American Conservatory Theater 2017-2018 Season - Los Angeles EPA
American Conservatory Theater
AUDITION DATE
May 30, 2017
10:00 am - 6:00 pm (PDT)
Lunch: 1:00PM - 2:00PM
APPOINTMENTS
EPA rules in effect. In-person sign-up begins at 9:00AM on 5/30/2017
CONTRACT
LORT Non-Rep
LORT A, C Minimums - $992/wk, $799/wk
SEEKING
See breakdown.
PREPARATION
. Please prepare a contemporary or classical monologue and/or a folk/rock song. Material should not exceed the three-minute time limit. Please bring a copy of your headshot and resume. An accompanist will be provided.
LOCATION
Actors' Equity Association LA Audition Center
5636 Tujunga Ave
North Hollywood, CA 91601
PERSONNEL
Casting Director: Janet Foster
OTHER DATES
See breakdown.
OTHER
No Stage Management positions available.
EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition.
An Equity monitor will be provided.
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
Show #1 – LORT A GEARY
HAMLET by William Shakespeare
Directed by Carey Perloff
First rehearsal: August 15, 2017
First preview: September 20, 2017
Opening: September 27, 2017
Closing: October 15, 2017
LAERTES: a young man, 20s-30s, Ophelia’s brother and the son of Polonious. A quick decision-maker.
ROSENCRANTZ: 20s-40s, a man who was Hamlet’s friend at university, bumbling and confused.
Other roles are cast.
SHOW #2 - LORT C STRAND
SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS by Bess Wohl
Directed by Rachel Chavkin
First rehearsal: October 3, 2017
First preview: October 11, 2017
Opening: October 25, 2017
Closing: December 10, 2017
SEEKING:
FEMALE UNDERSTUDY 1, 40s-50s, to cover the roles of JOAN and JUDY. JOAN is in her late 40’s, and she wears a lot of clothes and jewelry from India. She is a therapist and sex educator in colleges, high schools and in private practice with couples. She is also incredibly, mind-bendingly, soul-crushingly angry. At times, her rage still bubbles to the surface in little ways in spite of her efforts to breathe through it. JUDY, maybe 50, is Joan’s partner. She works at O magazine as a top editor in the art department. She likes control. She eats a lot of grilled fish. She’s direct. She has had a recent diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and is very afraid Joan will leave, just when she needs Joan the most.
FEMALE UNDERSTUDY 2, 20s-30s, to cover the role of ALICIA. ALICIAis around thirty-ish, strawberry blonde (sometimes more strawberry sometimes more blonde) from Southern California. Was a child actor. Insecure and vulnerable after a long term relationship (with an absolute cad) has ended. She’s looking for something-- or somebody-- to make her feel okay again.
MALE UNDERSTUDY 1, 40s, to cover the roles of JAN and NED. JAN, fifty-ish, is from a small town in Finland. He does not speak much English. He is pale and sweet, with a wide-eyed continually curious air about him, a pastor at a small, Lutheran church back in Finland. Jan likes to be prepared. He misses his son, who died at the age of six. He’s looking for answers. He also greatly overestimated his familiarity with the English language. NED is a thirty-nine year-old Jewish guy from Great Neck who works for a non-profit called Earthwatch. He dreams of the homicide of his wife Dawn, and his brother Josh who started having an affair while he was in the hospital for two years. He’s tried AA and he’s been reading New-Agey self help books to stem his desire for murder.
MALE UNDERSTUDY 2, 30s, to cover RODNEY. RODNEY, is mid-thirties, ageless, fit, maybe Asian or Southeast Asian, gorgeous, grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and teaches yoga in New York and the Hamptons. He started his own yoga practice after being kicked out of one in the Bay Area due to sexual harassment. He is married to a woman named Nadine who also teaches yoga (and was his student). He feels trapped and is scared of getting old and dying. His man jewelry does not include a wedding ring. This role requires nudity.
Show #3 – LORT A GEARY
A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens & adapted by Carey Perloff and Paul Walsh
Local actors preferred
Show #4 – LORT A GEARY
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Harold Pinter
Directed by Carey Perloff
First rehearsal: December 12, 2017
First preview: January 10, 2018
Opening: January 17, 2018
Closing: February 4, 2018
LULU: A young woman, early twenties, who has a flirtatious and flighty nature. She is initially naïve to the threat that Goldberg and McCann pose, but has the gumption to call them out when she feels she is being mistreated. She doesn’t have the resources to leave the beach-house, and struggles to overcome emotional manipulation and physical assault.
PETEY BOLES: 40s-50s, Meg’s husband, and a bored, unflappable personality until the arrival of McCann and Goldberg. He’s a monosyllabic type, not highly effusive.
