“¡PASAJE!” Auditions at Sierra Madre Playhouse - Sierra Madre Playhouse

Auditions For “¡PASAJE!”

Play: ¡Pasaje!

Written by: J. Quiroz

Music & Lyrics by: Asdru Sierra and Gary Pickus

Director: Benjamin Perez

Music Direction: Greg Porée



Synopsis:

This two-act play with music explores themes of identity, belonging, and the essence of community through the eyes of 18-year-old Andy. As he ventures from Flagstaff to the vibrant South El Monte in search of his father, Andy unravels family secrets, forges deep connections, and embraces his Latinx heritage, culminating in a celebration of cultural legacy and the power of unity.



Seeking:

Actors of Latinx backgrounds. Both Union & Non-Union actors will be considered.



Performer Compensation:

$18-20/hour. Rehearsal hours per actor for the entire rehearsal period range from 22 to 88 hours depending on the role.



AUDITIONS: (all at Sierra Madre Playhouse, by Invitation Only)

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Monday, July 15, 2024

Callbacks: Sunday, July 21, 2024



FIRST REHEARSAL: Monday, August 26, 2024

TECH WEEK: Monday, September 30 through Thursday, October 3, 2024

OPENS: Friday, October 4, 2024

CLOSES: Sunday, November 3, 2024 (no extension)

PERFORMANCES: Oct 4 - Nov 3. Full schedule here.

STUDENT PERFORMANCES: Oct 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 - All at 10:30 am

REHEARSALS: Full schedule is here: https://sierramadreplayhouse.luigihub.com/v2.php?controller=PublicCalendarController&event=72 (subject to change). Final rehearsal schedule will be arranged after the show is cast. No reasonable conflicts should keep actors from submitting. If actors cannot do all performances (including student performances) they should still apply as we are planning on having some understudies.





SUBMISSIONS

All applicants need to submit videos of the required song excerpt(s) below and a monologue under 60 seconds of their choice. Submissions without all required attachments will not be considered.



​Please submit for an audition here: https://forms.gle/2KGWRCYom9wfCkTH7. Please send any questions you may have about submitting to pasaje@sierramadreplayhouse.org. Please List “PASAJE AUDITION”, your Name, and Name of desired role(s) in Subject Line.



Required Vocal Excerpts:

Please read the character descriptions below to ensure that you are performing the excerpt assigned with that role. If you aren't sure which role is best for you, please feel free to reach out to us at pasaje@sierramadreplayhouse.org. For demo and audition tracks and lyric sheets for each role's song excerpt(s): https://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/pasaje-auditions



MARCELINA

[Female, Latina, 18-25] Marcelina is an extremely talented 19-year old dancer originally from El Salvador who came to the US ten years ago as a child with just her younger brother. She is Guicho’s sister. Marcelina speaks some Spanish throughout the show. Dancing skills (specifically ballet) needed.



ANDY

[Male, Latino, 18-25] Andy is 17 (turning 18) years old and just graduated from high school. He is Angela’s son. He leaves Flagstaff for South El Monte in search of his father, who he longs to know but hasn’t ever met and his mother won’t reveal anything about him. Andy initially identifies as white (not Latino), does not know Spanish (though attempts to speak it), and grew up almost exclusively with white people, but he realizes his true heritage once he arrives in South El Monte and begins his journey of discovering his identity there.



DON MIGUEL

[Male, Latino, 60-70] Don Miguel is a proud 66-year old Mexican who owns the Laundry Mat. He is a father who lost his wife at a young age and loves his children, though he has a bit of a complicated relationship with his family. When he was young he made mistakes but his family has taught him to be a better person. Miguel speaks some Spanish throughout the show.



HUSTLER UNO

[Female, Latina, 25-35] Hustler Uno (real name Cecilia) is in her late 20s. She is smart, crafty, educated (mostly self-taught), light-skinned, lived with her grandmother and grew up on the streets. She has been friends with Edwin since elementary school. In order to make money on the street, she masquerades as many different characters, including pretending to be a white-washed tour guide, a sick grandmother, and a chola. Cecilia speaks some Spanish throughout the show.



HUSTLER DOS

[Male, Latino, 25-35] Hustler Dos (real name Edwin) is in his late 20s. He is smart, crafty, educated (mostly self-taught), lived with an alcoholic father and grew up on the streets with a wicked sense of humor. He has been friends with Cecilia since elementary school. In order to make money on the street, he masquerades as many different characters, including pretending to be a cholo, an immigrant beggar, and a police officer. Edwin speaks some Spanish throughout the show.



FREDDY

[Male, Latino, 20-30] Freddy is Don Miguel’s 24-year old son. Growing up without a mother was difficult for Freddy, and it didn’t help that Miguel wasn’t always good at talking to his son. Frustrated by his upbringing, Freddy decided to head to the streets to take out his anger and from there began helping local gang members move away from street life. Freddy speaks some Spanish throughout the show.



ENSEMBLE ROLES

ANGELA MARTIN: [Female, Latina, 35-45] Angela is a lawyer in Flagstaff. She is Andy’s mother. She won’t tell Andy who his father is, but that isn’t the only secret she is hiding from him about his family. Angela speaks some Spanish throughout the show.



​GUICHO: [Male, Latino, 15-20] Guicho is Marcelina’s 16-year old brother, who is also originally from El Salvador and came to the US ten years ago as a child with just his older sister. He is a cholo wannabe.



