PENUMBRA THEATRE 2014 SEASON Equity Principal Auditions - Penumbra Theatre Auditions

SPT 9 Contract

DESCRIPTION

From the Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright of Ruined, Lynn Nottage draws upon the films of the

1930s to take a look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is a seventy-year journey through the life of Vera Stark, a headstrong African-American maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star desperately grasping to hold on to her career. When circumstances collide and both women land roles in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a surprising and controversial legacy scholars will debate for years to come.

CASTING

GLORIA MITCHELL – (White Woman – 20’s to 30’s) – a “white” starlet.

LOTTIE/CARMEN – (African-American Woman – 20’s to 30’s) - a brown-skinned woman. ANNA MAE/AFUA – (African-American Woman – 20’s to 30’s) - a very, very, fair-skinned African-American woman who pretends to be Brazillian.

SLASVICK/BRAD – (White Male – 40’s to 50’s) – a studio producer and talk show host. MAXMILLIAN VON OSTER/PETER – (White Male – 30’s to 40’s) – an exquisitely haughty European director, and a “groovy” rock musician.

DETROIT ’67 by Dominique Morisseau

DIRECTED BY SHIRLEY JO FINNEY SPT 9 Contract

DESCRIPTION

It's 1967 in Detroit. Motown music is getting the party started, and Chelle and her brother Lank are making ends meet by turning their basement into an after-hours joint. Always at odds,

they fight over the future of the family trade. But when a mysterious white woman finds her way into their care and a string of raids increases police brutality around the city, the siblings become divided over much more than business. Suddenly, they find themselves caught in the middle of the '67 riots.

CASTING

CHELLE (MICHELLE) - Black woman, late 30’s, strong, steadfast, firm, and

not easily impressed. A widow, mother, and sister. A loving heart beneath her pride. LANK (LANGSTON)- Black man, early 30’s, cool, loving, and charismatic.

A dreamer. Has a special affect on women – but not a womanizer. Chelle’s younger brother. BUNNY (BONITA)- Black woman, mid-late 30’s, fun, spunky, sexy, and joyful.

A friend and sometimes a lover… Never lets nothin’ get her down.

CAROLINE- White woman, late 20's/early 30's, beautiful, quiet strength, troubled, soft, and mysterious. There is a world of danger behind her eyes.