Show #5- LORT C STRAND
VIETGONE by Qui Nguyen
Directed by Jaime Castañeda
First rehearsal: January 23, 2018
First preview: February 21, 2018
Opening: March 7, 2018
Closing: April 22, 2018
QUANG: Asian, male, 20s- 40s. Quang is headstrong and charismatic, with a quick wit and wicked sense of humor, slightly bellicose. He’s been separated from his home and family in Vietnam and disguises a deep well of pain. Often raps.
TONG: Asian, female, 20s -40s. Tong is smart, vivacious, a straight talker, deadpan, and resourceful. Displaced and longing for real company. Also raps.
ENSEMBLE MEMBER (ASIAN GUY/ AMERICAN GUY/ NHAN/ KHUE): Transformational Asian male actor in his 30s, able to play many characters populating Quang’s journey. A developed sense of comedic timing and ability with delicate moments from a grounded place.
ENSEMBLE MEMBER (ASIAN GIRL, AMERICAN GIRL/ THU/ HUONG/ TRANSLATOR/ FLOWER GIRL): Transformational Asian female actor in her 30s, able to play a variety of roles with humor as well find seriousness and depth in choices.
ENSEMBLE MEMBER (PLAYWRIGHT/ GIAI/ BOBBY/ CAPTAIN CHAMBERS/ REDNECK BIKER/ HIPPIE DUDE): Asian male actor in his 30s, able to play many characters, including Giai, who is Quang’s sidekick. A developed sense of comedic timing as well as ability to bring seriousness and depth to moments and characters.
Show #6 – LORT A GEARY
HEISENBERG by Simon Stephens
Directed by Hal Brooks
First rehearsal: February 13, 2018
First preview: March 14, 2018
Opening: March 21, 2018
Closing: April 8, 2018
GEORGIE BURNS: A New Jersey woman in her 40s, over-confessional in nature, a blunt and quick communicator, but an unreliable source for facts. Wry wit and brazen. Full of life but eternally calculating and vigilant.
Show #7 – LORT A GEARY
FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (Part 1,2,3) by Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Elizabeth Diamond
A co-production with Yale Repertory Theatre
First rehearsal: February 5, 2018
New Haven first preview: March 16, 2018
New Haven opening: March 22, 2018
New Haven closing: April 7, 2018
San Francisco first preview: April 25, 2018
San Francisco opening: May 1, 2018
San Francisco closing: May 20, 2018
HERO/ULYSSES: 20’s – 30’s, Black/African-American man. Proud and stubborn, ambitious but indecisive. He finds himself in the awkward position of being the master’s favorite, and has been promised his freedom if he follows his master to war and fights on the side of the Confederates. Hero is handsome and is more brawn than brain, but he is not unintelligent. He is a frustratingly flawed person trying to find his sense of self and an identity outside of slavery.
PENNY: 20’s – 30’s, Black/African-American woman. She is smart, creative, and strong. She loves Hero deeply and passionately. She makes her own decisions and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She is an intuitive person who interprets dreams and has visions.
HOMER: 20’s – 40’s, Black/African-American man. Homer used to be the master’s favorite until he tried to run away, after which he lost his foot as punishment. Now, Homer always seems to be in Hero’s shadow. Homer is intelligent, quick-witted, and impulsive, with charm that almost matches Hero’s plus the humility that Hero lacks. Homer has a strong sense of self; he can imagine his life outside slavery and quietly schemes to achieve that life. He is hopelessly in love with Penny and he isn’t afraid to stand up to Hero.
THE OLDEST OLD MAN: Black/African-American man, in his 50s or 60s, to play older. He is pensive and wise, but not reserved. His wit is still sharp. There is something a little strange about him; sometimes seems to have one foot in the next world. The Old Man is Hero’s adoptive father. He is proud of his son and quick to stand by him.
COLONEL: a white man, 50s, who is a ranking officer in the Confederate Army. Not overly bright, but very confident and self-assured. Completely believes that he is entitled to every privilege afforded to him. He is the slave master to Hero, Penny, and Homer. He has a lewd sense of humor and he overcompensates for shortcomings that he won’t acknowledge. Seeking an actor with a strong sense of comedic timing.
SMITH: a man, 20s-40s. Smith passes as white but actually is not. He is a soldier in the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry. Smith is highly intelligent and cunning; there is something mysterious about him, and he is an excellent liar. He has a clear understanding of what the outcome of the war will mean for him personally.
CHORUS OF LESS THAN DESIRABLE SLAVES/RUNAWAYS: Three Black/African-American actors, male and female, to play distinct members of the chorus. In Part I, the chorus is a rag-tag group of slaves that have been left behind after everyone who is strong and healthy has gone to war. Each brings a specific perspective to Hero’s big decision. In Part III, the same actors will play the Runaways. They anxiously await the outcome of the war, and each has a unique understanding of what “freedom” might mean.
