Walnut Street Theatre is dedicated to the casting and employment of local Philadelphia-based talent. The information on this page will be updated as the season progresses, and as new information becomes available! Casting for each production begins locally. We will hold multiple open calls for the season each spring, both in Philadelphia and New York in accordance with Actors' Equity Association. Information about these auditions will be made available through AEA, Theatre Philadelphia, Backstage, and Playbill. All other auditions are held throughout the year and are scheduled by appointment only. Walnut Street Theatre contracts with both union and non-union talent.
Please follow submission instructions on any breakdowns that are released. Otherwise for consideration, please send your headshot, resume, and a brief cover letter indicating the show/role of interest to:
Casting
Walnut Street Theatre
825 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Walnut Street Theatre is committed to diversity and engages in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, we encourage performers of ALL ethnicities, gender identities, body types, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.
Seasonal Equity Principal Auditions and Open Calls in Philadelphia and New York will occur early Spring 2025. Please check back here for those specific dates and instructions.
Director: Fran Prisco
1st Rehearsal – September 9, 2025
Performances – September 30-November 2, 2025
Seeking: SOME roles available
ELVIS PRESLEY– 20s; male; Singer/guitar player. Elvis in his 20s at the beginning of his career toward becoming the undisputed "King of Rock 'n' Roll". Must be familiar with his music and be able to play guitar.
JERRY LEE LEWIS – 20s; male; singer/pianist; he was rock & roll’s legendary piano prodigy and celebrated “Last Man Standing.” A superb piano player, able to play like Jerry Lee Lewis; fun, energetic; comic skills a plus.
CARL PERKINS – mid 20s; male; singer/guitar player (lead guitar); he was the American pioneer of rockabilly music and best known for his song “Blue Suede Shoes”; An excellent lead guitarist.
BROTHER JAY – mid 20s; male- Upright Bass player, brother of Carl Perkins. Strong musician.
FLUKE – mid 20s; male –Rock drummer. Strong musician
Also seeking Local, Non-Union singer/musicians to be External Understudies for all roles.
Director/Choreographer: Richard Stafford
1st Rehearsal – October 28, 2025
Performances – November 18 – January 6, 2026
Seeking: ALL roles available
JEAN SHEPHERD/NARRATOR: Late 40s to early 50s. Caucasian Male. Not a singing role. A great storyteller with charisma. Great speaking voice, who can tell an engrossing story and who has the quality to draw an audience in to his magical world and weave a spell; a good-natured curmudgeon. Believably Midwestern.
THE OLD MAN: Late 30s-40s Male. A little younger than Jean. A guy with a good heart, though it is buried beneath (what the Ralphy’s impression/memory of him is) a sometimes gruff and sour exterior. He’s a devoted husband and father who loves his family but doesn’t overtly show it. In his moments of fantasy, he is transformed from his usual grumbling blue-collar self to a true song and dance man. Baritenor voice that must sing to a high G.
MOTHER: 30s Female. Younger than The Old Man by a couple of years. She is more in charge than he is, but she would never let him know it; affable and warm, but not a pushover; strong willed, no nonsense, likable, midwestern every-mom. Remembered as a vibrant woman with a personality that challenges the 1950s bland wife stereotype. Must possess a warm sense of humor and a contemporary mezzo with a strong mix, sings low G to high Db.
MISS SHIELDS: 30’s Female. The local elementary school teacher. A seemingly stereotypical 1940s educator—prim and proper. Stern when necessary, but turns comedic and humorous when the situation merits it. In Ralphie’s fantasy, she becomes a dynamic, show-stopping brassy belter. Character woman with a flexible voice who has a strong belt. Moves well.
RALPHIE: 9-12 (to play 9, going on 10) Caucasian boy. His voice must be UNCHANGED. A regular cute midwestern kid. Bright, mischievous, and adventurous, but not precocious. Seeking a young kid who comes across on stage as real, but still has a large presence and personality. Must be an excellent singer and dancer, and able to carry a show. High belter.
