Audition Opportunities

2023/24 Season Auditions

Mainstage

Our mainstage auditions are complete for the year, but we will be announcing our next round of mainstage auditions at the Season Launch in May so stay tuned!  Want to learn more about our mainstage programs?  Click the button below!

Cannonball 2024:

The Shows

This year, we here at CYPT are thrilled to have the following seven shows in the Cannonball! Festival. 

The Loco-Motive
Written by Taylor Marsden and Anaya Chandani
Directed by Taylor Marsden

Alllllll Aboard!

The Loco-Motive is a murder mystery all about five individuals who find themselves on the wrong train at the wrong time.  After an RCMP officer comes aboard  tells them that one of them may be a murderer, they have no choice but to try their best to find out which of them is the killer –  before they have the chance to strike.

 

Solitary
Written and Directed by Annika Keatley

It’s hard to be alone. You forget who you are. You forget how to be kind. You forget how it feels to be known. David and George know what it’s like to be alone. 

Both in solitary confinement, these men are confronted with their own loneliness. They soon realize that they can talk to each other, and as they come to terms with their circumstances, they begin to understand that the most important thing we have in our lives is our connections to one another.

 

Jack in the Box 
Written and Directed by Maya Wristen

Danny Stoklasa’s absent father has finally kicked the bucket! And owing to an unusual series of legal contrivances, Danny now finds himself the sole recipient of an incomprehensible inheritance; the sum of a lifetime of work in the oil business. The money is his, and his alone– if only the extended family attending his father’s funeral would leave him be. Armed to the teeth with sarcasm and backed by a best friend with a disturbing fondness for folding-chair takedowns, Danny must fend off the not-so inconspicuous schemes of the eclectic and wealthy uncles and second cousins who would see his fortune fall into their hands.

 And who said funerals can’t be fun?

 

The Ghost of Who Knows What
Written and Directed By Parker Painchaud

For years, for decades, or who knows how long, The Ghost has wandered the hallways of the very same house that they died in, not being able to remember anything from their past. They sit in silence for days at a time, just pondering. No sense of purpose… No answer… No memories. On the other hand, the afterlife does come with some perks- including superpowers. Making nosy detectives scream and run is really quite amusing. But what happens when a family of three enters the home, and someone mistakes The Ghost for a dinosaur-panda-monkey-rock-centipede? The Ghost of Who Knows What is an entertaining, action packed, comedic story, including Ghost Hunters (NOT to be mistaken for Ghostbusters), unlikely bonds, a bit of drama, and of course, ghosts. Well…one ghost. Will they ever discover their past? Will they ever truly understand their purpose? After all, they are the ghost of… well, who knows what?

Mojo
Written by Maya Karagianis and Riley Zipursky
Directed by Riley Zipursky

Mojo used to be a big-time spy. That is, until he goofed the biggest job of his career. People died, and he hasn’t quite shaken it off. He’s losing his Mojo. The boss decides to offer him one last chance to prove himself, or else he’ll be put on desk duty. He’s on the job with Agent Slick, a rising star in the agency, who is quickly stepping into the shoes Mojo wore before his big flunk. But despite the dream team of Mojo and Agent Slick, the mission proves to be much more challenging than they had expected. Their infighting and the appearance of a powerful and dangerous figure from Mojo’s past greatly complicates the situation. Can Mojo and Slick learn to work together, or will this mission – and Paris – go the way of Mojo’s career? And, more pressingly, does Mojo still have a Mojo? 

 

beached.
Written and Directed by Charlotte Fursier

Based on the true story of the captive orca Tokitae, beached. is a play that peeks into the lives of an aquarium guide, a terminally ill child, and her older sibling. As the trio interact over the course of two years, they find their lives overlapping and becoming increasingly intertwined with both each other and the orca residing at the aquarium that has held her prisoner for more than half a century. beached. forces them to ask themselves if they can be content knowing the truth about the lives they have been leading, and if the suffering of an animal can ever be excusable for the sake of a human’s livelihood. Is inaction ever justifiable?

 

Paroxysm
Written and Directed by Molly Corkey Flatters

Paroxysm: a sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity.
MEDICINE- a sudden recurrence or attack of a disease.
What if an errant electrical signal took you to a world where nothing made sense? A world where there are short circuits where logic, reason and answers should be? A world where time is more confetti than line? A world that smells like crayons, tastes like childhood, feels like falling, sounds like the “Thomas The Train” theme song (but spookier), and looks like everything and nothing all at once. Paroxysm takes you on a topsy turvy journey through the human brain, and just when you think you can answer the most basic questions of “who, what, where, when, and why”, everything changes.

Step 1: Get Informed

Rehearsal Schedules

The first step is to make sure you can actually BE in a play.  CYPT requires performers to be available for all performances; by auditioning, you are confirming availability for both rehearsals and performances

Each show has a different rehearsal schedule – below is the rehearsal schedule for this year’s festival so you know which shows you’re available for.  If you have one or two conflicts, fear not! We can sometimes accommodate conflicts, so be sure to include them in the form below.  Please note that in some cases where rehearsals start a little later in the year, we may schedule additionally catch-up rehearsals as needed.

Casting Considerations

Here at CYPT, we are making an effort to give full disclosure about what you might expect if you were cast in one of our shows so that you can make an informed choice before auditioning, but of course it is difficult to anticipate every question or consideration that might arise, so if you have any concerns, questions, limitations, or comfort levels you’d like us to consider when casting (especially as it pertains to gender, content, ability needs, etc.) please let us know in the audition form or contact us directly.

