26/27 Season Auditions

ARTSCENTRIC 2026–2027 SEASON AUDITIONS

 

ArtsCentric (ARTSCENTRIC) is seeking performers for its 2026–2027 season of productions, including world premieres, collaborative works, and immersive theatrical experiences.

 

AUDITION INFORMATION

Audition Dates: June 21 & June 22, 2026

Location: ArtsCentric 2600 N. Howard Street, Baltimore, MD

 

Auditions are by appointment only.

Video submissions will be accepted; however, in-person auditions are strongly encouraged.

 

Callbacks to be Determined
Additional dance callbacks will take place at a later date.

Equity and Non-Equity performers are encouraged to audition.

 

Compensation:
Paid stipend.

 

Preparation Requirements:

• Prepare a song in the style of pop, musical theater, gospel, jazz, or another genre appropriate to the season’s productions

• Bring sheet music in the correct key; an accompanist will be provided

• Bring a current headshot and resume

• Be prepared to list all known rehearsal and performance conflicts

• All performers should be prepared to learn a short dance combination

Housing and travel are not provided.

Ensemble members may also serve as understudies and/or swings.

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Audition Contact:
auditions@artscentric.org

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CASTING PHILOSOPHY / INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT

ArtsCentric is committed to intentional, inclusive, and culturally conscious casting practices that honor the stories we tell and the communities we serve. As a color-conscious organization, we actively seek performers whose lived experiences, artistry, and cultural perspectives deepen the authenticity and impact of our productions.

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We strongly encourage performers of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, body types, abilities, and backgrounds to audition. Casting decisions will be based on the specific needs of each production while maintaining ArtsCentric’s commitment to equity, representation, and artistic excellence.

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LEAP OF FAITH

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Type of Production: Musical

 

Synopsis:

A high-energy musical comedy about faith, redemption, and community. When charismatic conman and fake faith healer Jonas Nightingale and his traveling ministry roll into the struggling town of Sweetwater, they unexpectedly encounter a community—and a family—that challenges everything they believe. Featuring an electrifying contemporary score, gospel influences, and explosive dance storytelling, Leap of Faith explores hope, resilience, and the power of transformation.

 

Director: Kevin S. McAllister

Music Director: Cedric D. Lyles

Choreographer: Shalyce Hemby

Book: Janus Cercone & Warren Leight

Music: Alan Menken

Lyrics: Glenn Slater

 

Rehearsals: June 26 – July 31, 2026

First Preview: August 1, 2026

 

Character Breakdown

 

JONAS NIGHTINGALE

Male, 30s–40s. Open Ethnicity.
A charismatic traveling faith healer and gifted conman who survives on charm, manipulation, and performance. Beneath his confidence lies emotional exhaustion and a fear of genuine connection. Throughout the story, Jonas begins to confront questions of morality, redemption, and faith. STRONG ACTOR. EXCELLENT SINGER. STRONG MOVEMENT ABILITY REQUIRED. LEAD.
Range: B2 – Bb4

 

IDA MAE STURDEVANT

Female, 50s–60s. Open Ethnicity.
Lead singer of the Angels of Mercy and devoted mother to Isaiah and Ornella. Deeply faithful, resilient, and fiercely protective of her family and community. Though grounded in Christian values, years of hardship have challenged the certainty of her beliefs.
STRONG GOSPEL SINGER WITH EMOTIONAL DEPTH. LEAD.
Range: D3 – A5

 

ISAIAH STURDEVANT

Male, 18–24. Open Ethnicity.
A Bible college student with a strong moral compass, sharp intelligence, and deep compassion for others. Determined to protect his family and community, Isaiah struggles to reconcile faith with the realities around him.
STRONG ACTOR/SINGER. SUPPORTING LEAD.
Range: Ab2 – B4

 

