DRM402 Directors' Showcase 2025 Call for Auditions

Written by David Henry Hwang directed by Cici NIE Wenxi

Synopsis: René Gallimard is a diplomat from France who has been sent to Beijing. While acclimating to life in China, Gallimard meets and becomes enamored by Song Liling, an opera singer who wears traditional ornate dress and makeup. The two begin a relationship, but unfortunately for Gallimard, there is much about Song that he doesn't know. Among the revelations that Gallimard must contend with is the discovery that his lover is a man. 

Characters: Rene Gallimard – A tall white male actor (should be the tallest of all three characters).

Song Liling – An East Asian female or neutral performer who can play both the masculine and feminine aspects of the character. (maybe slim and tall with short hair)

Puppeteer (operates the puppets that represent Judge and Chin) – All ethnicities. The performer needs to distinguish the two characters well by voice. At some point this performer will have physical movements on stage.

Either Song or Multi-man’s actors can perform an opera or Chinese opera style movement, which will be helpful, but is not necessary for this casting. IF anyone would like to prepare a singing performance or physical movements, this will be very welcomed.

Warnings: There will be offensive lines concerning orientalism issues, racial issues and self-identities.

How to Audition: Please fill out the Google Form.

Auditions will take place on Saturday, September 13th and Sunday, September 14th in the Performance Studio (Playhouse). After submitting the google form, we will reach out to you by email to sign up for an audition slot. 

We ONLY accept in person auditions. If you are not available on the 13th or 14th, we could also arrange another date for your audition.

For performers who applied for Gallimard and Song: Please have prepared the excerpt from the play that we provide.

For performers who applied for the puppeteer: You do not need to prepare anything in advance.

Callbacks will take place around September 16th to 19th and emails for that will be sent with more info. If that time frame does not work for you, we can find an alternative date.

Key Dates to note: Performances will be during the last couple weeks of classes (Nov. 21 to 23).
Tech will be sometime during reading week (Oct. 27 to 31).

If you have any questions about the process or concerns, please email Cici NIE Wenxi at niewenxi1106@gmail.com.

Written by Dario Fo and Franca Rame directed by Nathan R. Belyea

Synopsis: While Jesus hosts his last supper in the next room, three Layabouts and a Fool are playing cards. When Death appears before them, the Layabouts flee in terror, yet the Fool remains. Smitten by her beauty, the Fool attempts to court Death as only a fool would.

Characters: Regardless of listed preferences, all are welcome to audition.

The Fool & First, Second, Third Players: Playful, witty, and utterly without shame, the Fool is a rather crude lover of life but always has the best of intentions. The Three Players are gregarious gamblers, and each vary slightly upon that theme.

Male actor preferred. Needed is somebody with energy and imagination to swap between multiple characters on a dime. This, and the Fool’s use of gesture, means this role requires more movement than usual. Knowledge or experience with commedia dell'arte and medieval theatre styles is a boon, however, not required.

Death & Landlady: Solemn, reserved, and little gloomy, Death has the grace owed by her long existence but is off-guard when she receives positive attention. The Landlady is a salt-of-the-earth character who enjoys banter with her patrons between her work.

Female actress preferred. Ideally tall, white (Caucasian), and with blond hair. Looking someone who can wonderfully combine an outward dignity and an inward vulnerability. Knowledge or experience with commedia dell'arte and medieval theatre styles is a boon, however, not required.

Audition Information
To audition, please fill out this Google Form.

Please come with a one-minute piece. It can be comedic monologue or something else, of that length you believe is suitable.

Auditions will be held in the Perf on Saturday September 13th 10am–1pm, and Sunday 14th, 10am–12pm.

If neither of these window’s work for you, please reach me at deathandthefool2025@gmail.com so we can organize an alternative time for your audition.

Call backs will take place between September 15th & 17th.

Other Important Information: Following October 10th, actors must be available for various rehearsals on Friday and Saturday until opening. Specifics will be provided at a later date.

All actors must be available for rehearsal over reading week.

