- Phone : 216-795-7077
- Email : ctix@karamuhouse.org
Auditions
OPEN CALL AUDITIONS FOR KARAMU’S 2025-2026 SEASON
DOROTHY MARCIC’S
SISTAS: THE MUSICAL
Directed by: Treva Offutt
NATE JACOBS’
A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS
Directed by Tony F. Sias
CALEEN SINNETTE JENNINGS’
QUEEN’S GIRL: BLACK IN THE GREEN MOUNTAINS
Directed by Caroline Jackson-Smith
TAZEWELL THOMPSON’S
JUBILEE: FISK JUBILEE SINGERS
**Seeking Equity and non-Equity actors, singers, and dancers of ALL ethnicities***
PREPARATION:
All auditions will be in person at Karamu House on Tuesday, July 8th, from 6:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m., and Thursday, July 10th, from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Sistas: The Musical: Please prepare a vocal piece (pop song in the style of the show that shows voice and range and your ability to interpret lyrics) and a monologue no more than three minutes total. If our package is longer than three minutes, we will stop your audition.
Queens Girl: Black in Green Mountains: Please prepare two contrasting monologues, no more than three minutes total. If your package is longer than three minutes, we will stop your audition.
A Motown Christmas: Please prepare two contrasting vocal pieces (up tempo and ballad), no more than 1 min 30 sec each. These selections can be in the style of R & B, Soul, or Contemporary Christmas.
Jubilee: Please prepare a monologue and a vocal piece (classical style spiritual), no more than three minutes total. If your package is longer than three minutes, we will stop your audition.
HOW TO AUDITION:
Visit this SignUp Genius link (SIGN UP) and choose a time and date. Auditions are in person on Tuesday, July 8th from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. and Thursday, July 10th from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
If selected, you will be notified via email for callbacks. Callbacks will take place in person at Karamu House on Monday, July 14th from 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
COMPENSATION
** There will be four AEA Contracts available, one per production** All actors receive compensation for their work in our productions. Housing and Travel are not provided. Equity members appear under a Single Engagement Agreement. Non-Equity members receive a modest stipend.
OTHER
Karamu House is always hiring contractors on a per show basis for the following production positions: Stage Management, Board Operators, Dressers, Carpenters, Electricians, and Run Crew. If interested, please send your resume and statement of interest via email to smcmanus@karamuhouse.org.
Phone calls will not be accepted.
ABOUT THE PLAYS
Sistas | Written by: Dorothy Marcic
Directed by: Treva Offutt
Synopsis: This joyful musical follows five women as they come together to clean out their matriarch’s home and discover fragments of their past. As they share stories and memories, they honor black women throughout history while performing top hits from the 1930s to the 1990s, from Billie Holiday to Beyonce. Characters: Gloria- Age 30s black woman. Very religious. Roberta- 30-ish black woman. Angry at life and the White Male system. She wants everyone to see how bad things are. Dr. Simone- College-educated, professional woman, in her late 30s or early 40s. She is professorial. She is divorced and wants to be in a relationship. She is the sister of Gloria and Roberta. Tamika- Age 18. High school senior. Dresses hip. She uses her body to gain power. She is Simone’s daughter. Heather-White Woman. She is the sister-in-law of the three women. Married their brother. She is educated and verbally quick, almost a smart-ass. She works with Simone at the community college. She is in her 30s. Grandma- (Optional) Appears at the end, no speaking.
Characters:
Gloria- Age 30s black woman. Very religious.
Roberta- 30-ish black woman. Angry at life and the White Male system. She wants everyone to see how bad things are.
Dr. Simone- College-educated, professional woman, in her late 30s or early 40s. She is professorial. She is divorced and wants to be in a relationship. She is the sister of Gloria and Roberta.
Tamika- Age 18. High school senior. Dresses hip. She uses her body to gain power. She is Simone’s daughter.
Heather- White Woman. Is sister-in-law to the three women. Married their brother. She is educated and verbally quick, almost a smart-ass. She works with Simone at the community college. She is in her 30s.
Grandma-(Optional) Appears at end, no speaking.
PRODUCTION DATES:
Sept. 26-Oct. 19, 2025 (all schedules subject to change)
SISTAS: Rehearsals M-Th 6:30-10:30 pm & Sundays 1:00-6:00 pm
Performances: Thursdays alternating 11am & 7:30pm, Fridays @ 7:30 pm, Saturdays @ 4:00 pm, Sunday Matinees @ 3pm
(see additional dates & times below)
- 1st Rehearsal- On or around August 11th
- Tech rehearsals-September 20-24
- Preview Night- September 25
- Opening Night- September 26
- Thursday Matinees- October 2nd & 16th @ 11am
- Closing – October 19th
Queens Girl: Black in the Green Mountains | Written by: Caleen Sinnette Jennings
Directed by: Caroline Jackson-Smith
Synopsis: The third and final installment of Caleen Sinnette Jennings’s award-winning Queens Girl series. As the Vietnam War rages and the Kent State killings ignite college campuses across the country, Jackie arrives in Vermont to begin college. Caught between wildly divergent sets of friends— outrageously wealthy “WASPS,” militant black activists and passionate theatre people—Jackie is forced to confront the space between white and black culture to find her place in the world.
Characters:
All roles are to be played by one black female actor:
Jaqueline Marie Butler/JMB-The 18 year old protagonist. Born in Queens, High School in Nigeria. Freshman at Bennington College.
Shari- Harlem native. Poli-sci major. Adventurer who loves weed and can’t stand to be bored.
