Auditions
OPEN CALL AUDITIONS
Les Zinspiré.e.s 14
PROJECT SYNOPSIS:
For the 14th year, Théâtre français de Toronto presents Les Zinspiré·es, a punchy production bringing together five original works in one electrifying show. On stage, the worlds unfold and respond to one another — by turns funny, moving, thought-provoking, and surprising — brought to life by a professional cast and dynamic staging that makes each piece resonate in the present moment.
At the helm of this new edition, Danik McAfee returns after directing the previous instalment. He infuses this theatrical mosaic with energy and cohesion. While the event takes root in a playwriting competition held in schools across the province, it stands above all as a true artistic springboard and a highly anticipated annual event where creation is experienced fully, here and now.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:
To provide as many Greater Toronto Area applicants as possible with the opportunity to make themselves known, TfT is requesting self-taping video auditions for this first round of auditions.
Please submit via our online form (link below) :
- Photo and résumé in a single PDF with your name in the title of the file,
- Audition video (self-tape) including:
- 1 scene of your choice from the sides (scripts) provided from Les Zinspiré.e.s (2 takes, only if different in tone),
- 1 minute max. of self-introduction, if Danik does not already know you. Please let us know if you have any training in singing, dance, physical theatre or puppetry!
- OPTIONAL: 1 minute max. of a talent you would like to share (ex: singing, dancing, playing an instrument, clown, puppetry, etc.) You can also showcase your talent by sharing a link to a short pre-existing video/demo. OR a second scene of your choice from Les Zinpiré.e.s.
- Slate at the end (wider frame if possible) with name, height, agency (or ‘self-represented’) and city of residence.
DOWNLOAD SIDES TO PREPARE HERE (FRENCH ONLY)
THIS IS AN OPEN CALL. No pre-selection will be made. Any adult performer fitting the character descriptions below can submit their audition using the AUDITION SUBMISSION FORM: https://forms.gle/P5Wc3Mv8hYxG3kBq9
DEADLINE to submit self-tape: Monday, August 10th, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
Contact for information: Pierre Simpson, zinspires @ theatrefrancais.com
(Spaces have been added to this address to prevent them from being indexed by spam systems)
If you have worked closely with Danik before and would prefer to be considered for callbacks WITHOUT recording a self-tape, please fill out the submission form and instead of attaching a video, state that you prefer an in-person callback.
Théâtre français de Toronto works under the UDA-ACT (Union des artistes) agreement. Equity Members are allowed to work under UDA-ACT for 3 contracts per year using their CAEA membership.
Interested actors MUST LIVE IN THE GREATER TORONTO AREA: upon request, they must be able to provide a valid Ontario health card or driver’s licence.
In order to reflect the multicultural reality of the Francophonie in Ontario and Toronto, actors of various ancestries and identities are strongly encouraged to audition. Everyone must be very comfortable REHEARSING AND PERFORMING IN FRENCH.
Accessibility : The rehearsal studio at 21 College is fully accessible. The Berkeley Street Upstairs performance space has a flight of stairs.
Viewing committee: Danik McAfee, Karine Ricard and Pierre Simpson (subject to change). All submissions will be viewed by at least two people.
LES ZINSPIRÉ.E.S 14
- 5 short plays by teen writers from across Ontario and coached by a professional team.
- Director: Danik McAfee
- In-person callbacks (virtual upon request): Sept. 13-16, 2026
- Possible workshop : Oct. 21, 22 and-or 23, 2026 (1-2 days TBC)
- Rehearsals: Oct. 26 - Nov. 25, 2026
- High school matinées : Nov. 26 - Dec. 11, 2026
- General Audience Performances : Friday November 27, 7:30pm and Saturday December 5, 3pm, 2026.
DOWNLOAD SIDES TO PREPARE HERE (FRENCH ONLY)
ROLES TO BE CAST:
All actors will be asked to play several characters ranging in age and tone from dramatic to comedic.
Open ethnicity. Trans, non-binary and queer performers are also highly encouraged for all roles.
THÉO
Francophone adult to play a young man aged 15–18. All ethnicities are welcome.
Théo is autistic, brilliant, and deeply endearing. He approaches the world with disarming logic, boundless curiosity, and a sincerity that leaves him vulnerable to the judgments of his peers. Although he struggles to decode social norms, his greatest wish is simple: to find where he belongs and build genuine connections.
We are seeking a sensitive francophone performer with exceptional precision and nuance, capable of portraying the full richness of Théo's inner world with authenticity, humor, and vulnerability—without resorting to caricature.
Synopsis – Comment font les poulpes pour être seuls ? (How Do Octopuses Manage to Be Alone?)
