Directed by: Yamila Monge
Audition Dates:
Monday June 24 & Tuesday June 25th from 7 pm-10 pm
Note, this is an open call. Registration will begin at 6:30PM with auditions at 7PM.
Video submissions can be sent to info@theatreinthepark.com
Production Dates:
August 15th-August 25th
Thurs – Sat .August 15-17 & 22-24 @ 7:30pm, and Sun. June 18 & 25 @ 3 pm
Auditions will take place at Theatre In The Park – 107 Pullen Rd, Raleigh, NC | 919-831-6058
About the Play:
In a new comedy from the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Ruined, Lynn Nottage draws upon the screwball films of the 1930s to take a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. By The Way, Meet Vera Stark is a seventy-year journey through the life of Vera Stark, a headstrong African-American maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star desperately grasping to hold on to her career. When circumstances collide and both women land roles in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a surprising and controversial legacy scholars will debate for years to come.
What To Prepare:
Please prepare a comedic monologue of your choice no longer than 2 minutes.
Cast of characters:
In reference to the character descriptions below – The characters in this show are on the binary and written with he/him or she/her pronouns as you will see in the following descriptions. However, we seek to be as inclusive as possible and ask gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender and non-binary actors to list on the audition form the roles they most identify with.
Vera Stark is a 28 year-old African American that works for Gloria Mitchell. She is a maid with aspirations of becoming an actress.
Gloria Mitchell 28 year-old white starlet, known as “America’s little Sweetie Pie”. Although she is Vera’s employer, she and Vera have a friendly relationship.
Leroy Barksdale is the African American Man Friday or loyal aide of Maximilian Von Oster. He shows interest in Vera, and just like Vera couldn’t live without acting, Leroy couldn’t live without his trumpet. He is studying music theory and composition at a university.
Lottie McBride is an African American roomates with Vera and close friends. Never afraid to speak her mind but has dreams of grandeur.
Anna Mae Simpkins is a fair skinned an African American woman who uses her looks to get what she wants. She is a roommate of Vera and Lottie.
Maximillian Von Oster is from Russia and is the director of the film The Belle of New Orleans”.
Mr. Slavick is the owner of the studio looking to produce the film “The Belle of New Orleans”. He’s not interested in producing a bluesy film about slaves during the great depression.
Herb Forrester is a filmmaker, musician and entrepreneur from Oakland, California. He is the facilitator for the “Rediscovering Vera Stark, the legacy of The Belle of New Orleans” Colloquium.
Carmen Levy-Green is a stout and stylish academic. She is the professor of media and gender studies at USVC. She serves as a panelist “Rediscovering Vera Stark, the legacy of The Belle of New Orleans” Colloquium.
Afua Assata Ejobo is a journalist, poet and performer. She is very hip and slightly masculine. She also serves as a panelist “Rediscovering Vera Stark, the legacy of The Belle of New Orleans” Colloquium.
Brad Donovan is the host of “The Brad Donovan Show”, a 1970’s talk show. He tries to avoid controversial topics such as racism.
Peter Rhys-Davies is a groovy English rock musician who is also a guest on the Brad Donovan Show with Vera Stark in 1973.
The following roles will be doubled with one another:
Leroy/Herb
Anna Mae/Afua Gloria
Frederick/Brad
Lottie/Carmen
Maximillian/Peter
All performance roles are volunteer.
