Geva Theatre - Local Equity Principal Auditions (Rochester, NY) - Geva Theatre

Geva Theatre | Rochester, NY

2024-25 Season

Rochester, NY EPA (Accompanist Provided)



AUDITION DATE

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Time: 11:00am – 7:00 pm EDT

Meal Break: 3:00pm – 4:00 pm



APPOINTMENTS

§ To sign up for Geva Theatre Local EPAs, please submit to the following form: https://forms.gle/idYP8rX3oEmEo3dz6. Please submit this form for BOTH in person and virtual submissions. Our goal is to make auditioning for Geva Theatre as accessible as possible. All auditions will be reviewed and weighed equally, whether in person or via taped submission.



§ If you are not a member of AEA but are a local actor, please feel welcome to drop in during EPA hours and we will endeavor to see you.



CONTRACT

Actor minimum: $1,100



SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in Geva Theatre’s 2024-25 season (see breakdown).



PREPARATION

Prepare either: 1) 2 brief contrasting monologues totaling no more than three minutes; OR 2) A brief monologue and a brief song totaling no more than three minutes. An accompanist will be present.



LOCATION

Geva Theatre Center, Rehearsal Hall (2nd Floor)

75 Woodbury Blvd., Rochester, NY 14607-1717



PERSONNEL

Members of Geva Theatre’s Artistic department and an accompanist will be present.



OTHER

Critical to Geva Theatre Center’s core values is an institutional culture of dignity, trust, and mutual respect. We are committed to upholding the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our programming, casting, hiring of guest artists, and recruitment of staff in all departments. As Rochester’s professional theatre, we take particular responsibility to reflect the community we serve. To that end, for all casting opportunities, we actively encourage applications from women, persons of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and individuals with disabilities. All are welcome here.



An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producing organization will run all aspects of audition. Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.



While we are only able to schedule appointments for members of Equity, we strongly encourage local Non-Equity actors to attend so we get a chance to know your work!



BREAKDOWN

MEL BROOKS’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN | Book by Mel Brooks Thomas Meehan | Music & Lyric by Mel Brooks | Original Direction & Choreography by Susan Stroman | Co-Production with Berkshire Theatre Group & Bay Street Theater | Director/Choreographer: Gerry McIntyre

Berkshire Theatre Group Dates: June 27-July 21, 2024

Bay Street Dates: August 1-25, 2025

Geva Dates: September 25-October 27, 2024

Wilson Stage

All Roles Have Been Cast



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AUGUST WILSON’S HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED | Co-Conceived by Todd Kreidler | Director: Taniesha Duggan

First Rehearsal: September 24, 2024

Performances: October 15-December 1, 2024

Fielding Stage

Seeking: All Roles



Synopsis: From Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson comes this autobiographical one-actor play chronicling Wilson’s life as a Black artist in the Hill District in Pittsburgh. Through stories about his first jobs, first loves, and experiences with racism, we go deep into the life of one of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century, from his roots to the completion of his history-making American Century Cycle, his ten-play series showcasing Black experience from across the twentieth century.



AUGUST WILSON Male identifying, African American, 40s-60s



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A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens, adapted by Harrison David Rivers | Director: Elizabeth Williamson

First Rehearsal: October 22, 2024

Performances: November 21-December 29, 2024

Wilson Stage

Seeking: Most Principal Roles

This is a world premiere production that is still in development; characters and descriptions are subject to change.



Synopsis: Charles Dickens’ holiday classic returns to the Geva stage in a new adaptation by Playwright in Residence Harrison David Rivers. Over the course of a single night, notorious grump Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts. But will their intervention prompt him to change his “humbug” ways? Filled with humor, heart, hope – and a little bit of horror – A Christmas Carol reminds us that it is never too late to have a change of heart.



EBENEZER SCROOGE (Any Ethnicity, Male-identifying, 50-60s) A man of business. Incredibly wealthy, but frugal. Miserly even. Personal loss has made him hard. He will be cracked open by play’s end.



BOB CRATCHIT (Any Ethnicity, Male-identifying, 30-50s) SCROOGE’S clerk. A devoted husband and father. Long-suffering and compliant. He will stand up to his employer by play’s end.



FRED HOLYWELL (Any Ethnicity, Male-identifying, 20-30s) SCROOGE’S nephew and only living relative. A doting husband. Playful and generous. His persistence will be rewarded by play’s end. Also plays FEZZIWIG and THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT / AS CAST.



MAN (Any Ethnicity, Male-identifying, 30-40s, Physically Disabled) A mystery, until he is not. An instigator. His true identity will be revealed by play’s end. Also plays SOLICITOR 1, ELLIS and THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE / AS CAST.



