DENVER CENTER 2019-2020 SEASON - Denver EPA
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
AUDITION DATE
Mon, Apr 15, 2019
10:00 am - 6:00 pm (MDT)
Lunch: 2:00PM - 3:00PM
APPOINTMENTS
N/A. Please sign up on day of audition.
CONTRACT
LORT Non-Rep Minimum - $696/wk
SEEKING
See breakdown.
PREPARATION
Two monologues: one classical piece and one contemporary piece. Singers should prepare a song from a traditional legit American musical standard. Accompanist will be provided. Bring current picture and resume, sheet music, AEA card.
LOCATION
Newman Center for Theatre Education
1101 13th St.
Denver, CO 80204
Parking not provided, check in with front desk
PERSONNEL
Grady Soapes, CSA - DCPA Director of Casting
OTHER DATES
See breakdown.
OTHER
Actors unable to attend this call may submit headshot/resume to:
Casting Director
1101 13th Street
Denver, CO 80204
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of audition.
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition.
Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.
BREAKDOWN
The Denver Center does not believe in discrimination based on color, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, disabilities, gender, or otherwise. All performers, including those of color, seniors, women, and performers with disabilities, are encouraged to audition and will be given full consideration.
Some roles in the season will be understudied.
INDECENT
Playwright: Paula Vogel
Director: Nancy Keystone
Choreographer: Dominique Kelley
Music Director: Angela Steiner
LORT D Contract
The Space Theater
REH: 7/26/2019
1ST PREVIEW: 8/30/2019
OPEN: 9/5/2019
CLOSE: 10/6/2019
Seeking:
Lemml- the Stage Manager (Male, 35-45 years old) A naïve country tailor whose life is changed upon reading Asch's The God of Vengeance, becomes leader of the Yiddish Art Theatre of Lodz troupe; over time as company manager of Asch's play throughout Europe and New York, he experiences the good and the terrible that the world has to offer, but he is never consumed by cynicism. Holds fast to his belief in the transformative power of theatre, even in the Nazi-controlled ghetto where his troupe performs. Actor must be proficient in singing, movement, Eastern European dialects, have facility in transforming seamlessly from one character to another.
Chana- the Ingénue (Female, 22-33 years old) Actor must be proficient in singing, movement, Eastern European dialects, have facility in transforming seamlessly from one character to another.
Also plays:
Madje- Asch’s wife, passionate, adventurous, has a discerning mind for literature, sexually open, provides inspiration and material for Asch's play
Elsa- German actress
Ruth/Reina- Yiddish-speaking, Jewish immigrant actor, cast as Rifkele (daughter of brothel owner, in love with the prostitute Manke) in the NY premiere of The God of Vengeance, outspoken defender of her heritage, in the in love with Dorothee
Virginia McFadden- American ingénue, replaces Reina as Rifkele in the NY production, energetic, adventurous, eager to please, and eager to shock her parents by playing a lesbian on stage
Bagelman Sister- a singer
Avram – the Ingénue (Male, 23-35 years old) Actor must be proficient in singing, movement, Eastern European dialects, have facility in transforming seamlessly from one character to another.
Also plays:
Asch- brilliant Polish Jewish playwright, passionate, rebellious, hungry for change, ambitious
Morris Carnovsky- actor in New York production
Eugene O'Neill- Hard-drinking, defender of Asch's play
John Rosen- Connecticut-born Jewish idealist, in 1950s has written a new translation of Asch’s original manuscript and wants to revive the play for a new generation, will stop at nothing to see that his cultural heritage lives on in glory
Ensemble
Mendel – the Middle (Male, 40’s) Actor must be proficient in singing, movement, Eastern European dialects, have facility in transforming seamlessly from one character to another.
Also plays:
Nakhmen- Lemml’s cousin, member of the Polish Yiddish literary salon, Jewish, traditional, conservative values
Harry Weinberger- Producer at the Provincetown Playhouse, proud to produce a play on Broadway by a fellow Jew; against the troupe’s wishes, he censors the play to appease the audience
Officer Benjamin Bailie- NY Police Officer
Rabbi Joseph Silverman- Outraged by The God of Vengeance, he files an obscenity complaint against the Broadway company, gives a sermon condemning the production.
