Taproot Theatre Company 2024 Season - Seattle, WA EPA Taproot Theatre Company | Seattle, WA
Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA
Thursday, August 3, 2023
1:00 PM - 10:00 PM (P)
Break 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
To schedule an audition appointment please contact Bretteney Beverly at casting@taproottheatre.org . If you are unavailable to attend either of the in-person auditions, you may submit a video
submission. See video submission instructions in breakdown.
SPT
$495 weekly minimum (SPT 4)
Equity actors for roles in Taproot Theatre Company's 2024 Season (See breakdown).
Please prepare two short monologues (no more than 3 minutes total) of your own choosing. If you wish to audition for the musical, please prepare one monologue and a short musical theatre selection of your choosing. An accompanist will be provided. Acappella singing will be accepted as well. Also, bring your headshot and resume stapled together.
Isaac Studio Black Box (Taproot Theatre Co) 212 N. 85th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
THIS SPACE'S VENTILATION HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED BY ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION.
Expected to attend:
Karen Lund: Producing Artistic Director Bretteney Beverly: Associate Artistic Director/Casting Director
See breakdown for production specific personnel.
EPA also on 8/2
See breakdown for production specific dates.
The season begins on January 26, 2024 and ends on December 28th, 2024. First rehearsal of 2024 season will be December 26th, 2023.
OTHER
taproottheatre.org
OTHER
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this 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.
Taproot Theatre Company 2024 Season
VIDEO
Please submit a video submission only if you are unable to attend one of the in-person auditions.
Please prepare the same material that is being asked for, for the in-person auditions for a video audition.
Please submit your headshot, resume and audition video to: casting@taproottheatre.org . The Video Submission Deadline is August 3rd at 11:59pm PT.
by Lauren Gunderson
Rehearsals Begin: 12/26/2023
Opening Night: 1/26/2024
Closing Night: 2/24/2024
SYNOPSIS: Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet. But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, The Book of Will finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know.
Henry Condell – 40; feisty, hopeful friend and actor in the King’s Men. Dialects: RP
John Heminges – 50; reasonable friend and financial manager of the King’s Men; owner of the Globe Tap House; a good man, a gentleman, if serious. Dialects: RP
Richard Burbage – 50s; seasoned lion of the stage, famous across England, loud and proud. Dialects: RP
Alice Heminges – 35; John’s daughter and alewife, knows everyone and hangs with the boys. Dialects: RP
Boy Hamlet – Young actor. Dialects: RP
Barman – Ruffian.
Barman 2 – Drunk.
Ben Jonson – Poet laureate of England, friend/rival of Shakespeare. Amazing drunk. A bear of a man. Surprisingly weepy. Dialects: RP
Elizabeth Condell – Henry’s wife, savvy and fun. Dialects: RP
Rebecca Heminges – John’s wife, a good wife. Strong, busy with their grocery business, a woman who has weathered much but loves her husband and sons and God. Dialects: RP
Ed Knight – “Stage manager” for the King’s Men, self-serious and particular. Dialects: RP Ralph Crane – Humble scrivener of the King’s Men. Quick, sure, quiet. Dialects: RP
William Jaggard – Successful if shady publisher of books, plays, and playbills. He is confident in his ability to get what he wants. Very experienced, very connected, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. A jerk. Dialects: RP
Isaac Jaggard – William’s son, will inherit the business. Sensitive, an artist at heart. Dialects: RP Marcus – 20, printer’s apprentice at the Jaggard print shop, nosy but honest. Dialects: RP
Compositor – Works for Jaggard, young. Dialects: RP
Emilia Bassano Lanier – 50, fiery Italian feminist and poet, independent woman, lover of life (and of Shakespeare). Dialects: Italian
Anne Hathaway Shakespeare – 60, Shakespeare’s now ailing wife. Strong-willed, a classy lady, a survivor. Dialects: RP
Susannah Shakespeare – 30, good girl and daughter of Shakespeare. Dialects: RP Crier – Newsboy.
Bernardo, Francisco – Actors roles in Hamlet.
Sir Edward Dering – 60, book and theatre lover.
