Posted by Hart House Theatre
AUDITION CALL: Nirbhao (Without Fear)
Hart House Theatre is seeking performers and dancers for Nirbhao (Without Fear), an original production exploring womanhood, identity, and intergenerational experiences through drama and movement.
Nirbhao (Without Fear) received the President’s Award for Best Production at the 2026 Hart House U of T Drama Festival and will return to the Hart House Theatre stage this November.
About the Production
Nirbhao (Without Fear) follows four South Asian women trapped together in a strange place that feels like a home, yet offers no way out. Coming from different generations, backgrounds, and lived experiences, they slowly begin to uncover what connects them beyond the walls around them. Some appear as family, others as foes, but the arrival of one new member in this “home” shifts the balance of the space and forces buried truths to surface.
Blending drama with dance-driven theatre, the women navigate conversations about what it means to exist as a woman. As they confront the stories that brought them there, the question remains: are they trapped by the place itself, or by the lives they left behind?
Character Breakdown
Speaking Roles (4)
TARA (15–17)
A kind and nervous teenage girl who tries to do everything right. She values the people around her, seeks calm, and avoids confrontation.
ASHA (30–35)
An older woman who is always stressed and anxious but deeply caring and almost motherly. She longs to leave the house and return to her child but has been unable to.
DIYA (23–25)
A young college student who is angry at the world and carries a great deal of unexpressed rebellion and angst. She comes from a wealthy, privileged family and identifies with the highest Hindu caste in India.
BARKAT (9)
A lively and joyful young girl who expresses love for everything and everyone around her.
Non-Speaking Roles – Dancers (4)
Performers should be comfortable with Indian semi-classical dance, incorporating elements of Kathak, freestyle, contemporary, and Bollywood styles.
Formal Kathak training is not required but is considered an asset (any Gharana).
Important Dates
- Video Audition Submission Deadline: September 8, 2026, at 12:00 PM
- Callbacks: September 11–13, 2026
- Rehearsals Begin: Week of September 21, 2026
- Technical Rehearsals Begin: Week of October 26, 2026
Performance Dates
- Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 8 PM
- Friday, November 6, 2026, at 8 PM
- Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 2 PM
- Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 8 PM
Venue: Hart House Theatre
Rehearsal Location: On/near STG campus
How to Audition
Actors are asked to submit:
- One contemporary dramatic monologue (2–3 minutes).
Dancers are asked to submit:
- A video of you demonstrating your dance skills, preferably a Bollywood style (1 -3 minutes).
Your video audition through the online submission form.
Hart House Theatre kindly thanks all candidates for applying. However, only those selected for a callback will be contacted.
This is a non-union opportunity. A $500 honorarium will be provided to all performers.
If you have any questions, please contact jannatnarang11@gmail.com.