General Contact Info
General Human Race questions: (937) 461-3823
Box Office/Ticket questions: (937) 228-3630
- Kappy Kilburn
- Phone: (937) 461-3823 ext. 3112
- kappy@humanracetheatre.org
- Debra Howard
- Costume Shop Manager
- Phone: (937) 461-3823 ext. 3121
- debra@humanracetheatre.org
- Tara Lail
- Associate Artistic Director
- Phone: (937) 461-3823 ext. 3113
- tara@humanracetheatre.org
Title of your play
Synopsis of your play
Number of characters (note if any double casting)
Short playwright bio
List any readings/workshops/performances of your play (private or public)
Email to Kevin Moore, Artistic Director: kevin@humanracetheatre.org
Please allow up to 3 months for a reply.
The beauty of theatre is the dialogue it creates among our audience members. We love hearing what you think. So… send us an email and let us know. Did you like a show? Do you have an opinion on a idea or topic in one of our shows? Are you a fan of one of the performers? Do you have a suggestion for a show you’d like to see? Would you like to volunteer to help on a Board committee?
Send us an email: contact@humanracetheatre.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Individual show prices vary depending on your preferred performance and seating location. Preview performances are the least expensive, and weeknights cost less than weekends. Tickets to productions in the Loft Theatre typically range from $17 - $53, but are subject to change. Discounts for seniors, military, and students are available.
As a contemporary theatre company, most of our productions on the Loft season are suitable for adults and older teens as they frequently contain adult language and subject matter. If you are interested to know if a certain production is suitable for younger teens or preteens, please feel free to call or email us. Children under the age of 6 are not permitted at our productions in the Loft Theatre.
Day / Time
Preview / First Thursday at 8:00 p.m.
Opening / First Friday at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesdays / 7:00 p.m.
Wednesdays / 7:00 p.m.
Thursdays / 8:00 p.m.
Fridays / 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays / 8:00 p.m.
Sunday Evening / 7:00 p.m. (First Sunday only)
Sunday Matinees / 2:00 p.m.
We recommend you arrive 30 minutes prior to curtain when the theatre doors open, especially if you have tickets waiting at Will Call. The Loft lobby is open two hours prior to curtain. While you wait for the show to start, feel free to enjoy a drink or snack from the Loft Bar.
Performances begin promptly. Latecomers will be seated at the house manager’s discretion, and may have to watch the performance on a video monitor in the lobby until they can be seated. Patrons who leave the Loft Theatre during a performance may—at the sole discretion of the house manager—be re-seated, although possibly in different seats, during the performance. This is a policy we must enforce without exception, due to the layout of the Loft and for the safety of our actors and enjoyment of audience members.
If you are a Loft subscriber and the tickets in question were purchased as part of a subscription package, they may be exchanged for free (no fees) until one hour before curtain the day before your scheduled performance. There may be an up-charge if you exchange into a more expensive performance.
Non-subscribers may exchange their tickets for a different performance of the same show for a flat $5 fee until one hour before curtain the day before your scheduled performance. Exchanges can be made by phone (937-228-3630) or in person.
Otherwise, if at the last minute you are unable to use your tickets, you may turn them in as a contribution to The Human Race Theatre Company. The value of the donated tickets is tax-deductible and acknowledged by mail. Tickets for past performances cannot be considered a donation.
There are no refunds.
Free assistive listening devices are available at the Loft box office prior to the performance by exchanging a license or credit card. No advance reservations are required.
Scripts for those with hearing loss are available with two weeks’ notice. Contact Tara Lail for more information.
The Metropolitan Arts Center building and Loft Theatre are wheelchair-accessible.
If you require wheelchair seating, please contact Dayton Live directly at 937-228-3630.
We offer open captioning at one Signed and Audio Described performance of every production on our Loft season, with services provided by Miami Valley Interpreters, LLC and professional audio describers. Patrons who wish to take advantage of this specific performance (second Saturdays) must provide Dayton Live with two weeks’ advance notice prior to the first public performance.
