Auditions

Pomona College values creating a space in which all beings can flourish, thrive, and create, knowing that their personhood will be respected and honored. We also recognize that each person carries with them a multitude of experiences and cultural influences.

In short, we recognize and honor the brilliant complexity of our humanity.

We are in the process of building our anti-racist framework and guidelines to aid in our creation of a compassionate, dynamic, inclusive artistic space.

In the meantime, we know and will hold to the following:

• The Pomona College Theatre Department recognizes the importance of a clear and transparent casting process. We invite students of all gender orientations, ethnicities, body types, abilities, races, religious beliefs, and experience levels to audition for our productions.
• We invite non-binary, gender non-conforming and trans students to audition for any roles they feel comfortable playing on stage.
• We aim to serve the needs of student growth while honoring inclusive casting practices and faithfulness to the playwright’s intentions.
• We aim for consent-based processes in our casting, including transparency around staged intimacy in our casting notices as well as bringing on an intimacy director for all productions.

The Department recognizes the intrinsic educational value in its productions, and endeavors to provide significant performance opportunities. Therefore, a student may be cast in only one faculty directed production per semester.

Once a student is cast in a production, they are expected to attend all rehearsals to which they are called; we expect full attendance for tech week and performances.

The Department encourages students to direct any questions about casting to the director, production manager, and/or department chair.

Auditions for The Antipodes will be held September 4-6, 2026 in The Allen Theatre.

Students interested in auditioning need to fill out both the Signup form and Audition form. 

Please come prepared with one of the following monologues from the play. Note: casting for all characters will be considered; the role of Adam is precast for senior thesis project. Links to each monologue are below. 

1. Sandy Monologue (pg.28-29) until the end of his line 'You can apply it to pretty much anything in the world.'

2. Danny M2 Monologue (pg.37-38) Start at 'Well. Uh. This one summer...' and End at 'that I didn't just ask someone to give me a tutorial on how to hold a chicken.'

3. Sarah's Monologue (pg.45-46) Start at 'Oh yeah on top of every post was a human skull...' and End at 'they had both turned to ash'

4. Eleanor's Monologue (pg.81-82) Start at 'oh these are from my mom's basement' and End at 'the end'

Callbacks for The Antipodes will be group or paired activities which will include sides from the script. At callbacks students are asked to come ready to move around.

Students of ALL experience levels and abilities are encouraged to audition!

Scout Davis is directing The Antipodes.

A Note from the Director:

I am excited to dive into this play examining the cost of what it means to tell a story with a group of people. The Antipodes is a play ripe for our times as we explore the nuanced dynamics of power, authorship and gaze in our world. I am very eager to join the wonderful community of Pomona in a production process that can activate and empower us all to create and tell stories with a deep respect and collective imagination towards a re-imagining of how and why we tell stories today.

The Antipodes is Annie Baker's play about a team of writers in a brainstorming session for an unknown project, possibly a TV show, who tell personal stories, myths, and wild tales, blurring reality and fiction as they search for the "perfect story," exploring the human need to create meaning and connection even as the world faces crisis, questioning the purpose of storytelling itself. The play feels like an endless, surreal meeting, delving into deep themes of connection, monsters (both literal and metaphorical), and the power of narrative, all while subtly hinting at encroaching global anxieties like climate disaster.

Overall Content Notice:

The Antipodes is a hyper-realistic, and later surrealist, satirical/dark comedy. Antipodes contains dialogue, references to, and narratives around cannibalism, self-harm, sexual harassment and coercion, infidelity, sexism, racism, graphic sexual and bodily descriptions, and frank discussions of gun death and suicide. Antipodes contains themes of isolation, power, manipulation, discrimination, and exploitation in the workplace.

Please note: the role of ADAM is precast for a senior thesis projects.

Please also note: roles are open to all genders regardless of the written or implied character genders in the text.

The director is interested gender expansive casting regardless of the written or implied character genders in the text. 

Roles being Cast:
Sandy: The boss. An entertainment mogul. Very much an Executive Presence in
the room. Self-described nice guy. 
Sarah: Sandy’s assistant. Only in the writing room when she’s taking lunch
orders or restocking the seltzer boxes. Always eager to be of assistance.
Eleanor: The only female writer in the room. Holding her own
against the men who keep talking over her. Likes knitting and almond butter. Probably
the smartest person in the room at any given time. And hired due to HR pressure.
Danny M1: Danny M. Has been in the writing room before. One of Sandy’s
groupies. A decently nice guy other than that one time he had an affair. 
Danny M2: Also Danny M. One of the new guys. Doesn’t really get it, and keeps
screwing up.
Josh: One of the new guys. Can’t get his id to work and isn’t getting paid.
Dave: Sandy’s biggest fan. Has been in the writing room before. Kind of a dick.
Is more than willing to take credit for Eleanor’s ideas to make himself look good. 
Brian: In charge of taking notes. Constantly typing, except when Eleanor or
Adam are talking. Eager for approval from Sandy and others.

