AUDITIONS
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
OCTOBER 15th - 24th
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Auditions
Presented by The Forge Center for the Arts
Performance dates: October 15–24, 2026
Rehearsals begin: August 24, 2026
Mandatory no-conflict period: October 5–26, 2026
Auditions were held at the end of July. Cast will be announced mid August.
Audition Preparation
Vocal Audition
Please prepare 16–32 bars of a musical-theatre song that demonstrates both vocal ability and storytelling.
Auditioners must provide their own recorded accompaniment on a Bluetooth-capable device. No accompanist will be provided. Please download and cue the accompaniment before entering the audition room and make sure the device is fully charged.
Every auditioner is required to sing, including performers primarily interested in featured, ensemble, or non-singing roles.
Acting Audition
Please prepare a memorized monologue of no more than one minute. Comedic or light dramatic material appropriate to the style of the show is encouraged. Choose a piece that demonstrates clear character choices and storytelling. Auditioners may be stopped at one minute.
Dance and Physical Requirements
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a dance-centered musical. Strong movement ability will be especially important for the Pontipee brothers, the brides, the suitors, and much of the ensemble.
Depending upon the role, performers may participate in:
Partner dancing and romantic partnering
Close physical contact and staged embraces
Lifts or supported dance movement
Physical comedy and choreographed falls
Staged confrontations or fight choreography
All physical staging will be rehearsed and choreographed. Auditioners may contact the company regarding accessibility needs, physical limitations, or requested audition accommodations.
Video Auditions
Can't make an in-person audition? Video submissions will be accepted through 11:59 pm on Sunday, July 26. Please complete the audition form, then email your audition video (or a link to it) to contact@theforgearts.com.
Casting
The cast will be announced by August 10.
Cast Meeting
August 11th at 6 pm
Rehearsals
Begin August 24.
Directed by three-time Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, and director Ellen Wheeler.
Availability Required
All cast members must be available with no conflicts October 5th to 26 for final week of rehearsals, tech week and performances.
Minors may audition and may be considered for appropriate roles and ensemble tracks. Local residency is not required.
This production will be single-cast. Understudies will be assigned for major roles.
About the Show
Set on the Oregon frontier during the 1850s, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers follows rugged backwoodsman Adam Pontipee, who brings his new wife, Milly, home to discover that she is also expected to cook and care for his six unruly brothers.
Determined to bring order to the household, Milly teaches the brothers manners and the proper way to court women. Their misguided attempts to find wives create conflict, comedy, romance, and some of musical theatre’s best-known dance sequences.
ROLES
Milly
Female | Soprano | Vocal range: G3–E5
A spirited, intelligent frontier woman with warmth, humor, and a strong moral compass. Milly is unafraid to speak her mind and quickly takes charge of Adam’s unruly household. Requires a strong singer-actor with both comedic and dramatic ability.
Adam
Male | Baritone | Vocal range: B3–A5
The eldest of the seven Pontipee brothers. Adam is a rugged farmer and hunter who is vigorous, confident, charming, and accustomed to being obeyed. The actor must balance commanding frontier swagger, romantic appeal, comedy, and Adam’s eventual growth toward humility.
The Pontipee Brothers
The six younger brothers are highly physical roles requiring strong ensemble work, comic timing, confident movement, and romantic partnering.
Benjamin
Male | Tenor | Vocal range: C4–F5
The second eldest brother and Adam’s second-in-command. Benjamin is driven, decisive, quick-tempered, and openly romantic. Falls in love with Dorcas.
Caleb
Male | Tenor | Vocal range: C4–F5
A solid, intelligent hunter and the most level-headed of the brothers. Caleb is confident in the wilderness but inexperienced and awkward around women. Falls in love with Ruth.
Daniel
Male | Tenor | Vocal range: C4–F5
Rough-and-tumble, unkempt, and talkative. Daniel is sincere, steady, and capable of understated romantic charm. Falls in love with Liza.
Ephraim
Male | Tenor | Vocal range: C4–F5
Energetic, athletic, and rough around the edges. Ephraim is less talkative than Daniel and often acts before thinking. Falls in love with Martha.
