AUDITION NOTICE

Citadel Theatre’s Production of

The Comeback

By Trish Cooper and Sam Vint
Directed by Eric Coates
Shoctor Theatre at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, AB

This is a co-production between Citadel Theatre and The National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre. Work at the Citadel will be contracted as a Revival. Equity and PACT are currently in arbitration regarding the correct application of Joint Production and Revival contracts.

When Jesse and Adam fall in love, life speeds up fast. An unexpected pregnancy brings two families together, Métis and settler, creating big laughs, surfacing buried history, and revealing plenty of heart. Adam’s family is loud, loving, and shaped by generations of historical injustice, while Adam searches for his own voice. When he turns to playwriting, everything comes to the surface. Inspired by stories from the playwrights’ own lives, this smart, funny, and deeply human comedy celebrates love, identity, and the beautiful chaos of family.

NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE INDIGENOUS THEATRE (OTTAWA) CONTRACT DATES:

Rehearsal Starts: Monday, November 2, 2026
Preview: Thursday, November 26, 2026
Opening: Friday, November 27, 2026
Closing: Saturday, December 5, 2026

CITADEL (EDMONTON) CONTRACT DATES:

Rehearsal Starts: Friday, March 19, 2027
First preview: Saturday, March 27, 2027
Opening: Thursday, April 1, 2027
Closing: Sunday, April 18, 2027

AUDITION INFORMATION

AUDITIONS IN EDMONTON: April 21 & 22, 2026

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE FOR AUDITIONS:

• We are currently only considering submissions from Edmonton-based actors.
• All submissions should include ONE PDF FILE including both Headshot and Resume.
• Submissions should be emailed to auditions@citadeltheatre.com. Please write “The Comeback Audition” in the subject line and specify the role you are interested in (and any other details) in the body of the email.
• Audition materials will be made available to selected Artists.
• THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR EDMONTON IS APRIL 14, 2026, 5:00pm MST

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

The pronouns and ages listed are descriptions of the characters. Actors are welcome to submit for any roles of interest. Actors must be 18+ years old to submit.  

Please note: the roles of Adam, Ben, Danielle and Leona have been cast.

Lynn (she/her; Metis, 60s)

Adam’s mother. Tough and uncompromising woman who was taken from her childhood home and raised in an abusive foster care setting. She has not forgiven her own mother for allowing this to happen and she refuses to have any contact with her to this day. Lynn is a fearsome matriarch of her immediate family and her brusque manner often leads to unexpected confrontation, regardless of the situation. She speaks her mind without concern for social niceties. Lurking beneath the gruff exterior is a wicked sense of humour and a gigantic capacity to love and protect her family.

Jesse (She/Her. White. 30s)

An energetic and adventurous woman who has fallen into a fast-moving romance with the play’s narrator, Adam. Jesse is affable and eager to embrace Adam’s family and its complex history. She works hard to learn as much as she can, but is regularly frustrated by the chaos of a large extended family and its impact on her life as a partner and as a mother. She is assertive, funny, and devoted to her family. A strong singing voice for a family sing-a-long is an asset.

Carol (She/Her. White. 60s)

Jesse’s mom. Carol is an outgoing and good-natured woman who operates with a strong sense of conventional social etiquette. She is smart, but sometimes appears naive, which is more of a social behavior rather than any deficiency. When confronted, she is not afraid to push back. Despite the complexity of the family dynamic, she is determined to play an active and positive role. A strong singing voice for a family sing-a-long is an asset.

Bear (he/him; Indigenous; 60s -70s)

The consummate family clown. He is Leona’s partner and he rides shotgun wherever she goes. He is wide open to the universe and embraces any situation like he is meant to be there, regardless of the context. He is funny without ever trying to be witty – he simply makes observations that others might keep to themselves. Like Leona, he adores the family and is adored in return.

Wilbur (he/him; Indigenous; 60s-70s – doubles with the character of Bear)

A highly respected elder who conducts a naming ceremony for the family. He is simultaneously rigid and elastic in his approach to ceremony. He adheres to protocol with great respect, but maintains a sense of humour and lightness, particularly when dealing directly with younger people.

