Calling all local High School Theatre and English Teachers: The Salem State University Theatre Department is offering FREE matinee tickets to school groups this April, and you're invited!

SWEENEY TODD
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Musical Thriller
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed by Peter Sampieri

Monday, April 27, 2026
10:00am - 1:30pm
Salem State University

Matinee Information:

⭐Performances will take place in the Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts, located at 356 Lafayette Street in Salem, MA. Bus parking is available on campus.

⭐All tickets to our student matinees are complimentary for high school students, teachers, and chaperones.

⭐A short lunch break will be provided during intermission; students are encouraged to bring bag lunches, if possible, as on-campus dining options will be limited during the break.

⭐All student matinees include a talk-back/Q&A with our director, designers, and cast members immediately following the performance.

⭐To reserve tickets for your school group, please contact Ashley at aotoole@salemstate.edu.

We look forward to seeing you!

We are pleased to announce the repertory audition dates and requirements for our Spring 2026 Theatre Department productions, The Further We Go: Three One Act Plays by C.A. Holmes and Sweeney Todd! (For a repertory audition, you audition for multiple shows at the same time, with the same audition material.)

Spring 2026 Productions:

THE FURTHER WE GO: THREE ONE ACT PLAYS BY C. A. HOLMES
By C. A. Holmes
Senior BFA Playwrighting & Directing Thesis Projects
Performance dates: February 27-28 and March 1 & 6-8, 2026

• And That’s the Work
Directed by Griffin Frank

• ‘Til Death Do Us Part
Directed by Alex McGuigan

• A Petal’s Reflection: The Story of Narcissus
Directed by Artemis Metherall

SWEENEY TODD
THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
A MUSICAL THRILLER
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler.
Directed by Peter Sampieri
Performance dates: April 17-19 & 24-27, 2026 

If you are not interested in auditioning for the musical, SWEENEY TODD, we have specific audition slots for actors who only wish to be considered for the one act plays on Monday, December 1. All other audition time slots on Tuesday, December 2 are for both productions.

AUDITION DATES:

1. Monday, December 1, 2025
6:00pm-9:00pm
Sophia Gordon Rehearsal Room (SG208)
For THE FURTHER WE GO: THREE ONE ACT PLAYS BY C. A. HOLMES only

2. Tuesday, December 2, 2025
5:00pm-10:00pm
Sophia Gordon Rehearsal Room (SG208)
For both THE FURTHER WE GO: THREE ONE ACT PLAYS BY C. A. HOLMES and SWEENEY TODD

CALLBACKS:

Actors should be available for potential callbacks on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, between 5:00pm-10:00pm.  More information about Callbacks will be posted that morning.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:

1. All Actors: Perform one (1) one-minute contemporary monologue (memorized) from a published play. The monologue can be comedic or dramatic.

2. All Actors: Provide 3-4 copies of your theatre resume and 3-4 copies of a recent headshot/ photograph- one for each director.

3. All Actors: Please arrive at least 10-15 minutes prior to your audition timeslot so you have time to fill out your audition form.

4. Only Actors who choose to audition for the musical, Sweeney Todd: In addition to the one required monologue, you are also required to perform 16-32 bars of music (no more than 1-minute in length) from a musical. (The song selection should not be from Sweeney Todd.) Please bring one copy of readable sheet music (not lead sheets, a condensed form of musical notation) for the musical director/accompanist. The sheet music should already be in your key- no transposition, please.

NOTES: 

1. Auditions are open to all current Salem State University students and local community members.

2. All BFA Performance students are required to participate in repertory auditions for Theatre Department Callan/Mainstage productions.  

3. Reading copies of the four scripts will be available through the Theatre Department Office- we will send a follow-up email when they are all available.

Break a leg!

Thursday, January 22, 2026
5:00pm-6:00pm
Callan Studio Theatre

Join the Costume Shop Supervisor to learn what to expect in a costume fitting. This event is mandatory for all actors cast in the ONE ACT FESTIVAL and SWEENEY TODD, but all current Theatre majors are welcome to attend!

Wednesday, April 8, 2026
5:00pm
Mainstage Theatre

Required for all Board Ops, Props Run Crew, Scenic Run Crew, and Wardrobe Run Crew members. This is your opportunity to see the show before tech!