THE MUSICIAN: Black/African-American, any age, any gender. A strong singer and musician who is also a prescient observer. The Musician is a quasi-omniscient presence whose songs establish the world and foreshadow the action of the play.
Show #8 – LORT A GEARY
A WALK ON THE MOON – a new musical book and lyrics by Pamela Gray and music and lyrics by Paul Scott Gordon
Director: Sheryl Kaller
Music Director: TBA
First Rehearsal: May 8th
First Preview: June 6th
Opening: June 13th
Closing: July 1st
PEARL KANTROWITZ. Female. 31. Our protagonist. A natural beauty who doesn’t know it. Intelligent, strong, curious; 31 going on 17. Was a teenage mother who now yearns for her adolescence; feels like an outsider, even to her own life. Trying to cling to her old self, but loses the battle when she meets Walker. Mezzo soprano (think Carole King).
MARTY KANTROWITZ. Male. 32. Pearl’s husband. Good-looking but “square.” A loveable mensch who’ll do anything for his family. Funny, street-smart, turned off by (scared of) the 1960’s. Hardworking TV repairman who hates his job. Tenor/Baritone…a crooner with rock and roll chops.
ALISON KANTROWITZ. Female. 14. Pearl and Marty’s daughter. A pissed-off 14 going on 17. Strong-willed, rebellious, politically unsophisticated but fervent. Went from Daddy’s little girl to Mommy’s nightmare in the past year. Her vulnerable side comes out with Ross, her first love. Avril Lavigne like rocker with an edgy, gritty voice.
LILLIAN (“BUBBIE”) KANTROWITZ. Female. 50. Marty’s outspoken psychic mother. 1st generation American, some Yiddishkeit, but a very un-bubbie bubbie, adept with both Tarot and canasta cards. Was reading astrology charts long before the Age of Aquarius. Fiercely loyal to Marty, yet understands Pearl’s turmoil.
DANNY KANTROWITZ. Male. 6. Pearl and Marty’s son. Loves his cap guns and cowboy hat, amphibians, bad words, and teasing his big sister. Sweet with his Mommy but Daddy’s his hero.
WALKER JEROME. Male. 30’s. Masculine, handsome, sexy; a (non-cliché) hippie who can quote Walt Whitman and Abby Hoffman. Mellow, independent, a free-spirit and dreamer; worldly but still hasn’t escaped his small town. Intuits what Pearl needs; not as aware of what he needs from her. Covering his grief over his kid brother who’s MIA in Vietnam. Tenor/Baritone similar to Jackson Browne, Stephen Sills and Neil Young.
ROSS EPSTEIN. Male. 16. An aspiring songwriter-guitarist who’s still a nice Jewish boy. Smitten with Alison but a little afraid of her; shares her 60’s ideals and politics but not her rage. On the cusp of losing his virginity but won’t until after this summer. A young Bob Dylan.
MYRA NAIDELL. Female. 14-15. An Orthodox girl; naïve but not a pushover; a smart bookworm; Alison’s new summer friend, and ready to be corrupted. Strong rock/folk voice.
RHODA LEIBERMAN. Female. 28-31. Pearl’s sexy and wise-cracking best friend. Upbeat, funny, but covering her grief over infertility. One of the “Mah Jongg Girls.” Strong rock/folk voice.
NEIL LEIBERMAN. Male. 30-35. Rhoda’s husband and Marty’s best buddy. One of the working-stiff guys/pinochle players. Adores Rhoda but clueless about her inner life. Strong rock/folk voice.
BUNNY GELFAND. Female. Late 20’s-early 30’s. One of the “Mah Jongg Girls.” Sarcastic, cynical, zaftig, a compulsive eater perpetually about to start a diet. Mother of 3 chubby young kids. Jokes about her husband Irv, but can’t live without him. Strong rock/folk voice.
IRV GELFAND. Male. 35ish. Bunny’s husband. One of the working-stiff guys/pinochle players. Overweight owner of “Irv’s Delicatessen.” Jokes about Bunny, but can’t live without her. Strong baritone rock/folk voice.
ELEANOR APPLEBAUM. Female. 35ish. One of the “Mah Jongg Girls.” Mother of two pre-teen boys. Uptight, opinionated, judgmental, terrified of the 1960’s. Least likely to join a CR group in the future. Strong rock/folk voice.
STANLEY APPLEBAUM. Male. 36ish. Eleanor’s husband. One of the working-stiff guys/pinochle players. Mild-mannered accountant who just goes quiet when Eleanor kvetches…will double as the COMEDIAN. Male. 50-60. Borscht Belt comedian who’s never gone beyond the bungalow colony circuit and never will. Strong rock/folk voice.
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
