Tag Archives: Dayton Theatre Guild

Auditions Announced for BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY at Dayton Theatre Guild

Open audition notice for BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Auditions will be held Mon & Tue, March 31 & April 1, 2025, starting at 7:00 pm both nights.

Production dates: May 23-June 8, 2025

The Dayton Theatre Guild at the Caryl D. Philip TheatreScape
430 Wayne Ave, Dayton OH, 45410
937-278-5993 — www.daytontheatreguild.org

Directed by Robert Wayne Waldron
Produced by Christina Tomazinas-McQuinn & Rick Flynn

Stephen Adly Guirgis’ BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY delivers a raw, darkly comedic look at urban life through the lens of Walter “Pops” Washington and his son, Junior. Set in a rent-stabilized New York City apartment, the play explores themes of family, redemption, and the struggle to navigate a complex world.

Pops, a former cop battling the NYPD in a lawsuit, clings to his home as a sanctuary, while Junior, recently paroled, seeks a fresh start. Their lives intertwine with eccentric houseguests, revealing past traumas and present-day challenges. The play masterfully blends humor with poignant drama, exposing the characters’ flaws and vulnerabilities.

Casting Requirements:

  • Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.
  • A résumé and headshot are not required but are appreciated.
  • Please provide a list of all known conflicts between Apr 2 & June 8, 2025

Roles Available:

  • Walter “Pops” Washington:
    50-60’s A retired black NYPD officer who is central to the story. He’s a complex character, filled with anger, wit, and vulnerability, as he struggles with his past, his identity, and his ongoing legal battle with the police department.
  • Junior:
    20-30’s Pops’ son, who has recently moved back in with him. He’s trying to turn his life around but is also tangled in questionable activities and relationships.
  • Oswaldo:
    20-30’s A recovering addict and one of Junior’s friends. He’s staying with Pops and has moments of both humor and poignancy as he works on his sobriety.
  • Lulu:
    20-30’s Junior’s girlfriend, who is cheerful but perhaps a bit naïve. She often provides comic relief while also revealing deeper emotional layers.
  • Church Lady:
    30-40’s An enigmatic and spiritual figure who visits Pops. Her presence in the play adds an unexpected and surreal twist.
  • Lieutenant Caro:
    40-50’s A current NYPD officer and friend of Pops. He brings tension into the story as he tries to navigate loyalty and duty.
  • Detective O’Connor:
    40-50’s, is Pops’ former partner on the NYPD. She is a layered character, torn between her personal loyalty to Pops and her professional responsibilities.

For more information, please contact Rick Flynn at RickF413@gmail.com

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CHANCERS Runs March 28-April 13

CHANCERS
Dayton Theatre Guild
March 28-April 13
[Dayton]

Directed by Marjorie Strader
Produced by K.L.Storer

Cast: Dustin Schwab as Aiden, Carly Risenhoover-Peterson as Dee, Jack O’Conner as J.P. & Cheryl Mellen as Gertie

Set in Ireland, about the lengths we will go to when our backs are against the wall. Aiden and Dee are on the verge of losing it all. They’ve had to rent out their home to a fellow from Dublin (who was previously Dee’s boyfriend), and move with their two young sons into the back of their nearly bankrupt convenience store. And now Dee is out at a job interview (which doesn’t go well). Aiden never thought their situation would come to this. But salvation may have arrived in the form of local battleaxe, Gertie Graham. She literally has their ticket out of the poorhouse — they just need to get their hands on it without her knowing

  • Fri-Sat, March 28-29 at 8pm
  • Sun, March 30 at 3pm
  • Fri, April 4 at 8pm
  • Sat, April 5 at 5pm
  • Sun, April 6 at 3pm
  • Fri, April 11 at 8pm
  • Sat, April 12 at 5pm
  • Sun, April 13 at 3pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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2025-2026 Season Announcement and Call for Directors at Dayton Theatre Guild

DTG_logoDayton Theatre Guild is Pleased to Announce 2025-2026 Season

A RAISIN IN THE SUN by Lorraine Hansberry
Performance dates: August 22-September 9, 2025

Auditions: July 7 & 8, 2025
[4 women, 6 men (& moving men)]

Set in Chicago’s South Side in the 1950’s, this is about the divergent dreams and conflicts in three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. When her deceased husband’s insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man. Beneatha dreams of medical school. Hansberry’s portrait of one family’s struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration. It was the first play by an African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize.