Dayton Live
Phone: 937-228-3630
Online: www.daytonlive.org
Schuster Performing Arts Center lobby
One West Second Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402
Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. (Labor Day to Memorial Day only)
Loft Theatre lobby
126 North Main Street
3rd Floor
Dayton, Ohio 45402
Open two hours prior to performance only
Dayton Live charges a $3 per ticket Preservation Fee on all tickets. (The Human Race already includes this fee on all stated ticket prices.)
Ticket Center Stage charges an additional 16% per ticket Service Fee on all tickets purchased online and by phone.
The Human Race Theatre Company has created a variety of discount options in order to make theatre an accessible art form for all audiences.
Subscription and Membership Packages
Subscribers enjoy the most advantages at consistently low prices, saving up to 36% off normal ticket prices while getting the best available seats and free ticket exchanges.
Pay What You CAN Night
Get a sneak peek at our productions and support a great cause. Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. prior to the opening of a show, we offer audiences the opportunity to attend an open rehearsal. The price of a ticket: bring a cash donation of your choice that will go to one of a number of The Human Race’s partnering non-profit, service-based organizations, or a non-perishable food item for The Foodbank. Tickets are first-come, first-served and are handed out starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Loft lobby. One ticket per person.
$17 and $29 Side Seats
Buy early and save. We offer a limited number of side area seats to each performance for as little as $16. These seats are available as soon as tickets go on sale, but the prices will increase as we get close to the performance.
“Sawbuck Sunday”
The first Sunday 7:00 p.m. performance of each Loft Series production: At 5:00 p.m., all available seats are $10 cash (a “sawbuck”). Tickets available at the Loft box office day of show for walk up sales only. One ticket per person.
Group Tickets
Groups of 10 or more receive discounts starting at 10% off. Contact Betty Gould at (937) 461-8295 for more information and to book your group.
Special Discounts
Members of the following groups receive discounts of 50% off full priced adult tickets with presentation of valid ID upon purchase of tickets. There is a maximum of two tickets per ID. Tickets are based upon availability and may not be combined with other offers or discounts, or be applied retroactively.
- Actors’ Equity Association members
- League of Cincinnati Theatres members
- City of Dayton current employees
- U.S. Military members (active duty and retired): Blue Star military tickets
- Students (may be ordered online but ID must be shown at Will Call to pick up tickets)
The Human Race does provide ticket vouchers to select regional non-profit organizations for use as a fundraising tool. Please provide us with at least one month’s notice prior to your event. Contact Kevin Moore at (937) 461-3823 x3115 for more information.
Employment
We are in search of our next great Artistic Director.
The Artistic Director of The Human Race Theatre Company maintains the high artistic standards of this 35-year-old professional, regional theatre whose mission is “to explore the human experience and promote enlightenment, inclusion and understanding while startling us all into a renewed awareness of ourselves.” The Artistic Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, and implementing the artistic vision and focus of the organization and the resulting recommendations related to programming, productions and events. An innate collaborator, the Artistic Director will be a thought leader for civic change who builds on theater’s unique ability to foster meaningful dialogue about societal issues.
General Auditions for Adult Actors
THE HUMAN RACE THEATRE COMPANY
2021-2022 SEASON
While our General Auditions have already happened, we are still accepting pictures and resumes for the following future productions:
EVERYTHING THAT’S BEAUTIFUL, Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder
INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP, Katie Forgette
The roles in WHO’S HOLIDAY and MY 80-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIEND have been cast.
AUDITIONS FOR YOUNG ACTORS:
Young roles in EVERYTHING THAT’S BEAUTIFUL and INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP will be posted at a later date.
For more information on the characters for each show please see below.
Also please visit here for a short blurb about each show.
Auditions are open to Non-Equity and Equity Actors (unless otherwise noted), with Non-Equity actors having the opportunity to join the Equity Membership Candidacy Program.
Procedures for auditions IF REQUESTED:
1. Prepare 2 one-minute contrasting monologues in the style of the show(s) or from the show(s) you are interested in OR 1 two-minute monologue tailored toward the specific show you are interested in.
