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 Hookman will be held August 29-31, 2025 in The Allen Theatre.

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

Please come prepared with a short monologue (preferably modern) from a play, movie, or even song lyrics.

Sunday callbacks will be group or paired activities which will include cold readings from script sides. At callbacks students are asked to come ready to move/roll around; please note your body/skin may be touching the floor. 

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

Talya Klein is directing Hookman. 

A word from the director:

I'm absolutely stoked to be directing our season opener, Lauren Yee's "Hookman", in the Allen Theatre this Fall. For those of you that remember last season's production of "The Moors", the team is back, only this time with more blood spatter(!) right in time for Halloween. I can't wait to dive into this fast-paced 90-minute slasher play that explores memory, trauma and relationships in college. Come join us for auditions or sign up to work behind the scenes--this one is going to be a wild ride!

Freshman year at college is hard when your dorm room is small, you’re feeling homesick, and a hook-handed serial killer is slashing girls’ throats. But if Lexi can discover what really happened to her high school best friend on that car ride to the movies, everything will be okay. In this existential slasher comedy, Lexi and her friends learn what it means to grow up – and it’s not pretty.

Overall Content Advisory for Hookman

This show includes dialogue about, staging of and/or narratives connected to the following:

• death, grief (main themes and plot points of the whole play)
• car accidents
• sexual assault
• gore, skinning, bleeding
• death of a friend
• death of a younger sibling

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.

Please note, the role of Lexi is precast for a senior thesis project.

CHARACTERS 

LEXI-17, female. Freshman at UConn. An only child. (precast for senior thesis project)

JESS - 18, female. Freshman at UC·Davis. Possibly Lexi's best friend. Maternal. 

YOONJI - 18, female. Freshman at UConn. Lexi's roommate. Korean American. Passive aggressive. 

CHLOE - 18, female. Freshman at UConn. Carries a large thermos of coffee. Thrilled to be alive. 

KAYLEIGH - 15, female. Sophomore at West Porter High. On a quiet power trip. 

HOOKMAN - Old enough to be sketchy, male. Has a hook for a hand. Constantly looks hung over. The actor playing HOOKMAN also plays:

            SEAN - 20, male. Junior at DePaul University. Plays intramural baseball. May be a rapist. 

            ADAM - 21, male. Senior at UConn. Lexi's residential advisor. The local pot dealer.

Rehearsals for Hookman will most likely occur Monday through Thursday nights, 6-10pm, AND Sunday afternoons, 12-4pm. Call times are subject to change and will be announced by the stage manager. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

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.

Hookman by Lauren Yee

Allen Theatre

September 2nd through October 5th

(September 1st Labor Day observed, no rehearsal)

Auditions: August 29th - 31st, 2025

Rehearsals: September 2nd – 26th

Designer Run: Thursday, September 18th, Friday, September 19th, Saturday September 20th or Sunday, September 21st

Tech: Saturday, September 27th

Dress Tech: Sunday, September 28th through Tuesday, September 30th

Preview: Wednesday, October 1st

Performances: Thursday, October 2nd, Friday, October 3rd, Saturday, October 4th at 7:30pm; Saturday, October 4th and Sunday, October 5th at 2pm

Strike: Sunday, October 5th, following the performance

Here is the script.

Auditions for A Midsummer Night's Dream will be held August 29-31, 2025 in The Seaver Theatre.

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

Auditions will be mostly playful ensemble based activities with a little text work thrown in (Students sign up in 1-hour long slots, 6-8 per slot). Come ready with a monologue—preferably Shakespearean or classical, but anything will do!—and prepared to move. Actors will sign up for an hour-long session and participate in activities guided by the play’s director.

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

Tim Giles is directing A Midsummer Night's Dream. 

A word from the director:

I'm so excited to be directing the students of the 5Cs again! I can't wait to work on one of Shakespeare's most entertaining plays to mine it for all its silliness, depth, and fun. The students at these colleges bring such unique perspectives to every process and I love colloborating with them.