Rough Rehearsal Schedule: Please ensure you have general availability around these days. These dates and time will be refined in the future.
Oct 10: Group rehearsal with other DRM402 directors (evening).
Oct 24: Group rehearsal with other DRM402 directors (evening).
Oct 27 to 31: Tech week (same as reading week).
Nov 7 or 8: Tech (sometime between 1–6pm).
Nov 14 or 15: Tech (sometime between 1–6pm).
Nov 17 to 20: Dress Rehearsals at 7:30pm (You will likely only attend 2 of these 4 days).
Nov 21 to 23: Final Performances (total of 2 performances [an evening performance and then a matinee]).

Written by Jane Cafarella directed by Valeria Macgregor-Ordonez

Synopsis: This ten-minute comedy provides a glimpse of the afterlife as a fascinating alternate reality that simultaneously mirrors the modern-day land of the living. The main protagonist, Karen, finds herself in this new world after her recent death. Stuck in limbo, she attempts to move on and find peace but is held back by an unexpected challenge. She has 10 minutes to complete an unusual quest in order to pass onto a better place. As time begins to run out, we ask ourselves, what lies in wait if she fails to complete the quest? 

Characters: All roles are open to age, gender and ethnicity. There are only two characters who will appear on stage: 

Concierge: guides Karen through her journey in the afterlifeKaren Smith: Finds herself in the afterlife. Must complete a quest in order to make it to heaven. 
Gabriel/AI/VO: Seeking 1 voice actor who will be a voice over/ AI helper whose role is vital to the performance. 

Audition information: Auditions will take place on September 14, 2025 from 12–5PM in the Leonard Common Room (LCR, located in the basement of Morrison Hall). 
Please book a time slot for your audition by clicking this link: 

Once you’ve booked your audition time in the Google Calendar, please fill out this Google Form: 

For in-person auditions come prepared with a 1-minute comedic or dramatic monologue. Be prepared to read a few lines from the script. (You do not need to read the script beforehand, script will be provided at the audition). 

If you can’t make it in person you can send a 1-minute comedic or dramatic monologue to this email: Valeria.macgregorordonez2025@gmail.com by September 15th, 2025 no later than 3:00 pm. 

If you cannot attend auditions in person or send a tape by the due date due to extenuating circumstances please contact the same email above and we will discuss possible alternatives. 

Written by Anthony Neilson directed by Samuel Barnes

PROJECT OVERVIEW: I am looking for three courageous male actors who are—or look like they could be—in their 20s. Together, we will present a 15-minute excerpt from a longer play: Anthony Neilson’s Penetrator. More specifically, we will work on what the playwright calls “the knife scene.” You must be a current U of T student to audition. If you are also a drama student, acting in any of the DRM402 students’ shows will satisfy your CAP requirement for the 2025-26 academic year

PLAY SUMMARY: Glasgow, 1993. Max and Alan are putzing around their apartment when their friend Tadge returns unexpectedly from the army, but they quickly realise that he is no longer the person they once knew.

WARNING: The language in this play is extremely violent and pornographic. Additionally, the scene being presented will involve a considerable amount of movement, choreography, and intimacy. However, if you are willing to push yourself as an actor, I sincerely hope you audition. If you would like to look over the script and make sure you are comfortable with the content before signing up to audition, please email me (my email is at the bottom of this notice) and I will send you a link to the scene in question.

WHY PUT ON THIS PLAY? AND WHY AUDITION FOR IT? At the core of this play are its three lifelike characters—the three wasters, as they’re called—and the complicated relationships they have with each other. There is no lead character. All three of them have a distinct personality and an essential role in the drama. Although, we will only be presenting fifteen minutes’ worth of material, it is dense. There is much for actors to dig into. I must reiterate how challenging this scene will be, especially for the actor playing Tadge, but if you can allow yourself to be as vulnerable as this play needs its actors to be, the result will be an excellent learning experience and a pungent exploration of male friendships and the male psyche. I should also add: as dark as the play may be, it can be outrageously funny.

THREE AVAILABLE ROLES: Tadge: recently discharged from the British army, likely due to his total loss of sanity after (allegedly) being routinely gang raped; brawny; represses his homosexual inclinations; the least intelligent of the three characters, and displays some insecurity about it.
Max: Tadge’s best friend; spends his time partying, using substances, and masturbating; sore from his recent breakup; renounces childish things, but still has an attachment to his stuffed giraffe.
Alan: Max’s friend and roommate; more politically correct than Max; takes care of the chores around the apartment; vegetarian; gets made fun of for being “less masculine”; may be more malicious than he appears.