BEATRIZ GONZALES: [Female, Latina, 50-60] Beatriz is an Argentinian woman in her 50s who owns the Liquor Store in South El Monte, which used to be run by her father. She holds a grudge against Don Miguel due to past actions of his against her store. Beatriz speaks some Spanish throughout the show.



​M1/YOUNG BOY: [Male, Latino, 8-12] M1 is a young boy who plays young Miguel and is an ensemble member.



M2/TEENAGE BOY: [Male, Latino, 15-20] M2 is a teenage boy who is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



M3/YOUNG ADULT MALE: [Male, Latino, 18-35] M3 is a young adult male who plays the Police Officer, a local authority who is suspicious of the hustlers and later arrests Freddy; the Conductor, a ticket taker on the train to LA; and is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



M4/ADULT MALE: [Male, Latino, 25-35] M4 is an adult Latino male with light skin coloring as he plays both Latino and white characters. He plays the Biker, a Cuban man on a bike; Patrick, a tourist from Greensville (who is NOT a gangster named El Flaco); Jack, a visitor from out of town; and is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



M5/ADULT MALE: [Male, Latino, 60-70] M5 is an adult male with dark skin coloring who plays the Honduran Man, who runs a food truck; Salvadorian Dad, 8-year old Marcelina’s father; and is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



W1/YOUNG GIRL: [Female, Latina, 8-12] W1 is a young girl who plays Young Marcelina, who is 8 years old, and is an ensemble member.



W2/TEENAGE GIRL: [Female, Latina, 18-25] W2 is a teenage girl who plays a young Colombian lady, and is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



W3/YOUNG ADULT FEMALE: [Female, Latina, 18-35] W3 is a young adult female who plays a Stranger, a wealthy-looking woman who presumably gives money to begging hustlers, and is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



W4/ADULT FEMALE: [Female, Latina, 25-45] W4 is an adult Latina female with light skin coloring as she plays both Latina and white characters. She plays Jess, a visitor from out of town; White Lady, who is in charge of junior ballet dance company auditions; and is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



W5/ADULT FEMALE: [Female, Latina, 45-60] W5 is an adult female with dark skin coloring who plays Salvadorian Mom, 8-year old Marcelina’s mother, and is an ensemble member. This ensemble member will also understudy lead roles.



Note on your audition:

Showcase your storytelling ability and authentic emotional expression.

Important that people sound like they are from El Monte/Los Angeles latinos.

Prepare a contrasting contemporary monologue, not exceeding 60 seconds, to demonstrate your acting ability.

For Live Auditions, Tracks will be provided. You can use your sheet music, if needed



​Sierra Madre Playhouse's Dedication to Inclusive and Diverse Casting:

​At Sierra Madre Playhouse, we embrace equity, diversity, and inclusivity in all aspects of our casting. For productions where characteristics such as ethnicity, gender, and more are not specified for roles, we actively pursue a cast that reflects a rich diversity of backgrounds, and welcome and encourage auditions from individuals of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, and body types.



For this production of ¡Pasaje!, we are specifically casting actors of Latinx backgrounds to play characters who are of Latinx heritage (primarily Mexican and Central American heritage) in order to reflect the ethnic backgrounds of these specific characters.



Should you require any specific accommodations for your audition, please do not hesitate to contact us in advance through our auditions email. Alternatively, you can inform our audition monitors upon your arrival. We are committed to providing a supportive and accessible audition environment for everyone.



Note about the Show:

¡Pasaje! explores many themes close to the heart, including community/neighborhood, identity/belonging, pursuit of dreams, home/displacement, love/relationships, cultural heritage/tradition, inequality/opportunity, resilience/hope, and family/sacrifice. It takes place within a local community and neighborhood – South El Monte – a city just south of Sierra Madre where a diverse group of people live, interact (not always smoothly) and find conflict, compromise and resolution. Many characters in the play grapple with questions of identity and where they belong, particularly as they navigate issues related to their cultural heritage (primarily Mexican and Central American) and their dreams for the future. The characters in the play have complex dreams and aspirations, and the theme of pursuing one's dreams, even in the face of obstacles and challenges, is a prominent element of the story. Striving for their dreams results in many of the characters having to face the prospect of leaving their homes and community in pursuit of those dreams. Various forms of love and relationships are explored in the play, from romantic love to familial bonds and friendships. These relationships help shape the characters' decisions and experiences. The play celebrates the cultural heritage of the characters, primarily of Mexican and Central American descent, and highlights the importance of preserving traditions and passing them on to future generations. Issues related to economic inequality and the limited opportunities faced by some characters are discussed, emphasizing the challenges for people of color pursuing the American dream. Despite facing adversity and uncertainty, the characters in ¡Pasaje! display resilience and maintain a sense of hope for a better future. Family plays a most significant role in the lives of the characters, and the theme of sacrifice for the well-being of loved ones is repeatedly expressed.



For those auditioning, it's essential to recognize that this production values not just vocal prowess but also the ability to embody characters who are endearing, genuine, and capable of conveying a story through acting. The characters' ability to resonate with the audience, both with other ensemble members and as individuals, is crucial for the show's emotional impact.
Salary: $18-$20/hr ($846.00 - $2,200.00 in Annual Salary)