June 2, 2027 – June 20, 2027

Contract type: SPT 9 - $885 weekly minimum salary

Synopsis: A jump through memory reveals Chava, the child of a dynastic Hasidic rabbinical family whose recently disclosed trans identity finds three rabbis fighting to save a family by building a bridge between orthodoxy and modernity, unraveling truths and secrets in a way that ensures no one will read the old stories the same way again. Em Weinstein’s acclaimed play explores the relationship between theology and humanity, asking questions that honor the timelessness of old texts and the opportunity to forge new paths of understanding, identity, and community.

CHAVA (22-30): Trans female. Magnetic, sarcastic, feminine, and strong-willed.

TATI (55-75): Cis-male. Well-read, powerful, masculine, and tender.

JONAH (35-40): Cis male. Neurotic, serious, exuberant, a little cocky.

FRAIDY/ CHESKY (25-30): FRAIDY: Cis female. Thoughtful, warm, stubborn, and impulsive. CHESKY (25-30): Trans male. Passionate, emotional, inquisitive, and playful.

MAMI (55+): Cis female. Quick, compassionate, sharp, and restrained.