The Sins of Sor Juana
Audition Information:
Saturday, Aug. 23, from 2-5 p.m.
Studio Theatre - D40 in the Stan State Theatre Department
- Call-Backs will be invitation-only as needed and will be held Sunday, Aug. 24, 6-9 p.m.
- While students receive priority in casting, alumni and members of the community are welcome and encouraged to audition. Actors may be cast as more than one role in this show.
- Please prepare a one-minute contemporary monologue.
- Sides will be provided at Call-Backs.
- Rehearsals begin Aug. 26 and will be generally held Sunday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. until Tech week.
- Performances are Sept. 26, 27, 28, and Oct. 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Synopsis:
- This play follows the renowned Mexican poet, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, as she struggles in her intellectual pursuits in 17th Century Mexico. We watch Sor Juana reevaluate her experiences that lead her to where she is in life as she is pulled between her want for love and affection and her desire for scholarship, all while defying societal and religious pressure.
Character Breakdown:
- SOR JUANA - Female - A talented writer and intellectual nun who used to be a part of the Viceroy's court.
- XOCHITL [SO-cheel] - Female - Juana's maid in court. Her name means “Flower” in Náhuatl, and she is full-blooded Mexican Aztec.
- SOR FILOTHEA - Female - Mother Superior of the convent. A woman who embodies more traditional ideals.
- SOR SARA - Female - A nun who is envious of Juana.
- PADRE NÚÑEZ - Male - The confessor of the convent and a person of authority within the church.
- VICERINE - Female - The wife of the Viceroy, who has taken Juana under her wing in court and is extremely fond of her.
- VICEROY - Male - The temporary ruler of New Spain who was appointed for a six year term by the King of Spain. He is disturbed by his wife's affection towards Juana.
- PEDRO - Male - The Viceroy's valet, who has been spurned by Juana.
- SILVIO - Male - An educated thief, who is hired to seduce and humiliate Juana.
- THE NOVICE - Female - A young and impressionable nun named Maria.
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Audition Information:
Monday, Aug. 25 starting at 6 p.m.
Studio Theatre - D40 in the Stan State Theatre Department
- Please see below to sign up for a slot)
- Callbacks: Aug 26, as needed
- Performance Dates: Dec. 2-7, 2025
Audition Requirements
- Prepare a 1-minute monologue from the 21st century.
- Prepare 1-2 minutes of a song—ANY song —that fully inhabits your best voice, demonstrating: range (how high and low you sing), color (expressiveness), nuance (volume contrast), and musicality (phrasing and style). You may offer more than one song, but we may choose to only hear one.
About the Show
- Based on a slice of Tolstoy's War and Peace, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 is a vibrant, genre-bending musical that blends Russian folk, classical, indie rock, and electronic music to tell a sprawling love story set against the backdrop of 19th-century Moscow.
- This production will transform our theatre into a “found space” environment, treating the house and stage as integral parts of the world for a troupe of actors to tell the story. Audiences will be seated both in traditional seating and on stage, immersed within the action.
Principal Roles
(10 roles: 5 men / 5 women. Vocal ranges based on licensing info and industry standard.)
- Natasha Rostova (Soprano, G3–D6): A young, romantic Russian countess on the brink of adulthood.
- Pierre Bezukhov (Baritenor, G2–G4): A wealthy but disillusioned aristocrat seeking meaning.
- Anatole Kuragin (Tenor, B2–B4): Dashing, reckless, magnetic, and selfserving.
- Hélène Bezukhova (Mezzo-Soprano, G3–F5): Pierre’s beautiful, manipulative wife.
- Sonya Rostova (Soprano, B3–C6): Natasha’s loyal cousin and confidante.
- Dolokhov (Baritone, B2–G4): Anatole’s friend; hardened, dangerous, and charming.
- Mary (Mezzo-Soprano, F3–D5): Andrey’s earnest, sheltered sister.
- Andrey Bolkonsky (Tenor/Baritone, G2–B4): Natasha’s fiancé; introspective and melancholic.
- Old Prince Bolkonsky (Baritone, D3–E4): Andrey’s eccentric, blunt father.
- Marya D (Mezzo-Soprano, G3–C5): Maid/servant, authoritative.
Ensemble:
The ensemble (6–10 performers) will play secondary named roles, serve as “Moscow society,” and participate in dance and vocal storytelling throughout the show.
To sign up for an audition slot, please contact jjohns3@csustan.edu
Updated: August 21, 2025