MARLA McGOWAN

Female, 30s–40s. Open Ethnicity.
Sheriff of Sweetwater and respected town alderperson. Practical, intelligent, and strong-willed, Marla carries the weight of protecting both her son and the struggling town around her.
STRONG ACTOR/SINGER. SUPPORTING ROLE.
Range: F3 – D5

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ORNELLA STURDEVANT

Female, 20s. Open Ethnicity.
Ida Mae’s daughter and member of the Angels of Mercy. After years of difficult choices and failed relationships, Ornella is trying to rebuild her life and rediscover her self-worth. Loving, passionate, and emotionally fiery.
STRONG SINGER WITH COMEDIC AND DRAMATIC RANGE. SUPPORTING ROLE.
Range: A3 – G#5

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SAM NIGHTINGALE

Female, 25–35. Open Ethnicity.
Jonas’s younger sister and company manager for the traveling revival show. Smart, grounded, and fiercely loyal to her brother, Sam balances practicality with compassion while quietly questioning the morality of their lifestyle.
STRONG ACTOR/SINGER. SUPPORTING ROLE.
Range: F#3 – E5

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JAKE McGOWAN

Male, 10–13. Open Ethnicity.
Marla’s wheelchair-using son. Intelligent, imaginative, and full of hope, Jake possesses a radiant innocence and unwavering belief in the goodness of others. A gentle dreamer with a touch of magic about him.
STRONG YOUTH SINGER/ACTOR. FEATURED ROLE.
Range: A3 – B4

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BROTHER AMON / BROTHER CARL

Male, 18+. Open Ethnicity.
Members of Jonas Nightingale’s traveling ministry team. Strong comedic instincts and movement ability encouraged.
STRONG SINGERS. FEATURED ENSEMBLE.

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ANGELS OF MERCY TRIO

Female-presenting, 17+. Open Ethnicity.
Backup singers for Ida Mae and featured vocalists within the Angels of Mercy. Strong gospel harmony, movement ability, and stage presence required.
STRONG SINGERS WITH MOVEMENT ABILITY. FEATURED ENSEMBLE.

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ZAK / FLETCH

Any Gender, 17+. Open Ethnicity.
Roadies and assistants for Jonas Nightingale and the Angels of Mercy tour. High-energy comedic performers with strong movement ability encouraged.
FEATURED ENSEMBLE.

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TOWNSPEOPLE

All Genders, 18+. Open Ethnicity.
Seeking versatile actor/singers to portray members of the Sweetwater community, including worried parents, farmers, churchgoers, local officials, and townspeople navigating economic hardship and renewed hope.
STRONG CHARACTER ACTORS, SINGERS, AND MOVERS ENCOURAGED. ENSEMBLE.

 

General Casting Notes:

Seeking strong actor/singers with movement ability.
All performers should be comfortable with dance and musical staging.
Understudies and swings will be cast.

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CROWNS

Type of Production:
Play with Music

Synopsis:
A moving and celebratory musical play exploring the history, identity, and cultural significance of hats in Black communities and the women who wear them. Through music, storytelling, and humor, Crowns honors faith, resilience, tradition, and the power of community across generations.

 

Director: Kevin S. McAllister

Music Director: Cedric D. Lyles

Choreographer: Shalyce Hemby

Playwright: Regina Taylor

Based on the book by: Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry

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Rehearsals: January 2 – January 26, 2027

First Preview: January 27, 2027

 

Casting Notes:
This production is partially cast.

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Character Breakdown:

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YOLANDA: Black female, 20’s (must be able to appear 15-18). Fiercely opinionated but introverted, Yolanda keeps her feelings inside, except when she raps. Keenly observant and intelligent, her evolution to fully express herself is at the core of this story. Ultimately must be charming, winning, and exuberant. 

 

MOTHER SHAW: Black female, 50s-60s. The powerful matriarch of the family and the elder who holds wisdom and compassion as her legacy. Deeply spiritual. Needs to be a singer with emotional and vocal range. 

 

VELMA. Black female, 30s/40s. Flashy and has a past, Velma now expresses herself in her vivid stories and glittery hats. Knows how to have fun, but she is tougher than she looks – hard times have offered her many life lessons. 

