KUNOICHI PRODUCTIONS 2025 SEASON GENERAL
San Francisco, CA
EPA
Kunoichi Productions | San Francisco, CA
AUDITION DATE
Sunday, September 29, 2024
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM (P)
APPOINTMENTS
To schedule an audition appointment please go to:
https://airtable.com/applFJuovRWh2I9Ut/shrr. Once you have filled out this form, please fill out the information in the Kunoichi Productions Database:
https://airtable.com/shrwqPBbz0M8hb6rE. Appointment requests must be received by 11:59 PM PT on Friday, September 27th, 2024.
CONTRACT
Bay Area Theatre
$500 weekly minimum (Tier 2)
SEEKING
Equity actors for roles in Kunoichi Productions 2025 Season General (See breakdown). The only show planned for the season is PACIFIC OVERTURES. Performers of Asian heritage, as well as all other identities including ethnicities, ancestries, ages, and gender identities are encouraged to audition.
PREPARATION
Please prepare a 60-second cut of a song from any Golden Age or classical style musical AND a 60-second monologue.
LOCATION
MoonSpace
250 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
PERSONNEL
Director/Co-Producer: Nick Ishimaru
Co-Producer: Keiko Shimosato Carreiro
Music Director: Diana Lee
Choreographer: Megan and Shannon Kurashige
Cultural Consultant: Kirk Kanesaka
Expected to attend:
Director/Co-Producer: Nick Ishimaru
Co-Producer: Keiko Shimosato Carreiro
Music Director: Diana Lee
OTHER DATES
Callbacks are Friday, October 4 from 5-9 PM.
First Rehearsal: April 29, 2025
Tech Weekend: May 24 and 25, 2025
Preview: May 29, 2025
Opening Night: May 30, 2025
Closing Night: June 15, 2025
OTHER
www.kunoichiproductions.org
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.
BREAKDOWN
PACIFIC OVERTURES
As indicated in the setting of the musical, most characters are Japanese. All performers will play multiple characters.
SEEKING:
- Kayama: 30s-50s. The central character of the events that unfold. A low-level samurai catapulted into history who unintentionally rises through the ranks and slowly succumbs to the inevitability of Westernization. Dedicated, thoughtful, restrained. Male. Bari-tenor. Principal Songs: There Is No Other Way, Poems, A Bowler Hat.
- Manjiro: 30s. Sailor who spent many years in Boston after being shipwrecked. Returns to Japan to herald the coming of the American fleet and is forced to act as a translator. Elevated to samurai status through a twist of fate while extolling the virtues of the West, he slowly becomes the voice of tradition. Fresh-faced, cheerful, pleasant. Male. Tenor. Principal Songs: Poems.
- Abe (and others): 50+. The voice of tradition. Proud soldier who stands with the Shogun until the very end. Gruff, unimpressed, grumpy. Male. Baritone/Bass. Principal Songs: Someone In a Tree (as the Old Man), Please Hello.
- Tamate (and others): Any age. Wife of Kayama, victim of fate. Resigns herself to a grim fate when Kayama is called upon by the Shogun early in the show. Regal, determined, noble. Doubles as many of the supporting roles, this track also calls for strong comedic sensibility and strong physical character work, particularly as the American Soldier. Female. Soprano. Principal Songs: There Is No Other Way, Please Hello (as French Admiral).
- Madam (and others): Any age. Owner of a prosperous brothel in Kanagawa. Clever, shrewd, very funny. Largest female vocal track in the show. Strong music skills and solid comedic timing are a must for this track. Puppeteering skills are desirable. Female. Alto. Principal Songs: Four Black Dragons (as Thief), Welcome to Kanagawa, Please Hello (as British Admiral).
- Admiral Perry (and others): Any age. Foreign invader lurking behind every plot twist. Determined to force Japan to trade, Perry treats the country and its customs with gross disdain. The role is presented as a kabuki-style demon, larger-than-life in a malignant, twisted way. This role will feature a complex Noh-based demon dance instead of the original lion dance. Sinister, monstrous, otherworldly. This track is the most movement-heavy in the show. Strong movement skills required; strong dance skills beneficial. Male. Tenor. Principal Songs: Please Hello (as German Admiral), Pretty Lady (as Sailor 2).
- Boy in the tree (and others): Youthful age. Puppeteer of a 10-year-old boy, the titular character of Someone In A Tree (Sondheim’s self-confessed favorite song he ever wrote). Youth and wonder are central. Doubles as a member of the sailor trio in Pretty Lady, as well as many other distinct comedic characters, and calls for good puppeteering skills. Male. Light Tenor. Principal Songs: Someone In A Tree, Pretty Lady (as Sailor 3).
- Shogun’s Mother (and others): Any age. Desperately trying to remove the Shogun and save the country from his indulgences and inaction. She is cruel to her son’s wife but even crueler to her son. Cunning, aggressive, duplicitous. This role is traditionally played by a man in drag, but could be played by anyone of any gender expression. Tenor. Principal Songs: Chrysanthemum Tea, Please Hello (as Dutch Admiral), Pretty Lady (as Sailor 1); if this track is played by a soprano or alto, Pretty Lady would not be included.
- Samurai (and others): Any age. A witness to history, though not an active part in it. This is the largest vocal track in the show. Male. Baritone. Principal Songs: Four Black Dragons (as Fisherman), Please Hello (as Russian Admiral), Someone In A Tree; if the Shogun’s Mother track is played by a soprano or alto, Pretty Lady would be added to the Warrior track.