RANDY: 8-9. Caucasian boy. Ralphie’s lovable younger brother. Smaller than Ralphie; cute, cuddly, and whiny. He admires his big brother, Ralphie, but won’t admit it. Seeking a young kid who is confident being on stage and comes across as real. Boy’s unchanged voice. High belter.
ENSEMBLE – All ages, gender-identities, ethnicities, body types, and voice parts to make up a chorus or families and people in this Indiana neighborhood. Should be able to hold harmonies and all must have strong voices and dance well.
KIDS**** - Strong singing and dancing kids, both boys and girls - 8-13. Must sing and move well to play speaking and singing roles including SCUT FARCUS, FLICK, GROVER DILL, and SCHWARTZ.
Also seeking Local, Non-Union singers and dancers to be External Understudies for all roles.
****ALL Kids auditions will take place separately in early Fall August/September. All kids must be local, non-union, and will be double cast. The kids carry a HUGE part of this production. Seeking boys and girls with natural star quality, and the boys must have unchanged voices.
*World Premiere Play*
Director: Bill Van Horn
1st Rehearsal – December 22, 2025
Performances – January 13 – February 15, 2026
Seeking: CASTING NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED BASED ON UPCOMING SCRIPT.
Also seeking Local Non-Union actors to be Understudies.
Director: TBD
1st Rehearsal – February 3, 2026
Performances – February 24 – March 29, 2026
Seeking: ALL roles available.
AGNES – A handsome woman in her late 50’s. Well off. Agnes believes herself to be the fulcrum of the family, keeping everyone in balance. She often maintains this balance, or order, by not confronting issues, not taking a stand, and not processing emotions. She tries to keep the peace by not dealing with anything that might upset it.
TOBIAS – Agnes’ husband, a few years older. A well-to-do, retired businessman. Although he is tolerant of people around him, he, like his wife, tends to avoid emotional topics.
CLAIRE – Agnes’ sister, several years younger. She claims that she is not an alcoholic but rather a willful drinker. Of all the characters in the play, whether it is due to the alcohol or not, Claire has the loosest tongue. She speaks her mind and is the least affected by social politeness. Openly disdains Agnes. Much of the comedy of the play flows from Claire.
JULIA – Agnes’ and Tobias’ daughter, 36, angular. Already a four time divorcee, Julia tends to put down her mother and commiserate with her mother's sister Claire. Her father calls her a whiner, and her mother has little time for her. Julia has set a pattern in her life of marrying for the wrong reasons and then divorcing and returning home.
EDNA and HARRY – Harry and Edna are married and the best friend couple of Agnes and Tobias. Harry is something of a reflection of Tobias, but he is even more reserved. Edna is confident, poised, with a sense of self-entitlement that has recently been shaken by the unnamed fear that has gripped her and Tobias.
Also seeking Local Non-Union actors to be Understudies.
Director/Choreographer: Glenn Casale
1st Rehearsal –March 24, 2026
Performances– April 14 – May 31, 2026
Seeking: ALL roles available.
JOHN ADAMS
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
JOHN DICKENSON
JAMES WILSON
THOMAS JEFFERSON
RICHARD HENRY LEE
EDWARD RUTLEDGE
STEPHEN HOPKINS
ROGER SHERMAN
ROBERT LIVINGSTON
LEWIS MORRIS
COL. THOMAS KCKEA
GEORGE READ
CAESAR RODNEY
DR. LYMAN HALL
SAMUEL CHASE
DR. JOSIAH BARTLETT
JOESPH HEWES
REV. JOHN WITHERSPOON
JOHN HANCOCK
CHARLES THOMSON
ANDREW MCNAIR
ABIGAIL ADAMS
MARTHA JEFFERSON
COURIER
Also seeking Local, Non-Union singer/dancers to be External Understudies for all roles.