Théo is fascinated by octopuses and convinced that making friends is simply a matter of learning the rules. Determined to overcome the loneliness he believes comes with his autism, he turns to the most popular students at his school for advice. But after a humiliating encounter, he begins to question everything that defines him. When a classmate shares their passion for cephalopods, Théo discovers there may be another way to belong in the world. Comment font les poulpes pour être seuls ? is a funny, heartfelt, and uplifting short play about difference, self-acceptance, and the search for genuine human connection.
HANS
Francophone adult to play a man aged 22–35. All ethnicities are welcome. Ideally 2SLGBTQIA+.
A former German soldier at the end of the Second World War, Hans is deeply human, torn between his instinct for survival, his guilt, and the love he still feels for Friedrich. Impulsive, proud, and at times provocative, he refuses to be defined solely by the war that consumed him. Beneath his combative exterior lies immense vulnerability and a profound longing to be seen for the man he was before the conflict.
We are looking for a francophone performer capable of combining intense emotional depth, raw sensitivity, and a commanding stage presence to carry a psychological confrontation of remarkable complexity.
Synopsis – Lévitique (Leviticus)
France, 1945. Hiding in a forest after the end of the Second World War, Hans, a former German soldier, is captured and forced to dig his own grave under the watch of Friedrich, a French soldier whom he recognizes as his former lover. As memories of their past resurface, the two men are forced to confront love, guilt, faith, and the wounds left by war. Lévitique is a powerful short chamber drama exploring the devastation wrought by totalitarian systems, the burden of morality, and the possibility—or impossibility—of forgiveness.
MAJORE
Francophone adult to play a young woman aged 17–18. All ethnicities are welcome.
Intelligent, ambitious, and deeply sensitive, she has always been the model student: the one who excels, achieves, and never disappoints. Behind her composed exterior, however, is a young woman exhausted by a system that has taught her to prioritize success above herself. Through what begins as a valedictory speech and gradually transforms into an intimate confession, she finally finds the courage to question the expectations that have shaped her entire youth.
We are seeking an actor capable of carrying a one-person short play with exceptional emotional maturity, combining intelligence, vulnerability, and magnetic stage presence.
Synopsis – Majore de promotion (Valedictorian)
At her graduation ceremony, the valedictorian steps up to the podium to deliver the speech everyone has been waiting for. But what begins as a celebration of academic success slowly becomes a moving confession about the cost of achievement, grief, and the relentless pressure to be perfect. Majore de promotion is a powerful solo short play that challenges a system where we are taught to perform long before we are taught how to live.
DALE / DALIA
Francophone adult to play a character in their 20s. All gender identities and ethnicities are welcome.
Dale or Dalia is an office employee convinced they are an exceptional detective. Eccentric, hyper-analytical, and incapable of overlooking even the smallest detail, they transform the most trivial incidents into investigations of the highest importance. Beneath their constant need to be right is an incredibly endearing person simply trying to prove their worth.
We are looking for a performer with outstanding comic timing, strong physical presence, and the ability to move seamlessly between absurdity, sincerity, and vulnerability.
Synopsis – Court-circuit (Short Circuit)
When their phone charger disappears just minutes before the end of an online auction that could change their life, Dale (or Dalia) becomes convinced that one of their coworkers is a thief. Their improvised investigation uncovers a series of increasingly unlikely secrets, revealing that everyone in this seemingly ordinary office is leading a double life. Short Circuit is a fast-paced absurd comedy celebrating everyday eccentrics while reminding us that it is sometimes easier to accuse others than to look at what is right in front of us.
LA FILLE
Francophone adult to play a girl from ages 6–8, then up to 18. All ethnicities are welcome.
Bright, imaginative, and endlessly creative, la Fille loves inventing worlds and building tiny fairy houses. Beneath her gentle nature and eagerness to please lies overwhelming anxiety, fueled by the weight of her parents' expectations. Over the course of the play, she gradually loses confidence in herself before ultimately rediscovering her own voice.
We are seeking a young adult performer with great sensitivity, strong comic instincts, and a moving stage presence, capable of authentically carrying the character's emotional journey.
Synopsis – Comment construire une bonne fondation (How to Build a Strong Foundation)
A little girl dreams only of building fairy houses with her blocks, but her parents are convinced that her future depends on always being the very best. Through a series of situations that are as absurd as they are funny, the adults' expectations spiral out of control, threatening to shatter the child's confidence. Comment construire une bonne fondation is a touching satirical comedy that explores the pressure to succeed, parental expectations, and what truly forms the foundation of a meaningful life.