GEM OF THE OCEAN Submission - Hartford Stage Company Auditions
Hartford Stage Company
LORT
GEM OF THE OCEAN – Photo / Resume Request
Hartford Stage Company (Hartford, CT) LORT B; $750/week minimum
Artistic Director: Michael Wilson
Director: Hana Sharif
Writer: August Wilson
Casting: Harriet Bass
1st rehearsal: 4/12/11. Runs: 5/20/11 – 6/12/11
NYC auditions will be held January 24, 2011, by appointment only.
Seeking submissions from Actors' Equity Members only for these particular auditions.
For consideration, mail picture and resume to:
Harriet Bass Casting
648 Broadway #912
New York, NY 10012
Attn: GEM OF THE OCEAN – NYC appointments / AEA Self Submit
Seeking:
Aunt Ester Tyler:
Female, African American, 60s. A healer. Spiritually centered, she is the physical embodiment of the mystical link between the spirit world and the naturalistic world. Grounded, solid, ageless, feels like the consummate mother, strong, sense of humor, humanity. Old but maintains a vibrancy and full bodied sense of her physical self (you have to believe that it is possible for Ester and Solly to have romantic sparks between them). She is at times a generous, yet strict matriarch of both her home and the community.
Citizen Barlow:
Male, African American, Late 20s / early 30s. Strong, determined, southern, tortured by his conscience and desperately in need of some form of salvation. Attractive but a little too worn for his age. Complex, his redemption requires a sense of self discovery, accountability, and duty.
Solly Two Kings:
Male, African American, 60s. Strong, virile, fearless, at times defiant, irreverent, and slightly extroverted. He is a former slave, former Underground Railroad operative, and a scout for the Union Army. He is an aging warrior. Solid sense of masculinity, humanity, and brotherhood between Solly and Eli.
Eli:
Male, African American, 60s. Gatekeeper, solid, loyal, a compatriot of Solly’s. Quieter than Solly, but fiercely protective, grounded, one of Ester’s disciples. He wears his heart and disdain on his sleeve.
Black Mary Wilkes:
Female, African American, Late 20s / early 30s. Attractive, but worn – her face and spirit reflect the hardship of the life she’s lived, but also the possibility of something more. A budding healer, tough, but has a sensuality to her. She is both independent and emotionally vulnerable and at times insecure. Loyal, she struggles with her brother’s actions and her own sense of morality. Ester’s protégé, she is connected to the mystical world but not yet fully rooted in her strength and power.
Caesar Wilkes:
Male, African American, 40s. Sharp, ambitious, cold, ruthless, calculating and at times cruel. There is a real desire to remain connected to his sister / his family. Dissociates – he is somehow different/ smarter/ better than the others. He is the contemporary overseer.
Rutherford Selig:
Male, Caucasian, 40s-50s. A white peddler, observant, and friend to the black community. He is willing to assume some risk for Aunt Ester, though not quite an abolitionist.