Ensemble
Halina – the Middle (Female, 30-40 years old) Actor must be proficient in singing, movement, Eastern European dialects, have facility in transforming seamlessly from one character to another.
Also plays
Freida- a leading German actor, she plays Manke in the Berlin production of Asch’s play, sophisticated, unconcerned with politics, speaks frankly
Dorothee Nelson/Dine- Jewish immigrant actor in Greenwich Village, in love with Reina, cast as Manke (lesbian prostitute in love with Rifkele) in the NY premiere of Asch’s play, she wants to assimilate into American culture, compromises her beliefs in order to advance
Dr. Hornig- Asch's doctor
Bagelman Sister- a singer
Ensemble
Vera – the Elder (Female, 50’s-60’s) Actor must be proficient in singing, movement, Eastern European dialects, have facility in transforming seamlessly from one character to another.
Also plays:
Mrs. Peretz- wife of the literary lion I.L. Peretz, protective of her husband, strong literary opinions, dismissive of upstart young writers
Esther Stockton- cast as Sarah (Rifkele's mother, wife of brothel owner), in the NY production of Asch’s play, a seasoned and professional actor, impatient and frustrated by amateurism
Madje- Asch's wife, nurturing, protective of Asch, optimistic, life force.
Ensemble
Otto – the Elder (Male, 50-65 years old) Actor must be proficient in singing, movement, Eastern European dialects, have facility in transforming seamlessly from one character to another.
Also plays:
Peretz- Leader of a prestigious Polish Yiddish literary salon, cultured, educated, traditionalist.
Schildkraut- Leading Jewish-German theatre actor, plays Yekel (brothel owner, and Rifkele's authoritarian father), in The God of Vengeance, easy air of authority, goes where opportunity takes him, ambitious.
Judge McIntyre- judge in the case of New York vs. The God of Vengeance
Asch- late in life, Sholem retreats from public life, bitter and cynical after witnessing persecution of the Jews in Europe, he disavows his masterpiece.
Ensemble
Mayer Balsam – Musician (any age) Clarinet
Nelly Friedman – Musician (any age) Violin
Moriz Godowsky – Musician (any age) Accordion
A DOLL’S HOUSE & A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2
Playwright, A Doll’s House: Henrik Ibsen
Director; A Doll’s House: Chris Coleman
Playwright; A Doll’s House, Part 2: Lucas Hnath
Director; A Doll’s House, Part 2: Rose Riordan
LORT D Contract
The Ricketson Theater
REH: 7/30/2019
1ST PREVIEW (Doll’s House): 9/6/2019
1ST PREVIEW (Doll’s House pt 2): 9/14/2019
OPEN: 9/21/2019
CLOSE: 11/24/2019
Seeking:
Please note that these two productions will be done in rep and many actors will overlap into both productions. Exact doubling has not been determined and will be finalized in the casting process.
Nora Helmer (Female, late 20’s; Part 1) – Attractive, ebullient, resourceful and extremely charming. Nora begins the play living the dream, a mother of 3, in a successful marriage, with her husband on the verge of securing a promotion that will transform their financial and social future. But as the risks she took to save her husband’s life in the early years of their marriage leak to the surface, the price she and her family might pay become increasingly frightening. Facing the realization that she never actually knew her husband (or herself), she finds hidden resources of strength and takes bold action.
Emmy (Female, 20’s; Part 2) – Nora and Torvald's grown daughter who is now engaged to a banker much like her father. She is fierce and intelligent- wise beyond her years. She faces meeting her mother, which for her is almost like meting her for the first time, with grace and poise and proves to rival the cunning nature that Nora, both young and old, proves to contain. She does not want to be independent, she wants to have someone who cares about her and that she can care for, a companion, unlike she watched her father live without her whole life. She sees marriage as an adventure to face as a team and that couples should have to face challenges together rather than having the ability to escape anytime someone is uncomfortable.
