Casting Non-Union Actors for Juliet & Jul-Yingtai, a New Bilingual Play

Juliet & Jul-Yingtai, a new bilingual lyrical play written by Wisteria Deng, directed by Sissi Xiqian Chen, produced by Vermilion Theatre.

Juliet & Jul-Yingtai is about Juliet, a patient convicted of killing her husband, and Jul-Yingtai, a restraint therapist, who began to share memories that belong to neither of them. Their shattered memories open onto Romeo and Juliet, The Butterfly Lovers, and an underworld bureaucracy determined to send them back unchanged.

-The play is casting five non-union actors for its fall production at Jersey City Theater Center. Rehearsals will take place in Manhattan.

-Actors do not need to be bilingual, but must be able to learn and perform text in a language they do not speak fluently.

SEEKING:
JULIET

Age: 20s - 30s. A charismatic, provocative woman incarcerated for killing her husband. She uses wit and provocation to challenge her therapist and maintain control over a life in which nearly every choice has been taken from her.

• Comfortable performing in contemporary and heightened Shakespearean text.
• Musicality, physical movement skills, and strong singing voice required.

• Language: Fluent English required; conversational Mandarin, or the demonstrated ability to learn and perform Mandarin text.

   

JUL-YINGTAI

Age: 20s - 30s. A prison therapist quietly escaping an abusive marriage whose professional control begins to fracture around Juliet. In another lifetime, she is a young woman disguised as a male scholar and struggles against family, gender, and convention.

• Comfortable performing in contemporary and heightened classical Chinese text.

Musicality, physical movement skills, strong singing voice required.

• Language: High proficiency or fluency in both Mandarin and English required.

   

ROMEO / OX-HEAD

Age: 20s - 30s. A passionate, theatrical romantic archetype who cannot distinguish love from possession. The actor also plays Ox-Head, a skeptical underworld worker who hides vulnerability behind practicality and humor.

• Comfortable performing in strong Shakespearean text.
• Musicality, physical movement skills, and strong singing voice required.

• Language: Fluent English required; conversational Mandarin preferred.

   

LIANG SHANBO / HORSE-FACE

Age: 20s - 30s. A tender, idealistic scholar whose love for Jul-Yingtai is shaped and ultimately defeated by social convention. The actor also plays Horse-Face, a compassionate underworld worker who secretly preserves forgotten stories and risks breaking the rules.

• Comfortable performing in strong classical Chinese text
• Musicality, physical movement skills, strong singing voice required.

• Language: High proficiency or fluency in Mandarin required; comfortable performing in English.

   

MENG PO / GUARD

Age: 30s - 60s. The God of Oblivion and the overloaded administrator of the Underworld with impatient dry humor. The actor also plays a casually dehumanizing prison guard.

• Language: High proficiency or fluency in both Mandarin and English required.

   

  PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

• Rehearsals: Sep 1, 2026 - Oct. 23, 2026 (35 hours before tech, scheduled around actor availability)
• Tech: October 23, 2026
• Performances: October 23 & 24, 2026
• Venue: White Eagle Hall, Jersey City Theater Center (320 seats capacity) (commutable distance from NYC)
• Rehearsal Location: New York City

• Run-time: Approximately 70 minutes.

   

AUDITION DETAILS

• Submission Deadline: Aug 23, 2026 at 11:59 PM
• Auditions / Callbacks: Aug 28- Aug 30, 2026
• Casting Finalized: Sept 1, 2026

• Union Status: Non-union

   

Please prepare to provide:
- Headshot and resume
- Role(s) you would like to be considered for
- General availability and known conflicts
- A 1–2 minute monologue or self-tape that might fit the role you’re auditioning.
- Optional reel / website / classic monologue

Selected actors may be invited to audition, self-tape, or participate in a short chemistry read.

If you have questions, please contact: chenxiqiankelsi@gmail.com.