Festival 56, a professional non-equity summer theater in Princeton, Illinois (located 2 hours southwest of Chicago) announces auditions for their resident summer acting company.
Our 2026 season includes:
- Ring of Fire
- You Can’t Take it With You
- The Bridges of Madison County
- Anastasia
- Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors (Free Shakespeare in the park)
- In addition, 4 cabaret performances throughout the summer
Performers of all ethnicities, physical types, gender identities, ages 18+ are encouraged to audition.
Contract dates range between June 8-August 10.
Pay Range: $1,100 – $2,400 stipend for entire length of contract for out-of-town professional actors. Travel reimbursement of up to $250. Housing provided for out-of-town actors. Discount cards to local businesses, restaurants, & shops.
Video Submission: accepting until February 27th, 2026.
- 16-32 bars of a musical theatre song (music from within the season is welcome)
- 1 minute of a Shakespeare monologue (verse preferred)
- Please upload your video to an unlisted Youtube link. Any other format will not be accepted.
- Email to: Festival56casting@gmail.com
Chicago Auditions: Monday February 9th – The Fine Arts Building (410 S. Michigan Ave. 8th floor) All appointments are full, walk-ins will be seen if time permits.
Princeton Local Auditions: for actors local to the Princeton area. Please note these are unpaid positions and no housing is provided. Audition date will take place in March, and will be announced soon.
Backstage / Technical Positions: Please email Festival56casting@gmail.com if you are interested in backstage and technical theatre positions.
These roles include:
- Carpenters
- Scenic Artists / Paint Charge
- Lighting and Sound Technicians
- Costume shop assistants and stitchers
- Box Office
We gladly accept volunteers in the Princeton area who have enthusiasm and interest in any of these disciplines to help make our 2026 season a great one!