Actors Bridge Slates Auditions for 2016/17 Season

Nashville's Actors Bridge Ensemble is pleased to announce open call auditions for their 21st professional theatre season. Auditions will be held Sunday, June 26, at the Actors Bridge Studio at Darkhorse Theatre by appointment. Actors are asked to please prepare a contemporary monologue of their choice under 2 minutes in length and to provide both a headshot and resume for consideration. Callbacks for each production will occur by invitation.

Actors Bridge actively seeks to produce provocative, progressive, socially responsible performance events that reflect the rich diversity of the community in which we live and is committed to an inclusive and color-conscious approach to casting. Performers of all ages, races, ethnicities, gender expressions, and those with disabilities are strongly encouraged to audition.

All roles are currently available. None of the 2016-2017 roles have been pre-cast.

All roles are paid, rates vary by production. Actors Bridge does not anticipate offering AEA contracts during the 2016-2017 season. Compensation inquiries may be directed to Jessika Malone via JessikaMalone@Gmail.com.

2016-2017 AUDITIONS

Rehearsal and performance dates, venue information, and additional character details forthcoming. Check back here for more details soon, according to Jessika Malone.

Productions for the 2016-17 season include:

• Failure: A Love Story by Philip Dawkins
  Directed by Jessika Malone
  Nelly was the first of the Fail girls to die, followed soon after by her sisters, Jenny June, and Gerty. It's 1928 - the last year of each of the Fail Sisters' lives and with so many things in life (i.e. blunt objects, disappearances, and consumption) they, and the one man that fell in love with each of them, just never saw The End coming so soon. Fantastically macabre and sweetly philosophical, this uniquely whimsical fable traces the sisters' remarkable triumphs and tribulations and celebrates the courage to love bravely in spite of loss, revealing "just because something ends doesn't mean it wasn't a success!"

Nelly Fail: Female presenting (trans* inclusive), 20s - Any Ethnicity
The youngest sister, the dreamer, effervescent, outgoing, full of life.

Jenny June Fail: Female presenting (trans* inclusive), 20s/30s - Any Ethnicity
Middle sister, a high achiever, athletic, wants to be the first person to swim across Lake Michigan.

Gertrude Fail: Female presenting (trans* inclusive), 30s/40s - Any Ethnicity
Oldest sister, protector, provider, and nurturer, willing to give her life for her sisters.

John N. Fail: Male presenting (trans* inclusive), 20s-40s - Any Ethnicity
Brother, an introvert, sensitive, has no trouble speaking his truth, loves animals.

Mortimer Mortimer: Male presenting (trans* inclusive), 20s-40s - Any Ethnicity
A hopeless romantic in search of meaning.

Chorus/Ensemble, M, F, Trans* 18+
Seeking a diverse ensemble to create the world of FAILURE including snakes and birds and clock towers and magic of all kinds - actors, dancers, singers, puppeteers, musicians, magicians, jugglers, tumblers, tappers, hoopers, and more are welcomed!

• Hand to God by Robert Askins
  Directed by Mitch Massaro
  The good children of Cypress, Texas are taught to obey the Bible in order to evade Satan's hand. But when students at the Christian Puppet Ministry put those teachings into practice, one devout young man's puppet takes on a shocking personality that no one could have expected. In this hilarious and lightning-paced comedy, a foul-mouthed sock puppet named Tyrone soon teaches those around him that the urges that can drive a person to give in to their darkest desires fit like a glove. HAND TO GOD explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality, and the ties that bind us.

Jason: Male, 20s - Any Ethnicity
Seemingly mild-mannered and polite; retiring, inarticulate, and shy; has an alter-ego who is extremely aggressive, foul-mouthed, shameless, and highly articulate.

Timothy: Male, 20s - Any Ethnicity
High school alpha male; dexterity with hand puppet a plus.

Margery: Female 40s/50s - Any Ethnicity
Jason's mother; highly stressed woman trying desperately to keep her family and life together after the death of her husband; strong sexuality; has a warm, passionate nature, but she's a powder keg about to explode.

Jessica: Female, 20s (plays 17) - Any Ethnicity
Droll, deadpan, a high school outsider with a sense of fearlessness; credible love-interest for Jason; dexterity with hand puppet a plus.

Pastor Greg: Male, 40s/50s - Any Ethnicity
Small town pastor who is a little too interested in a member of his flock; leading man with a whiff of the buffoon clinging to him.

• Detroit '67 by Dominique Morisseau
  Directed by Alicia Haymer
  A poetic play of fire-fueled dreams and frustrated love set against a backdrop of historic social unrest in Motown, Detroit '67 tells the story of siblings Chelle and Lank (named for poet Langston Hughes) who make ends meet by hosting late-night parties in the basement of their childhood home. The basement is full of love and laughter but the risk of their unofficial nightclub is high, given the intensifying police presence in the all black neighborhood and the danger increases when Lank comes to the aid of a battered white woman. Relationships between black and white, brother and sister, friend and stranger begin to shift in the inaugural work of Morrisseau's extraordinary 3-play cycle about her hometown, "The Detroit Projects."

Chelle (Michelle): Female, 30s/40s - African American
Strong, steadfast, firm, and not easily impressed. She's a widow, mother, and sister; she is a survivor. A loving heart beneath her pride, nothing gets past her and she makes sure of it. She has two feet solidly on the ground, with one eye on reality and the other on creating a future for her family.

Lank (Langston): Male, 30s/40s - African American
Chelle's younger brother; ambitious, cool, loving, and charismatic; he's a dreamer. He is leading man-esque, but wet behind the ears, and has the potential to be slick and suave, but has not figured out how yet. He has a special effect on women but is not a womanizer. He has a physical and spiritual chemistry with Caroline.

Bunny (Bonita): Female, 30s/40 - African American
Fun, spunky, sexy, and joyful. She is very much her own woman and enjoys playing with men, but is faithful to hers. She is smart as a whip, witty, and observant, but not pushy. She is the go-to woman for information in Detroit.

Sly (Sylvester): Male, 30s/40s - African American
Sweet-talking and fiercely loyal; an honest hustler and a numbers man. He is Lank's best friend. He has large heart, a soft spot for Chelle, and uses comedy as a shield.

Caroline: Female, 20s/30s - Caucasian
Has a beautiful, quiet strength and casts a spell when she walks in the room. She is simultaneously troubled, mysterious, and alluring. There is a world of danger behind her eyes. She has seen and experienced a lot of pain and drifts, untethered, but is looking to put roots down somewhere; she has gravitas. She has a physical and spiritual chemistry with Lank.

• The Patron Saint of Losing Sleep by Diana Grisanti
  Directed by Leah Lowe
  Ada, a call center representative, can't sleep. When she receives a call at her job from a woman in need, she takes a trip to try and help her. Unfortunately, things go wrong. Terribly wrong. Desperate to cure her insomnia, Ada must confront her regrets, past and present, if she's ever going to sleep again.

Character Breakdown coming soon.

The 2016-2017 Collaboration w/ Belmont University Department of Theatre & Dance will be The Amish Project (Ensemble Version) by Jessica Dickey directed by Jaclynn Jutting - Auditions for The Amish Project will occur at a later date during the 2016-2017 academic year.

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