"Prodigal Son" - by John Patrick Shanley - City on a Hill Arts (Leominster, MA.) - AUDITIONS
City on a Hill Arts
Will Hold AUDITIONS
For John Patrick Shanley's
"PRODIGAL SON"
Written by John Patrick Shanley
Directed by Andrew DeSisto
Seeking a diverse, dynamic, and emotionally courageous cast of 5 actors (4 male-identifying, 1 female-identifying). All roles require strong physical presence, excellent command of language, and the ability to navigate rapid shifts between sharp humor and intense emotional vulnerability.
AUDITION DATES:
August 16, 2026 at 6:00pm
August 17, 2026 at 7:00pm
August 18, 2026 at 7:00pm (Callbacks IF required)
Auditions and performances to be held at Congregation Agudat Achim, 268 Washington Street, Leominster, MA 01453
To Schedule an Audition email aldesisto322@gmail.com with your preferred date, time block, and the role you are most interested in. Walk-Ins are also encouraged.
REHEARSALS:
- TBD based on cast availability.
- Four Performances November 7, 8, 12, 14.
- First Read-Through: Sunday, August 30 from 6:00pm.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
- Selected sides will be made available for download/perusal prior to the dates.
- You will be asked to read from these sides during your audition block.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT:
CITY ON A HILL (COH) is committed to diverse, inclusive casting, encouraging actors of all ethnicities, gender identities and backgrounds to audition.
For further inquiries please contact Andy DeSisto at aldesisto322@gmail.com
CAST DESCRIPTIONS:
- JIM QUINN (15 – 18)
(To be played by an actor 18+ who can play younger) Working-class Bronx accent. The "Prodigal Son." Represents John Patrick Shanley as a teenager. Highly intelligent, extremely well-read, poetic, and passionate, but also aggressive, volatile, and deeply troubled. He is a walking contradiction of massive confidence and devastating insecurity. Requires an actor with magnetic stage presence and deep emotional range.
- CARL SCHMITT (50S – 60S)
Standard American. The Headmaster. The traditional, strict, and highly principled founder of the Thomas More Preparatory School. Carl values honor, order, and shaping "extraordinary young men." While he is a tough disciplinarian who is frequently pushed to his absolute limit by Jim's antics, he possesses a hidden capacity for grace and a painful personal history.
- ALAN HOFFMAN (30S – 40S)
Standard American. The English Master. A dedicated, sensitive, and intellectual teacher who acts as Jim's advocate and mentor. He is the first to recognize the boy's unique literary voice. Alan is warm, persuasive, and deeply invested in saving troubled students, but he is also a complex figure carrying his own burdens and secrets.
- LOUISE SCHMITT (30S – 50S)
Warm, sophisticated Standard American. The Headmaster's Wife. A smart, independent-minded, and sharp-witted educator who teaches honors English tutorials. Louise is empathetic and level-headed. She does not hide behind her husband’s authority and is capable of speaking to Jim with a direct, maternal, yet intellectually rigorous honesty.
- AUSTIN SCHMITT (15 – 18)
(To be played by an actor 18+ who can play younger) Standard American. Jim's Roommate. The nephew of Headmaster Carl Schmitt. Austin is studious, orderly, affable, and somewhat nerdy. He serves as a stark foil to Jim's wild, chaotic nature. Though he is easily persuaded and occasionally swept up in Jim's rebellion, he maintains a strong, quiet moral compass and genuine loyalty.
Note: The roles of Jim Quinn and Austin Schmitt involve portraying characters aged 15 to 17 over the course of several years. Actors auditioning must be comfortable portraying this transition.
Performances:
November 7, 2026 through November 14, 2026
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
Performances held at Congregation Agudat Achim, 268 Washington Street, Leominster, MA. 01453
TICKETS:
Free admission with donations welcome
GET TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information
ABOUT THE SHOW
In John Patrick Shanley's "PRODIGAL SON" - From the Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Doubt" and "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea" comes a highly personal, explosive, and portrait-like drama.
John Patrick Shanley's "PRODIGAL SON" is a passionate, semi-autobiographical depiction of a young man on the razor-thin edge between salvation and destruction.
Set in the mid-1960s, the story follows Jim, a working-class Irish-Catholic teenager from the Bronx who is given a scholarship to a prestigious, elite boys' preparatory school in New Hampshire.
Gifted, poetic, and fiercely intelligent, Jim is also intensely alienated, violent, and battling a profound loneliness.
As his self-destructive behavior tests the limits of the school's strict rules, two faculty members and the headmaster find themselves caught in a high-stakes debate: is this brilliant, rebellious young man a rising star to be nurtured, or a disaster waiting to happen?
ABOUT CITY ON A HILL ARTS
CITY ON A HILL (COH) produces works of art that explore the intersection of faith, spirituality, and culture, fostering in each of us a more just and loving response.
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