AUDITIONING: Auditions will be held in the Leonard Common Room (which is in the basement of Morrison Hall, 75 St. George Street) on Saturday, September 13th, between 12–6pm. Please fill out this Google Form to indicate your interest and reserve a timeslot. After you have filled out the form, I will send you the materials/instructions for your audition. I’m not sure if I will hold callbacks, but if I do, you will receive that information shortly after auditioning on the 13th. If you are not available for an in-person audition, or if you would be more comfortable auditioning some other way, send me an email after filling out the above form (again, my email is at the bottom of this notice) and I will try to accommodate you.

ROUGH REHEARSAL SCHEDULE: Please ensure that you will be available for the dates/times listed below (some of which, as you can see, are not set in stone yet, so I hope you can be a little bit flexible). Rehearsals other than the ones listed below will be scheduled whenever actors are available.
Oct 10: group rehearsal with other DRM402 directors (evening)
Oct 24: another group rehearsal with other DRM402 directors (evening)
Oct 27 to 31: tech week (same as reading week)
Nov 7 or 8: more tech, sometime between 1–6pm
Nov 14 or 15: more tech, sometime between 1–6pm
Nov 17 to 20: dress rehearsals at 7:30pm (I believe you only attend 2 of these 4 days)
Nov 21 to 23: final performances (you will be in a total of 2 performances [an evening performance and then a matinee] across 2 of these 3 days)

QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? Email me: samuel.barnes@mail.utoronto.ca

Written by Sam Shepard directed by Lev Tokol

Synopsis: Savage/Love is a poetic exploration of love and relationships in its most heartfelt, visceral, and uncomfortable forms. Rejection, longing, awkwardness, devotion, all exploring love found and lost. 

Roles: Three actors are sought to perform a variety of monologues, explore physical action, and act as an artistic ensemble. Text and style have a broad range, including more naturalistic work, distant ethereality, and some minor song and movement. All are welcome to audition.

Note: While not every actor will need to take part in the slight movement and music involved, some will need to, and a strong sense of timing is sought regardless.

AuditionsIn-person auditions will be held in the Front & Long Rooms of 79 St. George Street, Toronto (the University College Union Building, or Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse on online maps), from 2-5PM on September 13th and 14th. You can sign up for in-person slots at this link and then fill out our audition form. If you wish to submit a self-tape, you may do so through the audition form, with a deadline of September 14th, 11:59PM. 

For your audition, please prepare a 1-2 minute dramatic monologue. If you are auditioning in person, you will be asked to read some provided sides. If you send in a self-tape, please send in video of yourself performing your monologue, as well as video of yourself reading your choice of one of the side selections provided. Your side selection does not need to be memorized (this is an analogue to fresh, in-person cold reads), and your monologue will not be strictly timed. 

You may be invited for callbacks, currently set to be held on the evenings of the 15th and 16th. If this poses any issue, please let us know any relevant availability details in our form.

Key Dates: Performances will be November 21-23. Tech rehearsals will take place in the evenings of the preceding week, with some leniency in scheduling if noted as soon as possible. Additional mandatory rehearsals will take place during U of T’s fall reading week (October 27-31). Some rehearsals will occur on Friday afternoons.

For any questions, please email lev.tokol@mail.utoronto.ca. If accommodations need to be made or an individual circumstance addressed, please write in.

Written by Diana Son directed by Kit Dixon

Synopsis: In present day New York, two women form a bond. Callie is taking care of Sara's cat, but over time, becomes more than just a cat sitter. All the while, the countdown to an unexpected event has been getting closer and closer to changing their lives.

CASTING CALL:

Callie – A New Yorker whose friendship with Sara grows into something deeper, pushing her to confront her fears about love and vulnerability.Sara – Recently arrived in the city, she forms a close bond with Callie that blossoms into romance.
George – Callie’s longtime friend.

Auditions will take place on September 14th in the LCR from 5-8PMFill out this Google Form to book a time slot on the 14th!

