APRIL 19th - 21st, 2024
AGES 12-19
At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing... and anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together – that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair... and what it means to live in America.
The Tony-winning score is just as diverse as the melting pot of America itself, drawing upon many musical styles, from the ragtime rhythms of Harlem and Tin Pan Alley to the klezmer of the Lower East Side, from bold brass band marches to delicate waltzes, from up-tempo banjo tunes to period parlor songs and expansive anthems. A truly unique and powerful portrait of America, Ragtime is sure to inspire actors and audiences alike!
PROFESSIONAL FOCUS PRODUCTION - Fee Free
Ragtime is being presented as one of our “professional focus” productions which means an even higher focus on professional practices and NO PRODUCTION/PARTICIPATION FEES. This has been limited to our summer high school productions in the past and we are ecstatic to remove fees from Ragtime.
RATED PG - 13
Ragtime is a historical look at racism and inequalities during the early 1900’s of Black, BIPOC, Immigrant, and Jewish communities. Please be advised this production contains racist and offensive language, physical violence, and murder.
Gateway Center for Performing Arts is accepting auditions for its 10th Anniversary Mainstage production of RAGTIME! Please read this casting notice thoroughly as our audition process is different than in the past.
Please CLICK HERE for the audition form.
We are holding in-person auditions on November 12th and still accepting virtual audition tapes until we finish casting.
Open to ages 12 - 19. We plan to cast from this age range. However, due to the casting requirements of the production, we may consider slightly older or younger actors in order to authentically represent the heritage of each character. Should we be unable to cast all roles through the initial audition process, we will continue to accept auditions until fully cast.
Audition Video Submissions will be accepted until we finish casting the production.
Callback information will go out on November 9th for tapes received prior to that date.
In-person Callbacks are scheduled for Sunday, November 12th between 1 pm and 10 pm.
In-Person audition slots will be available on November 12th starting at 12 pm
If we are unable to completely cast the show after callbacks, we will continue to hold auditions until we have a complete cast.
All self-tapes should follow these guidelines:
- Please slate your name, age, and what you will be singing.
- Do not sing a capella. Please use a track without vocals, such as a karaoke track.
- Video auditions are accepted as UNLISTED YOUTUBE links or GOOGLE DRIVE links ONLY.
- Links need to be included in your audition form.
- GOOGLE DRIVE links must be shared with the following emails: lpagano@gcpastl.org, ppagano@gcpastl.org, sfox@gcpastl.org, lroth@gcpastl.org, jacquanhill@gmail.com, zionthomas13@gmail.com
Some helpful self-tape hints:
- Early submissions are greatly appreciated and give us more time to spend on your video than those we receive at the deadline.
- You do not need fancy equipment. Using a phone camera is more than sufficient.
- Film in landscape.
- Make sure your phone is stationary and level. A tripod is helpful, but not necessary. It is easy to make a stand for your phone out of household items.
- Choose a quiet, well-lit area with minimal distractions.
- Natural light and ring lights are great, but you can also enhance with lamps. We want to clearly see your facial features and expressions.
- You do not need to do a full-body frame unless your audition piece requires it. In most cases, an upper body frame is best.
- Practice before filming! Prepare for this audition as you would for an in-person audition. Practice your song for vocals and acting before ever setting up your equipment.
- If you are prepared ahead of filming, you should not need more than 3 takes. Do not over analyze details.
Paul Pagano (Director and Executive Director) (he/him), a native of St. Louis, received his BA in Drama from Washington University and Masters in Theatre Education from Fontbonne University. As an actor, Paul has had the opportunity to work with the Guthrie Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Children’s Theatre Company, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Hey City Theatre, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, the MUNY, STAGES St. Louis, HotCity Theatre, and many others. He has worked with Hunter Foster, Kathy Fitzgerald, Peter Michael Goetz, Anne Bogart, and Dan Goggin. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association since 2001.
As an instructor, Paul has taught at COCA, the Utah Shakespeare Festival Teen Acting Intensive, St. Louis University High School, and STAGES Performing Arts Academy.
When not on stage or in the classroom, Paul’s favorite roles are being a husband to wife, Lori, and father to budding stars, Xavier & Kalia.
