Now casting for the 2025 SheNYC Summer Theater Festival shows!

The Festival will present 8 full-length plays and musicals by women, trans, and non-binary writers at Classic Stage Company. Tech and performances for the shows will be July 14-27, 2025, with rehearsals beginning in June. Actors of all ages and types are needed.

To be considered for casting, please read the character descriptions below, then submit your materials for consideration in this form by Friday, June 6. You will be asked to select which shows you’d like to be considered for based on the descriptions below. We will then route your information to the show teams that you selected.

Each show in the Festival controls its own casting and rehearsal process, so a member of the show's creative team will reach out to you if they’d like to schedule a callback or get more information.

THE GARDEN BRIDGE

The year is 1940. The Steinburgs, a family of Viennese Jewish refugees, disembark a ship in Shanghai, China. Forced to move into a ghettoized district by Japanese forces under Nazi influence, the Steinburgs meet their neighbors, the Ye family, who have suffered unimaginable loss since the beginning of the Japanese occupation. In spite of fear-based prejudice, language barriers, and the constant threat of violence, the two families fight to survive and develop relationships with one another in ways that will change them all forever. The music of the piece reflects the collision of the families’ two worlds, taking influence from both Viennese and Chinese classical music. The Garden Bridge is a story of community, resilience, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Itsik Steinburg (Baritenor)

39-year-old Viennese Jewish father and husband (42 by the end). Physician specializing in orthopedics. Patient and soft spoken.

Ye Xinru (叶心茹)(Mezzo-soprano)

36-year-old Chinese mother. Kinder than her husband most of the time. Thinks for herself. Stern when she needs to be.

Li Zi Kai (李子凯)(Bass-baritone)

30-year-old Chinese rickshaw driver. Loves a good dumpling. Short.

Judith Grünberg (Alto)

23-year-old single woman. Nervous and chattery. Moves to Shanghai alone and awaits her family.

Wang Yaqi (王雅琪)(Alto)

52-year-old Chinese resident of the Hongkew Ghetto. Her presence has a presence. Co-owner of the Fu Gambling Den. Sister to Xiuqin.

Zhao Xiuqin (赵秀琴)(Soprano)

50-year-old Chinese resident of the Hongkew Ghetto. Co-owner of the Fu Gambling Den. Sister to Yaqi.

Japanese Soldier/Ensemble

East Asian male. Any age.

Swing 1/Ensemble (Baritenor)

Swing for Itsik

Swing 2/Ensemble (Mezzo-soprano)

Swing for Eva/Roza

Swing 3/Ensemble (Baritone/Bass-baritone)

Swing for Xinfan

Swing 4/Ensemble (Mezzo-soprano)

Swing for Xinru/Xuelin

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The Last Piece:

When Andrew suddenly reappears in his ex-wife Amara’s life after a new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, they begin to re-hash the memories of their 20-year marriage to reconnect to their past and stall Andrew’s decline. They find themselves growing closer again – until Andrew begins to forget her. Amara is left to reckon with her unresolved feelings surrounding their split and make an incredibly difficult decision. The Last Piece highlights the withstanding bond of love and how much of ourselves are made up of the fragile memories we hold.

Character descriptions:

-Amara: Mezzo-soprano, mid 60s but can be played by a person of any age. Single, practical, grounded, Caring when unguarded, works as a receptionist near the town she went to college in. Range: A3-Db5

-Andrew: Baritone, mid 60s but can be played by a person of any age. Amara’s ex-husband who she has not heard from in years, mysterious, and at times stubborn yet somehow charming. Range: A2-A4

-Young Amara: Soprano, ranges from 20-50 throughout the show. A sweet and sunny person who sees a lot of beauty in the simple things. She isn’t afraid to hold her own. Range: A3-Eb5

-Young Andrew: Tenor, ranges from 20-50 throughout the show. A romantic, spontaneous man who is full of ideas about the world. Range: C2-G4

GREEK CHORUS, three performers who double as miscellaneous characters, can be played by a person of any age:

Sopranos: Approximately C4-F#5

Alto: Approximately G3-D#5

-Morgan, soprano, Amara’s best friend since college.

