Actors
GCTC operates according to the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA), annually presenting a subscription season of up to six productions.
We post submission information on Ottawa Arts Database and similar services, and below on our website. Please note that there is an annual deadline date for submissions to the general auditions. Auditions for specific roles are held according to the needs of our production schedule and the availability of directors, hence there is no standard timing for these meetings.
Auditions
See below for auditon calls
General Audition Call
The Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) is holding its Annual General Auditions in May 2026. General Auditions are a way for you to introduce yourself and your work.
GCTC operates according to the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA), annually presenting a subscription season of up to six productions. General audition priority will be given to members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. GCTC promotes an environment of equity, inclusion and diversity. Artists from under-represented communities are encouraged to apply for a General Audition time. All artists are invited to remove measurements and physical features from their CV.
Please note: GCTC’s 2026-27 programming has been announced.
Show Specific Auditions will be held after Generals. You cannot be considered for a Show Specific Audition if you have never had a General Audition for Artistic Director Sarah Kitz.
As we wish to see artists once every two years, artists who were seen in the 2025 General Auditions are asked not to reapply, unless they were seen by video.
There will be three days of General Auditions.
General Auditions will be held by APPOINTMENT and through a one day OPEN CALL:
BY APPOINTMENT
May 11th for CAEA Artists
May 12th for non CAEA Artists
OPEN CALL
May 13th Open Call Day
If you are not granted an appointment on May 11th or 12th, and wish to take part in the OPEN CALL DAY on May 13th, please arrive at GCTC for 9:00 AM to sign up for a timeslot. CAEA Artists will be given first priority. There will be a designated number of slots and when they are full there will not be more added. First come, first served.
To be considered for an audition, please submit:
Cover Letter in PDF format
Current CV in PDF format
Headshot in PDF / JPEG format
Submissions should be emailed to auditions@gctc.ca. Please write your name in the subject line, followed by ‘General Auditions’, followed by CAEA status. It should look like this: FIRST LAST - General Audition - CAEA // non CAEA.
All performers will be asked to prepare:
TWO contrasting contemporary monologues from Canadian plays.
All performers selected for an audition will have a maximum of five minutes to perform their piece(s).
Accommodations are available upon request at any stage of the audition process.
If you would like to audition but need additional time, or if this notice puts up barriers, we encourage you to get in touch with Sarah Kitz, GCTC’s Artistic Director, before the deadline at auditions@gctc.ca.
Deadline
Deadline for audition submissions: Thursday April 16th @ 1:00pm, Eastern Time. Please make sure that directors are listed on your CV and all information is up to date. All artists are invited to remove measurements and physical features from their CV.
Location
Auditions will be held at GCTC in the Studio Theatre.
1233 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 0G7
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only successful candidates will be contacted to arrange an audition appointment on May 11th and 12th. Open Call Auditions on May 13th are first come first served, with CAEA Artists prioritized. Please do not call or email the theatre to confirm receipt of submitted packages.
Audition Notice - Hurricane Diane
Great Canadian Theatre Company’s production of
Hurricane Diane
By Madeleine George
Directed by Sarah Kitz
GCTC operates according to the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA), annually presenting a subscription season of up to six productions. GCTC promotes an environment of equity, inclusion and diversity. Artists from under-represented communities are encouraged to apply. All artists are invited to remove measurements and physical features from their CV.
About the Show:
Meet Diane, a permaculture gardener dripping with butch charm. She’s got supernatural abilities owing to her true identity - the Greek god Dionysus - and she’s returned to the modern world to gather mortal followers and restore the Earth to its natural state. Where better to begin than with four housewives in a suburban cul-de-sac? Pulitzer Prize-finalist Madeleine George pens a hilarious take-down of our willful ignorance in the face of climate change and the bacchanalian catharsis that awaits us, even in our own backyards.
This show is Greek Myth + Real Housewives + Lesbian Pulp + Climate Crisis: a Tragicomedy for our times.
This is an ensemble show.
Casting Info:
Casting for one female
Beth Wann - late 20’s to early 30’s
Beth is the youngest housewife on the cul-de-sac. Her husband recently left her and her lawn has become a prairie. She is struggling to keep up appearances. Beth has a secret and a wildness that she never quite fully mastered or contained, and now it’s about to spill out. It looks like her life is in ruins, but she is the closest to getting what she truly desires.
Beth is underestimated and sometimes perceived as weak, but when she knows what she wants she has incredible focus and reserves of strength.
Movement and singing required, as well as choreographed intimacy. There will be an Intimacy Director on the show.
Contract Dates:
Rehearsals: January 12 - February 7, 2027
Performances: February 9 - 21, 2027
Audition Information:
AUDITIONS: May 19, 2026. Callbacks May 22.