Toni- Mid-late 40s. The prudent matriarch of the Judson family, she is Gitlow’s wife and shares Purlie’s dream of reclaiming Big Bethel.
White Bennington Students:
Gloria- First roommate. A good soul but neurotic and talkative.
Ginger- Hippie women’s libber.
Carrie- Very wealthy white friend from a blue blood family
Bennington Faculty/Staff and Related
Binny Stickler- Energetic, mannish head of Bennington admissions.
Adam Butelli- Acting teacher. A minuscule man with a huge, compelling personality.
Famous People
Ruby Dee- Actress and mother goddess of black theatre. A friend of Jackie’s parents.
Sonia Sanchez- Famous poet with a huge influence on Jackie
Ellen Stewart- grand black dame, visionary and diva. Founder of La Mama Theatre in the East Village.
Returning Characters
Gilliam Dendricks- Jackie’s big crush from ISI Days in Africa. South African colored with a
British accent.
Grace Lofton Butler/Mom- Jackie’s prim, but wise and loving mother.
Charles Norman Butler/Daddy- Jackie’s West Indian physician father and black nationalist.
Cameos
West- Black Williams College student in the ABC program. Handsome, street-smart
Marjorie- Speaker at the women’s lib meeting
Workshop Leader- Soul brother who’s pseudo-African, dramatic and arrogant
PRODUCTION DATES:
February 13-March 8th, 2025 (all schedules subject to change)
Queen’s Girl: Rehearsals: M-Th 6:30-10:30 pm & Sundays 1:00-6:00 pm
Performances- Thursdays alternating 11am & 7:30pm, Fridays @ 7:30 pm, Saturdays @ 4:00 pm, Sunday Matinees @ 3pm (see additional dates & times below)
- 1st Rehearsal- On or around January 5
- Tech rehearsals-February 7th-11th
- Preview Night- February 12th
- Opening Night- February 13th
- Thursday Matinee- February 19th & March 5th @ 11am
- Closing- March 8
A Motown Christmas | Written by: Nate Jacobs’
Directed by: Tony F. Sias
Synopsis: A Motown Christmas” is a lively, toe-tapping musical experience that combines the magic of Christmas with the timeless appeal of Motown’s greatest hits. It takes you on a journey through the ages that explores the iconic Motown Catalogue and their contributions to music. Showcasing iconic songs by artists like The Temptations, The Supremes, The Jackson 5, and more. With original Christmas songs by Motown artists like Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye, along with a few original tunes.
Characters:
Seeking an ensemble of singers and actors to celebrate Christmas and Motown’s contribution to music.
PRODUCTION DATES:
Nov. 29-Dec. 14, 2025 (all schedules subject to change)
A Motown Christmas: Rehearsals M-Th 6:30-10:30 pm & Sundays 2:00-7:00 pm- @ Karamu House
Performances-Tues-Sat. @ 7:30 pm, Wed. @ 11:00am Saturday Matinee @ 2pm Sunday Matinee @ 3:00 pm @ The Hanna Theatre @ Playhouse Square (see additional dates & times below)
- 1st Rehearsal- On or around October 1st
- Tech rehearsals-November 22-25
- Preview Night- November 28
- Opening Night- November 29,
- Wednesday Matinees- December 3rd & 10th @ 11 am
- Closing – December 14
Jubilee | A Capella Musical by: Tazewell Thompson
Vocal Arrangements by: Dianne Adams McDowell
Synopsis: Jubilee is written honoring a life dedicated to singing lived inside the numerous stage walls across America and over the oceans. More than that, this is the courageous story of former slaves and the importance of saving and preserving, through song, their educational facility that still exists in Tennessee- Fisk University.
Characters:
The Fisk Jubilee Singers- Twelve of the singers must be first-rate singers with excellent voices, a good ear, good pitch and the ability to hold their parts in group songs with sometimes complex vocal arrangements; reading is a plus; being heard filling the house is essential.
Minnie Tate: Black Female (Contralto/alto)
Greene Evans: Black Male (Bass)
Jennie Jackson: Black Female (Soprano)
Benjamin Holmes: Black Male (Tenor)
Isaac Dickerson: Black Make (Bass)
Maggie Porter: Black Female (Soprano)
Thomas Rutling: Black Male (Tenor)
America Robinson: Black Female
Georgia Gordon: Black Female
Edmund Watkins: Black Male
Federick Loudin: Black Male
Mabel Lewis: Black Female
Ella Sheppard: an outstanding actress with amazing skills to transform into a variety of characters (male, female, black, white, young, and old). Able to carry a tune and hold her own (or blend) in group/chorus/ensemble songs. Able to interpret a song, sing solo, and act as a singing member of “The Fisk Jubilee Singers” (Soprano)
PRODUCTION DATES:
March 27-April 19, 2025 (all schedules subject to change)
Jubilee: Rehearsals M-Th 6:30-10:30 pm & Sundays 2:00-7:00 pm
Performances- Thursdays alternating 11am & 7:30pm, Fridays @ 7:30 pm, Saturdays @ 4:00 pm, Sunday Matinees @ 3pm (see additional dates & times below)
- 1st Rehearsal- On or around February 3rd
- Tech rehearsals-March 21st-25th
- Preview Night- March 26th
- Opening Night- March 27th
- Thursday Matinees- April 2 & 16 @ 11am
- Closing – April 19
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- L : 2355 East 89th Street Cleveland, OH 44106
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- E : ctix@karamuhouse.org
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