Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House (EONF), Danville, CA casts for multiple productions each year with our fall festival productions in California and Ireland at the heart of our artistic calendar. Additionally, we stage smaller projects both live and online throughout the year.

EONF is holding auditions for its Eugene O’Neill Festival production of Ah, Wilderness! A Radio Play directed by Titian Lish.

Ah, Wilderness! A Radio Play will start rehearsals on August 12 (Wed/Thurs 7-10pm and Saturday 10am-5pm), Techs September 14-16, runs September 17-27, 2026 at Tao House and the Village Theatre in Danville, CA and be remounted at the Eugene O’Neill International Festival of Theatre in New Ross, Ireland the week of October 12-18.

All roles are non-AEA, paid.

Ah, Wilderness! A Radio Play

Play by Eugene O’Neill

Adapted by Eric Fraisher Hayes

Directed by Titian Lish

Cast

Actor 1: NAT MILLER / Salesman
Actor 2: ESSIE MILLER
Actor 3: ARTHUR MILLER / David McComber / Wint Selby / Bartender
Actor 4: RICHARD MILLER
Actor 5: MILDRED MILLER / Belle / Muriel McComber
Actor 6: SID DAVIS / David McComber / Tommy / (Possible Norah add - no vocal match necessary)
Actor 7: LILY MILLER

(doubling subject to change)

Character Breakdown

Actor 1 – Nat Miller / Salesman

The warm, intelligent, and good-humored patriarch of the Miller family. Calm, thoughtful, and gently witty.

Salesman: A brief comic role—likely a little slurred (thought still clear to the listener), cheerful, and playful in tone.

Actor 2 – Essie Miller

Essie Miller: Nat’s wife.

A devoted mother who balances warmth with a firm sense of propriety. She is loving, perceptive, and flustered by the emotional storms of her children. Strong comic instincts helpful for family banter and a fair amount of likeable overreacting.

Actor 3 – Arthur Miller / David McComber / Wint Selby / Bartender

Arthur Miller: Richard’s older brother. Sensible, reliable, and conventional. An older brother with playful dismissiveness. Proud.

Wint Selby: A charming but questionable influence—smooth, confident, and a bit of a rogue.

David McComber: Muriel’s protective father. Slightly stiff and socially proper, with a tendency toward seriousness and overreaction.

Bartender: A colorful working-class character; grounded, dryly humorous.

Actor 4 – Richard Miller

Richard Miller: The romantic, poetic teenage son of the Miller family. Idealistic, passionate, and melodramatic in the way of young love and youthful rebellion. His journey balances comedy with sincere emotional vulnerability.

Actor 5 – Mildred Miller / Belle / Muriel McComber

Mildred Miller: Richard’s younger sister—bright, curious, and sometimes mischievous.

Belle: A lively woman encountered during Richard’s misadventure—worldly, playful, and warm-hearted with a touch of wry humor.

Muriel McComber: Richard’s sweetheart. Sweet, earnest, and romantic, with a sincere affection for Richard.

Actor 6 – Sid Davis / Tommy / (Possible Norah)

Sid Davis: Essie’s charming but unreliable, drink-loving, brother. A lovable rogue—funny, sentimental, and slightly tragic beneath the humor. Often the source of comic energy.

Tommy: The youngest Miller child—excitable, curious, and energetic.

Possible Norah: A brief additional role – inept young house-helper; vocal gender match not required.

Actor 7 – Lily Miller

Lily Miller: Nat’s sister. Thoughtful, kind, and quietly emotional. She carries an undercurrent of romantic longing connected to Sid, giving the role both tenderness and gentle humor.

Notes on the Production 

We are seeking a small ensemble of versatile actors for a staged radio play performance of Ah, Wilderness! This production celebrates the warmth, humor, and nostalgia of O’Neill’s only full-length comedy through a lively, fast-paced radio format.

Because this is a radio play, the emphasis will be on vocal storytelling, comic timing, and character clarity rather than physical resemblance to the roles. Actors should be comfortable leaning into heightened comedic performance while creating distinct characters through voice.

Actors do not need to match the physical type, age, or appearance of the characters. However, performers should match the gender identity of the character through vocal delivery.

Additional Skills

This production will evoke the soundscape of an early 20th-century radio broadcast. Actors who have skills with singing short jingles, vocal effects, or playing simple instruments (such as ukulele, guitar, harmonica, or possibly piano, etc.) are encouraged to include a very brief sample (10–20 seconds) with their audition materials. These skills are not required, but they may be incorporated into the performance.

Auditioning

We are currently accepting video submissions of two contrasting 1-minute comic monologues and a short musical sample, if available. Submissions are due by Friday, April 17, 2026. Please make sure your video is accessible so the casting director will not need to “request access” to view.

Ah, Wilderness! A Radio Play will be a non-AEA production, but we encourage AEA actors to submit for future projects as we are looking to include AEA talent in the future.

Callbacks for Ah, Wilderness! A Radio Play will be held on the weekend of May 2 and 3, 2026. BY INVITATION ONLY.

Should you have any questions, please contact Eric Fraisher Hayes at casting@eugeneoneill.org