photos by Nick Woodward-Shaw
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Gilbert Unified School District seeks Auditorium Manager
Hourly Rate: $23.25 and up depending on experience
Hours Per Day: 8 Per Day
Purpose Statement
The purpose of Manager – Auditorium is technical theater expertise and assistance for campus and community use of the theater; provide a variety of technical work (e.g. running, repairing, maintaining, rigging, etc.) of theatrical equipment and other related work.
Essential Functions
- Assists in the coordination of public needs for use of the auditorium for the purpose of providing the necessary support to theater productions and school/community presentations.
- Maintain the schedule of rehearsals and events in the auditorium.
- Conducts in-service presentations for the purpose of training students and staff on the use of stage and audio visual equipment.
- Assists/or takes a lead in the construction of scenic elements for the purpose of supporting students, instructors and community productions.
- Designs theatrical lighting and sound systems (e.g. Audio systems, specialized audio equipment, digital lighting systems, etc.) For the purpose of providing the necessary support to theater productions.
- Maintains inventory (e.g. requisitions, receives, stores, inventories materials, etc.) for the purpose of providing security for all tools, equipment and supplies in the theater.
- Maintains preventive maintenance of stage and media equipment/furniture for the purpose of ensuring the availability and functioning of the equipment within a safe work area.
- Assists theatre director or technical theatre teacher in the training production support crews/students for the purpose of providing necessary support to theater productions.
- Produces stage support items (e.g. props, special effects, fog, haze, smoke, lighting, etc.) for the purpose of supporting theatre instructor/s, student, and community productions.
- Replaces defective parts/systems, minor repairs, as appropriate, for the purpose of ensuring the availability of equipment in a safe operating condition.
- Runs and/or assists in the running of the lighting and sound consoles for the purpose of supporting technical crew during the staging of events.
- Serves as a resource to all Performing Arts curriculums for the purpose of ensuring the educational program of the District.
- Sets-up Theater and/or audio visual equipment and stage for productions for the purpose of ensuring that school district and client requests are met.
Review Highlights: EVER AFTER - The Phoenix Theatre Company
 |
| Bailee Endebrock, Jason Gotay, and Cast Photo by Brennen Russell |
highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)
Click here for more information on this production that runs through June 14
"The stage musical adaptation of the 1998 Drew Barrymore romantic comedy film Ever After, which is based on the well-known "Cinderella" fairy tale, has been working its way through regional theatre companies for over a decade now, being retooled along the way. After a premiere at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse in 2015 and a stint at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre in 2019, along with a workshop in New York City last year.... may not completely reinvent the familiar "Cinderella" story but it does offer enough fresh touches to its well-known characters and relationships to make the journey feel engaging and enjoyable. The gifted cast, richly realized creative elements, and confident direction in The Phoenix Theatre Company's production all work together to create a theatrical experience that feels both lively and insightful. While the shortcomings in the story may mean this show may not have what it takes for a lengthy Broadway run, I have to imagine it will see a long life with regional theatre productions, because, even though it's a fairly simple, romantic comedy, it's also one elevated by wit, charm, and emotional sincerity." - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)
"There’s always something exciting about a debut show especially a new musical premiering locally that may go on to a long career at theaters throughout the country and perhaps around the world....Kate Wetherhead’s story adaptation adds some pithy, comic, and contemporary references, jokes, and gags that the audience I attended with enjoyed immensely plus a collection of pleasant and melodic songs by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler. It all adds up to a charming tale with no surprises that looks and sounds a lot like several older musicals we rarely see today." -Chris Curcio, Curtain Up Phoenix (click here to read the complete review)
Cast announced for COME FROM AWAY at Almost Famous Theatre Company
The cast plays multiple roles. From top left clockwise:
Leslie Wall Kempton, Miguel Jackson, Katherine Todd, Kirk Thompson, Brianne Gobeski, Lyman Akers, Corielle James, Damon Bolling, LaGina Bevans, Nick Philips, Channing Cooper, Ben Cadriel.
Maybe Stewart announced as new Associate Artistic Director at Order Chaos Theater Company
from our friends at Order Chaos Theater Company:
Order Chaos Theater Company is honored to welcome Maybe Stewart as our new Associate Artistic Director. Maybe brings a bold artistic voice, collaborative spirit, and deep passion for storytelling that aligns beautifully with OCTC’s mission.
We are thrilled to have them joining the OCTC Artistic Team and look forward to this exciting new chapter together.
Click link to learn more about Maybe Stewart https://www.orderchaostheater.org/about-5
Auditions for FOOTLOOSE at AZ ACT announced for June 25
All roles being cast open to high school - adult
Full character list and audition registration at AZACT.org
Music, Staging, & Choreography Rehearsals at AZACT (ALL CAST Called to All Rehearsals)
Monday, July 14th-Friday, July 17th 5:00-9:00 pm
Saturday, July 18th 10:00-2:00 pm
No rehearsal Sunday, July 19th
Monday July 20th-Wednesday, July 22nd 5:00-9:00 pm
Tech and Stage Rehearsal Thursday, July 23rd at NSAA
12:00 pm-4:00 pm (load in, adults only)
4:00 pm-10:00 pm Tech and Stage Rehearsal (Full Cast)
Dress Rehearsal Friday, July 24th at NSAA
4:00-9:00 pm Dress Rehearsal
Show Dates/Times:
Saturday, July 25th at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Sunday, July 26th at 2:00 pm
Friday, July 31st at 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 1st 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
All shows are mandatory for all cast members.