Torvald Helmer (Male, late 30’s early 40’s; Part 1) – Charming, strong-minded, a good provider and fairly domineering. After years toiling away in his private law practice in their small Norwegian town, Torvald stands on the brink of taking on a new role as head of the local bank; a job that will transform his economic future and his family’s social status. He adores his beautiful wife, and loves being in control of their life together. But following the rules, the law, is non-negotiable to him – and when he learns that his wife may have broken the law (even if it was with the intention of saving his life), a darker, more judgmental part of his personality rises to the surface.
Kristine Linde (Female, 30’s; Part 1) – Practical, calm, weary and a bit jaded. A close friend of Nora’s from their days in school, Kristine has faced a daunting set of setbacks since they last saw each other. In an effort to provide for her ailing mother and brothers, she married a man she didn’t love. When her husband died, she worked as a bookkeeper to support the family as best she can. But now that her mother is gone and her children grown, she finds herself both without a means of survival and a reason to survive. Reconnecting with Nora, she tries both to launch her future, and to assist Nora in navigating the treacherous emotional waters she finds herself in.
Nora Helmer (Female, 30’s to 40’s; Part 2) – Now present is the version of Nora which flashed before our eyes at the end of part one. She had gotten the opportunity to live like she had always wanted, being independent and the controller of her destiny. This is until she finds like she still is tied in marriage to Torvald. Now finding herself once again at the mercy of Torvald she faces what each possible solution might cause for her down the road and whose reputation would be the most greatly affected.
Nils Krogstad (Male, late 30’s early 40’s; Part 1) – Manipulative, conniving, quiet, brooding. Krogstad was a classmate of Torvald’s in school. He hit on hard times, and with a large family to feed, turned to illegal money lending at very high interest rates. In the past months, he has tried to turn over a new leaf and start repairing his reputation. As Torvald rises at the bank, Krogstad sees both a threat (to his current position); and an opportunity. Given his leverage over Nora, he views her as the clearest route to getting what he wants, and is willing to blackmail her to get it
Dr. Rank (Male, late 50’s or early 60’s; Part 1) – Affable, easy, a good listener, loyal. A dear friend of Torvald and Nora’s, Dr. Rank spends most of his spare time with the younger couple. He and Torvald enjoy shooting the breeze about business, and his infatuation with Nora, makes gives his time with the couple an added zest.
Torvald Helmer (Male, 40’s to 50’s; Part 2) – After having never wanting the separation with Nora, it is discovered that after 15 years he has still failed to file a divorce between them. He has had years to think about how their final moments might have been different and how he could have been the one who left her. Already having been torn down years earlier with Nora leaving, he is fine with her doing it again, but this time not in a way that just seems like she is running away from her problems rather than facing them.
Anne-Marie (Female, 50+; Part 1 & 2) – The family nurse who also cared for Nora when she was a child. Having been closest person to a motherly figure that Nora has had in her life, Nora hopes that she can assist in the quest that brought her back to town. Anne-Marie wants the best for everyone but the ideals that she stands by differ from that of Nora's on the terms of societal norms for marriage. She is torn as she is an ally with both parties who have given her work all these years.
Helene (Female, Any Age; Part 1) – Maid to the Helmer’s
The Messenger/Page (Male, Any Age; Part 1) – Delivers Nora’s Christmas tree
GOODNIGHT MOON
Playwright: Chad Henry
Based on the book by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
Director: Allison Watrous- DCPA Executive Director of Education
AEA TYA Agreement
The Randy Weeks Conservatory Theatre
REH: 9/10/2019
1ST PREVIEW: 10/4/2019
OPEN: 10/9/2019
CLOSE: 2/16/2019
The production will include extended moments of physicality, engagement within an immersive environment, and needs for multiple characters and committed ensemble skills.
This musical adaptation will require all actors to sing and move.
ACTOR 1 | Bunny; Male/male identifying, any ethnicity
ACTOR 2 | Old Lady, Dish, Bear; Female/female identifying, any ethnicity
ACTOR 3 | Dog, Tooth Fairy, Bear; any gender, any ethnicity
ACTOR 4 | Mouse, Cat, Bear; any gender, any ethnicity
TWELFTH NIGHT
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Director: Chris Coleman, DCPA Artistic Director
LORT D Contract
The Space Theater
REH: 10/15/2019
1ST PREVIEW: 11/15/2019
OPEN: 11/22/2019
CLOSE: 12/22/2019
Seeking:
Orsino (Male) – The lovesick Duke of Illyria who while on the chase for the love of Lady Olivia, finds himself falling for disguised Viola. Self-centered and driven by his ego.