Frank
Male | Tenor | Vocal range: C4–F5
The most rugged, hot-headed, and uncivilized of the brothers. Frank resists anything he considers overly refined but also brings mischievous humor and strong physical energy. Falls in love with Sarah.
Gideon
Male | Tenor | Vocal range: C4–G5
The youngest brother. Gideon is shy, sensitive, awkward, sweet, and deeply honest. His innocence and sincerity provide warmth and humor. Falls in love with Alice.
The Brides
The brides require strong individual personalities, ensemble singing, comic ability, confident movement, and romantic partnering.
Alice
Female | Mezzo-Soprano | Vocal range: A3–C5
Sweet, extremely naïve, excitable, and fastidious about cleanliness. Alice is an enthusiastic and hopeless romantic. Falls in love with Gideon.
Dorcas
Female | Alto | Vocal range: A3–C5
A feisty, independent charmer who works in her parents’ store and rebels against their overprotective nature. Confident and bold, she is also genuinely kind and romantic. Falls in love with Benjamin.
Ruth
Female | Alto | Vocal range: A3–C5
A practical teacher and problem-solver who often acts as the responsible leader of the brides. Ruth appears composed and sensible but has a passionate, fiery side. Falls in love with Caleb.
Liza
Female | Alto | Vocal range: A3–C5
A shy, observant homebody who is rarely far from Martha. Liza is highly superstitious and brings gentle humor and warmth to the group. Falls in love with Daniel.
Martha
Female | Alto | Vocal range: A3–C5
Proper, earnest, and closely attached to Liza. Martha tries to do what is expected of her but reveals confidence and spirit when challenged. Falls in love with Ephraim.
Sarah
Female | Alto | Vocal range: A3–C5
A gardener and energetic tomboy who was raised among boys. Sarah is bold, optimistic, physically confident, and filled with fiery exuberance. Falls in love with Frank.
Featured
Mr. Hoallum
Male | Baritone | Vocal range: C4–G5
The owner of the general store, town mayor, and Dorcas’s protective father. He is authoritative, suspicious of the Pontipees, and determined to defend the young women of the town.
Mrs. Hoallum
Female | Alto | Vocal range: A3–D5
Dorcas’s mother and Mr. Hoallum’s wife. She is snobbish, uptight, judgmental, and strongly opposed to Adam and his brothers.
Mr. Sander
Male | Bass | Vocal range: A3–E5
The owner of the local restaurant and Ruth’s father. Mr. Sander is gruff, grumpy, conservative, and intensely protective of his daughter.
Mrs. Sander
Female | Alto | Vocal range: A3–D5
Ruth’s mother and Mr. Sander’s wife. She is snobbish, conservative, disapproving, and highly protective of her daughter.
Preacher
Male | Tenor | Vocal range: C4–E5
Alice’s father. A peaceful and deeply religious man who loves his daughter but strongly dislikes confrontation. His gentle personality contrasts with the town’s more aggressive parents.
The Suitors
Jeb, Joel, Nathan, Luke, Matt, and Zeke
Male | Bass, Baritone, or Tenor
The local young men who have been courting the brides. They are proud, competitive, and resentful when the Pontipee brothers begin attracting the women’s attention. These roles require strong ensemble chemistry, comedy, physical acting, and dance ability.
Ensemble
Townsmen and Townswomen
The townspeople establish the energetic social world of the Oregon frontier and participate in group singing, dancing, comedy, and physical storytelling. Ensemble performers may receive featured lines, solos, dance moments, or additional character assignments.
Lumbermen
Featured physical acting roles for the men who confront Milly at the restaurant before Adam intervenes. These performers require strong characterization and the ability to participate safely in choreographed confrontation.
Additional Ensemble
The ensemble may include additional brothers, townsboys, townsgirls, dancers, and other members of the frontier community. Strong singers, dancers, actors, and character performers are encouraged to audition.
If you have any questions please call Kathy 435-619-5447 or send us an email at contact@theforgearts.com.
