Sign up below to schedule an audition on May 17 for the 2025 SC New Play Festival happening in Greenville, August 7-10. We are seeking performers for public readings of new plays and musicals in development for the third season of the South Carolina New Play Festival.

We are looking for performers of all races, ethnicities, sexualities, gender identities and body types. After you sign up, audition sides will be emailed to you. If you wish to be considered for one of the musicals, please prepare 32 bars of a song. An accompanist will be provided.

If you need to schedule a virtual audition, send an email to auditions@scnpf.org.

Below you’ll find a breakdown of all the roles in this year’s festival.

MERLIN RETURNS starring PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON

Book by John Van Der Put and West Hyler
Music and Lyrics by Matt Schatz

Directed by West Hyler

Piff the Magic Dragon: Cast. 

Jade Simone: Cast. 

Francis the Squire: Cast. 

Isabella DaCosta: The Queen, originally played by Chita Rivera in Merlin, is played by Tony-nominee but never-famous Isabella DaCosta in Merlin Returns. Isabella detests magic and especially Las Vegas magicians. Female, Alto, 30s-50s.

Christian Slater: Young Merlin, originally played by Hollywood hellraiser Christian Slater when he was 9, is indeed played by a 9-year-old boy. But, just to be clear, the 9-year-old boy is playing Hollywood hellraiser Christian Slater playing the Young Merlin. Male, Tenor, 12-18 years old.

Debi Henning: The wife of the famous 1980’s magician, Doug Henning. Debi’s intent on reviving Doug’s greatest flop, Merlin, on Broadway with a new, never-before-produced ending that her darling Doug wrote on his deathbed. She loves magic, musicals, and transcendental meditation. Female, Alto, 50s-70s.

THE BREAK

Book and Lyrics by Christopher Dimond
Music by Michael Kooman

directed by TBD

SAM (Female - late 20's) Smart, sassy, and sarcastic. Trying to overcome her insecurities and self-consciousness. Her humor always comes from a place of deep kindness. She would have been described as a tomboy growing up. Still a bit repressed as a result of her Catholic upbringing in Texas, though she's ditched the accent. Also plays: Randy, Women 1-5, Rodrigo, Shallow Actress

CHARLIE, (Male - late 20's) Playful, sensitive, and creative. Kind of a dork, but in a charming way. Passionate about his music, though he may lack the drive to ever truly "make it". He sees himself as the more emotional one in the relationship, but there's an aloofness to him as well. Uses humor as a defense mechanism. Also plays: Sam's Roommate, Men 1-3, Clevermoniker, Sweetie McDumdum, Austin, Sam's Vagina.

MARIAH, OR THE PASSAGEWAY

by Rachel Bonds

directed by TBD

Sadie. Female. Late 60’s/70’s. Mother to Alex and Nick. Deeply loving. Intelligent. Ferocious. Has highs that soar into mania and very low lows. Both charismatic and chaotic.

Mariah. Female. Later 30’s. A tenant. Knows Alex from college. Deeply intelligent, funny, dry. In a moment of emotional paralysis. A well of sadness beneath her exterior.

Alex. Male. Later 30’s. Sadie’s & Whit’s younger son. Tabby’s boyfriend. Tightly wound. On paper very successful and healthy, but underneath immensely wounded, stalled, and sad. We watch him unravel and painfully open through the course of the play.

Tabby. Female. Later 30’s. Alex’s girlfriend. Kind, open, practical. Home-schooled until later high school. Non-judgemental. A very capable person. Unafraid of big emotions or difficult things.

Nick. Male. Later 30’s/40ish. Sadie’s & Whit’s older son. Gentle. Kind. Nurturing. Stalled. Frozen in time. He clings to routine and the familiar. Doesn’t believe he deserves more.

Ben. Male. 35. Sadie’s boyfriend. Kind. Off-beat, haunted by a troubling past and an erratic childhood. An excellent cook and baker; he’s a highly capable guy but also a wanderer.

Whit. Male. 60’s/Late 60’s. Four years younger than Sadie. Alex & Nick’s father. Sadie’s ex husband. Dry, a bit ornery, loves his children. Straightforward. Has strong beliefs and doesn’t see much use in changing them; still allows himself to be Sadie’s punching bag. A product of his generation.

MY FAVORITE SOCIOPATH

by Aurin Squire

Directed by Celine Rosenthal

MILES (20s, Male)- competitive and cynical student from Miami with a very fluid moral compass. Agnostic.

GINA (20s, Female) - sincere student from Natchez, Mississippi. Sharp southern wit. Moderate Christian.

EVAN (20s, Male) - a flattering fabulist from California who is very competitive. Conservative Christian.

THE DROUGHT GIRL

by Lyra Nalan

Directed by TBD

NEMO: Female, eleven years old, a fifth grader. Shy but curious, and kinda sheltered. Thinks she prefers to play alone. Terrified of public speaking.

HAN LING: Female, appears to be around Nemo’s age. The runaway daughter of Han Ba, the Chinese Drought Goddess. Can melt anything she touches. Wears a tough mask—and a tougher shell.

STONE: Male, eleven, Nemo’s table-mate at school. Can be mean but also likes to help. Picks on Nemo for reasons he doesn’t fully understand. Likes the movie Titanic.