 

MABEL. Black female, 40s/50s. The most conservative. Married to a minister and is a First Lady, and always did the right thing. Has a genuine insight into the human condition but likes ladies to be ladies. She has a behavior code and believes in it – and you better believe in it too! 

 

JEANETTE: Black female, 30s. She’s been a working girl a long time – cosmetics counter at the local department store. Prides herself on her appearance – and the ability of a hat to create mystery, flirtation, whatever the mood calls for. She’s a mother, wife and woman who really loves her hats. 

 

WANDA: Black female, 30s. Can be extroverted or introverted – changing like the wind blows. Spunky. Always wants the last word. 

 

MAN: Black male, 30-40s. [ALREADY CAST- CASTING UNDERSTUDY] Plays all the male roles in the play: Father, Reverend, Husband of the women. Versatile actor. Good sense of humor. Must be able to move well. 

 

FEMALE SWING: Black female, ages varying. We will cast two female-presenting performers to understudy the female roles. 

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General Casting Notes:

• Seeking strong actor/singers with movement ability

• All performers should be comfortable with dance and musical staging

• Understudies will be cast

 

Cultural Casting Notes:
All roles portray African American characters and should reflect the cultural specificity and authenticity of the work.

 

 

 

UNBREAKABLE

Type of Production:

Dance Theatre Production

Synopsis:

A new movement-driven dance theatre work following a young woman through her first year of college as she navigates identity, vulnerability, trauma, public scrutiny, and the rediscovery of her inner strength. Blending contemporary dance, theatrical storytelling, immersive staging, and live music, UNBREAKABLE explores survival, healing, and human connection through movement as its primary language.

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Director: Kevin S. McAllister

Choreographer/Writers: Kevin S. McAllister & Shalyce Hemby

Music Director: To Be Determined

Partner Organization: Explicit Dance Works

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Rehearsals: 
Full schedule to be announced. Partial workshop scheduled for July 2026

 

Performances:

April 2027

 

Character Breakdown

 

ARIA BENNETT

Female-presenting, 20s. African American.
Quietly observant, introspective, and emotionally guarded. Aria struggles with insecurity, social invisibility, and the overwhelming pressures of identity and perception. Following a devastating event and the public unraveling of her life through media scrutiny and community judgment, she must rediscover agency over her body, voice, and future. This role serves as the emotional center of the production and requires exceptional storytelling through movement and emotional physicality. ADVANCED CONTEMPORARY/COMMERCIAL DANCER. STRONG PARTNERING AND FLOORWORK REQUIRED. LEAD.

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ZOE MARTINEZ

Female-presenting, 20s. Open Ethnicity.
Aria’s charismatic and socially magnetic best friend. Funny, impulsive, outgoing, and deeply loving. Zoe encourages Aria to embrace freedom and attention without fully understanding the emotional consequences surrounding them. Following the devastating event, Zoe struggles with guilt, confusion, loyalty, and denial. Seeking a performer with strong musicality, athleticism, and emotional versatility.
STRONG CONTEMPORARY/COMMERCIAL DANCER. LEAD.

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EVAN CROSS

Male-presenting, late 20s–early 30s. Open Ethnicity.
Charming, composed, socially skilled, and emotionally manipulative. Evan embodies the unsettling normalcy of entitlement protected by charisma and public perception. This role should avoid caricature and instead focus on restraint, subtlety, and psychological control. ADVANCED CONTEMPORARY/COMMERCIAL DANCE AND PARTNERING REQUIRED. STRONG ACTOR/MOVER. LEAD.

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LIAM REYES

Male-presenting, 20s–early 30s. Open Ethnicity.
Aria’s childhood friend and eventual romantic connection. Liam represents steadiness, patience, compassion, and emotional safety without becoming a “rescuer.” Their relationship develops slowly through trust and vulnerability.Seeking a grounded performer with strong emotional presence and partnering ability. ADVANCED LYRICAL/CONTEMPORARY MOVEMENT REQUIRED. SUPPORTING LEAD.