2. There is an information form HERE. We ask you to please complete it and send it with your video, headshot, resume and which show(s)/character(s) you are interested in (please be specific.)
3. Send your audition package to BOTH Kevin Moore (kevin@humanracetheatre.org) and Tara Lail (tara@humanracetheatre.org)
If you have any questions, please contact Tara Lail, Associate Artistic Director, tara@humanracetheatre.org
Character Descriptions
The Human Race 2021-2022 Loft Season
Luke (around 40) A good dad who feels responsible for the success of his family. Luke struggles to navigate this new territory. He wants to be a good dad to Morgan, but questions the decisions they have made.
Jess (around 40) Jess holds the family together. She too struggles with the decisions they have made and the stress is has placed on her family.
Morgan (playing age – 8) Smart, sensitive. Morgan knows who she is and often gets frustrated that others don’t see her true self. Casting Note: Morgan was assigned male at birth, now identifies as female. Because of the challenging nature of this role, we are open to audition a young girl, young boy, transgender or non-conforming actor in the role.
Theo (playing age-15) Son of Luke and Jess; brother to Morgan. Pissed off and resentful, but quick-witted. Theo struggles to make sense of Morgan’s identity, while being angry about the stress it’s placed on the family.
Gaby (early 20’s) Beautiful and likeable, there is something a little dangerous/seductive about her as well. She is effortlessly cool and a flirt who knows her power. Maybe a little punk/goth. Or maybe not.
Will/Dr. Miller Will (40’s) is fun and flirty. Will allows Jess an escape without being threatening. Dr. Miller is kind and well-intentioned. He knows the challenges the family faces and is invested in their success.
Linda O’Shea (20 years old) Linda is highly intelligent, caring, and curious. She alternates between thinking she knows everything and thinking she knows nothing. Responsible and rarely impetuous.
Josephine ‘Jo’ O’Shea (late 40s, early 50s) Jo juggles more plates than Cirque de Soleil. A great mom who defines multi-tasking. She’s also a little more emotional and prone to outbursts than usual because she’s pregnant.
Theresa ‘Terri’ Carmichael (late 50s – Linda’s Aunt) Terri is definitely going through a rough patch, but she is not a depressive or phlegmatic. Think Thelma Ritter or Eve Arden, with a touch of Dorothy Parker. Fast talker.
Becky O’Shea (13 years old) Becky is an unusual child. Bright and verbal. Full of energy and a crazy-huge imagination. She speaks quickly, not unlike some of the characters in the movies she loves, like “His Girl Friday.”
Triple role: Mike O’Shea (early 50s)/ Father Lovett (late 50s)/ Betty Heckenbach (late 50s)
Mike is loud, loyal, and single-task oriented. His definition of a father is: Breadwinner and disciplinarian. Lousy listener.
Father Lovett is an old school, Catholic priest. Egotistical, imperious, and
pampered. Unused to any kind of pushback from parishioners or anyone else for that matter.
There is a Betty Heckenbach in everyone’s life. She’s right up there with death and taxes—only less fun. Even though the role is played by a man, it has to be played absolutely straight—no winking or flamboyance. Just a homely, judgmental, middle- aged woman sticking her big puss into other people’s business.
Productions and Beyond
The Loft Season
Our signature subscription season at the Loft Theatre consists of plays and musicals, recent releases, classics, and premieres. Productions on the Loft Season are rehearsed, built and produced in Dayton. The Human Race produces under a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers.
The Victoria Theatre
From time to time, we present special events on the historic 1,100-seat theatre’s stage, like 2015’s Lewis Black in Concert and 2017’s co-production of A Christmas Story with the Victoria Theatre. For over 25 years, regional audiences enjoyed seeing our work in this magnificent venue when we produced one show each season on the Victoria Theatre Association’s Broadway Series.
New Works: Musical Theatre Workshops
The Human Race operates a residency and workshop series designed to develop new musicals. The Residency is a ten-day to two-week program that brings the writing team together for an un-interrupted work session with a handful of musical theatre artists. Our Workshop is a two-week program— working with professional performers/directors—and sometimes culminating in a public performance in a staged concert format.
