Mesmerized: A Ben Franklin Science & History Mystery (non-musical)
Audition Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 at 7:00PM for Adult Performers (Ages 18+)
Auditions will be held in-person at The Historic Palace Theatre: 7 Ledgewood Ave. Netcong, NJ.
Please Note: The Growing Stage Theatre is located in northwestern New Jersey. There is no regular mass transportation. We do not provide housing. Reliable transportation is needed.
Seeking:
Adult artists will play six roles throughout the performance. The Growing Stage celebrates and encourages diversity in all of our productions. The Growing Stage is a professional company dedicated to presenting quality theatre for the entire family.
List of Adult Roles
- Ben Franklin – in his later years
- Sarah – Franklin’s young niece
- Dr. Franz Mesmer – in his 40’s, a flamboyant, self-proclaimed healer
- Ensemble One – Charles, a young assistant to Mesmer, also plays Servant, Doctor, Crowd Figure and a Patient
- Ensemble Two – Marie Antoinette, also plays Servant, Doctor, Crowd Figure and a Patient
- Ensemble Three – King Louis XVI, also plays a Doctor, Crowd Figure and a Patient
All roles are Non-Union paid positions under our Professional and Emerging Artist contracts.
Preparation:
Open call. Auditioners will be reading sides from the script. Please bring a headshot and resume.
Video Submissions:
In-person auditions are preferred. Video submissions will be accepted up until Wednesday, February 4th with the understanding that you may be invited to attend the preferable in-person audition on Monday, February 9th. Please send all video submissions to sfredericks@growingstage.com
Rehearsal Schedule:
Rehearsal schedules are generally two or three evenings during the week and a weekend afternoon. All cast members are expected for all performances, with no exception since the company does not cast understudies.
Performance Schedule:
Tech week:
March 1 – 4, 2026
Performances:
Friday, March 6th at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7th at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 8th at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 14th at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 15th at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 21st at 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 22nd at 2:00 p.m.
This production will also include Main Stage Matinees (daytime performances where schools visit The Growing Stage).
As of January 23, we have the following Daytime Performances:
March 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 all at 10am.
About the Show:
Adapted for the stage by Suzanne Maynard Miller
Based on the book MESMERIZED: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff
Production Team:
Director: Stephen Fredericks
About The Show:
Part farce, part docu-drama, MESMERIZED is a fast-paced comedy featuring a nimble ensemble. Mirroring the chaos of the world around them, the ensemble switch in and out of roles until, inevitably, they let “the wires show” (pants on backwards, a misplaced mustache, a hat on a hat.)
As the story unfolds, the characters divulge what the Scientific Method can do (explain a phenomenon, show patterns, reveal the truth at a fixed moment in time) as well as what it cannot do, namely convince the unconvincible. In the end, the story of Ben Franklin and Franz mesmer exhibits the strength of the imagination and the power of the Placebo Effect, but, most of all, this narrative explores the idea of science and its capacity to guide us as we navigate this thing called life.
Please contact Stephen Fredericks, Director at sfredericks@growingstage.com with any questions.
