Bold Auditions

Sweat

By Lynn Nottage

Directed by Andrea J. Dymond

PRODUCTION DATES

First Rehearsal: February 7, 2022

Tech Begins: March 3, 2022

First Public Performance: March 9, 2022

Opening: March 17, 2022

Closing: April 24, 2022

PERSONNEL

Andrea J. Dymond- Director

Trent Stork, CSA- Associate Artistic Producer & Casting Director

Jim Corti- Artistic Director

Amber Mak- Artistic Producer

Paul-Jordan Jansen- Associate Artistic Producer

Cynthia (Female, Black, 40s)

Chris’s mother and Brucie’s wife.  She decides to apply for an open Warehouse Manager position at Olstead’s Steel Tubing in Reading, Pennsylvania, and she ends up getting the promotion, causing a tear in her friendship with Tracey and Jessie. Headstrong, principled, conflicted.

Tracey (Female, White, 40s)

Jason’s mother.  In 2000, Tracey and her best friends, Cynthia and Jessie, have worked at Olstead’s Steel Tubing in Reading, Pennsylvania, for over 20 years. They spend most of their downtime in the local bar socializing with one another and with Stan, the bartender. Hardworking, resentful, uses humor as a shield

Jessie (Female, White, 40s)

Close friend and coworker of Tracey and Cynthia. In 2000, Jessie and her friends have worked at Olstead’s Steel Tubing in Reading, Pennsylvania for over 20 years. Having gone to work at Olstead’s straight out of high school and given up her dreams of traveling the world to keep working and get married, Jessie is now divorced and dissatisfied with her life. As a result, she’s seemingly developed a problem with alcohol abuse.  Disillusioned, dissatisfied, loving friend but a mean drunk.

Brucie (Male, Black, 40s)

Chris’s father and Cynthia’s estranged husband. In 2000, nearly two years after being locked out from the textile mill where he works, Brucie has become addicted to drugs and has resorted to stealing from Cynthia, which leads her to kick him out. Now, Brucie feels hopeless and purposeless as he attends rehab and accepts union handouts, all the while facing racism from white union members.  Desperate, strung-out, unmoored.

Evan (Male, Black, 40s)

Chris and Jason’s parole officer after they’re released from their eight-year prison sentences. Evan encourages Chris and Jason to be straightforward with him and to open up about their struggles reintegrating into society and coping with guilt as ex-convicts. However, he also has no patience for nonsense.  No-nonsense, encouraging, insightful.

Jason (Male, White, 20s)

Tracey’s son and Chris’s best friend. In 2008, Jason and Chris are 29 years old and have just been released from eight-year prison sentences for assaulting Oscar, a busboy at the bar in Reading, Pennsylvania, that they frequented. Hot-headed, trouble maker, discontented.

Chris (Male, Black, 20s)

Cynthia and Brucie’s son and Jason’s best friend. In 2008, Chris and Jason are 29 years old and have just been released from eight-year prison sentences for assaulting Oscar, a busboy at the bar in Reading, Pennsylvania, that they frequented. Introspective, hardworking, high aspirations.

Stan (Male, White, 50s)

In 2000, he’s the bartender at the bar in Reading, Pennsylvania, where most of the play takes place. Stan became the bartender after losing part of his leg in an accident at Olstead’s Steel Tubing mill, where he worked (like previous generations of his family did) for 28 years. Now, Stan serves as a beloved friend, confidant, and wise sage for his regular customers. Empathetic, wise, cynical.

Oscar (Male, Colombian, 20s)

A busboy at the bar in Reading, Pennsylvania. Oscar is viewed as an outsider and ignored by the white customers who frequent the bar. Outsider, hardworking, observant.

Hand to God

By Robert Atkins

Directed by Trent Stork

PRODUCTION DATES

First Rehearsal: April 25, 2022

Tech Begins: May 19, 2022

First Public Performance: May 25, 2022

Opening: June 1, 2022

Closing: July 10, 2022

PERSONNEL

Trent Stork, CSA- Associate Artistic Producer & Casting Director and Director of Hand to God

Jim Corti- Artistic Director

Amber Mak- Artistic Producer

Paul-Jordan Jansen- Associate Artistic Producer

JASON/TYRONE

20s to Play 15-17.