New Works: Marsha Hanna New Play Workshops
Named after The Human Race Theatre Company’s late artistic director, the New Play Workshops program provides playwrights a residency opportunity in order to further develop a new play in a workshop setting, guided by a seasoned director and supported by professional actors. The process sometimes culminates in the staged reading of the play on the Loft Theatre stage.
Monday Night Playreading Series
Throughout the season, we will be hosting table readings of plays considered to be some of the best the theatre world has to offer, and all works of interest to The Human Race as potential full-productions. Open to the public and voiced by many of the region’s top performers, these readings provide an opportunity for theatre lovers to hear and enjoy scripts they may not be able to experience otherwise.
Preview Performance
Our preview performance is on the Thursday evening prior to our Friday evening openings. In the tradition of Broadway, it offers a significantly reduced ticket price and is available for both subscription and single ticket buyers. (See Inside Track)
Pay What You CAN Open Rehearsal
A special sneak peek with the admittance of a cash donation of your choosing that will go to a not-for-profit service organization (which varies on a production-by-production basis) or canned goods/non-perishable food items to The Foodbank. This serves community needs as well as patrons who may find the regular performances more than their budgets can afford.
Pay What You CAN open rehearsals occur on the Wednesday before the preview performance of productions in the Loft series. Numbers are handed out to patrons at 6:30 p.m. and they are admitted in order when the house opens at 7:30 p.m.
Inside Track
A pre-show discussion with the show’s director held in the Loft Lobby 45 minutes prior to the Thursday Preview. This is an opportunity for the audience to meet the director and learn about the creative process of producing the play they are about to see.
While We’re on the Subject
A moderated discussion held with the cast and the audience members immediately following the matinee performance on the second Sunday of a production. Frequently, a guest speaker joins the group to offer unique commentary concerning the topics brought to light by the production.
The Loft Bar
Soda, wine, beer, mixed drinks and snack items are available in our lobby for every show. Drinks may be taken into the Loft during the performance.
Education & Engagement Programs
Artists in the Schools/Community Workshops
The Human Race develops curriculum-based workshops and activities to enliven and enrich students’ classroom learning experiences, opportunities to explore life-long learning, as well as workshops in the theatre craft of acting and technical theatre. From a one-time visit to a long-term residency, programs can be designed to fit the needs of the group. The past season included two semester-long Shakespeare residencies and a new “Stages & Stories” program.
Private Coaching
Private Coaching Sessions are available for students ages 16–adult in acting, singing and/or audition preparation, and are taught by Human Race professionals.
Etcetera
Subscriptions
Our subscribers are theatre patrons who enjoy the benefits of discounted tickets, select seating and special customer service by pre-purchasing a package of shows at the Loft. Each subscription package is priced to provide savings that increase with the size of the package.
Single Tickets
Single Tickets go on sale to non-subscribers at specific times for each of our Loft shows. The prices vary based on the day of the week and the location in the theatre. All single tickets are sold through Dayton Live and may include processing and mailing charges. Single Tickets are not refundable not can they be exchanged. (benefits of a subscriber)
Membership Plan
Our new monthly Membership Plan allows you to treat your theatre experience like your Netflix account. By paying a regular monthly fee, you join an exclusive group with early access to prime seats – up to four per production for just $10 each. Members will be alerted by email of other discounts, perks and invitations to special events.
Annual Fund
The Human Race Theatre Company operates a yearly fund campaign to support its operation. Tax-deductible support of the company by our audience shows their commitment to insuring that the company will continue into the future.
The Encore Society
Members of the Encore Society have provided for the company by including The Human Race in their estate plans.
Sponsorships
Corporations, foundations or individuals can help support the company by sponsoring specific productions or projects and are publicized at these events.
Special Events
The Human Race plans special productions, concerts and fundraising events each season to enhance our audience’s experience. Examples include holiday productions, Lewis Black in concert at the Victoria Theatre, Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley in Concert and Mardi Gras fundraisers.