Location:
New School for the Arts and Academics (NSAA)
1216 E. Apache Blvd, Tempe, AZ, 85281
Monday, May 18, 2026
Review Highlights: OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS - Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
 |
| Gary Caswell, Donna Kaufman, Aurora Howard,Martha Welty, Brett Etzel, and Walt Pedano Photo by Mark Gluckman |
highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)
Click here for more information on this production that runs through June 20
"Touching upon the joy and guilt of close family relationships along with the regret that comes when a child grows up and moves away, Over the River and Through the Woods focuses on issues that are familiar and situations that resonate. Don Bluth Front Row Theatre's production has a lovely cast and warm direction that brings this clever and moving dramedy to life with humor and realism...Under Janis Webb's direction, there is a nice balance to the performances. The comical moments shine while the dramatic ones aren't overly melodramatic....a well-cast, charming, and quite moving production of this humorous, nostalgic and sentimental play." - Gil Benbrook, TalkinBroadway.com (click here to read the complete review)
Auditions for Actor's Youth Theatre's Summer Intensive production of SEUSSICAL, JR announced for June 1
Update for our Summer Intensive!
Our production has changed — we are now excited to announce we will be performing Seussical Jr.
Directors: Elise Stoffer & Bruce Goolsby
Music Director: Elise Stoffer
Choreographer: Bruce Goolsby
Stage Manager: Saniya Sapakie
Auditions:
Monday, June 1st | 10:00am–12:00pm
Life Community Church
717 W Ray Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85233
Prepare:
One 32-bar cut or 60 seconds of a song in the style of the show
Sign up for an audition time:
Required audition form (must be completed before auditions):
Video auditions (if needed):
Due by Sunday, May 31st at 12:00pm
Email: boxoffice@aytaz.org
Subject: Seussical Jr auditions: [performer name]
Rehearsals: June 3–17 (weekday daytime schedule)
Performances: June 18–26 (multiple showtimes)
Production fee: $250 due at first rehearsal
Parent commitment: 5 volunteer hours pre-production + 5 during the run (or $75 buyout per 5-hour block)
All rehearsals & performances at Life Community Church
ALL auditioners must complete BOTH the SignUpGenius AND Google Form prior to auditions.
We can’t wait to see you bring this story to life!
Greasepaint Youth Theatre's 2026/2027 Season!
Once Upon A One More Time
Sep 11-20, 2026
Powered by the chart-topping hits of the undisputed Princess of Pop, Once Upon A One More Time turns our favorite fairytales upside down with a clever twist! When a fairy godmother goes rogue and plops copies of The Feminine Mystique in the laps of classic heroines, the damsels embark on a quest to rewrite their stories and redefine “happily ever after.”
The Lightning Thief – The Percy Jackson Musical
Oct 23 - Nov 1, 2026
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed rock musical adaptation of Rick Riordan’s bestselling novel. It follows teenager Percy Jackson, who discovers he is a demigod son of Poseidon and accused of stealing Zeus’s master lightning bolt. Percy must quest across America with friends to prevent a war among the gods.
Annie Jr.
Dec 4-13, 2026
Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, with a beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, Annie JR.features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure.
Shrek The Musical Jr.
Feb 12-21, 2027
Beauty is in the eye of the ogre in Shrek The Musical JR., based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film and fantastic Broadway musical. It’s a “big bright beautiful world” as everyone’s favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family.
Chicago Teen Edition
Apr 30 - May 9, 2027
In “Roaring Twenties” Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband, Amos, to take the rap… until he finds out he’s been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another “Merry Murderess,” Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the “American Dream”: fame, fortune, and acquittal.
Your first look at EVER AFTER at the Phoenix Theatre Company
photos by Brennen Russell or Bailey Crawford
Auditions for WHISPERS IN THE DARK, RICHARD III, and AMADEUS at Southwest Shakespeare Company announced for May 30
AUDITIONS ANNOUNCED FOR BEGINNING OF OUR 2026-2027 SEASON
AUDITIONS ANNOUNCED FOR WHISPERS IN THE DARK, RICHARD III and AMADEUS
WHEN: May 30, 2026.
WHERE: Mesa Arts Center 2nd floor - 1 E Main St in Mesa
SCHEDULE YOUR AUDITION TODAY: COMPLETE THIS FORM
PREPARE: a 1-minute Classical monologue. You may prepare a bonus 1 min modern monologue but it is not required
ABOUT WHISPERS IN THE DARK:
Rehearsals for Whispers in The Dark start SEPT, 2026, and the production performs in the Nesbit-Elliot Playhouse and runs in Repertory with Richard III. Public Performances OCT 18 & 25th with weekday student matinees on October 14, 15, 20th, and 23rd 2026 at 10am.