Horatio
Fruit Seller
Marcellus
Doubling for 10 Actors
by Bill Cain
Rehearsals Begin: 2/19/2024
Opening Night: 3/22/2024
Closing Night: 4/20/2024
SYNOPSIS: “Write what you know” the saying goes. But when Bill Cain moves home to help his dying mother, he doesn't have the words to capture the mystery of his own family. Amidst doctor's appointments and baseball games, he begins to see how seemingly ordinary details become the life giving rituals that shape our lives.
Bill “Billy” Cain - Our narrator is the favorite son, a struggling screenwriter and an unlikely priest. The younger brother Bill has come home to Syracuse, New York, to care for his widowed, aging mother. But for every expected bump in the road the mother and son encounter together as the child becomes the caregiver and the adult becomes increasingly helpless.
Mary Cain – Varying ages. Frail but determined. All movements are difficult for her, but she doesn’t notice the difficulty. Her fierce love for her family often comes out in sharp words when her husband and sons don’t live up to her expectations, but her devotion is true. She transitions instantly between
scenes that take place decades apart. Alternately stubborn and sweet, she equates being supportive with reminding her husband that he drinks a little bit too much and telling her sons that they never quite reached their full potential.
Paul Cain/Dr. P/Dr. West – The eldest brother, in the present, is a math teacher in faraway El Paso, as well as the absent sibling checking in on mom over the phone for much of the play. But in the middle of this drama, there is a sudden shift in focus that allows the older brother to drive the story. After serving in Vietnam and then abruptly leaving the military after earning a handful of medals, Paul doesn’t talk about his experiences there until decades later.
Pete Cain/Therapist/Dr. T/Salesman/Paulette/Nurse/Gloria – The deceased father and husband of the Cain family, who appears in select flashback scenes during the show and doubles as other characters.
by Margaret Raether
Rehearsals Begin: 4/15/2024
Opening Night: 5/17/2024
Closing Night: 6/15/2024
SYNOPSIS: Corsets, crowns, and a missing royal jewel set the stage for a battle of wits in this tale of deception and deduction. When the bookish Perkins sisters approach Sherlock Homes with the case, they unveil a theatrical scheme of encyclopedic proportions. Prepare to have your mind boggled as four actors play multiple characters as the mystery turns deadly.
John Watson, M.D. - An army doctor, discharged after being wounded in Afghanistan, Watson is Holmes’ link to humanity.
Sherlock Holmes - Brilliant, aloof, impatient, obsessive, dismissive, infuriating man who, socially, can be surprisingly obtuse.
MAN: Multiple characters, Dialects: RP Cockney
Inspector Lestrade - Scotland Yard Inspector, he much prefers to get the credit.
Jack Cooper - A desperate criminal on the run.
Mrs. Hudson - The world’s most long-suffering landlady.
Winnifred Perkins - Elderly, eccentric homebody who, with her sister, owns a small shop. Waiter - Slow-witted and confused.
Constable Stubbins - A helpful, if unimaginative, policeman.
Umberto the Magnifico - Impresario, theater manager, a man of many accents
WOMAN: Multiple characters, Dialects: RP, Cockney
Private Simpson - A street urchin enlisted in the Baker Street Irregulars, an army of cheeky boys who report to Holmes as their commander.
Minerva Perkins - Winnifred’s sister and another homebody. Together, the sisters are writing a gothic novel, full of gore.
Lillian Stanton-Lacy - A flirtatious shop girl who takes quite a fancy to Watson.
Molly - A lady of the evening.
Bert - A humble stagehand who does not speak.
May be played by MAN or WOMAN:
Bobby - A beat cop. He likes to blow his whistle.
Frank - The sinister limping man.
DOUBLING
Holmes and Watson do not double, although Holmes appears, briefly, in disguise. Dialect: RP Man: Lestrade, Jack Cooper, Mrs. Hudson, Winnifred Perkins, Waiter, Constable Stubbins, Umberto the Magnifico Dialects: RP, Cockney
Woman: Private Simpson, Minerva Perkins, Lillian Stanton-Lacy, Molly, Bert Dialects: RP, Cockney
Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Glenn Slater, Book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner
Rehearsals Begin: 6/3/2024
Opening Night: 7/12/2024
Closing Night: 8/10/2024
SYNOPSIS: When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won’t be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover. Soon, the gang is giving chase, only to find them up against Deloris and the power of her newly found sisterhood. A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship.
