Website The Impostors Theatre Co.
Let's Embrace The Art of Pretend
Written by Mallory Swisher & Directed and Chroreographed by Stefan Roseen & Anna Roemer
Once there was, and once there was not, a little girl and a little boy…
Best friends Gerda and Kay spend the changing seasons weaving stories and tending their beloved garden. As the flowers bloom, so do they. But when a shard of enchanted glass pierces Kay’s heart, everything changes. His laughter freezes. His warmth disappears. Swept away by the enigmatic Snow Queen to her kingdom beyond the aurora, Kay is destined to remain in an endless winter… unless someone dares follow.
Fueled by unwavering love and impossible hope, Gerda embarks on a journey into the unknown. Along the way she encounters unpredictable elements, a talking raven, a band of singing robbers, whispering flowers, desceptive sweetness, and strangers who become family. With every trial she must decide not only how to save Kay, but who she is becoming.
Can Gerda withstand the bitter cold and the Snow Queen’s relentless desire to control the narrative? Will Kay reclaim the story that was stolen from him, or surrender himself to the silence of the ice?
A beloved folktale reimagined through a new landscape, The Snow Queen explores the people who carry our stories when we no longer can—and the courage it takes to let them go. Equal parts whimsical, haunting, joyful, and deeply human, this production warms even the coldest hearts into blooming again.
Material to Prepare:
DIGITAL AUDITIONS: Tuesday, July 7th (Information below)
IN-PERSON CALLBACKS: Saturday, July 11th (Information below)
Auditions will be done by video submission. Along with your completed audition form, please record a 1 to 1.5 minute contemporary monologue. Additionally, please record between 16-32 bars (around 1 minute or less) of a folk or acoustic song. Performers are encouraged to accompany themselves with an instrument. If you are not accompanying yourself, please sing your song a capella or with a track. There are non-singing roles in The Snow Queen- however we would still like to see your vocal ability.
If you have a movement or dance reel, please send that with your submission.
All submissions are due by 11:59 pm (CST) on Tuesday, July 7. All tapes submitted before July 7 will be accepted. Please submit your headshot, resume, and video submission to impostorstheatre@gmail.com with the subject “SNOW QUEEN (YOUR NAME)." Additionally, please fill out the attached audition form found at the link and send along as a PDF with your required material.
*Callback: Saturday, July 11, 9:30AM - 4:00PM (Callbacks will be split into groups. There will be a choreography/movement portion of the callback, so please wear comfortable clothing. Details are provided on the attached audition form (CLICK THE BUTTON FOUND BELOW). Actor must be available for part of one of the callback time slots. Time slots will be 9:30AM-11:15AM; 11:45AM-1:30PM; 1:55PM-3:40PM)
*We will try our utmost to fit you in closest to the time slot you request. However, there is no guarantee.
Callbacks will be held at:
The Den Theatre, 1331 North Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Time Commitment:
Rehearsals: September 9–October 23, 2026 (Monday–Friday evenings).
Tech: October 26–November 5, 2026 (Details provided on audition form. Must be available.)
Performances: November 6–21, 2026 (Pick-up on Wed, Performance Thurs-Sun)
School Performance: We are planning one or two early matinee performances for schools on either: Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday; more info on audition form.
Rehearsals will be held at:
Unity Lutheran Church & Community Center, 1212 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Tech & Performances will be held at:
The Den Theatre, 1331 North Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Character Type/Restrictions:
The Impostors Theatre Company desires to work with all kinds of artists. We encourage people of all backgrounds, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, disabilities, and religions to submit for consideration. Performers who are adept inwith movement, dance, and puppetry experience strongly encouraged to submit.
THE SNOW QUEEN (30-45, femme)
Powerful and enigmatic—perhaps misunderstood. Isolated from community, the Snow Queen has learned to stay frozen in the role she believes she must play. Like the frost, she arrives in darkness without so much as a sigh. Actors with comanding speaking voices are encouraged to submit.
GERDA (21-35, femme)
Youthful, headstrong, and resolute. Gerda fiercely loves those she calls family and burns with righteous anger toward those who seek to harm them. Caught between pessimism and faith, she embarks on a perilous journey to rescue her best friend, Kay, from his icy prison. Actors with movement/dance experience are strongly encouraged to submit.
KAY (21-35, masc)
Loving, wounded, and energetic. A young man playing dangerously close to the snowy edge of despair, Kay finds himself caught in a war between darkness and light. The only thing keeping him tethered—preventing him from breaking through the ice—is his found family: Gerda and Grandma. Actors with movement/dance experience are strongly encouraged to submit.
STORYTELLER ONE: THE RAVEN (age non-specific, gender non-specific)
Assured, watchful, and curious. Poetic by nature, the Raven befriends Gerda and helps guide her through the deep woods to the Snow Queen's palace. All Storytellers appear throughout the entirety of the tale. Actors with puppetry experience are encouraged to submit.
STORYTELLER TWO: THE REINDEER (age non-specific, gender non-specific)
Weary, gentle, and steadfast. Trapped by the Band of Robbers, the Reindeer joins Gerda on her quest. His magical gifts become essential as the trio journeys toward the Snow Queen's palace. All Storytellers appear throughout the entirety of the tale. Actors with puppetry experience are encouraged to submit.
STORYTELLER THREE: GRANDMA (30-50, femme)
Intelligent, gentle, and safe. Grandma is home for both Gerda and Kay. Well-versed in the folklore of her town and the legends of the Snow Queen, she delights in sharing stories over a warm cup of tea. Though too weary to make the journey herself, she would travel to the ends of the earth for her two grandchildren. All Storytellers appear throughout the entirety of the tale.
STORYTELLER FOUR: THE OLD WOMAN (age non-specific, femme)
Decrepit, syrupy, and manipulative. Alone in her woodland cabin, the Old Woman tends her enchanted garden with obsessive care. A master manipulator, she preys upon the kindness of youth. Like any neglected garden, beneath her beauty lies a tangle of invasive weeds. All Storytellers appear throughout the entirety of the tale.
STORYTELLER FIVE: SPRITE (age non-specific, gender non-specific)
Mythical, energetic, and whimsical. The Sprite opens our tale. Not quite an agent of chaos, but certainly delighted to recount the mischief and heartache that follows. A lover of life and all that flurries through it. All Storytellers appear throughout the entirety of the tale. Movement/dance experience desired.
STORYTELLER SIX: THE ROBBER GIRL (age non-specific, femme)
Brash, cunning, and biting. Leader of the Band of Robbers. Close in age to Gerda—perhaps a little older—and long past the luxury of optimism. She does what she must to survive. Anyone who stands in her way, be damned. All Storytellers appear throughout the entirety of the tale. Actors with singing and movement/dance experience desired.
STORYTELLER SEVEN: MOTHER (age non-specific, femme)
Lost, lonely, and unassuming. Once a beacon of safety and belonging, she is now a snuffed flame, leaving only soot staining the corridors of Kay's mind. A haunting presence, drifting through memory. All Storytellers appear throughout the entirety of the tale. Movement/dance experience desired.
*Some STORYTELLER actor tracks may be combined.
To apply for this job please visit drive.google.com.