BEHIND THE SHEET - New Jersey Repertory Non Equity Auditions

NJ Rep to Hold EPA's for NJ premiere of Behind the Sheet by Charly Evon Simpson

New Jersey Repertory Company is holding Auditions for the New Jersey premiere of BEHIND THE SHEET by Charly Evon Simpson, directed by Chika Ike.

Auditions will be held on Friday, March 27, 2020 at NJ Rep's West End Arts Center - 132 West End Avenue, Long Branch, NJ - from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM. For additional information and an audition appointment, email
njrep@njrep.org.

Based on the true story of Dr. J. Marion Sims, the “father of modern gynecology, BEHIND THE SHEET remembers the forgotten women who made his achievement possible, and the pain they endured in the process. In 1840s Alabama, Dr. George Barry is on the verge of a miraculous cure: treatment for a common but painful complication of childbirth. To achieve his medical breakthrough, Dr. Barry performs experimental surgeries on a group of plantation slave women afflicted with the condition. A New York Times Critic's Pick and the winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Award, Ms. Simpson has given voice to the voiceless. 'Behind the Sheet' may be a quiet play. But its echoes are thunderous. - The New York Times

CAST BREAKDOWN:

PHILOMENA—black, mid-to-late 20s, female. Slave and doctor’s assistant, later

medical patient. Nurturing, smart, aware of everything.Feel great depths but has to

swallow everything.

GEORGE—white, 30s, male. From Alabama. Doctor and plantation owner. Charming.

Driven. Intellectually curious.

JOSEPHINE—white, mid-to-late 20s, female. From Alabama. Wife of plantation owner,

but really runs everything. Strong, but wounded.

DINAH—black, early to mid-30s, female. Slave and medical patient. Strong-willed,

standoffish, but warm on the inside.

SALLY—black, late teens-late 20s, female. Slave and medical patient. Stubborn, witty,

and tells it like it is.

MARY—black, late teens-late 20s, female. Slave and medical patient. Optimistic and

Nurturing.

BETTY—black, early-20s, female. Slave. One of the youngest. Haughty, standoffish.

BENJAMIN/LEWIS—black, late-20s to early-30s, male. Slave. Charismatic, driven,

loves deeply.

SAMUEL/EDWARD—white, mid-20s to mid-30s, male. Doctor-in-training and

plantation owner. Inquisitive, confident, and eager.

For the audition, actors should prepare 2 contrasting monologues totaling no more than 3 minutes, and bring 2 pictures and resumes.

This is an 8-week contract (August 4 – September 27), Small Professional Theater (SPT) Tier 4 Contract, plus health/pension and housing for out-of-town actors.

NJ Rep is a professional, non-profit theater, located in Long Branch, NJ. It has a multifaceted mission that evolved over 22 years, and has a commitment to the production of new plays and the revitalization of the highly diverse community that surrounds the theater.

For more information about NJ Rep, visit
www.njrep.org