Auditions and callbacks will take place in the Studio Theatre at GCTC, 1233 Wellington St W, Ottawa ON K1Y 0G7
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
We are currently considering applications from Ottawa-based Artists, and Artists with ties to Ottawa. PLEASE NOTE: If you have never been seen for a General Audition by AD Sarah Kitz you must apply to the Generals as well as applying to audition for this show. If you have been seen recently by Sarah Kitz, or she knows your work, you may apply directly for this show.
All submissions should include ONE PDF FILE - including both Headshot and Resume, in that order. You must also include a cover letter, as a separate attachment.
Submissions should be emailed to auditions@gctc.ca. Please write your name in the subject line, followed by "Hurricane Diane” followed by CAEA status. It should look like this: FIRST LAST - Hurricane Diane - CAEA // non CAEA.
Priority will be given to CAEA Artists.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 30th 1:00 PM EST
Audition materials will be made available to selected Artists.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only successful candidates will be contacted to arrange an audition appointment. Please do not call or email the theatre to confirm receipt of submitted packages.
Audition Notice - Liars at a Funeral
Great Canadian Theatre Company’s production of
Liars at a Funeral
By Sophia Fabiilli
Directed by Hugh Neilson
GCTC operates according to the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA), annually presenting a subscription season of up to six productions. GCTC promotes an environment of equity, inclusion and diversity. Artists from under-represented communities are encouraged to apply. All artists are invited to remove measurements and physical features from their CV.
About the Show:
When an estranged family gathers to mourn the passing of their matriarch, the funeral erupts into more of a dysfunctional reunion than any of them could predict. Secrets unravel, long-buried truths emerge, a family curse keeps siblings apart, and nothing goes according to The Plan!
Can this eccentric family of liars navigate the road to reconciliation? Or will the next 24 hours be the final nail in this dysfunctional family’s coffin? Find out in this uproarious romp that pokes fun at the absurdities of family dynamics and the desperate lengths we go to for love and connection.
This show is a true farce that doesn’t sacrifice heart for the sake of laughs.
Casting Info:
Casting for one female: 50 - 70
Mavis is a grandmother, the matriarch of the family, and a force of nature. An absolute firecracker, Mavis refuses to let life happen quietly. She is not afraid to think (and act!) outside the box and while her actions can be wild, her intentions are loving. She has wit, style, and just enough mystery to keep everyone off balance. She is physically adept, quick thinking, and full of surprises.
This show requires actor doubling, so the facility to quickly switch characters is essential.
Contract Dates:
Rehearsals: November 10 - November 29, 2026
Performances: December 1 - 13, 2026
Audition Information:
AUDITIONS: May 21, 2026. Callbacks May 22.
Auditions and callbacks will take place in the Studio Theatre at GCTC, 1233 Wellington St W, Ottawa ON K1Y 0G7
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
We are currently considering applications from Ottawa-based Artists, and Artists with ties to Ottawa. PLEASE NOTE: If you have never been seen for a General Audition by AD Sarah Kitz you must apply to the Generals as well as applying to audition for this show. If you have been seen recently by Sarah Kitz, or she knows your work, you may apply directly for this show.
All submissions should include ONE PDF FILE - including both Headshot and Resume, in that order. You must also include a cover letter, as a separate attachment.
Submissions should be emailed to auditions@gctc.ca. Please write your name in the subject line, followed by "Liars at a Funeral”, followed by CAEA status. It should look like this: FIRST LAST - Liars at a Funeral - CAEA // non CAEA.
Priority will be given to CAEA Artists.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 30th 1:00 PM EST.
Audition materials will be made available to selected Artists.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only successful candidates will be contacted to arrange an audition appointment. Please do not call or email the theatre to confirm receipt of submitted packages.
Audition Notice - Age is a Feeling
Great Canadian Theatre Company’s production of
Age is a Feeling
By Haley McGee
Directed by Lucy Coren
GCTC operates according to the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA), annually presenting a subscription season of up to six productions. GCTC promotes an environment of equity, inclusion and diversity. Artists from under-represented communities are encouraged to apply. All artists are invited to remove measurements and physical features from their CV.
About the Show:
Beginning on the day you turn 25 and continuing through to your death, Age is a Feeling charts the seminal moments, rites of passage and turning points that make up an adult life.
Haley McGee’s internationally lauded solo show is a gripping story about how our connection with mortality shapes the way we live. Exploring the relationships that define us and what we choose to share, Age is a Feeling celebrates the glorious and melancholy unknowability of human life. This achingly beautiful and wry show subtly responds to the audience, making each performance a unique event.
This is a new production. For the first time in Canada a new actor will step into the role originated by the playwright.
Castine Info:
Casting for one female actor, age 25-65.
This one-person-play follows a woman from her 25th birthday, all through her life to her death at 90. The character is quick witted and unsentimental, though full of feeling. She is curious, brave and full of wonder. She eschews a traditional life of security and stability for one of art and adventure. The character lives (and has lived) fully and expansively. She has lost and won in love, friendship, and life. She tells her story with the vulnerability and humour that one shares with a confidante over time.
