Upcoming Auditions:

Harry & the Thief: August 8th, 2026
Stay tuned for details!
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Harry & the Thief by Sigrid Gilmer
Directed by Lisa Gaye Dixon
Runs October 22–November 1, 2026

Auditions: Saturday, August 8th, 11am–4pm
Audition Form & Audition Signup (both required)
Where: The Station Theatre, 223 N. Broadway, Urbana, IL
Callbacks: TBD
Questions? Email StationTheatreCU@gmail.com - reach out if you would like to read a copy of the script before auditions.

About the Play
Harry & the Thief is a genre-bending comedy that jumps between Harriet Tubman's fight for freedom in the 1850s and a present-day scheme to arm her with 21st-century weapons and rewrite history. Playwright Sigrid Gilmer skewers both antebellum plantation mythology and revolutionary fantasy with equal, gleeful irreverence, all wrapped in the swagger of an action movie and the camp of a civil war epic. Expect anachronism, direct address, and a script that is unafraid to go for the joke even in its darkest moments.

We are casting 3 Black men, 4 Black women, 2 white men, and 1 actor of any race or gender to play Anita, plus understudies.

NOTE: Because character descriptions are pulled directly from the script, the language below includes racial slurs used in the original text by playwright Sigrid Gilmer, including in Maddox's description. We're including it as written so you know exactly what you're auditioning for.

To Audition: You will be asked to perform readings from the script at the audition, no monologue prep required. Please review the sides and character descriptions below before auditioning. Slots will be mostly duo readings, with some solo slots for major characters. You may be asked to read for multiple roles, and to work on a scene with a scene partner or take direction before performing it again. The Station Theatre strives to make our productions open to all levels of actors regardless of experience, and works hard to make the audition experience a fun and relaxed one.

Audition sides: available soon on the link tree, check back closer to auditions.

Character Descriptions:
ANITA. She maybe History. She maybe God. She is most definitely the narrator. She is not black. She is not white. She is not male. She is not female. She is in drag. She is kind of a bitch.
MIMI (Black woman). Professional thief. Time traveler. Black girl.
HARRY (Black woman). Harriet Tubman. Her people call her Moses. She's very black. She has a scar on her forehead. She wears a bandana.
JEREMY (Black man). Big Black Queen. Mad Scientist. Revolutionary. Full Figured.
VIVIAN (Black woman). Twin of Knox. Very cute. Very pissed off. She has a baby.
KNOX (Black man). Twin of Vivian. He wants to be a cowboy.
SHILO (Black woman). The Cook. Miss Mary Sunshine with an axe behind her back.
MADDOX (Black man). Head Nigger in Charge. Roscoe Lee Brown and John Gielgud's love child.
ORRY MAIN SCARLET (white man). Slave Owner. It's good to be the king. He has a charming southern accent. Handsome.
OVERSEER JONES (white man). He's in love. He looks intimidating.

The Voices of Ronnie, Bobbie, Ricky, and Mike are played by Knox, Maddox, Jones, and Orry respectively, no separate casting needed.

Understudies: We hope to cast understudies for this production. Details on the number of understudy roles and required rehearsal attendance TBD, more information to come.

Note on Rehearsals: Rehearsals will begin mid-August, shortly after auditions. Full schedule TBD.

Conflicts: Please list all known conflicts on your audition form.

Code of Conduct
Everyone auditioning will need to read and sign The Station Theatre Code of Conduct.
https://forms.gle/93Sfh5YesUcXccvWA

Can't Make It?
If you are unable to attend auditions on August 8th but are interested in auditioning, please reach out before August 6th to arrange a video audition. Email StationTheatreCU@gmail.com.