A Short Leap Theatre Co. is seeking actors for the World Premiere production of The Subtle, Sublime Transformation of Benny V. by Steven G. Martin, performed at the Portage Arts Lofts, Directed by Darren Lee Brown.
Auditions will take place on March 27, 7:00 – 10:00 PM.
Virtual Auditions are being accepted through 11:59PM on March 27, 2025.
Invited Callbacks will take place in person on March 31 at 7:00 PM.
Attendance at callbacks is required to be considered for casting.
Synopsis: The highlight of forty-year-old Benny V.'s day is eating his microwaved dinner and falling asleep at 8 p.m. in his apartment decorated with old college dormitory furniture. Then a mysterious invitation leads Benny V. on a journey that connects him with new people, places, and experiences. The Subtle, Sublime Transformation of Benny V. looks at how we engage the world and how going outside our comfort zone affects our lives.
Pay: $1000 stipend, paid at the conclusion of the run.
This production will utilize internal and external Understudies.
All Understudies will have two guaranteed performances.
Important Dates
First Rehearsal – May 19, 2025
First Preview – July 9, 2025
Opening – July 11, 2025
Closing – August 3, 2025
Rehearsals will take place in the evening during the week, endeavoring to follow a Monday-Thursday rehearsal schedule, but final schedule will be dependent on cast availability. This schedule will be made available to you as soon as possible.
Performances will follow a Thurs-Fri-SatMat-SatNight-SunMat schedule. All performances will take place at the Portage Arts Lofts, 4041 N Milwaukee Ave.
Character Descriptions:
[MALE TRACK 1]
COMPÈRE: Male, close to Benny V.’s age, any background. The master of ceremonies. His emotions can sway in extremes. [Also plays Walt.]
WALT: Male, 50s. A flightseeing guide in Talkeetna, Alaska. He is a dreamer who has been forced to become a realist. He can be sullen, poetic, irritable and empathetic. (THIS ROLE HAS BEEN CAST. SEEKING UNDERSTUDY.)
[MALE TRACK 2]
BENNY V: Male, 40 years old. A writer at a media firm. He is withdrawn, not from boredom but from lack of knowledge. (THIS ROLE HAS BEEN CAST. SEEKING UNDERSTUDY.)
[MALE TRACK 3]
THOMAS: Male, early 50s. One of Benny V.'s coworkers. He likes alcohol a lot. [Also plays Chef Rosa & Vincente.]
CHEF ROSE: Male, early 50s. A chef/restaurateur. He is passionate about cooking. Played by the actor who plays THOMAS.
VINCENTE: Male, late 40s. Benny V.'s Italian tutor from Italy. Played by the actor who plays THOMAS. (ALSO SEEKING UNDERSTUDY.)
[FEMALE TRACK 1]
CLAIRE: Female, Asian-American, early 20s. One of Benny V.'s coworkers. She likes fashion a lot. [Also plays Reina & Jin.]
REINA: Female, late 20s. An organizer of the star party and Molly's mother. She is in love with nature but also can be very scientific and precise.
JIN: Female, late 20s. Benny V.'s Japanese tutor from Japan. (ALSO SEEKING UNDERSTUDY.)
[FEMALE TRACK 2]
EVA: Female, mid-60s. Benny V.'s, Thomas' and Claire's boss. She is decisive, intelligent and burnt out. She likes to think about retirement a lot. [Also plays Gloria & Greta.]
GLORIA: Female, early 60s. A participant in Chef Rosa's cooking class. She is careful with everyone's feelings and believes there's good in everything. GRETA: Female, late 50s. Benny V.'s German tutor from Germany. (ALSO SEEKING UNDERSTUDY.)
[FEMALE TRACK 3]
MIA: Female, 8. One of the attendees at the art museum exhibit. She is very ordered and methodical. She knows things. She can be played by an older actor. [Also plays Molly.]
MOLLY: Female, 8. A participant at the star party and Reina's daughter. She is chaotic, loud, very intelligent, selfish and can push boundaries. (ALSO SEEKING UNDERSTUDY.)
[FEMALE TRACK 4]
VIOLETTA IZUGARRIA: Female, any race, late 30s to early 40s. An artist and teacher. She is confident in her skills, expressive and does not suffer fools. She loves life and sparks Benny V.'s interest in it. [Also plays Ashanti.]
ASHANTI: Female, early 40s. Benny V.'s Swahili tutor from Kenya. (ALSO SEEKING UNDERSTUDY.)
Preparation – All auditioners will have four minutes in the room to present whatever they’d like. This could include a monologue, a movement piece, a short scene of your choosing (a reader will be available), etc. Be prepared to have a brief conversation with the artistic team. Auditioners may be asked to read from the script. Please submit your headshot and resume as one file to AShortLeap@gmail.com to schedule your audition appointment. Please use the format “FNAME_LNAME_BENNY” in your subject line. Upon confirmation, you will receive a perusal copy of the script and specific location information.
Videos
