Huntington Theatre Company 2019-20 Season - Boston, MA EPA
Huntington Theatre Company
**Updated email address**
AUDITION DATE
Tue, Mar 19, 2019
10:00 am - 6:00 pm (EST)
Lunch 1 to 2
APPOINTMENTS
Equity (AEA) performers may schedule an appointment by contacting Kat Klein at casting@huntingtontheatre.org or at 617-273-1543. Please leave a message with your name, primary contact information, and preferred audition hour.
CONTRACT
LORT Non-Rep LORT B ($941/week min) and B+ ($1033/week min)
SEEKING
Equity Actors for various roles in the upcoming season.
None of these roles will be understudied.
You will be asked for your Equity Membership, so please bring your card with you.
All Production Stage Management positions have been filled.
Assistant Stage Manager positions are available for all productions listed except for Quixote Nuevo. See separate notice on Casting Call for submission info.
PREPARATION
Please prepare either two contrasting monologues from any play or ask for two sides from any of the plays listed below. When reaching out for an appointment, please indicate the show and character for which you would like to read and we will send you the appropriate sides. A reader will be provided.
Total audition time not to exceed five minutes. Please bring a stapled headshot and resume.
LOCATION
Huntington Theatre Company
264 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115-4606
Studio 210, 2nd Floor
PERSONNEL
Rebecca Bradshaw, Associate Producer (in attendance)
OTHER
Equity walk-ins are welcome and will be seen from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. If time permits, we will accept non-equity walk-ins on a first come, first served basis and only after all equity performers have auditioned.
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 Huntington Theatre Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages actors of all backgrounds to audition.
Scripts are available for perusal in-person at the Huntington Theatre Offices (281 Huntington Avenue) or through StageSource.
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THE PURISTS
Playwright: Dan McCabe
Director: Billy Porter
Location: Virginia Wimberly Theatre, LORT B
First Rehearsal: August 6, 2019
Tech Begins: August 25, 2019
First Preview: August 30, 2019
Opening: September 11, 2019
Closing: September 29, 2019
Possible Extension: October 6, 2019
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
GERRY BRINSLER – Male, 50s, White
Gerry has a permanent scowl on his face and is often hungover. He is a man who has lived a wild and deliberately carefree lifestyle. He is irritable, opinionated, and set in his ways. The only thing that softens him is the one true love of his life: Musical Theatre. He is the manager of a call center at a local theatre.
LAMONT BORN CIPHER – Male, late 40s, Black
Lamont is a rapper past his prime, formerly part of a group called Tha Enlightenuz. He is deeply immersed in rap/hip hop culture and has a real passion for the integrity of the genre. He has a great awareness of the systemic oppression in his industry and the world at large. He is tough, knowledgeable, and unwavering in his beliefs.
MR. BUGZ – Male, late 40s, Black
Mr. Bugz is a Hip Hop legend known for being one of the greatest DJ’s of all time. His outward persona is defined by the culture he was raised and works in, but he’s hiding a deep personal truth that threatens to ruin his reputation and career. He is cool-headed, considerate, and a little sad. He has a seriously impressive sneaker collection.
VAL KANO– Female, 20s, Puerto Rican
Val works at the radio station with Bugz, hustles as a small time drug dealer, and is a rapper in her own right. She is worried about Bugz and cares deeply for this man she highly respects, who she also used to hook up with. She can hang with the boys and spit some sick rhymes.
NANCY REINSTEIN – Female, 20s, White
Despite being a Jewish girl from Scarsdale, Nancy has deeply immersed herself in Hip Hop culture in a way that is hilarious but still reverent. She over zealously hits a work goal to win the chance to meet Lamont, one of her favorite rappers of all time. She is brutally honest with a charming swagger about her. She is currently writing and starring in a Hamilton-esque musical that chronicles the life of Amelia Earhart and it’s actually pretty good.
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ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD
Playwright: Tom Stoppard
Director: Peter DuBois
Location: Huntington Avenue Theatre, LORT B+
First Rehearsal: August 27, 2019
Tech Begins: September 15, 2019
First Preview: September 20, 2019
Opening: September 25, 2019
Closing: October 20, 2019
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING
ROSENCRANTZ – Male, 30s
Well-dressed Elizabethan. Former schoolmate of Hamlet. Nice enough to be embarrassed at taking money off his friend Guildenstern. Gullible. The follower of the pair; believes himself incapable of being original. Forgetful, unconcerned, at ease. Likes answers, not questions. Not a planner. A rambler. Fine with not understanding.