Deloris Van Cartier - An aspiring performer, trying to find both fame and a place in the world. When forced to hide in the convent, she initially refuses to embrace her new lifestyle but learns to embrace it when she works with the choir. Loud-mouthed, lively, bold and full of spirit, but ultimately caring. Vocal range top: F#5 Vocal range bottom: E3
Mother Superior - The head of the convent, sarcastic and a bit stiff. Extremely protective about keeping her sisters away from the outside world, which puts her in direct opposition to Deloris and her musical teachings. Vocal range top: E5 Vocal range bottom: D3
Sister Mary Robert - A postulant, abandoned as a baby and raised at the convent. Shy and soft spoken, but singing with Deloris lets her find her voice. Her wallflower lifestyle has made her live a shell of a life. Vocal range top: A5 Vocal range bottom: F#3
Sister Mary Patrick - A nun of the convent. Consistently perky, enthusiastic, and easily excitable.
Sister Mary Lazarus - A nun of the convent and the head of the choir. Rather deadpan and the least welcoming of any of the nuns, but she gets caught up in Deloris's soul music. Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: F3
Monsignor O'Hara - One of the heads of the convent. Constantly concerned with financial matters, though soul music surprisingly puts him in a different mood. Vocal range top: G4 Vocal range bottom: E3
Curtis - A club owner, notorious gangster, and Deloris's boyfriend. Cocky and controlling, always on the verge of violence. Vocal range top: Ab4 Vocal range bottom: A2
Eddie Souther - The desk chief at the Philadelphia police station and a high school classmate of Deloris who helps get her into hiding. Faces a lot of nerves when under pressure, causing him to sweat profusely. He still yearns for Deloris after all these years, and dreams of being her hero. Vocal range top: B4 Vocal range bottom: Ab2
Tj - Curtis's nephew and one of his thugs. Deft and cognizant of the fact, constantly in a state of ignorant bliss. Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: Db3
Joey - One of Curtis's thugs. Believes himself to be quite the ladies' man. Vocal range top: Eb5 Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Pablo - One of Curtis's thugs. A natural follower constantly speaks in Spanish. Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: C4
Sister Mary Martin-of-tours - A nun of the convent. Clearly in her own world but has her moments of surprising clarity.
Sister Mary Theresa - A nun of the convent, the oldest of the group. Decrepit at a glance, but secretly packs a punch.
Michelle - One of Deloris's back-up singers. Lippy and always quick with a retort. Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Tina - One of Deloris's back-up singers. A little thick and naive. Vocal range top: F5 Vocal range bottom: Ab3
Ernie - One of Curtis's thugs. Initially thought to be a mindless yes-man, he turns out to be an undercover police informant.
Doubling for 11 actors
by Lorraine Hansberry
Rehearsals Begin: 8/19/2024
Opening Night: 9/20/2024
Closing Night: 10/19/2024
SYNOPSIS: The American Classic of a Family’s ‘Dream Deferred.’ Echoing her own trials growing up in a racially divided America, Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece delves into the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of a Black family struggling to rise into America’s middle class in 1950’s Chicago. Anticipating a big life insurance check, Mama dreams of a beautiful new home in a white neighborhood. Her son, a chauffeur, dreams of being his own boss and opening a liquor store.
His sister dreams of medical school. The ensuing prejudice they encounter threatens to crush their hopes and dreams, causing them to dry up, “ . . . like a raisin in the sun.”
Walter Lee Younger: Male, 30-40, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - Walter is a dreamer; he wants to be rich and devises plans to acquire wealth with his friends, particularly Willy Harris; when the play opens, he wants to invest his father’s insurance money in a new liquor store venture; he spends the rest of the play endlessly preoccupied with discovering a quick solution to his family’s various problems.
Beneatha Younger ('Bennie'): Female, 19-25, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - Mama’s daughter and Walter’s sister; Beneatha is an intellectual; twenty years old, she attends college and is better educated than the rest of the Younger family; some of her personal beliefs and views have distanced her from conservative Mama; she dreams of being a doctor and struggles to determine her identity as a well-educated black woman.
Lena Younger ('Mama'): Female, 55-65, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - Walter and Beneatha’s mother; the matriarch of the family, Mama is religious, moral, and maternal; she wants to use her husband’s insurance money as a down payment on a house with a backyard to fulfill her dream for her family to move up in the world.
