Non-Union Paid Actors

HCE Players Full 2026-2027 Season Actor Call

Audition Dates & Location:

IN-PERSON:

All auditions and callbacks will be at Chelsea Theatre Works at 189 Winnisimmet St, Chelsea, MA 02150. The dates are:

Sunday, August 16th from 1 PM - 3 PM.

Monday, August 17th from 7:30 PM - 10 PM.

Tuesday, August 18th from 7:30 PM - 10 PM.

Callbacks will be on Saturday, August 22nd from 1 PM - 5 PM.

VIDEOS:

Video auditions will be accepted from the date of this posting UNTIL Tuesday, August 18th at 11:59 PM. Please start your video with a slate, and finish with your monologues or monologue and song. Callbacks will be in-person for the most part. If we need to see more from you and you aren’t able to attend callbacks, we will discuss options accordingly.

Please prepare either:

Two contrasting monologues OR one monologue and one selection of an Irish rock song, a shanty, or any song that gives us a rock / folk vibe. All songs will be accompanied by a karaoke track of your choosing that we will play for you on a Bluetooth speaker. Please fill out the Google Form completely and use our Sign Up Genius to solidify a spot and submit your music to us if your audition includes a selection of a song.

All roles are for non-union actors. All roles are paid, stipend roles (Full transparency: while we are finalizing this year’s budget, the stipends for actors may be higher than expected. Please reach out directly if you have any questions). We are casting locally and cannot pay for travel or housing to actors outside of the Massachusetts area. All performances are in Cambridge, Somerville, or Chelsea, MA. Rehearsals will be in Cambridge, Chelsea, or Dorchester, MA.

You do not have to be Irish to audition for HCE Players! Just be your best self.

Questions? Reach out to us directly at [email protected].

STEPS FOR AUDITIONS

1. Sign up for a slot on our SignUp Genius! This is for IN-PERSON auditions ONLY. Link here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AADA723A3F5C52-64928760-hceauditions#/

2. Fill out the Google Form! This is required in lieu of bringing in a headshot and resume. Link here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSew5AUosrrBzNiQcwJnig-Wgof5YSYm5VV26vi_yz81g9TGsw/viewform

3. If you’re submitting a video, make sure you fill out the Google Form and submit by Tuesday, August 18th! YOU DO NOT need to fill out the Sign Up Genius if you are submitting digitally.

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Performances, Roles, & Descriptions:

Martin McDonagh’s “The Pillow Man”

Show Dates: Dec. 3rd - 14th

Show Location: The Comedy Studio - Cambridge

Rehearsals: Early Sept. through late Nov. a couple times a week

Show description: Murder. Mayhem. Mostly the truth. In a dystopian police state, a children’s author faces interrogation about a series of child murders in the region, resembling his own fairy tale stories. Told through both the police cell and projections, the horrific reveal of the crime comes to light… whether they accept it or not. Directed by Jill Tokac.

KATURIAN: (Female identifying or femme presenting, late 20s - 40s) The writer. Disorientated by their arrest and, at first, very compliant, but becomes stronger though the piece. Needs to be able to tell a good story. Darkly funny with a deeper well within them.

MICHAL: (Male identifying or masculine presenting, late 20s - 40s) Katurian’s older brother but with the mind of a child. Capable of a chilling detached violence. A tragic character - you can kind of feel for him sometimes.

TUPOLSKI: (Male identifying or masculine presenting, late 20s - 50s) Detective. Very sardonic, similar to one from a 70s cop show. Utterly brutal but enjoys playing “good cop”. Should be able to be an incredible listener on stage.

ARIEL: (Male identifying or masculine presenting, late 20s - 30s) Violent and sadistic cop. Enjoys playing “bad cop” but in fact with a strange and very correct sense of right and wrong. FIRECRACKER vibes.

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Echoes of Brigid - The Feminine Spirit of Ireland

Show Date: Jan. 31st

Show Location: The Burren - Somerville

Rehearsals: Weekends in December

Show Description: Stories of resilience, steadfastness, and the sharp women who have come before us, Echoes of Brigid tells tales of the ancient Celtic fete of Imbolc and the Catholic patroness of Ireland: Saint Brigid. An annual tradition of theatre, poetry, and song, HCE is proud to honor the early awakenings of spring and Saint Brigid’s patronage of creativity and fertility. Neartaich na tha lag an taobh a stigh dhinn. Directed by Nora Stephens.

2-4 ACTORS:(Female identifying or femme presenting, any age) An ensemble of strong characters who can deliver a riveting monologue and sing a mean shanty. We’re looking for actors with some conviction, softness, and a little bit of salt. Show us how you tell a story of hope!

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The Myth of Saint Patrick

Show Dates: Mar. 13th - 14th, Mar. 17th

Show Location: The Armory, Second Venue TBD - Somerville

Rehearsals: Early Jan. - Early Mar. a couple of times a week

Show Description: Who is St. Patrick? WHAT is St. Patrick? Did he REALLY drive out snakes and turn the devil into a fox? You don’t know who Saint Patrick is, and apparently, neither do we. Journey along as we stumble through the myths, Catholicism, and facts of the original Irish rockstar through wry and bawdy songs and perhaps a few pints along the way. Directed by Jill Tokac.

