Auditions (Edmonton): Side Effects – Cathexis Theatre, Theater News

Cathexis Theatre is excited to announce auditions for a brand new musical black comedy, Side Effects!

About the Company:
Cathexis Theatre is an independent Edmonton-based theatre company dedicated to creating brave, eccentric, new works! We find humour in darkness and shine light on commonly misunderstood or disregarded issues.

About the Show:
Living in an eccentric town where people are obsessed with their pets and sheltered from reality, Haven is burdened by the very real ticking clock of Huntington’s Disease. Too terrified to learn if she carries the gene that destroyed her family, Haven confronts her own reality by obsessing over a cure. But when this neurogeneticist transitions from the safety of computer simulations to the visceral moral minefield of animal testing, Haven must decide exactly how much of her own humanity she is willing to sacrifice to save her future.

Characters:

Haven: (Female identifying, AFAB, or Non-binary) A smart, hard-working Neurogeneticist Graduate Research Assistant working towards her PHD in Biomedical Science. Living in fear of getting Huntington’s, she tries to bury her empathy in hopes of finding a cure that will save her and her sister.

Sage: (Female identifying, AFAB, or Non-binary) Haven’s younger sister, who is also at risk for Huntington’s. She copes with the family’s uncertain future through distraction, throwing herself into the town’s eccentric pet-obsessed culture and local parades.

Pearl: (Female identifying, AFAB, or Non-binary) A chemist pursuing a PhD in Formulation Science to create cosmetics. Her career path takes a dark turn when her research requirements force her to confront the reality of animal testing in the wet lab.

Rose: (Female identifying, AFAB, or Non-binary) An activist and former cosmetics lab technician. While very grounded and intelligent, she is not taken seriously by the residents of the town.

Magnolia: (Female identifying, AFAB, or Non-binary) The elegant and arrogant social leader of the town. She is a perennial winner of every community event and represents a society that prioritizes status and beauty over difficult truths.

Harbour: (Female identifying, AFAB, or Non-binary) A smart and scatterbrained PhD student working alongside Haven. She is academically capable but struggles to maintain the professional distance required to perform animal testing procedures.

Herb: (Male identifying, AMAB, or Non-binary) A senior lab technician who appears cold and hardened by years of institutional work. Underneath his direct and efficient exterior, he hides a quiet sense of compassion.

Dr. Valen: (Male identifying, AMAB, or Non-binary) The arrogant and sarcastic Principal Investigator of the lab. He demands absolute detachment from his students and believes any moral cost is justified by scientific progress.

Note: This is a seven-person cast, so Magnolia and Harbour will be double-cast. Actors may also be picking up other small roles throughout the show.

Trigger Warnings:
This show deals with animal harm, mental health challenges and neurodegenerative illnesses. Feel free to email Andrew at Producer@Cathexistheatre.ca if you have any questions about the content of this show.

About the Audition:
Auditions will be held in 15-minute increments on Saturday, May 2nd and Sunday, May 3rd, from 7:00PM-10:00PM at the University of Alberta FAB building. If you are interested in auditioning but are unable to make these dates, let us know, and we will try to accommodate you.

Please prepare a monologue from a play and a song from a musical theatre production. Please bring a backtrack either saved on your phone or USB.

You may also be asked to read sides from the script, do a short movement exercise, and/or a short interview.

Cathexis Theatre is committed to diverse and inclusive casting. We strongly encourage submissions from all performers who self-identify as members of underrepresented communities.

Rehearsals:
Rehearsals will start on June 1st and run Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday evenings, with the addition of Thursday evenings in late July. These dates may change depending on the cast’s availability.

Performance:
Side Effects will premiere at the 2026 Edmonton International Fringe Festival from August 13th to August 23rd.

Contact:
If you have any questions or are interested in booking a 15 min audition slot, please send your headshot and resume to Andrew at Producer@Cathexistheatre.ca.

Deadline to respond is 12 PM on May 2, 2026.