This page shows auditions and opportunities to work backstage, front of house, and on the technical sides of future productions.

Kanata Theatre is a community organization which originated in the then-new Beaverbrook community of Kanata. From the start, members were expected to take part in all activities: building and painting scenery, making costumes, setting up lights and sound, selling tickets and so on, as well as acting. We have tried to keep that tradition, even though our “community” is now the whole City of Ottawa.

We encourage you not just to try out for a part and then move on to a role in another company, but to join in and help with any or all aspects of theatre. Become a member and receive our newsletter Greasepaint which will inform you of what’s going on.

Current Auditions

A Comedy of Tenors

Written by: Ken Ludwig
Directed by: Michael Gareau
Performance Dates: Tuesday through Saturday September 17 to 21 and 24 to 28, 2019

All actors must be available for all performances

Audition Dates
Sunday May 26 from 2-5 PM in the Ron Maslin Playhouse Rehearsal Hall
Monday May 27 from 7-10 PM in the Ron Maslin Playhouse Rehearsal Hall

Callbacks
As required Thursday May 30 @ 7PM in the RMP Rehearsal Hall

Rehearsal Dates
A full Read-through is planned for Thursday June 20 in the RMP Rehearsal Hall.

Rehearsals will be held 3 times per week for the first 5 weeks and 4 times per week after that. Rehearsal days and times will depend on the availability of the cast but will most likely be held on Sundays from 1-4 PM or 7-10 PM, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-10 PM starting Sunday, July 7, 2019. Halfway through the process, we would add another rehearsal day as well. We realize that this show rehearses over the summer and hopefully we can come to an agreement when it comes to the rehearsal schedule that will please everyone involved so we can all enjoy the nice weather.

Characters
As in most plays the question is can you play that ‘age range’, rather than are you that age range?

Tito Merelli/Beppo – Stage age 50-60. He’s a star of the Italian operatic world circa 1936. Thick Italian accent. Regal, fiery-tempered yet hard on himself. A bit of a diva and extremely jealous. He also plays his own doppelganger, Beppo, the hotel bellhop who is a hopeless romantic, joyful and full of life. Large role requiring a few very quick costume and makeup changes. *** See note below

Maria Merelli – Long-suffering but steadfast wife to one of Italy’s most famous opera singers. Passionate and fiery. Explosive temper. Thick Italian accent. Sophisticated. Stage age 45 to 55.
Saunders – Producer, impresario and concert organizer. Anxious. Impatient. Always harried. At times speaks “bad” French. Also speaks English with a bad French accent, a bad Italian accent, and a bad Swedish accent. 50+ stage age.

Saunders – Producer, impresario and concert organizer. Anxious. Impatient.
Always harried. At times speaks “bad” French. Also speaks English with a
bad French accent, a bad Italian accent, and a bad Swedish accent.
50+ stage age.

Max – Saunders’ underling and budding opera singer. Stage age 30ish. A new father-to-be and a budding opera singer. Very good French required for some lines. Smart and level-headed. ***

Mimi – Tito and Maria’s daughter. Italian-American. A dreamer. Budding opera singer and actress. Must be comfortable appearing on stage in underwear. Fiery like her mom and in love with Carlo. No accent. Stage age 25ish.

Carlo – The current rage of the operatic world and Mimi’s boyfriend but seen as a threat to her father’s career. Must be comfortable appearing on stage in underwear. Italian but raised in the states. No accent. Stage age 25ish. *** See note below

Racón – Well-known Russian operatic soprano and one of Tito’s former lovers. Intense and passionate. Heavy Russian accent. Stage age 45+

We will also be looking to cast the offstage voice of Jacques, the stage manager and announcer who requires both a Parisienne accent when speaking English and flawless Parisienne French for a few lines. Jacques is in one scene only. Please advise if you are interested in this voice-only role. We plan on pre-recording the dialogue for Jacques.

*** Note: Act 1 Scene 2 of this play calls for a trio to be sung by characters Tito, Carlo and Max. This can be accomplished via lip sync if necessary or preferably, if we are lucky enough to cast three performers who can sing, the rights holders do provide a karaoke performance track to which our performers could sing live. Therefore gentlemen, could you please come prepared to show off your singing voice for us as well. 16 bars of a song should suffice.

Audition sides will be available at the actual audition. Prepared monologues will not be required. Please arrive about 15 minutes early to fill out your audition form and take care of any other audition administrative requirements.

Please contact the director, Michael Gareau via auditions@kanatatheatre.ca if you have any questions and to set your audition day. Thank you.