AUDITION NOTICE: Six Characters in Search of an Author - Ad Astra Theatre Company

Title: Six Characters in Search of an Author

Presented By: Ad Astra Theatre Company

Genre: Absurdist Drama / Modern Classic

Synopsis: Six Characters in Search of an Author begins as an ordinary rehearsal until six mysterious figures emerge, demanding their unfinished story be told. Abandoned by their author, these Characters are driven by an unrelenting emotional truth that clashes with the Director’s attempts to theatricalise their lives. What unfolds is a provocative collision between reality and performance, where memory, identity, and illusion fracture. Pirandello’s landmark work interrogates who owns a story, what truth really is, and how far we will go to be seen and heard.

Audition Date: Saturday 17 January 2026 and Tuesday 20 January 2026

Audition Time: Saturday 17 January: 9:00am – 5:00pm and Tuesday 20 January: 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Audition Location and Address: Ad Astra – Galaxy 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane

Audition Requirements:

• Prepare two short monologues (approximately 2 minutes each):

  • One dramatic monologue demonstrating emotional depth and truth

  • One comedic monologue showcasing timing, playfulness, and physicality

Audition Registration: Email applications to creatives@adastracreativity.com

Please include:

• Recent headshot

• Current CV (Word document or Google Doc only)

• Clearly specify the role(s) you wish to audition for

Performance Dates: 14 May – 4 June 2026

Performance Times: Thursday & Friday: 8:00pm, Saturday: 7:30pm, Saturday Matinee: 2:00pm, Plus two weekday matinees at 11:00am

Performance Location: Ad Astra – Galaxy 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane

Rehearsal Dates: From 1 February 2026 through to opening

Rehearsal Times: Generally two weeknights and one weekend day

Table Read: Sunday 1 February, 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Warnings: Themes include trauma, emotional distress, and intense family dynamics

Creative Team:

• Director: Heidi Gledhill

• Assistant Director: Colin Smith

Production Website: https://adastracreativity.com

Other information:

• This is a co-op production

• Performers receive a share of ticket sales after expenses

• Callbacks: Thursday 22 January 2026, 7:00pm – 10:00pm

• Casting at this stage is for the Six Character family only

• CVs for play cast/crew roles are not being accepted at this time

Available Roles/Character Breakdown:

The Six Character Family

• The Father – Pre-cast

• The Mother: Quiet, grief-stricken, emotionally raw. She lives inside suffering rather than analysing it. Grounded in feeling, overwhelmed by pain that is constant and unresolved.

• The Step-Daughter: Fierce, volatile, magnetic. Sarcastic, seductive, cruel, and wounded. She weaponises mockery and sexuality as defence, oscillating between rage and laughter.

• The Son: Withdrawn, contemptuous, emotionally sealed. Cold anger, resistant to catharsis. He rejects theatricality and refuses to be shaped or explained.

• The Boy: Silent, watchful, unsettling. Exists on the margins. A young-looking performer (teen appearance required) whose stillness carries inevitability.

• The Little Girl: Fragile, instinctive, largely non-verbal. Primary school-aged child. Vulnerable and exposed, embodying neglect and danger.