Theatre Audition Information

Fall 2025 Audition Information

The Wolves 
Written by Sarah DeLappe 

Director: 
Lauren Shouse – Lauren.Shouse@mtsu.edu  

Stage Manager: 
Jayla Scott – jts9j@mtmail.mtsu.edu
 
Performances – 10/2 – 10/5 & 10/7 – 10/10, 2025 
Rehearsals begin August 18^th, 2025 (the week before Fall semester classes start) 
 

Pirates of Penzance 
Music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. 

Director: 
Kristi Shamburger – Kristi.Shamburger@mtsu.edu  
Will Perkins – William.Perkins@mtsu.edu   
Music Director – Jospeh Walker – Joseph.Walker@mtsu.edu

Stage Manager 
Gracie Lynch – gel2i@mtmail.mtsu.edu
 
Pirates of Penzance – Performances – 11/6 – 11/9, 2025 
Rehearsals start August 25^th, 2025 Students cast are required to enroll in the MT Production class. 

More information and a synopsis of Fall 2025 productions are available at the bottom of this page. Please read all the information before auditioning. 

Auditions will be held on campus, Friday April 25th from 1:00pm – 6pm in BDA 215 
 

All original audition slots have been filled. If you have not already signed up for an audition time, please select one of the stand by options still available.

Please follow the links below: 
1^st – Complete the audition information survey, 2^nd – Select an audition time. 

Audition information survey -  https://forms.office.com/r/WLnLYi3ZGi  
Audition time sign-up – https://signup.com/go/KyVCvpR  

A video audition, including your monologue and musical theatre piece, may be considered in lieu of an in-person audition. If you would like to submit a video audition, please email John.Underwood@mtsu.edu for more information. Anyone being considered for a role may be required to attend in-person call-backs. Video audition must be sent by 4/24/25. 

For your audition 

Please prepare the following: 

• For Theatre Majors to be considered for a role in both shows: 

• One contemporary monologue that is approximately 60-90 seconds in length. 

• Perform a 32-bar cut of a Golden Age (1940-1960) or Gilbert and Sullivan piece 

• Please provide a sheet of clearly marked music if needing accompaniment. You may also sing acapella. 

*Typically, as an MTSU Theatre Major, you must audition for all shows to be considered for any role. Since there are no male-presenting roles in The Wolves, male-presenting performers are not required to audition for that show.  
MTSU Casting Policy is available at MTSU Theatre | Auditions 

*Music Majors are only required to perform a 32-bar cut of a musical theatre piece. 

Please use the audition information survey (https://forms.office.com/r/WLnLYi3ZGi) to submit audition information. You may upload your headshot and resume directly to this form. Once you have filled out the form, if auditioning in person, select an audition slot time (https://signup.com/go/KyVCvpR) 
 
Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your audition time to check in with stage management at the audition desk outside of the Theatre and Dance Main office located on the 2^nd floor of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. 

Callbacks are scheduled to occur on campus on April 28^th & 29^th, 6p – 10pm Callbacks may consist of scene work, cold reads, singing, and learning choreography with our Directors and other auditionees. The schedule of individual callbacks will be communicated and based on conflicts listed on the audition form. Additional callback requirements and questions specific to the show will be communicated prior to your callback session. 

Participation 
We understand not all students will have the same experience in auditioning for an MTSU production. Faculty, staff, and students would love to connect and can provide some insight on how the audition process may go. If you are new to this process and would like to learn more, please reach out to Director of Production - John Underwood or Stage Management Faculty - Kate Goodwin. 
 
Prospective participants have the right to ask about details pertaining to their participation, including how cultural personhood or identities will be portrayed in the production. Please email any questions to the director or reach out to faculty or administrative staff in the department with any concerns. The wellbeing of our cast and crew is the highest priority. If you have questions regarding your participation and safety, please reach out directly to John Underwood, the stage management team, and our directors. 

Questions? 
Feel free to contact us: 
Directing Advisors - Lauren Shouse, Alicia Fuss, Kristi Shamburger 
Stage Management Advisor - Kate Goodwin 
Acting Faculty - Kyle Kennedy, Monte Howell 
Director of Production - John Underwood 

Show Information 

The Wolves 
Written by Sarah DeLappe 
Directed by Lauren Shouse 

“The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe is a contemporary play that follows the experiences of a high school girls’ indoor soccer team. The drama unfolds entirely during their pre-game warm-ups as nine teenage girls navigate complex issues of adolescence, identity, and social dynamics while demonstrating their athletic skills. Through their conversations about everything from politics and humanitarian crises to relationships and personal tragedies, DeLappe creates a powerful portrait of young women coming of age. The play is notable for its authentic dialogue, overlapping conversations, and its focus on female athletes as complex individuals rather than stereotypes. “The Wolves” was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and has been praised for its fresh perspective on teenage girlhood and female camaraderie. 

Cast List 

#11 – Midfield. Brainy, morbid, budding elitist, thoughtful. Seventeen. 

#25 – Defense. Captain. Classic (ex.) coach’s daughter. Seventeen 

#13 – Midfield. Stoner, older pot dealer brother, into her wackiness, Sixteen. 

#46 – Bench. New girl. Awkward, different, just wants to fit in. Sixteen. 

#2 – Defense. Innocent, unlucky, kind, skinny. Sixteen. 

#7 – Striker. Too cool for school. Sarcastic, “fuck,” thick eyeliner. Almost seventeen. 

#14 – Midfield. #7’s insecure sidekick. Just switched to contacts. Sixteen. 

#8 – Defense. Childlike and determined to stay that way. Sixteen. 

#00 – Goalie. Intense performance anxiety, perfectionist, high achiever. Seventeen. 

SOCCER MOM – Soccer Mom 

Pirates of Penzance 
Music by Arthur Sullivan 
Libretto by W. S. Gilbert. 
Director – Kristi Shamburger, Will Perkins 
Music Director – Joseph Walker

“The Pirates of Penzance” is a comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan that premiered in 1879. The story follows young Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates until his 21st birthday. Upon completing his indenture, he decides to leave piracy behind and dedicates himself to exterminating pirates. He falls in love with Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley, but complications arise when the Pirate King reveals that Frederic was born on February 29th in a leap year, meaning technically he’s only had five birthdays, not 21. Due to his strong sense of duty, Frederic reluctantly agrees to remain with the pirates until his actual 21st birthday—63 years later. The operetta features memorable characters, witty wordplay, and beloved musical numbers including “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” and “Poor Wandering One,” before concluding with a clever twist that allows for a happy ending. 

CHARACTERS 

MAJOR-GENERAL STANLEY 

THE PIRATE KING 

SAMUEL (his Lieutenant) 

FREDERIC (the Pirate Apprentice) 

SERGEANT OF POLICE 

MABEL 

EDITH (General Stanley’s Daughters) 

KATE 

ISABEL 

RUTH (a Pirate Maid of all Work) 

Chorus of… 

Pirates 

Police 

General Stanley’s Daughters.