The show features Edgar Allen Poe taking us on a journey through his stories.
Casting:
Edgar Allen Poe - Narrator, The Raven, Annabelle-Lee
Actor 2 Cask of Amontillado
Actor 3 The Tell Tale Heart
Actor 4 The Pit and The Pendulum
Actor 5 The Black Cat
ABOUT RICHARD III:
Rehearsals begin SEPT 7th, 2026 and the production performs in the Nesbit-Elliot Playhouse and runs in repertory with Whispers In The Dark. Public Performances OCT 10-24 with weekday matinees on Oct 13, 16 & 21 at 10am.
A classical play by Shakespeare featuring a would-be King murdering his way to the top.
Casting:
The part of Richard III has been cast.
Looking for 11 actors of all types to play various roles in the show.
ABOUT AMADEUS by Peter Shaffer
Rehearsals begin Oct, 2026 and the production performs in the Farnsworth Studio. Public Performances November 14-29 with possible matinees at 10am 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25.
In the court of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, Antonio Salieri is the established composer. Enter the greatest musical genius of all time: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri has given himself to God so that he might realize his sole ambition, to be a great composer. Mozart is a foul-mouthed, graceless oaf who has that which is beyond Salieri’s envious grasp: genius.
Casting:
Antonio Salieri
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Looking for 8-10 additional actors of all types to fill the rest of the cast.
Callbacks for all shows: May 31st As Needed
FAQ:
WILL YOU CONSIDER EQUITY SUBMISSIONS?
No
ARE ALL ROLES PAID?
Yes.
IF WE CANNOT MAKE THE IN-PERSON AUDITION CAN WE SUBMIT VIRTUALLY?
Yes. Submit by 10PM May 30th, 2026.
Subject: LASTName Audition
Include Video Link, Headshot, Resume and Conflicts
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? info@swshakespeare.org
WEEK AT A GLANCE: May 18-May 24, 2026
Click on any show title to get more information on that production
LIMITED RUN:
OPENING:
STILL PLAYING:
Sunday, May 17, 2026
PEPPERMINT BEEHIVE - Space 55 - May 22-31, 2026
Space55 Closes Our 20th Season With A Play About Puppets, Punks In Love, and the Gentrification of Downtown Phoenix
Space55 is proud to close our 20th season of programming with a show that harkens back to our rowdy
late night shows when we were still on 7th St. and Pierce. Directed by Dennis Frederick and written by Zoni Award-winning playwright Ashley Naftule, Peppermint Beehive is a play about punks in love, puppets, and the gentrification of downtown. The lovechild of a menage a trois between Lewis Carroll, John Waters, and Betty Boop, Peppermint Beehive is an absurdist dark comedy about what happens when a neighborhood full of weirdos, queer lovers, and bohemian dreamers crosses paths with the implacable iceberg of capitalism.
Before you ask “hey, so, is this play about Roosevelt Row”— yes, yes it is. It’s real “I know writers who use subtext and they’re all cowards” Gareth Marengi hours over here.
Starring Sarafina Starling, Ashley Belle Vasquez, Madeleine Miller, Logan Watters, Marcella Grassa, Rick Larsen, Angela Gonzalez, and Tommy Cannon,
Peppermint Beehive plays at Metro Arts (1700 N. 7th Ave, Phoenix) from May 22 to 31st. Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be a matinee performance on Saturday, May 23, at 2pm and a Pay What You Want performance on Thursday, May 28, at 7:30 p.m.
Please note: while there are puppets in this (designed by Amy Carpenter), this is NOT a kid’s show. There is strong adult language and content in this play. Please leave your kiddos at home or be prepared to have some… interesting conversations after the show.
Plot Summary:
For Rikki Richman, life is a hamster wheel of soul-deadening office shifts, go-nowhere phone calls to her landlord, listless nights swiping left on dating profiles, and being constantly harassed by her too helpful A.I. assistant. A chance encounter with Jamie Dayglo, a bewitching stranger at a punk show with a magical candy-festooned hairdo, sends Rikki down the rabbit hole to Rushmore Street, a grubby yet vibrant neighborhood of artists, puppets, goblins, and mimes. Everything is fun and games until a maniac cop and a pair of corporate sharks from Rikki’s work smell blood in the water, and Rushmore Street suddenly finds itself on the receiving end of a gentrification feeding frenzy. Can Rikki, Jamie, and the Rushmore Street bohemians beat back the tides of “progress” or will everything they know and love be transformed into a combination craft bar/Chipotle?
For more than 20 years Space55 has been a fixture in Phoenix’s performing arts and theater scenes, staging plays by acclaimed writers like Greg Kotis, Ann Washburn, and Kim Porter; hosting late night
stand-up comedy shows, storytelling events, and puppet shows; and scandalizing audiences with our notorious 7 Minutes In Heaven variety show.
Art by Dain Quentin Gore
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)