GUILDENSTERN – Male, 30s
Well-dressed Elizabethan. Former schoolmate of Hamlet. Aware of his odd circumstances, but not going to panic about them. Detached, learned, and wry. A pragmatist. Given to wide swings in emotion. Has a mean streak. Needs instructions and needs to understand.
THE PLAYER – Male, 30s-40s
The leader of a rag-tag band of tragedians. A smooth talker. Very in charge. Not above the obscene. Smart and experienced. Desperate for an audience and a cash flow. Always in character; never changes out of costume.
ALFRED – Male, 20s
Young boy forced to play all of the female parts in the tragedians productions. Can be mistaken for a Queen while in a wig and dress. The brunt of the group’s jokes and brutality.
HAMLET – Male, 30s
Unkempt, pale, piteous, and profound Prince of Denmark. Changed and transformed in appearance, following the recent suspicious death of his father the King. A riddler.
OPHELIA – Female, 30s
Pious, respectful, beautiful fiancé of Hamlet. Awkward breakup; told to go to a nunnery. Given to rash decision making and madness.
CLAUDIUS – Male, 50s
The new King of Denmark. Killed his brother, the former king, and married his sister-in-law Gertrude, thus usurping Hamlet from the throne. Cunning and smart. A plotter and poisoner. A snake in the grass.
GERTRUDE – Female, 50s
The Queen of Denmark and mother of Hamlet. Regal and unafflicted.
POLONIUS – Male, 50s
Laertes and Ophelia’s father. Lord Chamberlain of Denmark. Long winded and redundant. Faithful to Claudius while appearing to serve Hamlet. Sneaky.
HORATIO – Male, 30s
An honest courtier and friend to Hamlet. Also plays other roles as cast
FORTINBRAS – Male, 30s
Prince of Norway. Has designs on the throne of Denmark. Also plays other roles as cast.
TRAGEDIANS – Male/Female, 20s-50s
A travelling group of musicians and actors. Inhabit a diverse range of parts. Specialize in dying and killing. Formerly purists, but in great need of money.
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QUIXOTE NUEVO
Playwright: Octavio Solis
Director: KJ Sanchez
Location: Hartford Stage, LORT B; Huntington Avenue Theatre, LORT B+; Alley Theatre, LORT B
Hartford Stage – Hartford Dates
First Rehearsal: August 20, 2019
First Preview: September 19, 2019
Opening: September 27, 2019
Closing: October 13, 2019
Huntington Theatre Company – Boston Dates
First Rehearsal: November 5, 2019
Tech Begins: November 10, 2019
First Preview: November 15, 2019
Opening: November 20, 2019
Closing: December 15, 2019
Alley Theatre – Houston Dates
First Rehearsal: January 11, 2020
Tech Begins: January 14, 2020
First Preview: January 17, 2020
Opening: January 22, 2020
Closing: February 9, 2020
Actors need to be available for all three runs. Please note housing will be provided in Hartford and Houston.
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
*All actors should have excellent comedic timing and will play other characters as cast.
QUIJANO – Male, Latinx, 60s+
Quijano is a former professor whose brilliant mind is withering away with age. He believes he is Don Quixote on a hero’s journey to reunite with his love Dulcinea, a quest that seems misguided to people on the outside. He is wise and proud, theatrical, and hiding a painful past.
MANNY – Male, Latinx, 30s-40s
Manny is a paleta (popsicle) vendor. In Quijano’s fantasy he plays Quixote’s righthand man Sancho. This is a part Manny is game to play, if only to keep an eye on his friend. He is funny, all heart, and knows more than he leads on.
PAPA CALACAS – Male, Latinx, 30s-40s
Papa Calacas or Papa Muerte is leader of the Calacas (skeletons) here to usher in the end Quijano’s time on earth. A troubadour of sorts, he leads the Calacas in song. He is super macho and all knowing.
BRUNO – Male, Latinx, 30s-40s
Bruno is the bartender and co-owner of Rosario’s Lounge and Karaoke, the local bar. He is a man with unwavering authority, gusto, and a great sense of humor. He keeps the severed finger of Pancho Villa as a souvenir.
DULCINEA – Female, Latinx, 30s-40s
The woman of Quijano’s dreams who appears as an apparition, pushing him forward on his quest to find her. She is passionate, desirable, and idyllic. She is the embodiment of a woman from across the border who Quijano loved in his youth.
