Fall 2025 Audition Announcement

General Audition Date: May 8th, 2025
Callback Dates: May 9th & 10th, 2025

Who can audition?

  • Any UMBC student registered for Fall 2025 is welcome to audition.
  • All BFA or BFA-intending students (students who are interested in the BFA) are required to audition.

Audition Policy

  • Everyone who auditions, regardless of major or track, agrees to “play as cast.” This means that by auditioning you are committing to accepting any role or understudy assignment, and are available for the rehearsal and production schedule. A brief outline of production dates follows in the play information, below.
  • Students who need to request an exception to the casting policy must fill out this form no later than MAY 2ND, 2025. Questions about the audition policy may be directed to the Department Chair, Eve Muson, at ebmuson@umbc.edu.
  • Everyone who auditions needs to have taken and passed the Consent and Boundaries Quiz. Here is the link if you need to take the quiz.

 General Auditions

Thursday May 7th, from 6:00 – 10:00 pm. Please check in at the PAHB Lobby.

The General Audition night is dedicated to singing and movement auditions. Callbacks will involve more music, more movement, and readings from the plays.

For BOTH Shakespeare in Harlem & Street Scenes auditions, you are asked to:

  • Read the original Langston Hughes’ play, Shakespeare in Harlem. Everyone should familiarize themselves with the world of the play and how to activate the poetic language of Langston Hughes.
  • Read and review the callback materials for Street Scenes.
  • For both Shakespeare in Harlem and Street Scenes all actors will sing a cut of “America The Beautiful” in the style of Ray Charles. You can find singing audition instructions here. There are 3 keys available, the original key (Eb), a transposed key that should work better for most treble voices (A), and a key for baritones (C). If you need alternate keys you can reach out to Andrew. If you need alternate keys you can reach out to Andrew Hann at ahann2@umbc.edu.  All materials can be found in the google drive. For all auditions the accompaniment only tracks will be used. Please use the plunk tracks to help learn your notes then transition to the accompaniment only tracks to prepare.
  • For both Shakespeare in Harlem and Street Scenes, all actors will attend a movement call in which you will learn choreography from the shows’ movement director, Nigel Semaj. Please wear clothing appropriate for movement.

Callbacks

All auditioning students must be available for the listed callback times.

  • Shakespeare in Harlem Callbacks are Friday, May 9th, from 6:00 – 10:00 pm, in the TRS
  • Street Scenes Callbacks are Saturday, May 10th, from 11:00am – 2:00 pm, in the TRS
    • You may be asked to attend the movement call on May 9th if you are called back for Street Scenes.

Shakespeare in Harlem Callback schedule: Friday, May 9th

  • 6:30-7:30p: Movement Call for all called back for SKH and ALL BFA STUDENTS.
    • BFA students not called back for SKH will be dismissed after the movement call.
  • 7:45-8:30p: Percussion Audition
    • (you will learn a combination taught by Gerrad)
  • 8:30-10:30p: Text and scene work. Please make sure you have read Langston Hughes’ Shakespeare in Harlem. Everyone should familiarize themselves with the world of the play and how to activate the poetic language of Langston Hughes.

Street Scenes Callback Schedule: Saturday May 10th

  • 11:00a-12:00p: Singing Callbacks (led by Andrew Hann).
    • For Street Scenes callbacks, actors will be asked to prepare a cut of “Moon Faced, Starry Eyed”. Additionally actors might be asked to prepare a cut of “Ain’t It Awful The Heat”. You can find that material here.
  • 12:00p-2:00p: Actors will be given sides for scene work.