Adam: (Already Cast) One of the new guys. A little confused but he’s trying his best. And hired due to HR pressure.
 

Character Intimacy & Fight Choreography Notice

Sandy - The character Sandy is the boss in the room and seems unaware of their impact or privilege in that role. The character Sandy exhibits sexist, racist, and ableist thoughts and actions throughout the play, though they are unaware and believe themselves to be an excellent and thoughtful leader.

Sarah - The character Sarah is the assistant in the room and often experiences dismissive treatment such as being interrupted or ignored.

Eleanor - The character Eleanor details their first sexual experience, shows their gills (on their temple) to the rest of the writers who lean in very close.

Adam - Precast for Senior Project Role

Danny M1 - The character Danny M1 details a sexual infidelity and subsequent STI, with the implication that they may have endangered their spouse. The character Danny M1 also exhibits racist, sexist, and ableist thoughts and dialogue throughout the play.

Danny M2 - The character Danny M2 often experiences dismissive treatment such as being interrupted or ignored. After disagreeing with the writing process, it is implied that Danny M2 is fired.

Josh - The character Josh often experiences dismissive treatment such as being interrupted or ignored.

Dave - The character Dave details their first sexual experience. Later, the character Dave briefly recounts their mother taking their own life through the use of a gun. The character Dave also exhibits racist, sexist, and ableist thoughts and dialogue throughout the play.

Brian - The character Brian both experiences dismissive treatment and parrots racist, sexist, and ableist thoughts and dialogue. The character Brian removes their shirt (93) and draws/paints symbols on their chest and stomach. We would have a dedicated "disrobing" day in the rehearsal process as part of our intimacy protocols.

Rehearsals for The Antipodes are scheduled for Tuesday through Friday nights, 6-10pm, AND Saturday afternoons, 12-4pm. There will also be a rehearsal on Monday, September 28 6-10pm. Call times are subject to change and will be announced by the stage manager. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Actors may not be called for every rehearsal but you are expected to be present for every rehearsal for which you are called. During the last two weeks of production, everyone will need to be present for the entirety of rehearsal.

The Antipodes by Annie Baker

Allen Theatre

September 8^th through October 11^th

(September 7^thLabor Day observed)

Auditions: September 4-6^th 2026

Rehearsals: September 8^th – October 1st 

Designer Run: TBD September 25th or 26th

Tech: Friday, October 2nd, Saturday, October 3rd

Dress Tech: Sunday, October 4th through Tuesday, October 6th

Preview/Final Tech: October 7^th

Performances: October 8^th – 11^th

Performances: Thursday, October 8th, Friday, October 9th, Saturday, October 10th at 7:30pm; Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th at 2pm

Strike: Sunday, October 11th, following the performance

Here is the script.

Auditions for Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play will be held September 4-6, 2026 in The Seaver Theatre.

Students interested in auditioning need to fill out both the Signup form and Audition form.

Read the script and listen to the soundtrack.

Please bring a monologue (from your favorite play, musical, song lyrics or poem - something that you love and care about), and 2 minutes of a song (about a verse and a chorus or the bridge and final chorus, etc.). Please bring sheet music or backing track, or, if you're new to musical theatre, an a cappella song is great (preferably from the musical theatre canon, but Happy Birthday works too!). 

Callbacks for Mr. Burns will be group or paired activities which will include cold readings from the script and musical sides. You will also be asked to move/take part in a short piece of choreography. Please wear clothes that you are comfortable singing and dancing in.

Students of ALL experience levels and abilities are encouraged to audition!

Talya Klein is directing Mr. Burns. 

Marc Macalintal is Music Director. 

Mr. Burns: What will endure when the cataclysm arrives – when the grid fails, society crumbles, and we’re faced with the task of rebuilding? Anne Washburn’s imaginative dark comedy is an animated exploration of how the pop culture of one era might evolve into the mythology of another. - Concord Theatricals

Overall Content Advisory:

Mr. Burns is a dystopian dark comedy musical. The play follows survivors after an apocalypse and contains dialogue, references to, and narratives around blood, cannibalism, widespread deaths of all ages, use of guns and gun shots, characters displaying aggression, group exclusion, and sexual content. Later sections contain stylized theatrical violence and apocalyptic mythology. 

Feel free to ask any questions about any charged content in this show if you need more information in order to consent to a role/being a part of this production.

