RENT AUDITIONS

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Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Winner of three Tony Awards, including best musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize, Rent shaped a generation of audiences and taught us all to measure our life in love.

An information session will be held on Tuesday, December 3rd at 7pm.

This is a great chance to meet the team, hear their ideas and how they work, get some tips on

how to have a successful audition and ask lots of questions.

The session will be done in a hybrid format. For those wishing to attend in person the session

will be held at the SMT Rehearsal Unit, 51 Estate Drive, Toronto, ON (Markham & 401 area).

For those who wish to join virtually via Zoom please use the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86499032377?pwd=rImMklUx4TbG1RYXbY7H4EO3Ip9jWy.1

May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15 and 16, 2025 at 8pm and May 4, 11 and 17, 2025 at 2pm

Additional performances may be added on May 3 (2pm), 7 (8pm), 10 (2pm) and/or 14 (8pm).

Extra shows being added will be confirmed by April 1st at the latest.

Cast members must be available for ALL performances. 

Venue: Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Rd (NE corner of Kingston & Markham)

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Friday, January 10, 2025 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Saturday, January 11, 2025 from 10 am - 5 pm  

Saturday, January 18, 2024 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm 

SMT’s Unit, The Estate — 51 Estate Drive, Scarborough, ON.

Rehearsals will begin on Monday, February 24, 2025 and continue:

Sundays 12:00 to 6:00 pm

Mondays and Wednesdays 7:00 to 10:30 pm

Please note there may be extra rehearsals for the leads prior to February 23 if your schedule

permits.

Please be sure to include any conflicts during this time on your audition sheet.

Additional or longer rehearsals will be held once the production has moved to the theatre.

Rehearsals at the theatre are as follows (dates/times may be adjusted):

Sitzprobe: Date and time to be announced

Move-in: April 20, 2025 9:00am – 9:00pm (Easter Sunday)

Sound Rehearsal: April 23, 2025 from 6:30 – 11:00 pm

Q2Q Technical Rehearsal: April 27, 2025 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

Technical Dress Rehearsal: April 28, 2025 6:30 – 11:00 pm

Dress Rehearsal with Orchestra: April 29, 2025 6:30 – 11:00 pm

Final Dress Rehearsal with Orchestra: April 30, 2025 6:30 – 11:00 pm

Post Show Unit Clean Up: May 24, 2025 - 10:00am - 4:00 pm

Music

Please prepare two 30 second to 1 min selections from two upbeat rock or pop songs in the

style of the show.

Please keeping in mind the following:

1. We will only hear one song – however have a second song available as a back-up choice should we want to hear something different.
2. Songs should showcase your vocal range and storytelling ability. Show us who you are!
3. You will receive redirects of your song so please make sure you are really comfortable with it. Your song should be memorized.
4. We may cut off the songs or we may ask you to stop mid-song, give you a re-direct, and ask you to continue.

Please help the pianist to help you!

Make sure your sheet music is:

• In the proper key for the pianist
• Hole punched and placed in a binder
• Preferably double sided
• Clearly marked for the accompanist with any cuts or repeats
• Please refrain from taping together sheets of music or bringing single loose sheets of music.

Dance

There will be a dance call held halfway through each audition session. On January 7th and 10th, it will be at 8:30 pm and on January 11th at 11:00 am or 3:00 pm depending on your audition time. You must attend the session on the day of your audition so be prepared to come early or stay later depending on the timing of your audition.

Please wear comfortable clothes and enjoy yourself. That counts as much as whether you get the

steps!

Online Form

Once you book an audition you will be sent a link to our online audition form. Please make

sure to fill this out as soon as possible.

As part of the form you will be asked to provide a full list of conflicts. Be as thorough as you can,

especially around March Break and Easter. BE ADVISED THAT WE MOVE IN ON EASTER SUNDAY. If there are changes in conflicts during the audition process, please inform the producers, or bring an updated list to the audition and/or call backs.

The information provided will be used when creating the rehearsal schedule. Adding more or

significant conflicts after casting may result in removal from the show.