Ruth Younger: Female, 29-37, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - Walter’s wife and Travis’s mother; Ruth takes care of the Youngers’ small apartment; her marriage to Walter has problems, but she hopes to rekindle their love; she is about thirty, but her weariness makes her seem older; constantly fighting poverty and domestic troubles, she continues to be an emotionally strong woman; her almost pessimistic pragmatism helps her to survive.
Travis Younger: Male, 9-12, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - Walter and Ruth’s sheltered young son; Travis earns some money by carrying grocery bags and likes to play outside with other neighborhood children, but he has no bedroom and sleeps on the living-room sofa.
Joseph Asagai: Male, 24-34, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - A Nigerian student in love with Beneatha; Asagai, as he is often called, is very proud of his African heritage, and Beneatha hopes to learn about her African heritage from him; he eventually proposes marriage to Beneatha and hopes she will return to Nigeria with him.
George Murchison: Male, 29-36, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - A wealthy, African-American man who courts Beneatha; the Youngers approve of George, but Beneatha dislikes his willingness to submit to white culture and forget his African heritage; he challenges the thoughts and feelings of other black people through his arrogance and flair for intellectual competition.
Mr. Karl Lindner: Male, 35-50, Ethnicity: White / European Descent - The only white character in the play; Mr. Lindner arrives at the Youngers’ apartment from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association; he offers the Youngers a deal to reconsider moving into his (all-white) neighborhood.
Bobo: Male, 30-40, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - One of Walter’s partners in the liquor-store plan; Bobo appears to be as mentally slow as his name indicates.
Mrs. Johnson: Female, 40-60, Ethnicity: Black / African Descent - The Youngers’ neighbor; Mrs. Johnson takes advantage of the Youngers’ hospitality and warns them about moving into a predominately white neighborhood.
by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon
Rehearsals Begin: 10/24/2023
Opening Night: 11/24/2023
Closing Night: 12/30/2023
SYNOPSIS: Georgiana Darcy is an accomplished pianist but wary of romance. Kitty Bennet is a bright-eyed optimist and a perfect best friend. These two younger sisters are ready for their own adventures in life and love, starting with the arrival of an admirer and secret correspondent. Meddlesome families and outmoded expectations won’t stop these determined friends from forging their own way in a holiday tale filled with music, ambition, sisterhood, and love!
Georgiana Darcy - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) Shy, an accomplished pianist, romantic though super hesitant after her experience with Wickham. She is an introvert but lives a full life in the letters she writes and the music she plays. Very like her brother in some ways, she can be stubborn and a bit of a grudge holder. Dialect: RP
Kitty Bennet - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) A ray of sunshine, the perfect best friend and wing man, she is supportive, optimistic and a problem solver. Without the influence of Lydia, she is now more grounded and generous. She is the mastermind behind Georgiana’s future. Dialect: RP
Elizabeth Darcy - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) Bright and witty, she loves all of her sisters but loves Georgiana as both a sister and a mother-figure and brings Georgiana out in a way that Darcy tends to shut her down. Dialect: RP
Lydia Wickham - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) A little extra but has gained some wisdom. Now that she is suddenly without a husband she is looking for a companion again, only to find Kitty unavailable. Dialect: RP
Jane Bingley - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) Eldest and most reserved sister of the Bennets. Married to Bingley and very pregnant with her first child. Kind, generous, soft spoken. Dialect: RP
Mary Bennet - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) Middle sister, brainy, sharp tongued and extremely recently engaged to Arthur de Bourgh. Dialect: RP
Henry Grey - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) Georgiana's beau - also remarkably shy and an introvert, but of incredible sincerity and intellect. Henry is unassuming, possibly to a fault, and is unaware that he is the hero of the story. Dialect: RP
Thomas O'Brien - Henry’s friend, a little bawdy and a little jolly, says exactly what's on his mind, does not have much time for polite society but is so good natured that everyone just kind of loves him. Dialect: RP
Fitzwilliam Darcy - (This role is CAST, looking for an understudy) Proud and still finding his warmth, does not forgive easily, perhaps slightly over-protective of his little sister. Dialect: RP
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