Viola (Female) – Sebastian's twin sister who believes that her brother died when they were involved in a shipwreck. She disguises herself as a male named Cesario and begins to work for Orsino. When she is sent to woo Olivia for him, Olivia ends up falling in love with her while she falls for the Duke. She is inventive and well-spoken which helps her to quickly win the affections of most.
Olivia (Female) – Countess who is pursued by Orsino but falls for Cesario. She has gone into mourning after the death of her father and brother but after her infatuation with the disguised Viola continues to gow, her sultry and flirtatious nature emerges.
Sebastian (Male) – Viola's twin brother who is saved from the ship wreck by Antonio. He is quick to defend these attacks he recieves from the people of Illyria when he is mistaken for Cesario and fall head over heels for Olivia when she saves him from their blows.
Antonio (Male) – Sea captain and thief who befriends Sebastian and is instantly infatuated with him. He is willing to risk to be caught by the law to follow and support Sebastian to all ends but in the end loses his freedom and his love.
Maria (Female) – Olivia's gentlewoman who is part of the rag tag group of partiers led by Sir Toby. She is cunning and trustworthy to all of those who befriends her, but push her buttons like Malvolio continues to do and the feisty and trickster side of her emerges.
Sir Toby Belch (Male) – Olivia's drunk uncle. Rowdy, a prankster, and the life of the party. Lives without a care of what his actions might cause and most of his actions come from his need for entertainment.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Male) – Sir Toby's companion who has been continually convinced that he will be able to woo Lady Olivia. A buffoon who is kept around because of his money. The naïve party boy who is easily egged on by Sir Toby.
Malvolio (Male) – Olivia's doting steward. Conceited and driven to be the best employee to Olivia in the hopes of winning he love. The ridiculous ways in which he presents himself only set himself up to be more easliy fooled by Maria, Sir Toby, and the rest of their gang after he continues to mistreat them.
Fabian/Captain (Male) – A member of Olivia's household and friends to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew who helps with their various pranks. Doubles as Captain to a wrecked ship who helps and befriends Viola
Clown/Feste (TBD) – Olivia's jester who is happy to entertain crowds with a song. He also ends up often being part of Sir Toby's antics.
Valentine/Musician (Male) – Gentleman attending on the Duke.
Curio/Musician (Male) – Gentleman attending on the Duke.
First Officer/Servant (Male) – In service to the Duke / Olivia's servant
Second Officer/Priest (Male) – In service to the Duke / Priest
TWENTY50
World Premiere
Playwright: Tony Meneses
Director: Henry Godinez
LORT D Contract
The Space Theater
REH: 12/30/2019
1ST PREVIEW: 1/31/2020
OPEN: 2/7/2020
CLOSE: 3/1/2020
Seeking:
Andres (Male, 40’s, Latino) – A guy who wants to do the right thing, while also trying to win an election! Stuck in his own identity politic of who and what he’s supposed to be. A leader in the making one way or another; charismatic, resolved, trustworthy. A guy you can honestly see being president one day.
Irene (Female, 60’s, Latina) – The matriarch in her own right. Strong but also unconditionally supportive. Has firm opinions about her identity and culture, and the importance of preserving that. Dignified, graceful, and tough when she needs to be. Should be able to do an accent as well.
Jenny (Female, 18, Latina) – Headstrong and independent. She’s the new generation, so she should of course be a classic teenager in some regard. But she’s also smart and incisive and calls out bs when she sees it.
Sebastian (Male, 30’s to 40’s, Latino) – Kind of a loudmouth; over-opinionated and even sassy. Big personality but not obnoxiously so. He should be charming and funny.
Monty (Male, 30’s to 40’s, African American) – Polite and honest and likable but also smart and incisive (kind of like Jenny), he’s not able to call out bs as easily as she does, but sees it just the same.
