Brightside Theatre Auditions for
The Secret Garden in Concert
Book & Lyrics Marsha Norman
Music Lucy Simon
Based on the Novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Director Jeffrey Cass
Musical Director Phil Videckis

Who
BrightSide Theatre is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion while promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity. We encourage performers of all races and ethnicities, gender and sexual identities, body types, and abilities, to attend every audition.

Seeking strong singing actors that are 18+ years of age and two strong singing child actors to play around 10 years old. Local hires only (no housing or travel provided). We encourage Trans and Gender Non-Conforming performers to audition as genders listed as those of the character, not the performer.

When
In Person Auditions will be on Monday, October 5 6:00pm-9:30pm at BrightSide Theatre's Rehearsal Studio, 1989 University Lane, Unit D, Lisle, IL 60532.

Callbacks will be by invitation only on the evening of Tuesday, October 6.

Pay Rate: $175 Stipend

Casting Breakdown:

Roles Available for Children to Play Around 10 Years Old
Mary Lennox: (identifies as female) around 10 years old. Soprano. A headstrong, lonely young girl who, after losing her parents, is sent to England where discovering a hidden garden-and unexpected friendships-begins to transform her.

Colin Craven: (identifies as male) around 10 years old. Treble/Boy Soprano. Archibald's sheltered and sickly young son, convinced he will never be well, whose friendship with Mary awakens his confidence, curiosity, and joy.

All Roles Available for Adults Ages 18-65+
Archibald Craven: (identifies as male) Baritone. Colin's grieving father and master of Misselthwaite Manor, a deeply loving but emotionally haunted man unable to move beyond the death of his wife, Lily.

Dickon: (identifies as male). Tenor. Martha's warm, free-spirited younger brother, whose remarkable connection with nature and infectious optimism helps Mary bring the secret garden back to life.

Lily Craven: (identifies as female) Soprano. Archibald's beloved late wife, Colin's mother, and Rose's sister, whose spirit remains a powerful presence at Misselthwaite as she gently guides Archibald and the family toward healing and renewal. THIS ROLE HAS BEEN PRECAST

Martha: (identifies as female). Mezzo-Soprano. A practical, warmhearted Yorkshire housemaid who befriends Mary and provides the kindness, humor, and encouragement the lonely girl desperately needs.

Dr. Neville Craven: (identifies as male) Baritone. Archibald's brother and Colin's physician, a stern and complicated man whose concern for the family is intertwined with jealousy, control, and his own unrequited feelings.

Fakir (identifies as male) Asian Indian Tenor. A mystical figure from Mary's life in India whose presence among the spirits evokes the world she has lost and helps connect her past with her new life.

Ayah (identifies as female) Asian Indian Mezzo-Soprano. Mary's devoted nursemaid and caretaker, whose presence among the spirits represents the warmth and familiarity of Mary's childhood in India and the life she lost when her parents died.

Ben Weatherstaff: (identifies as male) Tenor. The gruff, plainspoken elderly gardener at Misselthwaite Manor whose prickly exterior hides a deep affection for the garden, the Craven family, and eventually Mary.

Rose: (identifies as female) Soprano. Mary's beautiful but emotionally distant mother, seen among the spirits of the past, whose troubled marriage and relationship with her sister Lily help illuminate the family's history.

Captain Albert Lennox (identifies as male) Tenor. Mary's charming British Army officer father, whose marriage to Rose and life in India form part of the family history that continues to surround Mary.

Mrs. Winthrop (identifies as female) Alto. The proper and somewhat formidable headmistress brought in to evaluate Mary, whose conventional expectations clash amusingly with Mary's fiercely independent personality.

Mrs. Medlock: (identifies as female) Alto. The stern, imposing housekeeper of Misselthwaite Manor who is responsible for Mary upon her arrival and firmly enforces the rules and secrets of the Craven household.

Alice (identifies as female) Soprano. A young woman from the Cravens' past and one of the spirits who inhabit the story, helping reveal the memories, relationships, and events that continue to haunt Misselthwaite.

Lieutenant Wright (identifies as male) Tenor. A British officer from Mary's former life in India who appears among the spirits, representing the colonial social world surrounding the Lennox family before Mary came to England.

Lieutenant Shaw (identifies as male) Baritone. A British officer and spirit from the Lennox family's life in India who helps evoke Mary's past and the world destroyed by the cholera outbreak.

Major Holmes (identifies as male) Tenor. A British Army officer from Mary's childhood in India who appears among the spirits, helping create the memory-filled world that follows Mary throughout her journey.

The role of Lily has been precast.