CHINGLISH – Equity Principal Auditions
The Public Theater Staged Reading Guidelines
Author: David Henry Hwang
Dir: Leigh Silverman
Reading dates (rehearsal/presentation): 11/5/10 – 11/11/10.
Equity Principal Auditions:
Thursday, September 23, 2010 Actors' Equity Association Audition Center
10 AM - 5:30 PM 165 West 46th Street, 2nd Floor
Lunch from 1:30 - 2. New York City
Equity Monitor begins sign-up at 8:30.
Please prepare a brief contemporary monologue, in English. For all roles other than Daniel, please also be prepared to tell a short story or anecdote in Mandarin.
Please bring a picture & resume, stapled together.
CHINGLISH is currently in development. The play will be fully produced in The Goodman Theatre’s 2010-11 season, and in The Public Theater’s 2011-12 season.
When Daniel, an American businessman, goes to China to try and make a business deal, he finds himself lost in a world where he can’t understand the language or the customs. He enters into a dangerous relationship with a married woman who can influence whether or not he succeeds in landing a lucrative contract.
Seeking (all roles are available (i.e. not yet offered and accepted) unless otherwise specified):
Daniel Cavanaugh:
Caucasian American, 40s. Midwestern businessman making his first trip to China, to try and obtain a contract for his family-run signage firm. Affable and earnest, his straightforward sincerity conceals a darker and more complicated past.
Xu Yan:
Asian woman, 30-40. Vice Minister of Culture for the provincial Chinese capital of Guiyang. Has both a curt and professional, as well as a more romantic side, but remains fundamentally practical in her outlook on life. Fluent Mandarin ability required, in speaking and reading (characters or pinyin).
Cai Guoliang:
Asian man, 40s-50s. Minister of Culture for Guiyang. Has successfully navigated his way up the Communist Party hierarchy, yet is currently torn between his genuine love for artists and the demands of the new market economy. Fluent Mandarin ability required, in speaking and reading (characters or pinyin).
Peter:
Caucasian Australian man, 30-50. Has lived and worked in China for 20 years, and speaks fluent Mandarin. When he first arrived, the mere fact of being a Chinese-speaking white man made him employable and successful. Two decades on, he has been relegated to work as an English teacher, but has one last chance to claim his piece of the Chinese economic miracle. Actor must speak and read Mandarin (either in characters or pinyin form) or have a strong working knowledge base of the language in order to build towards the appearance of fluency with intensive study and practice in a relatively short amount of time. Actor must also be able to speak English with a convincing Australian accent.
Teacher Yang / Mrs. Zhao:
Asian, female, 60s. Yang: Aging Chinese opera actress. Has lived through some of the most dramatic traumas of the Communist era, but remains a steadfast believer in the importance of honesty and her art form. Zhao:Chinese-English translator with a weakness for gossip and celebrity. Fluent Mandarin ability required, in speaking and reading (characters or pinyin).
Bing / Judge Geming:
Asian, male, 40s. Bing: Chinese-English translator, overly confident in his language skills. Reacts defensively to any criticism. Geming: Xu’s husband. Charismatic, handsome and well-spoken. Fluent Mandarin ability required, in speaking and reading (characters or pinyin).
Miss Qian / Prosecutor Li:
CAST. Auditioning performers will be considered as possible replacements, should any become necessary. Asian, female. Qian: Chinese-English translator. Earnestly trying to succeed at her job, but easily flustered. Li:Tough, no-nonsense Chinese judicial official. Fluent Mandarin ability required, in speaking and reading (characters or pinyin).
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