Lydia (Female, 30’s to 40’s, Latina) – The sheriff so tough in her own way, but also mild-mannered and even-keeled. She’s a calming presence, so perhaps therein lies the perhaps attraction for Andres.
Oscar (Male, 20’s, Latino) – Fluent in Spanish. Should have a mysterious presence, where we can’t figure out if we like him or if he’s actually dangerous. There is something candid and earnest about him, even if we do start to doubt that it’s put upon.
YOU LOST ME
World Premiere
Playwright: Bonnie Metzger
Director: Margot Bordelon
LORT D Contract
The Ricketson Theater
REH: 12/17/2019
1ST PREVIEW: 1/17/2020
OPEN: 1/24/2020
CLOSE: 2/23/2020
Seeking:
Ann Harvey (Female, 40’s to 50’s) – She runs the Inn which has been in the family for generations. Great-great-granddaughter of Shipwreck Ann, the original Ann Harvey. She stayed in the remote island town where she was born to keep the family traditions alive and is raising her teenage nephew who is just like her condescending rebel sister who she has never forgiven for leaving. Hardened by long years of work and the crushing loneliness of small-town living. Trying to breathe new life into the Inn now that her nephew Joe-L is here – will he be the next in line to keep the house in the family? She pours this fledgling hope into the Inn’s new blog. It doesn’t come naturally at first, but she starts to get the hang of it, despite Joe-L’s caustic critiques. She does not believe in God or in fairytale love or any of that.
White Rock Ann (Female, 40’s to 50’s) – Ghost from 280 years ago, Ann Harvey's relative and Shipwreck Ann late in life, 1860
Joe-L (Male, Teens) – Ann Harvey’s present-day nephew. A dark poet with a Tumblr blog, a renegade, forever on the brink of graduating high school but won’t do the last thing he needs to finish. He is obsessed with indie punk-noise bands and getting to NYC. He’s an addict who is stuck in an island town and all he wants is to get out. He believes in poetry and the cleansing power of a live band and the perfect high. A party boy fuck-up whose anger about his mother’s suicide comes in waves that he drowns out with booze. He is toying with going to an AA meeting to make Edna happy but thinks it’s bs. He helps his aunt around the Inn sporadically. He’d do it more but she doesn’t pay him what he’s worth and doesn’t listen to his ideas about attracting more American tourists. Not a survivor.
Edna (Female, Teens) – Joe-L’s teenage girlfriend. She is very excited about her AA recovery and trying to convert Joe-L. Determined to keep her goth edge but also do the right next thing if she can figure out what it is. She secretly digs the slogans more than the lyrics of the punk bands they obsessively follow on Tumblr and Rilke. And she super loves sex, way more than Joe-L, which can be frustrating. Learning how to survive addiction, sudden loss, and a strange home life and seeks comfort from AA, Ann, Joe-L and the Shipwreck Inn. Not sure if she believes in ghosts.
Shipwreck Ann (Female, 20’s) – 17-yr old Ann Harvey saved 161 Irish survivors from the wreck of the Despatch in 1828 off the coast of Newfoundland. Determined, strong and practical. She has an edge and carries her power in her body and in her voice. Doesn’t suffer fools. Hardened by life along the coast which is ruled by nature, as is she. Throws off the Christian beliefs and gender roles as defined by the Irish visitors – her experience tells her that every person lives and dies by how strong they are and what work they do for themselves and for their families to survive. But something she doesn’t understand cracks her open as she nurses Mary back to health. She has never had a friend or an anything. She wants to be near her.
Sid the American (Female, 20’s to 30’s) – Funny, gregarious, loud-and-proud queer cis woman from NYC. Lots of cultural blind spots. Very sure of her beliefs and her place in the world. Lover of American pop culture, but ready to leave it behind to live in Canada since her progressive values are more reflected here. Although she’s never been here before. Been dreaming of getting married and flipping the bird to the dominant culture by...replicating the norms of the dominant culture. Well-meaning and kind, but a hot mess. Terrible at listening, taking the temperature of the room or reading between the lines.
