PUBLIC CHARGE Equity Principal Actors - New York Shakespeare Festival Auditions

PUBLIC CHARGE - NYC EPA

New York Shakespeare Festival | New York, NY

AUDITION DATE

Thursday, September 25, 2025
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM (E)
Lunch 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

CONTRACT

Off Broadway
$1837 weekly minimum (Cat. EE)

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in PUBLIC CHARGE (See breakdown).

PREPARATION

Please prepare a short (under 2-minutes) contemporary monologue. Also, please bring your picture and resume stapled together.

LOCATION

Actors' Equity New York Audition Center
165 W 46th St
16th Fl
New York, NY 10036

PERSONNEL

Written By Julissa Reynoso and Michael J. Chepiga
Directed by Doug Hughes
Casting Directors: Jordan Thaler, Heidi Griffiths
Expected to attend:
At least one of the following from Public Theater Casting Office:
Jordan Thaler, Director of Casting
Heidi Griffiths, Director of Casting
Kate Murray, Casting Director
Chalin Tulyathan, Casting Associate

OTHER DATES

1st Rehearsal: 3/3/26
1st Performance: 3/12/26
Close: 4/12/26
Furthest extension: 5/3/26

OTHER

The Public Theater
Venue: Newman Theater
EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition.
An Equity Monitor will be provided.
Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA

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

PUBLIC CHARGE

SYNOPSIS: In 1982, seven-year-old Julissa emigrates to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. In 2009, she leaves her successful practice at a Wall Street law firm to become Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere.

PUBLIC CHARGE chronicles the challenging education of a twenty-first century American diplomat as she works to deploy humanitarian aid to an earthquake-ravaged Haiti, is charged with the release and transfer of Guantanamo detainees, confronts the reality of international espionage, and strives to release a USAID worker from a Cuban prison. This bracing world premiere by former United States Ambassador Julissa Reynoso and award-winning playwright Michael J. Chepiga is, at its core, about a group of Americans who believe, sometimes against all appearances to the contrary, that their government might actually be a force for good upon the frighteningly chaotic world stage.

SEEKING:

JULISSA REYNOSO: 30s-40s. Female presenting. Afro-Latina. Dominican-American. Born in the DR and emigrated to the US at age 7. Grew up in The Bronx. Working for the US State Department first as the Deputy Assistant Secretary covering Central America and The Caribbean, later Ambassador to Uruguay. Smart. Driven. Funny. Quick mind with a mouth to match. Constantly managing the contradictions of her incredible abilities and her very human insecurities. Dedicated to her work. Her diplomatic superpower is face-to-face contact with the other side. Combines both truth and humor.
PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a strong conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

CHERYL MILLS: 40s. Female presenting. Black. Counselor and chief of staff to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. The daughter of a lieutenant colonel in the US Army; she grew up all over the world. The smartest person in the room. So confident, her exercise of power is almost effortless. Accomplished enough to be a colleague, a boss, a mentor, and an advocate at the same time. Combines both truth and humor.

JOSÉ “PEPE” MUJICA: 50s-70s. Male presenting. Uruguayan. A farmer and former Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla fighter. A socialist, anti-politician who lives like and speaks the language of the people. Authentic. Without pretense. He joined the left-wing armed political group National Liberation Movement, The Tupamaros in the 1960s. Freed after twelve years from the brutal custody of Uruguay’s authoritarian regime, he ultimately was elected president of the country and is regarded as a Nelson Mandela-like figure in modern South American history. This role will likely double with additional characters to include JORGE BOLAÑOS: A Cuban who believes he is Cuba’s “Ambassador to the world” but is really a “petty bureaucrat with a big ego.” Likes to pull rank. UNCLE NELSIDO: Julissa’s uncle who helped her emigrate from the DR as a child and CHINO: Owner of the neighborhood bodega in The Bronx where Julissa grew up. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a strong conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

JOSEFINA VIDAL: 40s. Female presenting. Cuban. Deputy Foreign Minister of Cuba. Educated in Moscow and Havana. Every inch a career politician and diplomat. A party member dedicated to the revolution and to Cuba. Tough. Slick. Cool. Charming when she wants to be. Very self-possessed. This role will likely double with additional characters to include J.B.: An intimidating State Department security operative. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a strong conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

CONSULAR OFFICER 1: 40s. Male presenting. Latino. A uniformed State Department official. Brusque. Unfriendly. Everything by the book. This role will likely double with additional characters to include DOD: A Defense Department official, and VINCENT: A US embassy official in Uruguay. Someone trying to get the impossible done. PLEASE NOTE: Although these roles don’t speak Spanish in the play, this actor will be called upon to understudy other principal characters who do. Actors who have at least a strong conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

JUDY GROSS: 60s. Female presenting. White. Jewish. The wife of USAID worker, Alan Gross who has been convicted of spying and is imprisoned in Cuba. Tough. A fighter working for her husband’s freedom. Frustrated. Working every angle but reaching the end of her rope.

U/S JULISSA/CHERYL: 30s. Female presenting. Afro-Latina. To cover two roles (character descriptions above) as well as perform onstage in non-dialoged material. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

U/S: RICARDO/BRUNO: 30s-40s. Male presenting. Latino. To cover both Ricardo, Bruno and the additional roles played by that actor (character descriptions above) as well as perform onstage in non-dialoged material. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

U/S: JOSEFINA/JUDY: 40s+. Female presenting. Latina. To cover both the roles played by the actress who plays Josefina and also Judy (character descriptions above) as well as perform onstage in non-dialoged material. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

U/S: MUJICA/CONSULAR: 50s+. Male presenting. Latino. To cover the roles played by the actors who play Mujica and others as well as the actor who plays the Consular Officer and others (character descriptions above) as well as perform onstage in non-dialoged material. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

THE FOLLOWING ROLES ARE CAST/FOR FUTURE UNDERSTUDIES & REPLACEMENTS ONLY:

RICARDO ZÚÑIGA: CAST. 40s. Male presenting. Honduran-American. Acting Director of Cuban Affairs for the US State Department. A “holdover” from Bush/Cheney, he is now working for the Obama administration. Officious. Serious. Although he and Julissa are initially at odds about policy, he helps acclimate her to the complex challenges for a U.S. diplomat who is dealing with Cuba. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a strong conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.

BRUNO RODRIGUEZ: CAST. 40s. Male presenting. Cuban. Foreign Minister of Cuba. Dedicated to the party, the revolution, the country and his career. A tough negotiator as he only sees his side of every argument. This role will likely double with additional characters to include a CONSULAR OFFICER: who denies Julissa entry to the US as a child, TODD: the consular officer who does, JULIO: her father and CHACHA: José Mujica’s chief lieutenant. Combines both truth and humor. PLEASE NOTE: Actors who have at least a strong conversational base in Spanish are encouraged to audition.