For this round of auditions, feel free to let us know about any comfort levels regarding:

  • Accessibility needs.  If you have any accessibility needs or content questions, let us know on the form below.

  • Gender.  If you prefer to only be cast in certain gender roles, do let us know. 

  • Language and Content. Some Cannonball shows include coarse language and mature themes.

Additionally, one of the shows, Paroxysm, will include some aspects of collective creation, where the actors will work together with the creative team to construct certain aspects of the show. Please let us know your interest levels surrounding this aspect of the production!

Please list any concerns you may have below:

Step 2: Choose an Audition Slot

Step 3: Fill Out Audition Form

Step 4: Prepare Your Audition

Preparing an audition is fun!  Never auditioned before?  Have no fear!  We at CYPT know that many kids have their first auditions with us, so we work hard to make the experience fun, relaxed, and creative as possible.

For this audition:

  • Please find, prepare (rehearse and memorize) and be ready to perform for us a short monologue.  We also ask that you come ready to play and move!

Here’s what will happen at this audition:

  • You’ll arrive at The Unitarian Church of Calgary and wait in the lobby until we come to get you
  • You’ll join our directors in the audition room, where you will perform your monologue for us
  • We might get you to do your monologue again, but with some new directions for us.  The directions could be anything from “try it again, but this time like a super villain!” to “this time, I want you to do the monologue as if you want the character you are talking to to leave the room.
  • We will have you do some cold reads of some sides from the play(s)
  • Then we’ll ask if you have any questions, and if not, that’s it!  Your audition is done!

 

Audition Tips and Tricks

Never auditioned before?

Have no fear, it’s not as scary as you might think!

Below you’ll find a few tips for a successful audition.

What to Prepare

Every audition is a bit different.  Find out from the company you are auditioning for what they would like you to prepare.  Some things you may be asked to submit, bring, or prepare:

  • A headshot – this is a photograph (usually 8”x10”) of your upper body.  This will help them remember you when they’re finished auditions. (you don’t need to bring us a physical copy – just submit the form!)
  • A resume – this is a list of your previous performance experience, performance training, and special skills (including accents you can do or odd talents like basketball juggling or kitten whispering).  It doesn’t need to be fancy, and believe it or not, your weird special skills might come in handy! (you don’t need to bring us a physical copy – just submit the form!)
  • A monologue – a short scene performed by one person.  If they ask you to prepare a monologue, they usually want you to find a monologue from a play, memorize it, make some bold character choices, and perform it.  Don’t bring your paper up on stage with you, but keep it in your pocket so you can look at before you go into the audition room.
  • A side – this is a scene from the play you are auditioning for.  If they ask you to prepare a side, they will send it to you by email or ask you to pick it up so that you can rehearse it in advance.  Most actors like to memorize their side or at least get to know it very well, but unlike a monologue, you can bring the side  with you on stage.
  • A song – if you are auditioning for a musical or play with a live band, they might ask you to sing or play a song.  Find a song that shows off your vocal range or instrument of choice.
  • A dance or movement piece – a very physical theatre piece or musical may require you to show off your physical skills.  Be bold, but do your best to show off YOUR skills.

What to Wear

Wear comfortable clothing that you can move in, but that is clean and professional.  This is like a job interview (but more fun).  No need to wear costumes or bring props, but if you really want to bring a prop for your monologue (something simple like a cell phone that you need to make the scene make sense), feel free.

What to Expect in the Room

Once you are ushered into the audition room, you will be introduced to the director, assistant director, and perhaps the stage manager or producer. At this time, they may ask you to sit down and have a quick chat about you.  Have no fear, they just want to get to know you a bit.

TIP: Be yourself.  Don’t try to impress or pretend, but stay positive and polite.

After that, you will be asked to perform your audition.  It might be a monologue or a piece they’ve asked you to prepare in advance.

TIP: take a second and breathe before starting your audition.  Get comfortable. Don’t rush yourself! 

TIP: Does your character in the monologue talk to another character?  If so, imagine that character is sitting right next to the director.  That way, they can see your eyes but you also aren’t staring the director in the eye which can feel a bit uncomfortable!

TIP: After you complete your audition, the director may give you some direction and ask you to do it again.  Do your best to incorporate this suggestion into your second performance, no matter how wacky or wrong it may seem.  The director wants to know if you can take direction!

Next, you may be thanked and welcomed to leave.  If so, great!  They’ve seen everything they needed to see from your audition!

It’s also possible they may ask you to do a “cold read,” at which time they might give you a page from the play you are auditioning for and ask you to do a read of it on the spot.  It means they are wondering if you are right for that character or for a character similar to it, so take a quick moment to read over it, make a bold character choice, and go for it!  It’s your first time reading it, and they know that, so don’t apologize if you make a mistake.  Have fun!

In some auditions, you may be asked to get up on your feet and move around with other actors, or show off your singing and dancing skills.  Usually, you will know in advance if this is what they are asking.

Remember

The director WANTS you to succeed!  They are hoping you will be the perfect person for a role!

If something doesn’t make sense, ask a question!  This isn’t a test, it’s a chance for a few people to get to know how each other work.

Above all, remember to have fun!  Even the best actors don’t get cast in every play, so knowing that, you can relax and just enjoying performing!