MRS. CRATCHIT (Any Ethnicity, Female-identifying, 30-50s) BOB CRATCHIT’S wife. Cheeky, yet grounded. Her hope will be buoyed by play’s end. Also plays SOLICITOR 2 and MRS. FEZZIWIG. This role has been cast.



FAN (Any Ethnicity, Female-identifying, 20s) SCROOGE’S sister. SCROOGE’S sister. A compassionate advocate. Also plays PAST and MARTHA / AS CAST.



BELLE (Any Ethnicity, Female-identifying, 20-30s, Open to all physical types) SCROOGE’S great love. Clever and spirited. Also plays LILY / AS CAST.



APPRENTICE EBENEZER (Any Ethnicity, Male-identifying, 20s) Bookish and earnest. Also plays PETER / AS CAST.



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Nina Simone: Four Women by Christina Ham | Director: TBD

First Rehearsal: December 17, 2024

Performance Dates: January 14-February 9, 2025

Wilson Stage

Seeking: All Roles



Synopsis: September 16, 1963. When Nina Simone heard that four Black girls had been killed in the bombing of the 16th Avenue Church in Birmingham, Alabama, her first impulse was to try and build a zip gun; instead she channeled her rage into “Mississippi Goddamn,” the song that marked the emergence of Nina Simone, the Civil Rights activist. Infused with traditional hymns along with songs including “Four Women,” “I Loves You, Porgy,” and “Young, Gifted and Black,” Nina Simone: Four Women looks at an artist and the women around her as their journey leads them down a path of discovery and healing.



NINA SIMONE (30) - A.K.A. “Peaches”. Timeless. A woman of dark skin and temperament that cloaks wounds both present and historical. Bach and the Blues infuse her life. She is a tornado…of vulnerability. Complexity is her complexion and resistance and rebellion her anthem. She should boast the agility of improvisation on the keys and the polyvocality of a herald. She should be able to hear a song only once and be able to not only perform it, but to lift the song to another level of being. She lives hard and loves the same. She has a high school education, but possesses well-rounded music training both self-taught and by private music teachers. Whatever her mood swings they should never be so pronounced to upstage her accomplishments. She should possess the attributes of a modern-day prophet.



SARAH (40s) - A.K.A. “Auntie”. Also of dark skin. Her hands are rough. Molded from years of working in the white folks home since she was yea high. Groomed to put others before herself. This type of welding has created the invisible woman that she has become. Her smile is inviting never letting on that trouble lives on her horizon. Her dark skin has determined how she will be treated by the outside world. Her life has been defined by black and its volatile relationship to white. She has a remedial education at best as she comes from a large family where everyone had to work and carry their weight. She possesses the tender shoulder you can cry on and a honeysuckled voice of pain. She doesn’t sing the blues, but has lived it.



SEPHRONIA (30s-40s) - Her skin is yellow. She is of a softer disposition because that is what her hair type and skin color warrant. She’s never been dark enough to cause offense, but she’s just light enough to offend herself at times. She’s the painful reminder that she is a child of violence. She’s not light enough to be white nor dark enough to be black leading to an inescapable purgatory. She’s joined the Civil Rights Movement hoping this will make her black enough and create an acceptance. Her mother doesn’t understand her and her father’s disowned her. Her mother holds her accountable for why she wasn’t able to find a man of her own. She’s opened her heart to many men who’ve made her empty promises. She is a D minor key, the saddest of them all.



SWEET THING (Late 20s) - Her skin is tan. She’s enticing whether she wants to be or whether she’s paid to be. She’s been tossed to and fro by life and the blows that it’s delivered by the men that have come and gone from her life. She’s lived on the streets for quite some time and been in and out of trouble most of her life. She’s a pistol, but has still never gotten what she really wants—love. She is the kind of woman that will steal your man when you’re not looking. Her looks have been the bane of her existence since she was a little girl.



SAM WAYMON / MUSICIAN (20s) - Nina’s younger brother. Plays piano, Hammond B-3 Organ, and tambourine. Stays out of Nina’s way.



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LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott, adapted by Heather Chrisler | Director: Jackson Gay

First Rehearsal: January 30, 2025

Performance Dates: February 25- March 23, 2025 (potential ext. March 30, 2025)

Wilson Stage

Seeking: All Roles



Synopsis: Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel comes to fresh life in this inventive, theatrical adaptation which follows as the March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – gather in the family attic. From making up fairy stories, writing for their pretend newspaper, and playing make believe, they graduate to scenes of love, loss, and – for Jo – artistic self-discovery, as they come of age against the backdrop of the American Civil War.