Alexander McCauley (Male, 30’s to 40’s, Irish) – Irish Husband of Mary McCauley. His religious beliefs has made him hard – everything is black and white. He is ruled by the literal tenets of the bible and is dedicated to doing all he can to make God’s will material in every room he enters.
Pastor Paul (Male, 40’s to 50’s) – An American tourist whose privilege has granted him an unbounded belief in the good of humankind. Looks for God in weird places and finds him. Words spill out of him in his desire to connect with others, especially women, especially Ann Harvey. An avid debater, curious listener, and lover of new things. A dopey, charming somewhat culturally blind (think American suburban middle school soccer coach) who tries to embrace the complexities of modern life and merge it with his Christian beliefs.
Man from Lloyd’s (Male, Any Age) – A company man who wants to follow protocol to retrieve any property of his employer. He likes the comforts of London and did not volunteer for this assignment that required travelling in a ship across the ocean to investigate whether there is any small additional gains to be had from several shipwrecks along one of the nastiest coastlines. It is his first trip to the New World.
Mary McCauley (Female, 30’s to 40’s, Irish) – An Irish survivor of the Despatch who Shipwreck Ann nurses back to health in her home. MARY has just lost her baby, who was ripped from her arms by the sea, and is hollow from the mourning, and the injury, and her husband’s blame. A haunting beauty, being near her feels like standing on the edge of a cliff. She is a believer of Celtic pagan rituals and superstitions. She sees and hears magic and dark power everywhere. She loves Ireland, and slowly comes back to life as she finds it here in Newfoundland. She can be quiet as a whisper and shriek like a banshee. She will do anything to survive.
Reika the American (Female, 20’s to 30’s) – Curious. Driven. Probably the smartest person in the room but lost in reflection and dreaming. Everyone projects onto her their weird sense of her mystery and she uses that when it works to her advantage. She is super-judgy of others and is bored easily. Reika hides herself from being smothered by Sid but also can’t quite end it. She doesn’t think the relationship can survive. Reika being mixed race shows through her body the history of colonization by the British Empire and in particular, by the British East Indian company which was formed to claim the British stake of the spice trade. Mary identifies as “Irish” and her servitude to her husband comes from her gender. Reika identifies as a woman of color and understands race as a cultural construct – she is interested in her Irish roots which may hold a white oppressive colonizing male who had sex with a servant while in India. Or it might not. What she cares about is getting as close to the place of the shipwreck, and to Mary, as possible.
CHOIR BOY
Playwright: Tarell Alvin McCraney
Director: Timothy Douglas
LORT D Contract
The Space Theater
REH: 3/10/2020
1ST PREVIEW: 4/10/2020
OPEN: 4/17/2020
CLOSE: 5/10/2020
Seeking:
Headmaster Marrow (Male, late 30’s to early 40’s, man of color) – The youngest and latest Headmaster for the Charles R Drew Prep School for Boys. He is the Paternal Uncle to Bobby.
Pharus Jonathan Young (Male, late teens, boy of color) – Effeminate and a gifted tenor. Is proud of who he is and just wants to be seen. Soft yet strong. Begins the play as a junior at Charles R Drew Prep School for Boys and is the Lead of the school's famous choir. Roommates with AJ.
Mr. Pendleton (Male, late 60’s to early 70’s, White) – A mediator. Returning professor at Charles R Drew Prep School for boys. A strong advocate for people of color in his younger years.
Robert “Bobby” Marrow III (Male, mid to late teens, boy of color) – Strong headed and stubborn. A junior at Charles R Drew Prep School and member of the school's choir. Nephew to Headmaster Marrow.
Junior Davis (Male, teenager, boy of color) – Naïve. Constantly being questioned on his intelligence. The runt of the bunch. A junior at Charles R Drew Prep School and member of the school's choir.
Anthony Justin “AJ” James (Male, late teens, boy of color) – Athletic. Open and accepting. A senior at Charles R Drew Prep School and member of the school's choir and baseball team. Roommate and continuing support to Pharus.
David Heard (Male, late teens, boy of color) – Aspiring minister. Rule follower. A senior at Charles R Drew Prep School and member of the school's choir.
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to audition.
Videos
