Raleigh Little Theatre is seeking performers for its upcoming production of The Color Purple. This show will be presented in the Cantey V. Sutton Theatre.
About the Show
This musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (and the popular 1985 Steven Spielberg film) spotlights Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over the course of 40 years forms the arc of this epic story. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, The Color Purple is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life. Based upon the novel written by Alice Walker and the Warner Bros./Amblin Entertainment motion picture Book by Marsha Norman. Music and Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray.
Important Dates
Audition Information Session: Monday, March 24, 2025 (Monday) 7-8pm [Register on Zoom here]
This information session will include an overview of the audition process, forms, and guidance on how to prepare. This is a great session to attend if you have never auditioned for a show before, never volunteered at RLT, or if you would like to hear more from the creative team about the process and show. Participation is optional.
General Auditions: March 31, 2025 (Monday) and April 1, 2025 (Tuesday) 7pm-10pm
Callback List: posted on RLT’s website by April 2, 2025 (Wednesday) at 12pm
Callbacks: April 2, 2025 (Wednesday) 7-10pm
Cast List: April 7, 2025 (Monday) by 5pm
Rehearsals: April 21 – May 29, 2025; Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays 7-10pm, with some flexibility on weekends.
Tech rehearsals: May 31, 2025 (Saturday) and June 1, 2025 (Sunday), all day, exact times TBD
Tech dress rehearsals: June 2 – 4, 2025 (Monday through Wednesday)
Preview: June 5, 2025 (Thursday) at 8:00pm
Performances: 8:00pm Fridays and Saturdays; and 3:00pm Sundays, June 6-8, 13-15, 20-22, and 27-29, 2025
Strike: Immediately following the last performance. All cast members are expected to stay for strike.
About the Auditions
Click here to sign up for an audition day!
All auditionees should arrive ten minutes before the time they are signed up to help with check in. There are TWO general audition days. You need only attend ONE.
- Song: Prepare 16 to 32 bars of a song in the style of the show. An accompanist will be provided. Please no pre-recorded music.
- Monologue/Acting Piece: Prepare a short, memorized piece of text. This can be a monologue, a poem, or a passage from your favorite book. Your selection should be no longer than 1 minute. Choose something that showcases your acting range and ability to convey emotion.
For callbacks: Please wear exercise clothing for choreography. Female presenting actors – please bring character shoes if you have them. Some actors will be given sides to read.
Please fill out the following paperwork to bring with you to the auditions:
In addition to the paperwork, please email Cari@RaleighLittleTheatre.org with a recent picture of yourself by 4pm on Monday, March 31. The purpose of the picture is to help the director remember your amazing performance during auditions, so an informal picture is ideal, as long as it shows who you are and is recent.
Questions about auditions? Contact Michele@RaleighLittleTheatre.org
If you need any specific accommodations to audition, please contact Executive Producer Michele Weathers at Michele@RaleighLittleTheatre.org to make your request. Examples of accommodations made in the past are: wheelchair accessible audition space, large print materials, prompters in the audition room, volunteers to help fill out forms, and auditions by appointment.
About the Roles
Raleigh Little Theatre encourages actors of any ethnicity, identity, ability, etc. to audition for any role. If the script requires strict adherence to any characteristic(s), those will be listed in the character description. For this production, performers must be 18+. More information about casting the two young actors in the show will be released at a later date. All performance roles are volunteer.
Celie – Our protagonist, vulnerable, spirited, drives the story. Celie is a poor, uneducated Black woman with a sad personal history. She survives a stepfather who rapes her and steals her babies and also survives an abusive husband. As an adult, Celie befriends and finds intimacy with a blues singer, Shug Avery, who gradually helps Celie find her voice. By the end of the story, Celie is a happy, independent, and self-confident woman.
Voice Range: Alto-Soprano, must have a wide range (F3 to F5 – B6 in one scene )
Nettie – Celie’s younger sister and best friend. Leaving home to escape her stepdad’s pursuit, Nettie seeks a haven with Celie, only to be driven away by Mister, for refusing his lustful pursuit. Nettie then meets a pair of missionaries and moves with them to Africa. Nettie becomes the caretaker of Samuel and Corrine’s adopted children (who, Nettie later learns, are Celie’s biological children, whom Celie and Nettie’s stepfather stole and sold). Nettie faithfully writes letters to Celie for decades.
Voice Range: Mezzo-Soprano (A4 to C5)
Mister (Albert) – Celie’s abusive husband, who undergoes his own transformation throughout the story. Mister, while married to Celie, pines away for his former lover, Shug Avery, and continues to keep Nettie from Celie by hiding her letters. After Celie finally defies Mister, denouncing him for his abuse, he undergoes a deep personal transformation, reassessing his life and eventually becomes a new man.
Voice Range: Baritone / Tenor (C3 to A5)
Shug Avery – A sultry blues singer who first appears as Mister’s mistress. Confident, dynamic. Shug becomes Celie’s close friend and eventually her love interest, all the while remaining a gentle mentor who helps Celie evolve into an independent and assertive woman.
Voice Range: Alto/ mezzo soprano (F3 to F5); Bluesy style with strong lower range
Sofia – A strong-willed, fiercely independent, outspoken woman who befriends Celie and marries Harpo. Sofia refuses to submit to whites, men, or anyone else who tries to dominate her. After defying the town’s mayor, Sofia is sentenced to jail, but is later forced to be the mayor’s maid instead. The hardship Sofia endures serves as a reminder of the costs of resistance and the difficulties of combating cultural and institutional racism.
Voice Range: Alto (F3 to C5)
Harpo – Mister’s eldest son. He is good-hearted, however, Mister’s expectations of stereotypical male dominance convince Harpo that he needs to beat Sofia. His efforts at abusing Sofia fail, since she is much stronger than he is. In the end, Harpo reforms his ways, learns to respect women, and he and Sofia reconcile.
Voice Range: Tenor (C3 to B5) wide range
Squeak (Mary Agnes) – Harpo’s lover after Sofia leaves him. Is inspired by Shug and wants to pursue a singing career.
Voice Range: Mezzo Soprano (C4 to E5)
Church Ladies (Darlene, Jarene, Doris) – A trio of gossipy women who provide commentary throughout the show. Gospel style delivery.
- Darlene/W1 Voice Range (top) 1st Soprano (C4 – G5)
- Jarene/W2 Voice Range (mid) Alto/Mezzo Soprano (G3- E5), Strong voice with solos abilities
- Doris/W3, 4 Voice Range (bottom) Alto (G3-C5), Strong voice – gospel arpeggios
Ensemble – Includes various roles such as townspeople, church members, and African villagers. They support the main cast and add depth to the community setting.
Voice Range: Various, depending on the role
About the Production Team
Executive Producer: Michele Weathers
Director: Tia James
Costume Designer: Pamela Bond
Music Director: Carolyn Colquitt
Choreographer: Christa Oliver
Scenic Designer: Soyna Leigh Drum
Stage Manager: LaNeisha Brown Farrar
Volunteer Access Fund
If you face financial barriers related to transportation to the theatre, please check out their Volunteer Access Fund pilot program!
