Auditions & Casting Information
2025-26 SEASON
UPCOMING AUDITION -- MARCH 28, 2026
FOR UVA DRAMA’S FALL 2026 MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION:
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been, by Eric Bentley
ABOUT THE PLAY AND ROLES:
Crafted from the transcripts of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Eric Bentley’s work features the historic testimony of 18+ Hollywood professionals who were called before HUAC, as well as an amalgam of characters representing committee members and investigators.
The production will feature an ensemble who will play contemporary students reading and acting out the original testimonies. Each member of the ensemble will play multiple roles with the possibility of more than one actor playing a single role. The rehearsal process will be collaborative with an emphasis on historical investigation and collective storytelling.
This production may ask performers to play characters outside of their gender-expression.
To view the script, click here.
STEPS TO AUDITION:
- Select an audition time slot between 10am-5pm on Saturday, March 28th, at this link.
- Fill out and submit this audition form
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Where requested on the audition form, please include a link to a news article from the past 3 months (approximately) that you feel is representative of important contemporary political or social struggles within the US.
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- PLEASE PREPARE: a 1-2 minute memorized contemporary or classical monologue.
- Come to your audition prepared to discuss for 1-2 minutes the article you submitted with your audition form.
Callbacks will be held Sunday, March 29, 2026, 2-4pm.
You will receive an email by the end of the day on Saturday, March 28th, with a list of actors who should attend the callback auditions. There will be nothing to prepare if you are called back. For callbacks, please dress to move comfortably.
REQUIRED DATES & COURSE ENROLLMENT INFORMATION:
Please note the following required dates for this production:
Technical rehearsals:
Wed, Oct 21, 6-11pm; Thur, Oct 22, 6-11pm; Fri, Oct 23, 6-11pm; Sat, Oct 24, time TBD
Dress rehearsals:
Mon-Wed, Oct 26-28, 6pm-11pm
Performances:
Thursday, October 29th, at 8pm
Friday, October 30th, at 8pm
Wednesday, November 4th, at 8pm
Thursday, November 5th, at 8pm
Friday, November 6th, at 8pm
Saturday, November 7th, at 8pm
Course Enrollment:
Students cast in this production will be asked to enroll in DRAM 2430 for 3 credits in Fall 2026. Please contact Professor Dalton at davedalton@virginia.edu if you have any questions about course enrollment.
General audition policy information is provided below.
Department of Drama Audition and Casting Policy and Procedures
UVA Drama gives priority in casting to UVA students for Drama Mainstage and Development productions. Charlottesville community members and UVA faculty and staff are also encouraged to audition. When an appropriate student cannot be selected for a role due to requirements for the role, then community members, faculty, or staff may be cast in the role or recruited for a role.
Dance concert auditions are typically open only to UVA students.
Please see below for additional information on casting procedures.
Helms/Lab Series Auditions
Auditions for Virginia Players Lab Series shows will be conducted by the director of the production at his/her discretion. Actors will find audition notices for these productions posted on departmental bulletin boards. It is the actor’s responsibility to check for audition notices on a regular basis. We recommend at least once a week.
Mainstage Auditions
Audition Preparation for Mainstage Productions
Actors will be asked to perform a general audition consisting of no more than two short (one to two minutes) contrasting pieces. If a musical is being cast, the actor will also be required to sing a brief selection. Performance faculty may be consulted for selection of audition material.
Performers will be screened in these general auditions and selected for callbacks where readings from individual scripts will be the primary audition material. Some directors may also ask actors to improvise. Actors auditioning for musicals may be required to dance. Actors should arrive at least fifteen minutes before their scheduled audition time.
Audition Information Sheets
At the time of the general auditions, actors will be given an information sheet. It is important to read all the information detailed on this sheet very carefully including rehearsal dates and times; performance dates and times; special production requirements; and departmental casting policy.
Audition Schedule for Mainstage Season
Audition announcements are posted at least two weeks before scheduled audition dates on the Dept. of Drama main bulletin board in the office lobby adjacent to Room 201.