ANTONIA – Female, Latinx, 20s-30s
Antonia is Quijano’s dutiful niece and Magdalena’s daughter. She is determined to take care of her uncle all by herself, and fights against her mother’s wishes to send him to a nursing home. She is compassionate and intelligent, but in a little over her head when it comes to her uncle.
MAGDELENA – Female, Latinx, 50s
Magdalena is Quijano’s younger sister. She took him in when his health began to deteriorate but has since grown resentful of her brother and the extra stress he brings on the family house. She is exhausted and out of options.
JUANA – Female, Latinx, 30s-40s
Juana is Manny’s wife and the mother of their children. She is sassy and pragmatic. She is not happy about Manny’s current expedition and promises that whatever trouble he might get himself into won’t compare to the trouble he is in at home.
PADRE PEREZ – Male, Latinx, 50s
A man of God. Close to the family and close to the community. Humble and compassionate, but not much tolerance for the demons he thinks possess Quijano.
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WE ALL FALL DOWN
Playwright: Lila Rose Kaplan
Director: Melia Bensussen
Location: Virginia Wimberly Theatre, LORT B
First Rehearsal: December 16, 2019
Tech Begins: January 5, 2020
First Preview: January 10, 2020
Opening: January 22, 2020
Closing: February 9, 2020
Possible Extension: February 16, 2020
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
LINDA—Female, white, 60s
This role is already cast.
SAUL—Male, white, 60s
Saul is a recently retired History Professor living with Alzheimer’s, and the husband to Linda, father to Sammi and Ariel. He is a complex equation of emotional and ordered. He is sometimes lovely and sometimes volatile. Underneath all the layers, he has a deep love for his family and the Jewish customs he grew up with.
SAMMI—Female, white, early 30s
Sammi is the eldest daughter who moved across the country to find herself. She currently teaches history in San Francisco. She is warm and protective of her sister, but runs hot and cold with her parents. She’s a bit on edge and confused about the Passover gathering, but knows all will be well once David arrives and they can announce their engagement.
ARIEL—Female, white, late 20s
Ariel is the younger daughter who lives at home with her parents. She is training to be a yoga teacher and is able to perform poses that require incredible strength and flexibility (including walking on hands). Ariel is a recovering anorexic, now in good health, who is determined to show her parents that she is ready to start a new chapter in her life. She uses Passover as an intervention to bring up her father’s illness.
ESTER—Female, black, late 20s
Ester is Linda’s assistant and a graduate student in psychology. She is organized, enthusiastic, and grateful to have Linda as both a mentor and mother figure. Ester converted to Judaism after her mother passed away and has found peace and acceptance within the community.
NAN—Female, white, 60s
Nan is Saul’s older sister and Linda’s best friend from college. She is a civil rights lawyer and lives in New York City. She is practical, principled, and hardened.
BEVERLY—Female, white, 60s
Beverly used to live next door. She is a bit nosy, totally sincere, and loves to share all the wonderful things her daughter, Melissa, is up to.
Note: the immediate members of the family (Linda, Saul, Sammi, Ariel, and Nan) are people who don’t fear humor and have tremendous wit always at their fingertips. They speak before they think, are incredibly facile with language, and have a no-holds barred approach to conversation. Think quick tempo, always.
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SWEAT
Playwright: Lynn Nottage
Director: Kimberly Senior
Location: Huntington Avenue Theatre, LORT B+
First Rehearsal: January 7, 2020
Tech Begins: January 26, 2020
First Preview: January 31, 2020
Opening: February 5, 2020
Closing: March 1, 2020
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
EVAN – Male, African-American, 40’s
Parole officer. Middle class with an education-focused upbringing. Evan is a natural protector with deep compassion. He is also honest and does not hesitate to be firm when necessary.
JASON – Male, White American of German descent, ages portrayed: 21 and 29
Tracey’s protective son. Best friends with Chris. He has a tough shell that hides a kind and deeply sensitive interior. He is a product of his working class upbringing and feels disenfranchised by the world as a result.
CHRIS – Male, African-American, ages portrayed: 21 and 29
Cynthia’s son. Best friends with Jason. He is intellectual, self-aware, and level headed. He internalizes his anger which affects his sensitive soul. But he is an optimist like his mother and tries to see the light in difficult situations.
