Announcing understudy (guaranteed performances) auditions for Gutenberg! The Musical!
The City of Fairfax Theatre Company will hold understudy auditions for its 2025 fall musical, Gutenberg! The Musical! on Sunday, July 6 from 7:30-10PM at CFTC’s new blackbox theatre (11216 Waples Mill Road, Suite 103, Fairfax VA) for actors age 18+. In this two-man musical spoof, a pair of aspiring playwrights perform a backers’ audition for their new, hilariously ill-advised project – a big, splashy musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg. This production will be directed by Molly Marsh, with music direction by Rachel Bradley, and produced by Amanda Herman Snellings.
Gutenberg! The Musical! will be performed at the CFTC blackbox from September 5-21, 2025. Rehearsals begin Monday, July 14 and will take place at the CFTC blackbox. Strike will be held on September 21, following the final performance. Rehearsals will take place 4 weekday evenings per week until tech. All actors must be available for tech, dress rehearsals, and performances from August 30-September 21 to be considered.
Why are we holding understudy auditions? With a two-hander like this one, the director and production team had a specific vision for the show that originated at the time of the proposal and have already cast the leads. However, we will be guaranteeing understudies three performances.
We are committed to open and inclusive casting of actors of diverse ages, races, ethnicities, gender identities, body types, and abilities. We also encourage you to audition even if you have never been in a play or musical before. Concord Theatricals’ website says that the roles do not have to be played by male-identifying performers.
What to Prepare
Please prepare a 32-bar (approx. 1 minute) cut of a song of your choice, not from the show. We prefer you to bring sheet music with you for our accompanist, but you may also play a karaoke track from your phone, if necessary.
Sign up here for a 30-minute group audition block on July 6. Walk-ins will be accepted but may have to wait until there is an opening to join a group. We recommend arriving at the very beginning of auditions that day if you’re planning to walk in. You can download our audition form to bring with you ahead of time, or fill one out on-site. If you plan to fill it out on-site, please be sure to arrive early so you have time to check in and fill it out. Make sure to check our rehearsal calendar to indicate possible conflicts on your audition form. We do make casting decisions based on conflicts and may not be able to accept new, non-emergency conflicts after rehearsals begin on Monday, July 14.
If you are unable to make the audition dates, please email us at cftcartisticdirector@gmail.com to submit a video audition by July 5 at 11:59pm.
Questions? Contact cftcartisticdirector@gmail.com.
Character Breakdown from Concord Theatricals’ Website:
DOUG SIMON is an innocent. He's a naive, utterly sincere and earnest man who never met a cause he wasn't passionate about. He's a jack of all trades, master of none, who compensates with an infectious, matter-of-fact energy and focus that would probably sound condescending if he weren't so likable. He's incredibly proud of the show he wrote with Bud, and thinks Bud, whom he adores, is a genius.
BUD DAVENPORT is an innocent. He's eager to please, and thrives on approval. When Bud sings one of his songs, he's reveling in his own "brilliance." But he's too naive to be a true egomaniac; if anything, he's overly grateful for the mere opportunity to create and perform. Bud enjoys getting caught up in Doug's passion and admires his friend's Big Ideas.
Tonight is the most important night of their lives.
All of the roles were originally written for men, but there's no reason any of the roles couldn't, with only slight changes, be played by anyone.