Content advisory: Mr. Burns is a dystopian dark comedy. The play follows survivors after an apocalypse and contains dialogue, references to, and narratives around blood, cannibalism, widespread deaths of all ages, use of guns and gun shots, characters displaying aggression, group exclusion, and sexual content. Later sections contain stylized theatrical violence and apocalyptic mythology.

Please note: the roles of MR. BURNS and TROY McCLURE are precast for senior thesis projects.

We will also be casting ensemble members for this production; primarily in the third act.

Characters & Intimacy & Fight Choreography Notice

Matt - In Act I, The character Matt is hypervigilant against outside invaders and threats. Choreography may include the use of a prop gun or weapon (13-16) and patting down the character Gibson (15-16). The character Jenny restrains the character Colleen (91-92) and later ducks to avoid gunshots (92).

Jenny - In Act I, The character Jenny is hypervigilant against outside invaders and threats. Choreography may include the use of a prop gun or weapon (13-16, 35, 92). The character Jenny restrains the character Colleen (91-92). Characters Sam and Jenny drag Colleen's injured body at the end of Act II (92).

Maria - In Act I, The character Maria is hypervigilant against outside invaders and threats. Choreography may include the use of a prop gun or weapon (13-16).

Sam - In Act I, The character Sam is hypervigilant against outside invaders and threats. Choreography may include the use of a prop gun or weapon (13-16). In Act II, the character Sam and the character Gibson share a "half embrace half restraint." Choreography may include Sam holding Gibson's head and touching foreheads (72). Characters Sam and Jenny drag Colleen's injured body at the end of Act II (92).

Colleen - In Act I, the character Colleen is withdrawn and taciturn. In Act II, the character Colleen is a leader and hypervigilant of outside invaders. Choreography may include the use of a prop gun or weapon (91-92). The character Gibson clamps their hand over the character Colleen's mouth (91). It is implied that the character Colleen is injured by a weapon at the end of Act II (92).

Gibson - The character Gibson is an outsider trying to join an established group. Choreography may include the use of a prop gun or weapon (15, 57, 81) and a pat-down by the character Matt (15-16). The character Quincy affectionately sits in the character Gibson's lap. Choreography may include theatricalized simulated fondling (55). In Act II, the character Sam and the character Gibson share a "half embrace half restraint." Choreography may include Sam holding Gibson's head and touching foreheads (72). The character Gibson clamps their hand over the character Colleen's mouth (91).

Quincy - The character Quincy appears in Act II. The character Quincy affectionately sits in the character Gibson's lap. Choreography may include theatricalized simulated fondling (55).

Edna - The character Edna enters in Act III as the leader of the chorus.

Bart - In Act III, the character Bart is given a cutlass by the character Burns and engages in a theatrical and stylized combat sequence (118-125).

Homer - In Act III, the character Homer and the character Mr. Burns share a similar "half embrace half restraint" gesture as Gibson and Sam in Act II (112).

VOCAL BREAKDOWN

QUINCY [alto belt] E3-B4

EDNA [alto belt] E3-C5

BART [alto belt] G3-C5

HOMER [baritone] C3-E4

MARGE [alto] G3-C5

LISA [alto belt] G3-C5

ITCHY & SCRATCHY [alto and/or tenor falsetto-baritone] will be beatboxing

APU [baritone] sing comfortably up to E4

WILLY [baritone] sing comfortably up to E4

NELSON - must be comfortable rapping

ENSEMBLE [mezzo sopranos-altos] G3-D5 / [baritones-tenors] A2-F#4 (falsetto A4)

Rehearsals for Mr. Burns are scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights 6-10pm, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons 12-4pm. Call times are subject to change and will be announced by the stage manager. 

Actors may not be called for every rehearsal but you are expected to be present for every rehearsal for which you are called. During the last two weeks of production, everyone will need to be present for the entirety of rehearsal.

Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn

Seaver Theatre

September 21^st through November 15^th

(October 19^th and 20^th Fall Break)

Auditions: September 4-6^th 2026

Rehearsals: September 21^st – November 5th - Rehearsals will be: Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 6-10pm; Saturday and Sunday 12-6pm (4-hour window)

Designer Run and Sitzprobe: TBD October 29th thru November 1st

Tech Week: November 5^th – 10^th

Tech: Friday, November 6th and Saturday November 7th

Dress Tech: Sunday through Tuesday, November 8th – 10th

Preview/Final Tech: November 11^th

Performances: November 12^th – 15^th

Performances: Thursday, November 12th, Friday, November 13th, Saturday, November 14th at 7:30pm; Saturday, November 14th and Sunday, November 15 at 2pm

Strike: Sunday, November 15th, following the performance

Here is the script.