BrightSide Theatre
Audition · Lisle
No deadline listed
The role
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). Performers of all races and ethnicities, gender and sexual identities, body types, and abilities are encouraged to attend every audition. Trans and Gender Non-Conforming performers encouraged to audition.
Playing age: around 10 years old
Voice: Soprano
(identifies as female) around 10 years old. 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.
Playing age: around 10 years old
Voice: Treble/Boy Soprano
(identifies as male) around 10 years old. Archibald's sheltered and sickly young son, convinced he will never be well, whose friendship with Mary awakens his confidence, curiosity, and joy.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Baritone
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Tenor
(identifies as male). Martha's warm, free-spirited younger brother, whose remarkable connection with nature and infectious optimism helps Mary bring the secret garden back to life.
This role is already cast.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Soprano
(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
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Mezzo-Soprano
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Baritone
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Tenor
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Mezzo-Soprano
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Tenor
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Soprano
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Tenor
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Alto
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Alto
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Soprano
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Tenor
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Baritone
(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.
Playing age: 18-65+
Voice: Tenor
(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.
Playing age is how old a character appears, which may differ from your own age. Equity is the actors’ union; check each theatre’s eligibility rules. An understudy learns a role to perform when the main actor is unavailable.
The commitment
$175 Stipend
Contract: Non-Equity
Oct 5, 2026 – Oct 5, 2026
In Person Auditions will be on Monday, October 5 6:00pm-9:30pm at BrightSide Theatre’s Rehearsal Studio
Oct 6, 2026 – Oct 6, 2026
Callbacks will be by invitation only on the evening of Tuesday, October 6.
Dec 6, 2026 – Dec 10, 2026
Rehearsals will be evenings from December 6-10
Jan 3, 2027 – Jan 6, 2027
evenings January 3-6. Not all cast is called to each rehearsal.
Jan 7, 2027 – Jan 7, 2027
Dress Rehearsal is the evening of January 7. No rehearsal conflicts will be accepted for Dress Rehearsal or any performances.
Jan 8, 2027 – Jan 17, 2027
Opening 1/8/27; Closing 1/17/27 (Fri/Sat evenings at 7:30pm and Sat/Sun matinees at 2pm – 8 performances total
BrightSide Theatre’s Rehearsal Studio
1989 University Lane, Unit D Lisle
Madden Theatre on the Campus of North Central College
171 Chicago Ave. Naperville
Open the download in your calendar app to add the dates and a reminder the day before.
Get ready
A headshot is a clear photo of you. An acting résumé lists your performance experience and training. A self-tape is a recorded audition video. Sides are the short script excerpts the theatre asks you to perform. Follow this theatre’s specific instructions.
Your next step
Sign up for an audition time at https://signup.com/go/hxLsWET. To apply for this job email your details to info@brightsidetheatre.com. Prepare a 16-bar cut of a legit musical piece that shows off your acting strengths as well as vocal range; an accompanist will be provided; bring your headshot/resume.
Go to the application page →Opens another website. You’ll complete your application with the theatre.
Application email: info@brightsidetheatre.com
We last checked the posting on Sep 22, 2026. The theatre may have updated it since.