Should you receive a callback, please assume you will need to be there for the entire session. We will provide a schedule for the session. Once you have been released you are welcome to stay to watch the rest of the callback.

Those called back will be asked to prepare specific musical selections from the show. These will be sent along with callback notifications.

Callback material does not need to be memorized but you should be familiar enough with it that you can connect with any scene partners and the “audience” in the room.

Please note - though we will try, we may not be able to accommodate all conflicts for call-backs.

To book an audition, contact auditions@smt-theatre.com. Please indicate your preference of audition date/time.

Casting Notes

Please note that age ranges given in the descriptions indicate perceived appearance on stage as

opposed to the actor's chronological age. These are just guidelines. We are open to diverse casting

and all roles are open to consideration regardless of background, ethnicity or sexual/gender orientation. Important Note: All roles require strong rock/pop vocalists.

Physicality Codes Legend

C = basic physical contact like shaking hands, arm-in-arm and partner dancing   

D = a dance role   E = embracing    F = fight choreography     K = kissing

L = weight bearing, lifting, or being lifted      SI = staged intimacy 

Roles Available

Roger Davis

A musician/singer-songwriter who is a recovering drug addict living with HIV. Roger longs for

connection and meaning through his music. He is roommates with Mark in an abandoned loft space.

He is reminiscent of a young Kurt Cobain. Note: The role requires live, onstage guitar playing.

Age: 20-25 Gender: Male Physicality Codes: C, E

Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: F2

Mark Cohen

A filmmaker and video artist who constantly seeks validation. In his struggles to find his place in the

world, he often finds himself on the outside looking in. A typical young artist, a bit of a nerd, and

roommates with Roger.

Age: 20-25 Gender: Male Physicality Codes: C, E, K

Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: A2

Tom Collins

A professor of technology at NYU who is grounded in anarchy and liberation. A nurturer with a

smooth disposition. Tom used to be a roommate in the loft with Mark and Roger. He is also living with

HIV.

Age: 25-35 Gender: Male Physicality Codes: C, E, K

Vocal range top: A4 Vocal range bottom: F#2

Benjamin Coffin III

Mark and Roger's landlord and former roommate. Benny traded in his personal morals for power and

wealth. In spite of being seen as a sell out, Benny longs to know who he is and where he fits in his

community.

Age: 25-35 Gender: Male Physicality Codes: C, E

Vocal range top: F#4 Vocal range bottom: Bb2

Angel Dumott Schunard

An eccentric HIV-positive street drummer. A drag queen with an incredible gift of dance and a

magnetic personality. Angel is magnetic and rooted in living for the moment, and is the heart of the

piece. He becomes Tom's lover. Note: Strong falsetto required.

Age: 20-30 Gender: Male Physicality Codes: C

Vocal range top: Bb4 Vocal range bottom: C3

Joanne Jefferson

A public interest lawyer who always fights for the underdog. As an out and proud lesbian, she

demands her own liberation. She is smart, purposeful, and grounded. Carries on a tumultuous

relationship with Maureen.

Age: 25-40 Gender: Female Physicality Codes: C, E

Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: G3

Mimi Marquez

A dancer and sex worker, Mimi is a drug addict who is living with HIV. A young woman on a journey to find who she is and what she is fighting for. Living in the same building as Roger and Mark, Mimi

meets the friend group through her unexpected romantic connection to Roger.

Age: 19-25 Gender: Female Physicality Codes: C

Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: Eb3

Maureen Johnson

An unpredictably zany performance artist. Maureen is full of well-intended passion and anarchist

energies which she pours into her art. Former roommate of Roger, Mark, Collins and Benny. Recently dumped Mark for Joanne. Oozes sexuality.

Age: 20-25 Gender: Female Physicality Codes: C

Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: C4

Ensemble

8-10 ensemble members to portray: The Homeless, Junkies, Parents, Support Group, etc. Many

featured moments and solos available. Character doubling is also expected. SATB vocals.

Age: 20-30 Gender: Any Physicality Codes: C