5 ACTORS: (Any age or Gender Identity) An ensemble of super-silly singers with incredible comedic timing and mostly okay moving capability. We are creating this show together, so we are looking for people that are fine with being immersive with the audience, and laughing at themselves and with their cast mates. Ultimately - we need team players who want to deliver a rollicking presentation on the original Irish Rockstar.

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Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”

Show Dates: Apr. 9th - 18th

Show Location: Chelsea Theatre Works - Chelsea

Rehearsals: Early Feb. through late Mar. a couple of times a week

Show Description: Oscar Wilde’s iconic comedy is brought into 1980’s Boston to tell the age-old story of scheming, lying, false identities, and true love within the upper crust of society. Jack is a distinguished gentleman with the key to success: a false brother named Ernest who is always up to no good and needs rescuing. Through the best and worst of intentions, the double lives of Jack and his best friend Algernon find themselves tangled in “Ernest” while simply trying to evade the horribly boring social obligations of the city. Directed by Alana Corrigan.

ALGERNON: (Male identifying or masc presenting, late 20’s-early 30’s) A funny, snarky, charming, and endlessly silly man who loves nothing more than being idle and escaping the less than ideal societal expectations. A real fruitcake and doesn’t mind if his friend Jack finds him selfish or complicit.

JACK: (Male identifying or masc presenting, late 20’s-early 30’s) A more grounded but no less funny, anxious, largely responsible man with his city identity and his country identity. He is more respectable and gentlemanly, but still searches for easy outs in his life. He is hopelessly in love with Gwendolen.

GWENDOLEN: (Female identifying or femme presenting, early-mid 20’s) A bubblegum princess of taste, class, and all things fashion. She is well-educated, has her own very distinct wants and aesthetic, and is the Carrie Bradshaw of her world. She will NOT marry a man unless his name is Ernest. She is Algernon’s cousin.

CECILY: (Female identifying or femme presenting, early 20’s) An imaginative and whimsical young lady who has a fascination with the wicked things in life. Cecily loves to imagine scenarios involving passion and romance and would make a great Instagram influencer if she had access to an iPhone. She is Jack’s ward.

LADY BRACKNELL: (preferably an older drag queen) A very opinionated, dry, and witty woman with little to no patience for chicanery and has high expectations that others will meet her standards. She is snobby and domineering and wishes for her daughter, Gwendolyn, to marry well in their society. She aura-farms a room just by standing there.

MISS PRISM: (Female identifying or femme presenting, early 50’s- early 60’s) Cecily’s austere and rigid governess who is the epitome of “stand up straight young lady”. She greatly respects Jack and his stance in society, often scolding “Ernest” and his wicked ways. Not as strict as Bracknell, she has romantic feelings for the Reverend.

LANE: (Male identifying or masc presenting, 50+) Lane is Algernon’s manservant in the city and is professional, posh, and is unperturbed by his employer’s manners and deceptions. An old queen who’s just sort of over it at this point.

MERRIMAN: (Male identifying or masc presenting, any age) Merriman is Jack’s butler in the country. He is sarcastic and maybe not the best at his job, think Hank Azaria’s character in “The Birdcage”.

REVEREND: (Male identifying or masc presenting, early 50’s-early 60’s) The Reverend is the rector on Jack’s country property and is an absent-minded man with a big ol’ crush on Miss Prism. He bends his own religious Christian rules to make way for what he wants in life, and is a lusty fellow.

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Bloomsday 2027

POSSIBLE Touring Dates (NOT Confirmed): Jun. 6th - 12th

Confirmed Show Date: Jun. 16th

Show Location Chelsea Theatre Works - Chelsea

Rehearsals: Weekends in April

Show Description: Celebrate Dublin’s most famous literary holiday honoring the works of James Joyce. While Bloomsday would traditionally follow “Ulysses” protagonist Leo Bloom, HCE is revamping the story to focus on the other Bloom: Molly. In an original HCE piece, we follow the empathetic and wistful story of Molly Bloom and her life, dreams, and own monologues about her inner and outer world.

MOLLY: (Female identifying or femme presenting, late 20s - 40s) A whimsical, wistful lady with many hopes and dreams. She loves love, and is ready for her very own Hero’s Journey. Someone who can sing a little too - Molly is a professional singer afterall!

STEPHEN: (Male identifying or masculine presenting, 20s - 30s) A deeply intellectual inspiring artist who has faced a lot in his life. It always seems like he is on the precipice of something, and it may just mean meeting Molly Bloom (in this alternate universe).

ENSEMBLE 1: (any age or gender identity) An actor that is able to take on multiple roles as an ensemble member of this production.

ENSEMBLE 2: (any age or gender identity) An actor that is able to take on multiple roles as an ensemble member of this production.

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