STAN – Male, White American of German descent, 50’s
Owner and sole bartender of the local watering hole for the steel factory workers. He left the factory after injuring one of his legs in an accident and now has a mobility disability. He sees the shaky ground that everyone is on and tries to offer solace to his customers. He is in love with Tracey. He is a good listener and acts as a caretaker to many.
OSCAR – Male, Colombian-American, ages portrayed: 22 and 30
Barback at Stan’s bar. His father worked at the plant as a janitor and Oscar has been looking for a way to leave the bar and get onto the plant floor with everyone else. Resilient observer. Not afraid to hold his ground.
TRACEY – Female, White American of German descent, ages portrayed: 45 and 53
Jason’s mother. Her family has lived in the town since the 1920’s and she has worked at the plant her whole life. She is feisty and rough around the edges. Struggling to understand and keep up with the larger context and forces that are changing her community.
CYNTHIA – Female, African-American, ages portrayed 45 and 53
Chris’ mother. Ex-wife of Brucie. Steel factory line worker for over 20 years. She takes an opportunity to join upper management at the plant, hoping to advocate for the people (especially her friends and family) on the floor. She tries to do the best thing for everyone but her optimism can come off as naïve, and finds herself trusting the wrong people. She ends up using alcohol as a way to cope with her disappointment.
JESSIE – Female, Italian-American, 40’s
Best friends with Cynthia and Tracey, and sort of the third wheel of their group. Divorced. She has worked in the plant since she was 18 even though she dreams of traveling and seeing the world. She is a loyal and protective friend and wants to keep the group together and the drama to a minimum.
BRUCIE – Male, African-American, ages portrayed: 45 and 53
Chris’ father. Ex-husband of Cynthia. He is trying to make ends meet but is often down on his luck. He uses his charm to manipulate those he loves to get what he wants. He uses drugs to cope the circumstances he finds himself in. He desires to be better, but can’t get over his issues of self-worth.
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OUR DAUGHTERS, LIKE PILLARS
Playwright: Kirsten Greenidge
Director: TBD
Location: Virginia Wimberly Theatre, LORT B
First Rehearsal: February 25, 2020
Tech Begins: March 15, 2020
First Preview: March 20, 2020
Opening: April 1, 2020
Closing: April 19, 2020
Possible Extension: April 26, 2020
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING:
LAVINIA SHAW WILLIAMS – Female, black, mid/late-4os
Lavinia is the eldest Shaw sister. She is cheerfully domineering and is convinced that she knows what is best for everyone. She has rented out a vacation house in New Hampshire under the guise of a family reunion for swimming, antiquing, and barbecuing, but she is really planning to propose that the whole family consider living under one roof permanently. She is married to Morris.
OCTAVIA SHAW CURTIS – Female, black, mid-4os
Octavia is the middle Shaw sister. She is a bookish and straight forward, and an accomplished author and professor. Well-traveled and well-read. Since attending her estranged father’s funeral last year, she has spiraled into a deep anxious depression. Her marriage is falling apart, and she has arrived to the vacation house alone.
ZELDA SHAW – Female, black, mid-30s.
Zelda is the youngest Shaw sister. She is free-spirited and spontaneous. She recently sold her mothers recipes for a cookbook to purchase a large camper and invest in her future. She also rolls in to the vacation house with Paul, a man she met at a bar two weeks ago.
YVONNE SHAW – Female, black, early-70s.
Yvonne is the mother of the three Shaw sisters. Despite her age, she is sprightly and sharp. She raised the three girls on her own after their father left. She is currently living with Lavinia and Morris after losing her job as a librarian. She was fired after she cut computer cords to protest the replacement of the card catalogue with a digital system.
MISSY SHAW – Female, black Bajan/Caribbean, late-5os
Missy is the younger woman the father left the family for. After the death of her husband, she has unexpectedly arrived at the vacation house to claim the children she feels entitled to, but has no relationship or connection to.
PAUL KING – Male, black or other, early/mid-3os
Paul hasn’t seen much of anything and is determined to not be like the people in his hometown who’ve never strayed beyond their block. He met Zelda at a bar two weeks ago and jumps at the romantic idea of road-tripping through the country. However, he did not expect to end up in New Hampshire in the middle of a family intervention.
MORRIS WILLIAMS – Male, black, early-5os
Morris is Lavinia’s husband. Though he sometimes challenges Lavinia’s thinking he lives by the motto, “happy wife, happy life” and ultimately assists in all of her antics. He loves his family deeply and has a great sense of responsibility.
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.
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