In attempt to stave off grief, evokes (or manifests) Tyrone- his therapy puppet who just so happens to be Satan.  Both hilarious and heart breaking, the actor playing Jason/Tyrone should have excellent comedic skills and be able to flip seamlessly between young man and demon puppet.

MARGERY

40s.

Queen of the emotional push away whose own grief over the death of her husband appears in a sexual form. Leader of a puppet therapy group in a small ministry in Cypress, Texas. Delicately clinging onto what is left of her life and relationship with her son, Jason.

TIMMY

20s to Play 15-17.

Everyone’s favorite jerk. Knows exactly the right buttons to push.

JESSICA

20s to Play 15-17.

Emotionally intelligent, brave, who never backs down from a bully.  Jason’s unlikely friend and crush.  Uniquely able to get through to Jason.

PASTOR GREG

30s-50s.

Well-intentioned dope. Tries his best to be helpful despite his romantic disillusions.  Self-assured but ill equipped to conquer the madness afoot in his ministry.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit a video along with your headshot/resume via YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox to casting@paramountarts.com. The video should include one one-minute song in the style of the show.

Submissions will be accepted from the time of this posting to 11:59pm on Wednesday, November 17 2021.

Paramount Theatre is proud to announce the addition of the BOLD Series! The series consists of three plays and one musical presented in their newly renovated, 165-seat semi-thrust space, the Copley Theatre.

A note about casting (adopted from language with consent originally created by Kevin Kantor and Emily Traquin of Actors Theatre of Louisville):

Most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with he/him or she/her pronouns and you will see that in the following character descriptions. However limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be inclusive as possible and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. We will also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities. Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can provide.

Fun Home
Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel
Directed by Marti Lyons

Paramount Theatre Bold Series 2022

PRODUCTION DATES
First Rehearsal: July 5, 2022
Tech Begins: July 28, 2022
First Public Performance: August 3, 2022
Opening Nights: August 10 and 11, 2022
Closing: September 18th, 2022

PERSONNEL
Marti Lyons- Director
Trent Stork, CSA- Casting Director
Jim Corti- Artistic Director
Amber Mak- Artistic Producer
Paul-Jordan Jansen- Associate Artistic Producer

Alison (Female, 43)
A graphic novelist doggedly combing through her past, determined to piece together a truer version of her father’s life than the one she’s hung onto since he died.

Bruce (Male, 40s)
Alison’s father. A high school English teacher and funeral home director who spends his spare time on the historic restoration of his home. A complex man with a hot temper as a result of years of sexual repression.

Helen (Female, 40s)
Alison’s mother. Frustrated and exhausted by her tumultuous marriage. She has spent her life trying to be a good mother and wife while turning a blind eye to the activities of her husband.

Medium Alison (Female, 19)
Alison Bechdel as a freshman at Oberlin College, discovering her sexuality which is a joyful opening to a wonderful new world for her. Well-read, hyper-intelligent, uncertain about who she is, socially awkward at times.

Joan (Female, 19)
A student at Oberlin College. She exudes a confident, sexual energy, with a dry sense of humor. Unlike Alison, Joan is very comfortable in her skin and openly identifies as a lesbian.

Roy/Pete/Mark/Bobby Jeremy (Male, 20s)
One actor to play all roles. Roy: a young man Bruce hires to do yard work. Pete: a mourner who visits the funeral home. Mark: a high school junior. Bobby Jeremy: the lead singer of a band in Alison’s imagination.

Small Alison (Female, 9)
Alison Bechdel as a child. Observant and opinionated. On the cusp of finding herself and forming her own views on how a person her age should behave and dress.

Christian Bechdel (Male, 10)
Small Alison’s older brother. As the oldest of the three children, he strives to be the leader, but is sometimes overshadowed by Alison’s strong personality.

John Bechdel (Male, 6)
Small Alison’s younger brother. Full of energy with a quirky imagination. Looks up to his siblings.