The actor will be alone onstage for the entire play. Three weeks of rehearsal and tech lead into a performance run of two 8-show weeks. Endurance is a consideration.
Priority given to women of color / IBPOC performers
Skills should include–
Strong grounding in text-based work, including facility with poetic text
Improvisation
Comfortable with audience interaction
Clown
Comedy
Drama
Background in devising and collaborative work is an asset!
Contract Dates:
Rehearsals: March 16 - April 4, 2027
Performances: April 6 - 18, 2027
Audition Information:
AUDITIONS: May 25, 2026. Callbacks May 26.
Auditions and callbacks will take place in the Studio Theatre at GCTC, 1233 Wellington St W, Ottawa ON K1Y 0G7
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
We are currently considering applications from Ottawa-based Artists, and Artists with ties to Ottawa. PLEASE NOTE: If you have never been seen for a General Audition by AD Sarah Kitz you must apply to the Generals as well as applying to audition for this show. If you have been seen recently by Sarah Kitz, or she knows your work, you may apply directly for this show.
All submissions should include ONE PDF FILE - including both Headshot and Resume, in that order. You must also include a cover letter, as a separate attachment.
Submissions should be emailed to auditions@gctc.ca. Please write your name in the subject line, followed by "Age is a Feeling” followed by CAEA status. It should look like this: FIRST LAST - Age is a Feeling - CAEA // non CAEA.
Priority will be given to CAEA Artists.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 30th 1:00 PM EST
Audition materials will be made available to selected Artists.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only successful candidates will be contacted to arrange an audition appointment. Please do not call or email the theatre to confirm receipt of submitted packages.
Designers
We produce at least four productions per season and provide both ADC and non-affiliated contracts to designers of all disciplines. If you’re interested in submitting your portfolio for consideration, just contact our Artistic Director, Sarah Kitz: sarah@gctc.ca
Directors
We operate under the Canadian Theatre Agreement and produce at least four productions per season.
Please note that we do not accept suggested play titles from freelance directors. This helps avoid misunderstandings in the event that a freelance director promotes a play that is already under consideration (this happens more often than you’d expect). If a director is affiliated with an existing script, we ask that the playwright pitch the project, with the director as a partner, or suggested artist. Freelance directors visiting Ottawa are welcome to contact us for complimentary tickets for any production, subject to availability of course.
If you’re interested in submitting your portfolio for consideration, please contact Sarah Kitz: sarah@gctc.ca.
OAC Recommender Grants
We are pleased to announce that we will once again participate in the Ontario Art's Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program. This program provides funding to theatre creators, as recommended by GCTC and our peers in the professional theatre community.
How does it work?
Candidates submit an application through the OAC’s Nova portal (see below)
Applications are sent to GCTC by the OAC
After reviewing applications, GCTC makes recommendations for funding to the OAC
OAC makes the final deliberation and delivers funding directly to the selected artists
What does this funding support?
any type of theatre-based creation activity by eligible applicants
Deadline for applications:
October 25, 2024 at 1 pm ET
GCTC encourages applications from members of equity-seeking and under-represented communities.
Priorities
BIPOC and local artists, equity and opportunity for all; to provide meaningful support for under-represented communities in Ottawa's theatre scene.
Submission Instructions
You will be asked to submit the following items:
C.V. (mandatory)
Script Sample
For application access and full grant details, please click here to be taken to the OAC website.
About recommender grants
Recommenders are organizations authorized by OAC to receive applications, review them and make grant recommendations. OAC allocates a budget to each of the participating recommenders.
Within six weeks of an application deadline, the recommender will notify OAC of their grant recommendations. Funding recommendations are reviewed by OAC for applicant and project eligibility, and OAC then sends you an email letting you know that your notification letter is available online in Nova.
If recommended a grant, all grant recipients must acknowledge the notification letter in Nova. Individual grant recipients must also enter their Social Insurance Number (SIN). OAC then sends the grant cheque by regular mail.
Important
Recommender grants are outright grants to artists from OAC and cannot be represented as any form of payment to or from the recommender, or to or from any member or director thereof.
Under no circumstances should the grant be considered as a substitute for a commission fee.
Application access and information about the Recommender Grants program can be found on the OAC website:
http://www.arts.on.ca/grants/recommender-grants-for-theatre-creators.
Theatre Recommenders Program
GCTC participates as a recommender in the Ontario Arts Council’s (OAC) Theatre Recommenders Program, subject to approval each year.
Residencies
GCTC supports independent artists’ applications to the OAC and to the Canada Council for the Arts.
Shannon Reynolds Fund
GCTC is the home of the Shannon Reynolds Fund, which supports an emerging female artist each season. The fund provides support in a different discipline each year (i.e. direction, design, stage management). We’ll be posting application guidelines here annually.