LITTLE WOMAN 1: Jo

LITTLE WOMAN 2: Meg, Professor Bhaer

LITTLE WOMAN 3: Amy, John Brooke

LITTLE WOMAN 4: Beth, Laurie



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Pure Native by Vickie Ramirez (Tuscarora) | Director: Randy Reinholz (Choctaw) | In Association with Friends of Ganondagan and Native Voices

First Rehearsal: March 20, 2025

Performance Dates: April 15-May 11, 2025

Wilson Stage

Seeking: All Roles



Synopsis: Brewster’s back after almost a decade and things have changed. Brews is proud of his success working for a large corporation, and wants to share it with the people of his Rez in Upstate New York. After all, it’s been a bad year, and Brews believes partnering with his corporation on a new bottled water factory would be a great opportunity for the Rez to create its own industry and sustain itself. But to his old love Connie, it’s a betrayal of everything the Haudenosaunee stand for. Who will win?



* We are seeking to cast a company Native Americans, First Nations, Alaska Natives, or Hawaiian Natives actors. It is industry standard that producers/director do not ask the ethnic backgrounds of the performers. With this knowledge, we encourage actors to self-identify and express any concerns around their consideration for the role to the producers/director.



Brewster White (Late 30s/Early 40s, Mixed Blood, Mohawk*, Male Identifying) Handsome but a little weathered. Smooth-talker.



Connie Smoke (Mid to Late 30s, Tuscarora*, Female Identifying) Attractive but fierce - NOT easygoing.



Gary Smoke (Late 30s/Early 40s, Mohawk*, Male Identifying) Handsome, polished - a career politician.



Karen Farmer (Mid to Late 30s, Mohawk*, Female Identifying) Future Clan Mother and former Beauty Queen. Wife to Art.



Art Farmer (Early to Mid-30s, Tuscarora*, Male Identifying) Connie's Brother and Karen's husband. Gary's assistant. Former Soldier. The "baby" of the Group.

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BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL | Book by Douglas McGrath | Words and Music by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil | Music by Arrangement with Sony Music Publishing | Orchestrations, Vocal and Incidental Music | Arrangements by Steve Sidwell | Additional Music Arrangements by Jason Howland



Co-Production with Pioneer Theatre Company (Originating Theatre) | Director: Karen Azenberg | Choreographer: Gerry McIntyre



Pioneer Theatre First Rehearsal: January 29, 2025

Pioneer Theatre Performances: February 14-March 1, 2025

Geva Theatre First Rehearsal: May 13, 2025

Geva Theatre Performances: May 28-June 29, 2025



Synopsis: Before she was hit-maker Carole King, she was Carole Klein, an up-and-coming songwriter from Brooklyn. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is the inspiring story of how she made her mark on the music industry – and found her own voice in the process. This Tony Award-winning musical with a book by the late Oscar- and Tony-nominated Douglas McGrath features the unforgettable songs “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling,” “Natural Woman,” and “I Feel the Earth Move” from King’s iconic songbook.



CAROLE KING: (Female Identifying, 25-35) An aspiring singer/songwriter. A unique, appealing, funny and vulnerable girl from a Jewish family in Brooklyn. Talented, good natured, unassuming and often the peace maker in difficult situations. A reluctant star with no pretense and a passion for music. A powerful, distinctive voice. Voice Part: Mezzo Soprano (F3 -F5).



GERRY GOFFIN: (Male Identifying, 25- 40) Carole’s boyfriend, songwriting partner and eventual husband. He is smoldering, dark & handsome with a rebel vibe. Although sexy, he is innately sympathetic, wounded and tortured. An ambitious artist always striving for more. Sings well. Baritone/tenor. Voice Part: Tenor (C3-G4).



CYNTHIA WEIL: (Female Identifying, 25 – 40) A songwriter who becomes romantically involved with Barry Mann. Carole’s best friend. She is sophisticated, smart & chic with a quick wit. Although self-confident and sarcastic, she is also extremely likeable. Strong comic timing who sings extremely well. Belt. Voice Part: Mezzo Soprano (F3-E5).



BARRY MANN: (Male Identifying, 25- 40) A songwriter who becomes romantically involved with Cynthia. He is good natured, appealing & neurotic. Ambitious, but likeable. Comedic with a great voice. A strong high tenor comfortable with pop & rock style singing. Voice Part: Tenor (C3-A4).



DON KIRSCHNER: (Male Identifying, 40-60s) An influential music publisher and producer. He is a fast talking, energetic force of nature. Powerful, direct & sometimes intimidating, but he has a real affinity for his writers and artists. A hit maker. Voice Part: Bass/Baritone (A2-C4).



GENIE: (Female Identifying, 40s-60s) Carole’s Jewish mother. Once an aspiring playwright, she has been broken down by life & her husband’s infidelity. Protective of Carole and unforgiving of her husband’s mistakes.


Salary: $1100