Production Information

Shakespeare in Harlem

Adapted and Directed by: Gerrad Alex Taylor
Proscenium Theatre & Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Casting Breakdown:

  • GRIOT – Female/non-binary female presenting; Black, an elder of the community, a storyteller, a leader, a judge, and a guide.
  • MADAM K – Female; Black, the head woman in charge.
  • SIMPLE – Male; Black, a poor but insightful resident of Harlem who’s traveled all over this country. The inner monologue of Langston Hughes.
  • COUSIN MINNIE – Female; Black, SIMPLE’s country cousin.
  • LEONARD – Male; Black, LULU’s love interest.
  • LULU – Female; Black, a young woman with big dreams.
  • BRUCE – Male; Black, a killer, Alex’s brother.
  • ALEX – Male/non-binary male presenting; Black, a young student, BRUCE’s brother

After casting, actors and understudies will enroll for THTR 390 (3 credits.)  Rehearsals meet M-F, 6:30 – 10:30 pm, with extended hours during tech, dress rehearsal and performance weeks.

Rehearsal Schedule: Monday – Friday, 6:30 – 10:30 pm
First Rehearsal: Monday, September 15, 2025
Tech Week Begins: Wednesday, October 22
Performances: October 30th, 31st, November 1st, 6th (brush up), 7th & 8th at 8:00pm; November 9th at 2:00pm
Strike: November 10th

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Dates
Tech: January 12th-15th, 2026
Performances: January 16th, 17th, and 18th

About the play: 

The year 2025 marks the centennial of the Harlem Renaissance, perhaps the largest cultural and artistic American movement of the 20th century. In celebration, the Department of Theatre will amplify the work of Black and African American theatre-makers and our engagement with the Baltimore theatre community by mounting an adaptation of “Shakespeare in Harlem” by Langston Hughes. The production process will include a UMBC residency of Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Black Classical Acting Ensemble in the Fall of 2025, culminating in a two-week run of the play performed by a cast of professionals and students. In Winter 2026, the play will be remounted for a week’s run at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s downtown home on South Calvert Street.

Content Disclosure: 

This play contains: Racially and sexually charged language, including derogatory and offensive language. Staged violence, including the use of a prop gun, and references to drinking. This play deals with themes of; racism, sexism, death, poverty, and displacement.

Street Scenes: A Cabaret of City Life

Adapted and Directed by Eve Muson
Black Box Theatre

After casting, actors will enroll for 3 credits of THTR 390 (Eve’s section)

Rehearsal Schedule:   Mondays/Wednesdays 4-6p, and Fridays 1-4 p.m. with extended evening and weekend hours for tech and performances.
First Rehearsal: Monday, August 25th, 2025
Tech Week Begins: Monday November 24th & 25th, December 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
Performances: December 5th & 6th at 8:00 pm; December 7th at 2:00pm
Strike: Monday, December 8th, 2025

About the play:

Street Scenes weaves together scenes and songs from Langston Hughes, his contemporaries, and artistic descendents —playwrights who, like Hughes, explored the promises and failures of the American Dream. Their works pulse with young characters fighting barriers of class, faith, work, and identity, all bound by a shared mission: honoring the dignity of everyday people. A fully musical production, Muson’s adaptation includes text and songs from Kurt Weill, Arthur Miller, Lillian Helman, Clifford Odets, Lorrainne Hansberry, August Wilson, and other 20th century artists.

There are roles for 6-9 actors.

Content Disclosure: 

This play contains: small acts of aggression, brief acts of intimacy (kissing both romantic and aggressive).

the serpent under’t

Directed by: Nigel Semaj
Written and created by: Nigel Semaj
Proscenium Theatre-Spring 2026

About the play:

The Spring 2026 production of the serpent under’t in the Proscenium Theatre is seeking individuals to join Nigel in the devising/choreography development process! This commitment will take the form of an independent study in the Fall of 2025 that will meet 1-2 times per week (this will also depend on your casting in either of the Fall productions) to develop choreography and the movement vocabulary for the production. There may also be optional summer collaboration with a composer as they create an original score—summer work will be based on availability and is not required.

If you’re interested, please reach out to Nigel directly at nigelsem@umbc.edu.

Questions?

Contact Grace Shepperd (PSM) at gsheppe1@umbc.edu.