AUDITIONS

Out of the Box Theatre Company will be casting for its spring production, Assassins.

DESCRIPTION:

A journey through the dark side of the American dream, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Tony-winning musical Assassins explores the lives of nine men and women who either killed (or tried to kill) one of the Presidents of the United States. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald and beyond, the stories of our country’s most successful and would-be assassins intersect in unexpected ways, creating a powerful, unnerving look at some of the most shocking moments in US history.

OTHER INFO:

Performances are scheduled April 10-19, 2026 at Center Stage Theater (Fri-Sun). Rehearsals scheduled to start February 16, 2026 and will generally be held four evenings a week.

CASTING:

[PROPRIETOR]. Male, 30s-50s. Baritenor. A proprietor at a carnival. Charming but dangerous. Cunning and manipulative. His power is in his omnipresence and indifference; his characterization requires both dramatic irony and restrained wit. Represents the darkest violent tendencies and entitlement of humanity.

[BALLADEER] Male, 16-25. Tenor. Woodie Guthrie/Pete Seeger type folk singer; ability to play guitar a plus. The Balladeer is the conscience of America and the champion of the American Dream. He acts as a foil against the assassins and their warped perspectives and actions, but is eventually swayed by mass opinion to embrace violence. Doubles as [LEE HARVEY OSWALD] A young, withdrawn man who allegedly assassinated President John F. Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963.

[JOHN WILKES BOOTH] Male, 25-30s. Baritone. An eloquent Southern actor, burning with rage. Comes across as sympathetic until his deep-rooted racism is revealed. A leader amongst the others. Character will require a genteel Southern accent. Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 14th, 1865.

[SARA JANE MOORE] Female, 40-55. Mezzo. A former CPA and FBI informant, now unemployed. A frazzled, somewhat manic housewife and mother. Moore provides much of the comic relief in the show and requires an actress with good comic timing. Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975.

[LEON CZOLGOSZ] Male, 20-30. Bass-Baritone. A Polish immigrant and steel worker. Intelligent, deliberate, and embittered against America - particularly with regard to the inequity between the wealthy and the workers. Assassinated President William McKinley in 1901.

LYNETTE “SQUEAKY” FROMME] Female, 20-30. Mezzo. A deeply disturbed young flower child and member of Charlie Manson’s cult family who believes that killing the President will enable her boyfriend— Manson—to make a speech at her trial. Attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975.

[GIUSEPPE ZANGARA] Male, 25-40. An Italian immigrant with a hot temper who blames his intense stomach pain and his inability to afford healthcare on the United States government. Requires thick Italian dialect. Attempted to assassinate President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 13, 1933, but instead killed Anton Cermak, mayor of Chicago.

[CHARLES GUITEAU] Male, 30s-40s. Baritenor. This intense libertine requires a multi-personality characterization and a flair for the dramatic. A boisterous minister, author, and lunatic who, upon learning that he could not be Ambassador to France, assassinated President James Garfield on July 2nd, 1881.

[SAMUEL BYCK] Male, 30s-50s. Tenor, baritone, or bass-baritone. Heavy set; requires a blue-collar Philly dialect. A loudmouthed, unstable, middle-aged man known for attending protests in a Santa suit who attempted to kill President Richard M. Nixon by hijacking a commercial jetliner and crashing it into the White House on February 22nd, 1974.

[JOHN HINCKLEY JR.] Baritone. Male, 20-30. A socially inept young man whose obsession with child actress Jodie Foster led him to try to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on March 30th, 1981.

[ENSEMBLE] Includes Emma Goldman, David Herold, James Garfield, James Blaine, Gerald Ford, Billy Moore, Fairgoers, Little Boy, Bystanders.

APPOINTMENTS:

Stay tuned for more information about scheduling an audition!