Auditions for Spring Productions - 2021

2021 Spring General Auditions

SPARK, ANON(YMOUS), "COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN FIVE BETTIES" AND "CARRIE AND FRANCINE"

December 20, 2020 to
January 21, 2021     
January 23, 2021
12:00-3:00 PM
January 23, 2021
3:00-6:00 PM
January 24, 2021
12:00-3:00 PM
January 24, 2021
3:00-6:00 PM
Audition Self-Tape
Submissions Open
SPARK
virtual callbacks,
Stage Manager
will provide link
COLLECTIVE RAGE
virtual callbacks,
Stage Manager
will provide link
ANON(YMOUS)
virtual callbacks,
Stage Manager
will provide link
CARRIE AND FRANCINE
virtual callbacks,
Stage Manager
will provide link

What to Prepare

  • Create self-tape of a contemporary monologue no longer than 90 seconds.
  • Label that file with first and last name and either in a .mp4 or .mov file format

How to Submit Your Audition Video

  • Submit your video here
  • Upload your file to the box folder
  • Contact Ashley Martin with any questions

Auditions Forms can be found here.

  • Complete and submit the audition Google form by JANUARY 21, 2021 - 5:00 PM
  • One resume & headshot saved with your first and last name may be uploaded in addition to a self-tape

Questions?

Please send any questions you may have to audition@pitt.edu.

CASTING AND PRODUCTION POLICY

Theatre Arts Department Casting Statement & Mainstage and Lab Season Mission
  • We are committed to producing stories from multiple cultural perspectives, of diverse styles and structures and from multiple time periods and global locales.
  • In order to tell every story upon our stage, student, faculty and guest artists of all abilities, races, genders, sexualities, nationalities, and religions are needed and welcome for our casts, our crews, and our production teams.
  • As a department and producing organization, we consider our audience to be the Department of Theatre Arts, the University campus and the larger Pittsburgh and regional community.
  • We are committed to analyzing and understanding a playwright’s intentions for location, time and character.
  • We are equally committed to challenging ourselves and our audiences to think beyond the strictures of given circumstances and historical expectations in production.

We are committing to cultivating spaces, theatres and classrooms in which students, faculty, and guest artist can take risks, stretch themselves,and approach each class, audition and production venture as a fresh opportunity for greatness.

SPARK written by Tom Arvetis

Directed by KJ Gilmer
Rehearsal Dates: February 1 - March 3, 2021
Streaming Dates: March 12 - 21, 2021

Synopsis:

Pan is three days away from the most important exam of her life, and her friends, Jude and Farren, are counting on her to up her Game. No more distractions. No more mistakes. Together they’re to compete in a dangerous virtual reality that pits them against a mysterious enemy and ultimately determines their rank in the community.
Life in Sanctuary is too precarious not to be taken seriously. But Pan’s uncertainty and innate curiosity send them on a different course altogether. After encountering two young strangers who bring an inconceivable possibility to her community, Pan begins to question all she knows. Is Sanctuary the refuge she has always believed it to be, or a prison built on fear?

Inspired by the Greek myths of Prometheus and Pandora, Spark ponders the possibility of a world without fire and suggests that, no matter how hard we try to trap our worst fears in a box, it is impossible to stand in the way of young imaginations driven toward curiosity and hope.
 
You can read an excerpt from the script here.

Cast in order of Appearance: there may be double casing for Keepers and Residents

Storyteller
Video Screen. The Voice of Sanctuary.
Pan - (Pandora) Curious, intuitive. Resident of Sanctuary. Female.
Jude Clever, resourceful. Resident of Sanctuary. Female
Farren Focused, driven. Resident of Sanctuary. Male.
K Teacher in Sanctuary. Reports to Dr. L:owell. Resident of Sanctuary. Female.
Dr. Lowell Amin's right-hand man. Resident of Sanctuary.
Amin Ageless leader of Sanctuary. Rarely seen in public. Usually seen on the Storyteller. Male.
Drew Pandora's father. Laborer. Resident of Sanctuary.
Janice Pandora's mother. Architect. Resident of Sanctuary.
Cord Not from Sanctuary. Male
Tico Not from Sanctuary. Male
Keepers Elder residents of Sanctuary. Male and Female.
Residents of Sanctuary Male and Female.

ANON(YMOUS) written by Naomi Iizuka

Directed by Ricardo Vila-Roger
Rehearsal Dates:  March 8 - April 7, 2021
Streaming Dates: April 16 - 25, 2021

Synopsis:

Separated from his mother, a young refugee called Anon journeys through the United States, encountering a wide variety of people -- some kind, some dangerous and cruel -- as he searches for his family. From a sinister one-eyed butcher to beguiling barflies, to a sweatshop, Anon must navigate through a chaotic, ever-changing landscape in this adaptation of Homer's Odyssey.

A copy of the script is available to read for free here.

