AUDITIONS: THE HAPPIEST SONG PLAYS LAST
JANUARY 9-11, 2022
Tacoma Little Theatre is holding auditions for its production of, The Happiest Song Plays Last, written by Quiara Algeria Hudes, and directed by Marilyn Bennett. This will be a co-production between Tacoma Little Theatre and The University of Washington Tacoma.
Auditions will be held Sunday, January 9th and Monday, January 10th at Tacoma Little Theatre. On Tuesday, January 11th they will be held at The University of Washington, Broadcast Studio 007, Cherry Parkes Building. Audition appointments will be set between the times of 6:00pm-9:00pm on Sunday and 7:00pm-10:00pm on Monday & Tuesday in ten-minute increments. Callbacks will be held on Wednesday, January 12th beginning at 7:00pm at Tacoma Little Theatre
In a barrio living room in North Philly, an activist-turned-music-professor moonlights as the local soup kitchen queen, cooking free rice and beans for any hungry neighbor. Halfway around the world, her cousin relives his military trauma on the set of a docudrama that’s filming in Jordan. With the Egyptian revolution booming in the distance, these two young adults try to sing a defiant song of legacy and love in the face of local and global unrest.
Auditioners are asked to prepare a 60-second (enforced) contemporary dramatic monologue that showcases your talent. Auditioners will then asked to participate in one or two short cold readings from the script.
ROLES AVAILABLE:
The Happiest Song Plays Last requires an authentically diverse company of actors, and offers uniquely rich roles for actors of Latina/Latino/Puerto Rican, Arab (Jordan)/Arab American, and, preferably, African American heritage.
Elliot: 20's, Latino-Puerto Rican American Marine, now a film actor: youthful toughness, family oriented, playful, passionate
Shar (Shahrnush): 20's, Arab-American, emphasis on American. A film actor; feisty, passionate
Agustín: 50's-60's, Latino; romantic, musician (guitar), in love with Yaz; unmarried, drinker feeling his mortality, lack of descendants. Dies in a clinic during the course of the play.
Ari: 40's Arab, strong dialect, but good English. Translator on the film set, guide, proud father; sense of humor and duty, playful, loyal to his people, family and country. Fond of Elliot.
Lefty: 40's-70's; can be any ethnicity; seeking a male person of color, if possible. A cultural outsider but part of the community; uncomplicated/childlike, perhaps a bit disabled, wants to please, especially Yaz; doesn't have a permanent home or income
The role of Yaz is pre-cast; Yaz will be played by UW Tacoma Professor of Theatre, Maria-Tania Bandes B. Weingarden, as part of her Creative Work for her UWT Faculty Development profile, in addition to her oversight of any UWT theatre students working on this production for UWT credit.
Ages given are playable ages, actors need not specifically fit the given age to audition.
MUSICIANS:
The Happiest Song Plays Last calls for, and will be most beautiful, with the presence of 1-2 onstage musicians--ideally with facility on the Puerto Rican cuatro, (a steel stringed Puerto Rican version of a guitar) or on guitar; singing ability also highly desired. We would love to use a combination of recorded and live music as our score. There is a stipend for these artists.
TLT will require all staff and performers to show proof of having had a COVID-19 vaccination. These requirements will be in effect from auditions through the end of each particular show.
To reserve an audition time, follow this link (
http://castingmanager.com/audition/info/mFOEScgoMNJaA2R), or call our Box Office for assistance at (253) 272-2281.
Once cast, The Happiest Song Plays Last will run from Friday, April 29, 2022 to Sunday, May 15, 2022.
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