Laura Roth (Co-Choreographer) (she/her), a native of Jacksonville, IL, is a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in St. Louis, MO. Laura has performed with companies and collectives including Leverage Dance Theatre, Smashworks Dance, Common Thread Contemporary Ballet, and pH eXchange Dance Theatre, and she has had the pleasure of collaborating with Masterworks Chorale on multiple projects. She has performed in Dance St. Louis’ Spring to Dance, Kansas City Fringe Festival, City in Motion’s A Modern Night at the Folly, Dine on Dance, 60x60 St. Louis, Dancing in the Street and National Dance Week. In addition to teaching at GCPA, she has taught dance and musical theatre at STAGES, DaySpring School for the Arts, COCA, Vitality Ballet, and more. A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a minor in Religious Studies. She is also a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant.
Zion Thomas (Assistant Director) is a recent graduate of Case Western Reserve University who has returned home and is in pursuit of a career in Film/TV. He is also a GCPA alumnus, having played Flick in Violet and Adults in Spring Awakening. He is no stranger to story of Ragtime. In his senior year of high-school at MICDS, he played Coalhouse Walker Jr where he was nominated for Outstanding Actor at the St. Louis High-School Musical Theater Awards (SLHSMTA). In August, he wrapped a production of Ragtime with Union Avenue Opera as part of the Harlem Ensemble and is ready to contribute his talents once again to this amazing story. He is extremely honored to be assistant directing with GCPA and hope you all enjoy the show!
Lawrence Haliburton (Co-Choreographer) (he/they), is a 24 yr old St. Louis native and is so excited to rejoin GCPA for another great show. Some might say a quadruple threat is found with Lawrence. With singing, dancing, along with acting all being part of everyday life, a revisit to stage management was well overdue. You can catch Lawrence teaching dance fitness at Yes Honey Studio and of course hanging around the best family in town: the GCPA fam of course!
Lori Barrett-Pagano (Music Director & Managing Director) (she/her) earned her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Washington University in St. Louis. She has been teaching voice for over 20 years – currently as an adjunct voice faculty at St. Louis University, privately out of her home, as well as voice and musical theatre classes at GCPA.
Lori enjoys singing numerous styles of music and has performed with musical theatre, operetta, and opera companies. Locally, she has performed with The MUNY, STAGES St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera, Echo Theatre, Spotlight Theatre, MainStage Musicals and SIUE Summer Showbiz. Regional credits include The Minnesota Opera, North Star Opera, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, Theatre in the Round, and The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company.
Her most enjoyable performing is to sing and dance around the house with her actor/singer husband, Paul, and her most precious stars, son, Xavier, and daughter, Kalia.
Regular Rehearsals:
Actors are not called to every rehearsal. A detailed schedule will be provided.
We do accept conflicts. They must be accurate in your audition form and no additional conflicts will be accepted after casting is accepted.
Actors are permitted 2 unexcused absences for unforeseen events.
Sickness and bereavement are always excused.
Please check all calendars, including: School, dance studios, voice studios, sports, vacations, other extracurricular activities. Please remember that SPRING BREAK falls during this process.
January 20 - April 11th, 2024
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5 - 9 pm
Saturdays: 10 - 3 pm
Sundays: 1 - 9 pm (3 - 5 Sunday rehearsals may be scheduled, as needed. Not necessarily the whole time).
Tech Rehearsals:
We do not accept any conflicts during tech. However, we may make acceptions for school required events on April 13th and 14th. No other conflicts will be accepted.
Saturday, April 13th 9th: 10 am - 9 pm. We will likely use this entire day
Sunday, April 14th: 10 am - 9 pm. Please hold the entire day.
Monday, April 15th - Thursday, April 18th: 4:30 - 10 pm
Performances:
Friday, April 19th: 7 pm
Saturday, April 20th: 2 pm and 7 pm
Sunday, April 21st: 2 pm
Strike:
All actors are required to strike after the final performance.
Strike will end at 8 pm or when strike is complete, whichever comes first.
NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE outside of sickness or emergency.
We aim to provide NO SURPRISES when it comes to financial commitment.
THERE IS NO PARTICIPATION FEE IF CAST IN RAGTIME.
Cost will be limited to tickets and extra's such as t-shirts and program ads.
Tickets:
Ticket prices will range from $18 - $35 based on location in the theatre.
Tickets are sold through Metrotix and at the box office. When purchasing through Metrotix, fees may apply.
There are no complimentary tickets.
Optional Items:
Company members will have the option of purchasing the following items:
Company t-shirt: $25
Tribute Ads: Range from $25 - $115
Business Ads: Range from $60 - $500
Company Jacket: $70
Other:
Families often organize a cast party and directors gifts, asking for a contribution from everyone.
RATED PG - 13
Ragtime is a historical look at racism and inequalities during the early 1900’s of Black, BIPOC, Immigrant, and Jewish communities. Please be advised this production contains racist and offensive language, physical violence, and murder.