Written by Tennessee Williams directed by Mila Frumovitz

Synopsis:Two unnamed characters, Man and Woman, live in a crumbling flat on the Lower East Side. He is a drunk, and she is purposefully wasting away — but between them there is an intimacy of desperation. (Concord Theatricals) 

Roles: WOMAN: in a relationship with MAN; fragile and resilient like the glass of a window; has been in waiting; knows what future she wants; stuck

MAN: in a relationship with WOMAN; beautiful and oppressive like rain pelting a window; has been out drinking; knows the past he had; stuck

Please note: Both WOMAN and MAN roles require significant physical movement — our team is interested in experimenting with partner work inspired by modern dance performance. Additionally, both WOMAN and MAN participate in onstage intimacy, to be choreographed with the guidance of a certified intimacy professional.

A Note on Content: Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen… deals frankly with topics such as anxiety, abuse, and sexuality. Additionally, suggestions of alcoholism and pregnancy loss may be inferred from the text. As a director, I intend to provide a safe space to discuss these topics as they relate to the play in tablework sessions. I will never ask actors about any personal experiences with the challenging content of the play. 

Important Production Dates: All below dates require all actors, directors, designers, and crew in attendance. Unfortunately, if you are unable to attend a required date, you cannot be considered for this production. *Asterix denotes dates that take place during Fall Reading Week and weekends*
Friday, October 10, 2025 from 1–6pm – Run of all plays in the showcase
Friday, October 24, 2025 from 1–6pm – Run of all plays in the showcase
*Monday, October 27, 2025 from 10am–6pm – Tech Group A (we will be in either group A or B)
*Tuesday, October 28, 2025 from 10am–6pm – Tech Group A
*Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 10am–6pm – Tech Group A & B
*Thursday, October 30, 2025 from 10am–6pm – Tech Group B
*Friday, October 31, 2025 from 10am–6pm – Tech Group B
Friday, November 7, 2025 from 1–6pm – Tech Group A
*Saturday, November 8, 2025 from 1–6pm – Tech Group B
Friday, November 14, 2025 from 1–6pm – Tech Group A
*Saturday, November 15, 2025 from 1–6pm – Tech Group B
Monday, November 17, 2025 – Dress Rehearsal Group A with photo call
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 – Dress Rehearsal Group B with photo call
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 – Dress Rehearsal Group A with photo call
Thursday, November 20, 2025 – Dress Rehearsal Group B with photo call
Friday, November 21, 2025 – Performance 1
*Saturday, November 22, 2025 – Performances 2 & 3
*Sunday, November 23, 2025 – Performance 4 & Strike

Audition Material: Please prepare the one of below monologues corresponding with your role of preference: 
Woman monologue
Man monologue
You do not need to be memorized, but please be familiar with the monologue so our team can see your acting shine through the text. 
 
Audition Timeline and Locations
Initial auditions:

• Saturday, September 13, 2025 from 6-10pm in the Perf
• Sunday, September 14, 2025 from 12-2pm in the Perf
• Self-tapes due Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 2pm

Callback offers sent:

• Monday, September 15, 2025 by 3pm

Callbacks:

• Tuesday, September 16, 2025 from 2-5pm in the LCR

Casting offers sent:

• Wednesday, September 17, 2025 by 11:59pm

Please fill out this Google Form to schedule your audition or submit your self-tape. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact talktomeliketherain2025@gmail.com. 

Written by Daniel MacIvor directed by Sichun Xia

Synopsis: It is a hilarious metaplay. This is a play follows three actors who, while performing, reveal their own thoughts and motivations as they struggle through crazy stage directions and an unoriginal musical score. 

Roles: Female actor, Old female actor, Male actor

Please note: There might be a scene for the male actor to take off his shirt. Some physical movements will be involved in this production. Since it’s a play about acting in a play, actors will not be subject to any restrictions related to gender, age, race sexuality, personality, etc.

How to audition: Please fill out this Google Form.
Auditions will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13th, 2–5 pm and Sunday, Sept. 14th, 2–4 pm in the performance Studio (first floor of 79 St. George). You can sign up for a slot through the Google Form above.
Coming with a 30 second to 1 minute monologue of your choosing OR submit a self-tape with one modern monologue and one dramatic monologue (30 second to 1 minute each).

There might be a callback around Sept. 15th to 18th. More details will follow for actors who are called back. 
Our tech week will be during reading week (October 27-31). If you have any questions or concerns, please email me, sichun.xia@mail.utoronto.ca.