In this romantic comedy, four young Athenian lovers intertwine with a group of amateur actors and the mischievous fairies in the forest who manipulate their actions through a magic love potion. Chaos ensues!

Overall Content Advisory:

This show contains dialogue about, staging of and/or narratives connected to the following:

• Romantic conflict, coercion, and jealousy; threats and verbal insults
• Parental control and threats of violence
• Magical manipulation of love and consent
• Drug use
• Physical aggression, including chasing, shoving and threats of fighting
• Animal transformation
• References to death and death by suicide
• Supernatural beings – fairies and spirits exert power over humans and manipulate their behavior.

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.

The Athenian Court

• Theseus (possibly doubled with Oberon or Titania) - Duke of Athens. Strong in their authority, but not always mature about it. Wants to make peace, doesn’t always know how. Engaged to Hippolyta.
• Hippolyta (possibly doubled with Oberon or Titania) - Queen of the Amazons. Strong and quiet. Willful but not showy about it. Marrying Theseus will bring political unity.
• Egeus - Hermia’s parent. Strict to the point of cruelty. Domineering. No fun to have at a party. Pushes Hermia to marry Demetrius against Hermia’s will.
• Philostrate (likely doubled with Puck) - Seems like a no-nonsense person in charge of partying. Excellent at their job and knows it.

The Young Lovers

• Hermia – Bold, independent, and deeply in love with Lysander. Will defy the law for love.
• Lysander – Romantic, witty, and resourceful. Plans the elopement with Hermia.
• Demetrius – Initially fickle, stubborn, and entitled. Loves Hermia at first, but under magic’s influence turns to Helena.
• Helena – Loyal, self-deprecating, and lovesick. Chases Demetrius despite Demetrius’ cruelty.

The Fairy World - All of whom are childlike

• Oberon (possibly doubled with Theseus or Hippolyta) - King of the Fairies. Petulant and jealous. Wants what they want and will get it by any means necessary. Loves it if those ‘means’ cause some trouble.
• Titania (possibly doubled with Theseus or Hippolyta) - Queen of the Fairies. More mature than Oberon and knows it. Is tired of dealing with Oberon’s stupidity. Wants Oberon to understand that only Titania knows best.
• Puck - The ultimate trickster who loves creating chaos. Barely kept in check by Oberon. Only wants to play.
• Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed (likely doubled with the Mechanicals) - Gentle and obliging fairy attendants to Titania.

The “Mechanicals” (Amateur Actors)

• Nick Bottom – Weaver; overconfident, theatrical, and unintentionally hilarious. Transformed into a donkey and adored by Titania under the potion’s spell.
• Peter Quince – Carpenter; practical and organized but often flustered. Director of the play-within-the-play.
• Francis Flute – Bellows-mender; shy and reluctant but ends up playing Thisbe with surprising commitment.
• Tom Snout – Tinker; easygoing, plays the Wall in the play.
• Snug – Joiner; slow at learning lines, plays the Lion but worries about scaring the ladies.
• Robin Starveling – Tailor; quiet and literal-minded, plays Moonshine in the play.

Please note, the following characters may have moments of intimacy throughout the play: Hermia, Helena, Lysander, Demetrius, Theseus, Hippolyta, Oberon, Bottom, and Flute.

Rehearsals for A Midsummer Night's Dream will most likely occur Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights, AND Saturday afternoons. Call times are subject to change and will be announced by the stage manager. Rehearsals may begin Friday, September 26, 2025, and there is a supplemental workshop on Saturday, September 13th.

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.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Seaver Theatre

September 26th through November 16th

(October 14th and 15th - Fall Break)

Auditions: August 29th - 31st, 2025

Rehearsals: September 66th – November 7th

Designer Run: October 29th, 31st, or November 1st or 2nd

Tech: Saturday, November 8th; possible tech Friday, November 7th

Dress Tech: Sunday through Tuesday, November 9th – 11th

Preview: Wednesday, November 12th

Performances: Thursday, November 13th, Friday, November 14th, Saturday, November 15th at 7:30pm; Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, November 16th at 2pm

Strike: Sunday, November 16th, following the performance

Here is the script.