If you need a monologue, you can use either of the following sections of the text:
Page 12, Character: Nemasani, read both paragraphs in section 4
Pages 28-29, Character: Anon, read sections 11 & 12 together

Character Breakdown: *Note - all actors except the person playing Anon will likely play multiple roles

the Laius’ daughter, used to getting what she wants, a bit of a spoiled brat, white American

Anon
(male
presenting)  
Young refugee, new to the US, gets separated from his mother - BIPOC
Nemasani
(female presenting)
Anon’s mother, young, ends up working in a sweat shop, must be able to carry a tune - BIPOC
Naja
(any gender,
written female)
Leader of the Greek chorus, gives voice to the voiceless, possibly a goddess – BIPOC
Ali
(any gender,
written male)
Nasreen’s parent, co-owner of Indian restaurant, blind, older and wiser, BIPOC preferably of South Asian descent
Ritu
(female presenting)
Ali’s spouse and Nasreen’s other parent, co-owner of & cook at Indian restaurant, BIPOC- preferably of South Asian descent
Nasreen
(female presenting)
Young BIPOC person living in US, works in Indian restaurant, kind of sassy, BIPOC preferably of South Asian descent
Calista
(female presenting)
 The Laius’ daughter, used to getting what she wants, a bit of a spoiled brat, white American
Yuri Mackus
(male presenting)
Owner of the sweat shop, harsh, abusive, a predator who thinks he’s a good guy white
Senator Laius
(male presenting)
 An ineffectual bureaucrat who believes he’s helpful – white American
Helen Laius
(female presenting)
 The well-meaning but clueless wife of the senator – white American
Pascal
(male presenting)
 Young, West African refugee, homeless, can fend for himself and is also caring and helpful — Black
Mr. Zyclo
(male presenting)
Butcher, wears an eye patch (only has 1 eye), seems nice at first but is really an over-the-top monster – any ethnicity but preferable white
Belen
(female presenting)
Young and undocumented, lost, orphaned while trying to get into the country – BIPOC
Srygal
(male presenting)
 Truck driver, son of Mr. Zyclo, probably a coyote and definitely a predator- white
Serza
(female presenting)
 Bar tender, rough but not mean, is she setting a trap? – any ethnicity but preferably white
Ignacio
(male presenting)
 The ghost of Belen’s deceased father, trying to be a spirit guide – BIPOC
Other Greek Chorus
roles/ensemble
Refugee Chorus, Barflies, Sewing Ladies, nice American family, voice of Zyclo’s pet bird

APPALACHIAN PARIS (working title)

Appalachian Paris is a devised processional audio tour walking through Pitt's campus and Oakland. As a devised work, we will build the movement, text, arc, and audience experience of the piece collectively. Incorporating found text, music, and poetry, the piece will reveal the history of the region, from the first indigenous peoples to students' contemporary experience of the neighborhood, presented through a recorded audio tour. Oakland will be our backdrop, and the work of design will focus on shaping the journey using existing architecture, the natural world, and other site-specific staging opportunities. In addition to the audio recording, we hope to have live elements at play (perhaps someone with a red umbrella crossing the street, two people spotted on a hillside dancing, etc.) but are unsure yet what flexibility COVID-19 safety protocols will allow for integration of in-person performance.
 
Casting Breakdown:
Since this piece will be created by the company as a whole, there are no rigid casting requirements. We will make the show out of our shared experience and research. The hope is to forge a community of collaborators representing a diversity of identities, races, ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, and abilities.
 
Required:
An interest in creating a show from scratch with fellow collaborators.
The desire to build upon your experience in devising or learn about the devising process.
A willingness to contribute to archival and community-based research with our directing and dramaturgical teams.
 
One (or more) of these skills would also be useful:
A strong audio/radio voice that can communicate character, given circumstances, objectives etc.
A background in movement of any kind (Capoeira, acrobatics, ballroom dance, etc.).
Musical ability (singing, writing music, and/or playing an instrument).
Any special skills that might be compelling to feature in an outdoor performance (circus skills, tour guide experience, giant bubble-making, skateboarding, etc.).
 
If you have any specific questions, please reach out to the director, Cynthia Croot .

"COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN FIVE BETTIES" written by Jen Silverman

Directed by Julia Kreutzer
Rehearsal Dates: February 1 - 22, 2021
Streaming Dates: February 26 - 28, 2021

Synopsis:

Playwright Jen Silverman “wrote the play [she] wanted to see, that was unapologetic and provocative and funny and, frankly, had queer women on stage.” She tells the story of five women—all named Betty —who each embody different stereotypes based on gender identity, sexuality, race, or class. In this absurdist comedy, the 5 women “devise” an outlandish piece of “thea-tah”, while working to find love of the self and others, reclaim their anger, and redefine authenticity as a continued goal.

Character Breakdown:
Betty 1 Female. White, wealthy, uptight housewife. Full of pent-up rage.
Betty 2 Female. White or Asian, wealthy housewife. Tightly wound but quickly unraveling.
Betty 3 Female. Latina, outspoken and attractive. Highly charismatic. Thinks she knows it all.
Betty 4 Butch. Any ethnicity. Gentle and dejected, often ignored, can fly under the radar. Loves her truck.
Betty 5 Genderqueer (masculine-of-center), person of color. Owns a boxing gym. Stoic.

"CARRIE AND FRANCINE" written by Ruby Rae Spiegel

Directed by Rebecca Hobart
Rehearsal Dates: March 15 - April 5, 2021
Streaming Dates: April 9 - 11, 2021

Synopsis:

This one-act features two teenage best friends who long for social acceptance; Carrie leads the pair as they attempt to meet impossible standards. Whether it’s sniffing candy wrappers to avoid eating, over-the-top cursing to appear more mature, or engaging in sexual activity for experience sake, these girls will do anything for popularity points, even if it’s at the expense of the other. Their relationship is pushed to its limits at a friend’s bar mitzvah, leaving the girls’ dynamic forever changed. Actors should be aware: this play involves difficult topics like harsh language, eating disorders, and sexual misconduct.

Character Breakdown:
Carrie, 13, Female Bossy, best friend of Francine
Francine, 13, Female Passive, best friend of Carrie
Mrs. Gold, mid-40s Bar Mitzvah attendee