Assassins Auditions

Directed by Jonathan Infante
Music Director: Sarah Wybaczynsky
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Synopsis:
Assassins weaves together the stories of nine men and women who attempted or succeeded in killing an American president — from John Wilkes Booth to John Hinckley Jr. — into a darkly comic, deeply unsettling meditation on the American Dream. Sondheim's score is among his most daring and eclectic, traversing country, gospel, pop, and folk.
About the production:
Southgate Productions is thrilled to announce open auditions for its upcoming production of Assassins, which will feature an award-winning design team bringing an original and visually striking concept to this American classic. Directed by Jonathan Infante, this boldly conceived production will challenge, provoke, and electrify audiences at the Curtis Theater.
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***IMPORTANT DATES***
AUDITIONS
* Monday, August 17th and Tuesday, August 18th from 6:30-10:30 PM at the Curtis Theatre
* This audition is walk-up only. We will not be accepting any sign-ins past 9:45 PM.
* Please prepare a short cut (16–32 bars) of a contemporary musical theatre song in the style of the show. Think character-driven, dark, or satirical repertoire — Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Jason Robert Brown, or similar.
* An accompanist will be provided. Please bring sheet music in your key.
* We will not be accepting video submissions for this production.
CALLBACKS
* Wednesday, August 19th from 6:30-10:30 PM at the Curtis Theatre
* Callbacks are by invitation only.
* Sides will be provided at general auditions.
REHEARSALS
* September 7th through October 1st in Brea, CA
* Mondays through Thursdays, Evenings (Time TBD)
* Some Saturdays from 10 AM - 6 PM (Dates TBD)
* Tech: October 4 - 8, 2026, Evenings (Time TBD)
PERFORMANCES
* October 9th through 18th at the Curtis Theatre
* Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM
* Sundays at 3:00 PM
* No conflicts with show dates.
All dates and times listed above are subject to change with advance notice.
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***CASTING***
Southgate Productions is committed to inclusive and equitable casting, and all are welcome at our auditions. All roles are open.
Actors ages 18 and older of all races, gender identities, body types, abilities, voice types, and movement backgrounds are strongly encouraged to audition.
* This production is non-union.
* Each performer will be provided a stipend based on role.

Character Breakdown:
JOHN WILKES BOOTH — Assassin of Lincoln | Late 20s–30s
Vocal range: Baritone
Charismatic, theatrical, and ideological. Assassinated Lincoln and serves as the dark spiritual center of the show — the one who recruits and inspires the others across time.
CHARLES GUITEAU — Assassin of Garfield | 30s–40s
Vocal range: Tenor / High baritone
Delusional, manic, evangelical. A failed preacher and office-seeker who believes God ordained him to K*ll Garfield. "The Ballad of Guiteau" lets him dance gleefully to his own execution.
LEON CZOLGOSZ — Assassin of McKinley | Mid 20s–30s
Vocal range: Baritone
Quiet, earnest, and radicalized. An immigrant factory worker who sees McKinley as a symbol of capitalist oppression. More sympathetic than the others — haunted rather than gleeful.
GIUSEPPE ZANGARA — Attempted assassin of FDR | 30s
Vocal range: Tenor / Lyric baritone
Volatile, stomach-clutching, barely English-speaking. Motivated less by ideology than by persistent physical pain and bitter class resentment. Almost comically frustrated by his own failure.
SAMUEL BYCK — Attempted assassin of Nixon | 40s–50s
Vocal range: Baritone (spoken-heavy)
A failed salesman in a Santa suit, recording cassette tapes to Leonard Bernstein. He's blubbering, furious, and pathetic — the show's most unfiltered portrait of alienation and humiliation.
LYNETTE "SQUEAKY" FROMME — Attempted assassin of Ford | Late 20s–30s
Vocal range: Mezzo-soprano / Belter
A devoted Manson Family member, sweetly deranged and utterly sincere. She sees Manson — and her assassination attempt — as an act of love. Her scenes with Sara Jane Moore are darkly comedic.
SARA JANE MOORE — Attempted assassin of Ford | 40s
Vocal range: Mezzo-soprano / Alto
Neurotic, scattered, and desperate for belonging. A suburban housewife radicalized almost accidentally. She's more relatable than she should be — and that's the point.
JOHN HINCKLEY JR. — Attempted assassin of Reagan | 20s
Vocal range: Tenor
Soft-spoken, lovesick, obsessed with Jodie Foster and Taxi Driver. His duet with Fromme — two romantics comparing celebrity crushes — is one of the most unsettling numbers in the score.
THE BALLADEER / LEE HARVEY OSWALD — Narrator / Oswald | 20s–30s
Vocal range: Tenor / High baritone
A folksy, optimistic narrator who guides us through the show — until the final scene, where the role fuses with Oswald. The pivot is the show's central dramatic act. Requires both musical range and dramatic chops.
THE PROPRIETOR — Carnival barker / framing device | Any
Vocal range: Baritone / Bass-baritone
Opens the show at the shooting gallery, handing out guns. A showman archetype who frames the whole piece as entertainment — and implicates the audience. Often doubled or given strong physical presence.
EMMA GOLDMAN — Anarchist agitator (historical figure) | 30s–50s
Vocal range: Mezzo-soprano / Spoken
Appears primarily in Czolgosz's scenes — a passionate, idealistic presence who inadvertently lights the fuse. Often played with both magnetism and melancholy.
DAVID HEROLD — Booth's co-conspirator | Teens–early 20s
Vocal range: Tenor / Light baritone
Young, naive, and utterly devoted to Booth. He follows more out of hero worship than ideology, making him one of the more tragic figures — a boy who didn't fully understand what he'd gotten into.
ADDITIONAL ENSEMBLE — 20's - 50's
Vocal range: SATB
An additional 5-6 ensemble members will fill in the cast.