-Shelby, soprano, Amara’s very dramatic friend and jazzercise enthusiast who doubles as Coffee shop employee. Range:

-Francine, alto, Amara’s moderately close friend who doubles as Doctor, alto, a geriatric psychiatrist who takes care of Andrew

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Pas de Trois, or The Dancing Witch Play

It's Summer. 1518. And the people of Strasbourg are...comfortable in their sanctimonious society. But newcomers Theodore Troffea and his wife, Manon, challenge their social rules, especially after one hot July day when Manon begins manically dancing in the streets with no indication that she will stop.

When others follow suit and bodies begin to fall, Manon's new neighbors become her witch hunters overnight. As her humanity is brought into question, Manon is forced to reckon with the reason she began dancing in the first place.

Herr Théodore Troffea. 20s-early 30s. Male identifying. Open ethnicity. Loving husband. He will be the man society says he should be, but tends to put Manon’s opinion above society’s.

Jean-Phillipe Guyton. Late 20s-30s. Male identifying. Open ethnicity. The town asshole. Highly influential businessman who pursued the straight and narrow. It worked out well for him.

Herr Thomas LeRoy. 30s-late 40s. Male Identifying. Open ethnicity. Loving husband, but reluctant workaholic. Dutiful, skilled, and kind at heart.

Vincent Thibaut. Late 40s-Early 50s. Male identifying. Open ethnicity. He has studied long and hard. He is respected enough for what he does. Not prepared to handle a plague on his own.

Reverend Edgar Beaufort. Late 40s-Late 60s. Male identifying. Open ethnicity. So straight edged that he is a sharpened blade. Think Claude Frollo.

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Next Year in Connecticut!

Book/Lyrics by Sarah Rossman

Music by Sequoia Sellinger

Next Year in Connecticut! features forbidden romance, Brisketgate, a dog shiva, an Exodus tap dance number, and hey, this might be the year that Elijah (the prophet) shows up! Our show is a musical love letter to our dysfunctional families that explores how mental illness hijacks family systems, transforming relationships, and redefining normalcy. Welcome to seder with the Stablemans, where mental illness is abundant, boundaries are negligible, and laughter and disaster go hand in hand.

Casting for:

Zayde (Stableman)

He/him, 70s, everyone's outrageously funny, flamboyant, lovable and fiercely loving Jewish Grandfather.

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SHOW NAME: The Word of the Day

SHORT SHOW DESCRIPTION:

Twenty-five-year-old Nicolet Diana is known for winning the International Linguistica, a spelling competition as rigorous as the Olympics. But after a world-famous linguist is murdered, Nicolet is put under house arrest, and becomes convinced someone is communicating with her through her local newspaper’s word-of-the-day segments. Concerned she may be a danger to herself, the police send in Magdalena, a hair stylist-turned-crisis counselor…who happens to be Nicolet’s ex-girlfriend. Set against a backdrop of obsession, manipulation, and linguistic prowess, The Word of the Day is a powerful examination of toxic devotion, manipulative power dynamics, and the dangerous allure of words.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN (of roles you are seeking only):

The Manager

Supporting, Female, 35-50

The Manager has trained Nicolet since she was eleven, molding her into the world-famous Linguistica champion, the youngest in the competition’s history; would do anything to keep Nicolet from losing. Content Note: This role involves sexual language & grooming. Intimacy & Fight Note: The Manager and Nicolet kiss and share some intimate touches in the play, as well as one short fight scene. There will be a qualified intimacy/fight coordinator provided.

As a supporting character, The Manager will not be called to every rehearsal. The stipend is $100, subject to increase depending on fundraising success.

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Mommy

By Molly Kate Babos

Directed by Violet Woundy

Struggling actress Amy loves her daughter Tatum. She just wishes Tatum wouldn’t act like she wanted Amy dead. When Tatum’s new best friend Briar starts to see Amy as a surrogate mother figure, a twisted, jealousy-driven competition drives them all to the brink.

Amy- 40s. Frustrated, lonely, yearning for connection. A former TV star looking to work again, with the right amount of talent but the wrong agent.

Briar- 15. Quirky cool (think Juno MacGuff, Lily from Dash and Lily, etc.). Sweet, desperate for love and understanding, with a hidden edge.

Tatum- CAST. 17. Rude, crass, whip-smart, and wildly socially inept.