DIAL “M” FOR MURDER by Frederick Knott
Performance Dates: October 10-26, 2025

Auditions: August 25 & 26, 2025
[1 woman, 5 men]

Tony Wendice plots to murder his wealthy wife, Margot, for her money by hiring a criminal to strangle her, but his plan goes awry, forcing him to manipulate the situation to frame her. But Margot engages a clever, quick-witted detective from Scotland Yard who uncovers the truth, leading to a suspenseful climax where Tony’s guilt is exposed.

LIGHT SENSITIVE by Jim Geoghan (Season Extra)
Performance dates: December 5-14, 2025

Auditions: October 13 & 14, 2025
[1 woman, 2 men]

Thomas Hanratty, lifelong resident of Hell’s Kitchen and once the most dangerous white cab driver in New York, was blinded eight years ago in a drunken accident and is fading into a routine of self pity and alcohol. His bartender and only friend is moving to Vermont with his girlfriend, but finds it difficult to abandon Tom. He recruits a slightly handicapped volunteer reader who battles her way through Tom’s shell. By the second act, they are falling in love. His buddy returns with tales of his “Christmas from hell” in Vermont, and doubt arises as to who will hold the number one position in Tom’s life.

MARY JANE by Amy Herzog
Performance dates: January 30-February 15, 2026

Auditions: December 8 & 9, 2025
[5 women]

Mary Jane navigates both the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for Alex, her chronically ill young son. She finds herself building a community of women from many walks of life, and dealing with all of life’s realities. Mary Jane is Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog’s remarkably powerful and compassionate portrait of a contemporary American woman striving for grace. It ran on Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club during the 2023/2024 season.

I LOVE YOU BECAUSE
Book/Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham; Music by Joshua Salzman
Performance dates: March 27-April 12, 2026

Auditions: February 2 & 3, 2026
[3 women, 3 men]

This musical from the mid-2000’s is a twist on Jane Austen’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. A young, uptight greeting card writer’s life is changed when he meets a flighty photographer. Along with their eccentric friends and siblings, they learn to love each other, not despite their faults, but because of them.

THE BEACON by Nancy Harris
Performance dates: May 22-June 7, 2026

Auditions: March 30 & 31, 2026
[2 women, 3 men]

Beiv, a renowned artist, has left her suburban Dublin home for a secluded cottage on a rugged island off the coast of West Cork, Ireland. Here, there is no escaping the rumors of her shadowy past, and Beiv lets everyone see right in because she’s having an extension made to the home, and many of the walls are missing. She and her visiting son have a chilly relationship at best — and there is also the question of whether Beiv really did kill her husband. This play ran Off-Broadway with a limited run, and closed in November, 2024.


We are also putting out the call for directors for the season. Those interested can find the directors application, on-line at https://forms.gle/2KXLjgUVGEUtjuUC9.

The deadline to submit the application is February 1, 2025.

For all questions concerning the Director’s call, contact Jared Mola at: mola.jared@gmail.com.

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Cast Announced for THE MINUTES at Dayton Theatre Guild

DTG_logoDayton Theatre Guild is pleased to announce the cast of THE MINUTES by Tracy Letts:

  • Brandon Shockney as Mr. Peel
  • Brad Mattingly as Mayor Superba
  • Cydnie Hampton as Ms. Johnson
  • S. Francis Livisay as Mr. Blake
  • Zach Katris as Mr. Breeding
  • Ryan Hester as Mr. Hanratty
  • Tyler Rowe as Mr. Assalone
  • Libby Scancarello as Ms. Innes
  • Mandy Shannon as Ms. Matz
  • Richard Young as Mr. Overfield
  • Nicholas Beard as Mr. Carp

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!
A dark comedy that takes a hard look at the inner workings of a city council meeting and the hypocrisy, greed, and ambition that bubble to the surface when a newcomer starts to ask the wrong questions.

Directed by Melissa Ertsgaard
Produced by K.L.Storer

The show runs weekends Jan 31-Feb 16, 2025
First Weekend: Friday 8pm, Saturday 8pm, Sunday 3pm
Second & Third Weekend: Friday 8pm, Saturday 5pm, Sunday 3pm

For more information please visit www.daytontheatreguild.org

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The Passing of Don Bigler

From the Dayton Theatre Guild Facebook page:

The Dayton Theatre Guild joins the Dayton arts community in mourning the loss of Don Bigler, one of our city’s great patrons of the arts. Don was a strong supporter of The Guild, who put in countless volunteer hours and was instrumental in building the infrastructure of our home, the Caryl D. Philips TheatreScape. We at the Guild send our love, sympathy and condolences to his wife Lois, also a great supporter of the Dayton arts, his family, and his friends.

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