YOUTH AUDITIONS for The Secret Garden

AUDITIONS for MARY & COLIN, TWO INCREDIBLE ROLES FOR CHILDREN IN OUR UPCOMING SPRING MUSICAL, THE SECRET GARDEN!

AUDITION DATES

Friday, November 7th
Saturday, November 8th

* With a potential callback on Sunday, November 9th between 2pm and 5pm

You only need to attend one night of auditions in order to be considered for casting. Those who wish to audition should sign up online HERE. You will have the opportunity to reserve an audition date and time slot.

TO AUDITION FOR THE ROLE OF MARY

Please prepare the 2 song cuts from “I Heard Someone Crying” and “The Girl I Mean To Be”. Both song cuts can be found in the Audition Packet, download HERE! In addition to your 2 song cuts, please prepare 1 monologue of your choosing. Your monologue should be about 1 minute long. We strongly recommend performing your monologue with a British Dialect. For the song cuts, you will sing along to a pre-recorded instrumental track and you will have a moment to listen to the track before you begin.

TO AUDITION FOR THE ROLE OF COLIN

Please prepare the song cut from “Round Shouldered Man” that can be found in the Audition Packet, download HERE! In addition to your song, please prepare 1 monologue of your choosing. Your monologue should be about 1 minute long. We strongly recommend performing your monologue with a British Dialect. For the song cuts, you will sing along to a pre-recorded instrumental track and you will have a moment to listen to the track before you begin.

THE REHEARSAL PROCESS

At Grandstreet Theatre, we work very hard to respect everyone’s time and create rehearsal schedules accordingly. Rehearsals will not begin until the week of February 23rd. You will only be called to rehearsal when you are needed. You will not be called to every single rehearsal. We do our best to schedule rehearsals on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings between 6:30PM and 9:30PM. We try to keep weekends clear to allow for down time and the possibility for weekend travel. However, we sometimes add occasional Sunday rehearsals when necessary. Rehearsal schedules are created from the schedules and conflicts of those involved. Therefore, we can only approximate what a typical rehearsal schedule usually looks like. We can’t provide specific rehearsal schedules until a cast is in place.

AGE

In the original novel, Mary and Colin are about 10 to 11 years old. Though there is no age restriction in order to audition, we estimate that these roles will be cast with actors between the ages of 8 and 12.

THE AUDITION FORM

Everyone who auditions must fill out the AUDITION FORM. Forms can be downloaded HERE. Your Audition Form must be submitted on the night you audition. Please make sure your form is completely filled out and ready to submit at the time of your audition. We always do our best to schedule around your conflicts, so please be as specific as you can when listing your conflicts.
We may reach out with questions about your schedule, so please make sure that your contact information is clear.

DOUBLE CASTING / UNDERSTUDIES

It is possible that one or both roles may be double cast. It is also possible that an understudy will be cast for both roles. By auditioning for these roles, we assume you are open to the possibility of receiving a role as an understudy, or a role that is double cast. If you are cast as an understudy, you will receive at least 3 regularly scheduled performances.

OTHER GRANDSTREET SHOWS

If you are cast as Mary or Colin, you would not be able to audition for Six: Teen Edition or Guys and Dolls JR, as those shows have conflicting schedules.

THE AUDITION

First and foremost, know that everyone in the audition room wants you to succeed! If you have questions, please reach out! Please email all audition questions to jeff@grandstreettheatre.com
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled audition time slot.

Auditions will take place at Grandstreet Theatre, 325 N. Park Avenue. There will be signs directing you where to go upon your arrival, and there will be staff on hand to assist you. There may be some quick hellos and chit chat as you enter the audition room, but once you are asked to begin, we recommend introducing yourself and your material before you dive in.

We suggest that you do not make direct eye contact with the people behind the audition table when performing your audition material. We want to watch your work, not be your scene partner. We recommend picking a spot on the wall to focus on, perhaps slightly above the heads of the directors.

Remember to breathe! It is perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two between each piece to refocus your thoughts.

The directors may give you some suggestions and adjustments to try, but they may not.
Headshots and resumes are not required to audition, but you are welcome to provide them.
With your permission, we may take your photo at your audition, and we may film your audition. Photos and videos will only be viewed by the directors casting the production, and will be deleted once the casting process is complete.

If none of the audition dates work for you, but you are still interested in auditioning, please contact jeff@grandstreettheatre.com to discuss additional options.

For the song cuts, you will sing along to a pre-recorded instrumental track and you will have a moment to listen to the track before you begin.

No experience necessary! Did you know that almost every Grandstreet show has at least one actor making their GST debut! If you have never been in a show before, don’t worry! We will teach you everything you need to know.

Being in a show at Grandstreet is the perfect way to make new friends, serve your community, and make incredible theatre!

We work very hard at Grandstreet to ensure that every production is organized, professional, challenging, rewarding, and most importantly … fun!

What are you waiting for?! Take a deep breath and sign up to AUDITION!

Grandstreet Theatre is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. As such, we encourage performers of all races and ethnicities, gender identities, sexualities and abilities to audition.

To performers with disabilities, you are encouraged to audition. Please indicate if you need accommodations to fully participate in this event by contacting jeff@grandstreettheatre.com

THE SECRET GARDEN
By Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon
Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Directed by Jeff Downing

Performance Dates: April 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, May 1, 2, 3
You must be available for ALL PERFORMANCE DATES in order to be considered for casting

Approximate Rehearsal Dates: February 23, 2026 – April 9, 2026

Tech Week: April 5 – 9
* You must be available for ALL TECH REHEARSALS in order to be considered for casting

SYNOPSIS

An enchanting literary classic, beautifully reimagined for the stage, The Secret Garden returns to cast its spell. When 11 year old orphan, Mary Lennox, is sent to live with her reclusive uncle Archibald at his neglected Yorkshire manor, she enters a world of shadowed hallways, dark secrets, and haunting voices of her family’s past. But as Mary explores the house and its sprawling grounds, the mysterious estate begins to reveal its wonders. With the help of her new found friends, Martha and Dickon, and a cousin she didn’t know she had, Mary discovers a magical garden that leads her and the entire household down a path of healing and redemption. Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful scores ever written for the Broadway stage, The Secret Garden is an uplifting and soul-stirring story that will inspire audiences of all ages.