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DR. NAOMI HART

Female-presenting, 40s–60s. Open Ethnicity.
A therapist and support group facilitator who becomes an emotional anchor throughout the second half of the production. Naomi is compassionate, grounded, perceptive, and emotionally intelligent. She represents the difficult truth that healing is nonlinear.
STRONG PHYSICAL THEATRE/MOVEMENT EXPERIENCE PREFERRED. SUPPORTING ROLE.

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KAI / NINA

Any Gender, 20s–30s. Open Ethnicity.
Aria’s roommate and emotional witness throughout the production. Observant, supportive, and quietly intuitive. This role provides many of the production’s most intimate and grounded emotional moments.
STRONG MOVER WITH NATURALISTIC ACTING INSTINCTS. SUPPORTING ROLE.

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Featured Ensemble

 

THE FEED

All Genders, 20s–40s. Open Ethnicity.
A physical embodiment of social media, public scrutiny, media culture, online commentary, and collective judgment. Performers transform throughout the production into commentators, jurors, paparazzi, bystanders, partygoers, and emotional echoes.
STRONG CONTEMPORARY TECHNIQUE AND PHYSICAL THEATRE REQUIRED. SUPPORTING ENSEMBLE.

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PARTY ENSEMBLE

All Genders, 20s–30s. Open Ethnicity.
Represents nightlife culture, intoxication, freedom, danger, overstimulation, and social performance. Seeking highly athletic movers with strong improvisational instincts and commercial movement vocabulary.
ADVANCED DANCE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. ENSEMBLE.

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JURORS / COURTROOM ENSEMBLE

All Genders, 20s–60s. Open Ethnicity.
Represents institutional pressure, detachment, and societal judgment throughout courtroom and media sequences. Precision, compositional awareness, and strong ensemble storytelling required.
STRONG MOVEMENT PERFORMANCE REQUIRED. ENSEMBLE.

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SUPPORT GROUP ENSEMBLE

Female-presenting and Nonbinary Performers, 20s–60s. Open Ethnicity.
A collective embodiment of survival, healing, recovery, and community. These performers help shape the emotional transformation of the second act through grounded movement and emotional storytelling.
STRONG EMOTIONAL MATURITY AND STORYTELLING INSTINCTS ENCOURAGED. ENSEMBLE.

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Vocalist / Musician Tracks

 

LEAD VOCALIST 1 – “The Voice of Aria”

Any Gender, 20s–40s. Open Ethnicity.
Functions as Aria’s emotional subconscious and internal monologue throughout the production. Seeking a deeply expressive vocalist with strong interpretive instincts across soul, indie, rock, contemporary, or alternative styles.
STRONG SINGER. FEATURED VOCALIST.

 

LEAD VOCALIST 2 – “The Witness”

Any Gender, 20s–50s. Open Ethnicity.
Functions as observer, narrator, commentator, and emotional conscience throughout the production. Strong emotional storytelling ability required.
STRONG SINGER. FEATURED VOCALIST.

 

ADDITIONAL VOCALISTS / BAND MEMBERS

All Genders, 20s–50s. Open Ethnicity.
May function as emotional echoes, environmental texture, media voices, and atmospheric storytellers throughout the production. Multi-instrumentalists strongly encouraged.
Seeking performers proficient in piano/keys, guitar, bass, percussion, strings, and/or ambient electronic instrumentation.

 

General Casting Notes:

Seeking fearless, emotionally intelligent performers with strong storytelling ability through movement and presence.
Open to all gender identities, body types, and backgrounds.
Advanced contemporary dance experience strongly encouraged for all movement tracks.
Understudies will be cast.

 

Please note: Principal movement tracks do not require vocal performance.

 

Content Advisories:

This production may include:

• Sensitive themes

• Mental health struggles

• Intimacy

• Stage combat

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