WORKING WITH THE CITADEL THEATRE

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Statement

We wish to acknowledge that the land on which we live and work is Treaty No. 6 territory and a traditional meeting ground and home of the First Nations, including the treaty signatories – Cree, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Stony and Cree-Iroquois – as well as other Indigenous peoples, such as the Blackfoot and Métis. We extend our appreciation for the opportunity to live, create and perform on this territory.
The Citadel Theatre is in the heart of amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, AB), and we are proud to call Treaty 6 territory home. As a regional theatre, it is integral that we ensure that the stories we tell, as well as the composition of our artists, board, staff, students, and audience are reflective of the diverse lived experiences in this dynamic city.

We encourage submissions from professional artists who self-identify as members of under-represented communities. For more on Citadel Theatre’s Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity commitments, please visit the link below.

If there are any potential barriers (language, disability, or any other considerations) preventing you from applying to audition please let us know and we will work with you to overcome them.

Accessibility: Citadel Theatre’s rehearsal facilities are accessible. Our building is equipped with elevators and numerous accessible washrooms. The Shoctor Theatre stage and backstage are accessible to artists that have mobility access needs; the backstage area includes elevator access, accessible washrooms (including roll in showers), and an accessible dressing room. Please let us know if you have any questions about the physical layout of our spaces, or other access needs. For more information, please visit the link below.

Contact Name: Wayne Paquette
Contact Email Address: auditions@citadeltheatre.com

WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE INDIGENOUS THEATRE

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism & Accessibility Statement

The National Arts Centre operates on the traditional, unceded territories of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation, and honours their cultural traditions and practices. The NAC also wishes to honour the culture of the artists it invites to create and perform on this land. We welcome requests for any culturally specific needs or requirements that are part of an Artist’s and/or Company’s work or process, such as smudging, welcome or blessings from Elders, and/or other cultural practices.

We at the National Arts Centre believe in the necessity to embrace diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, as well as creating a welcoming and respectful space for everyone. We envision a vibrant, renewed performing arts ecosystem that includes a wider spectrum of stories, cultures, and artists.

In order to realize this vision, the NAC has created its first-ever three-year Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDIAR) 2023-2026 Action Plan, outlined below.
The Plan is based on qualitative data gathered through employee surveys, employee focus group discussions and consultations, as well as one-on-one interviews with stakeholders. The document provides a list of 29 concrete actions to be implemented by NAC employees with the leadership and commitments of its Senior Management team to create inclusive working environments while overcoming all barriers, including administrative policies and processes.

The EDIAR Plan seeks to transform the organizational culture, build internal capacity, attract more diverse talent and develop diverse partnerships. We have adopted a collaborative approach that acknowledges the distinct nature and unique lived experiences, perspectives, and viewpoints in a way that will strengthen the Centre’s ability to create and deliver the best value to artists, audiences, partners, and other stakeholders.

• The NAC EDI and Anti-Racism Action Plan has three primary internal goals:
  To foster an environment that attracts the best talent, practices inclusivity, values diversity of life experiences and perspectives, and encourages innovation in pursuit of the organization’s vision.
• To build a diversity-rich culture that values belonging, and in which everyone can strive and realize their full potential.
• To ensure that all employees feel valued, included, and empowered to do their best work.

Most importantly, the NAC’s EDIAR Action Plan aims to be people-centric, holistic, and flexible, with a strong focus on co-development.
Oversight for this Plan, which is an evolving document, is the responsibility of the NAC’s President and CEO, and its Senior Management team.

The National Arts Centre provides details about our accessibility policies and procedures, as well as accessible services and facilities available at the NAC, on our Accessibility page https://nac-cna.ca/en/visit/accessibility. The Accessibility page includes a link to our Accessibility Policy, which describes information related to NAC policies regarding service animals, support persons, assistive devices, and how to provide accessibility feedback and accommodation requests. For details, please go to https://nac-cna.ca/en/legal/accessibility-policy or contact us for a copy of our Accessibility Policy in alternate formats, available upon request.

For more audition information, please visit: https://citadeltheatre.com/artists/auditions/

Contact Name: Wayne Paquette

Contact Email Address: auditions@citadeltheatre.com