Free Casting Calls and Auditions

“Knives and Other Sharp Objects”, The Public Theater Off-Broadway $525/week minimum.
Author: Raul Castillo
Director: Felix Solis
Casting: Jordan Thaler / Heidi Griffiths

1st rehearsal: March 10, 2009. Runs March 27 – April 19.

Equity Principal Auditions:
Alex: Mexican-American woman, mid – late 20s. From South Texas. Has been forced to leave her university studies in order to raise her kid sister, who is a major handful. Alex is a load of contradictions. She can be at one moment gentle and subservient and then, at the drop of a hat, she can be fiercely protective and bravely stoic. Equal parts toughness and vulnerability. Spanish speaker.

Beatrice: Mexican-American teenager. Alex’s sister. Headstrong and stubborn, she is gifted with a boundless imagination. Uses her tough exterior to mask her deep fear of abandonment. Wise beyond her years and morbid beyond belief. Spanish speaker.

Jaime: Late 50s. Alex and Beatrice’s uncle. A self-made man, he left Mexico at a young age in search of his own vision of the American Dream. He attained it, but it came with a price. Now that his empire is dwindling, he’s lost control of his family and himself. But with the arrival of his nieces he is reminded of what he left behind. A drinker. Spanish speaker.

Lydia: Caucasian, late 40s. Jaime’s wife. Texan. Former debutante. Fears that the arrival of Alex and Beatrice will upset the fragile equilibrium of her family. Constantly struggling to maintain a firm hold on her home, her daughters and her husband, Lydia grows more desperate until she is finally driven to admit that she has sacrificed her own dreams all along.

Loren: Daughter of a Mexican father (Jaime) and Caucasian American mother (Lydia), mid – late 20s. A product of her West Austin upper-class upbringing. More like her mother than she’d like to admit. Feeling the pressure of filial duties, she is excited by the arrival of Alex as it proves to be an opportunity to let loose. A little spoiled and a little wild. A party girl.

Lucy: Teenager. Loren’s sister (same ethnic background). Jamie and Lydia’s younger daughter. A time-bomb of a post-pubescent girl, she is as uncensored and unpredictable as her father. Attempts to teach Beatrice the “ways of the world”.

Manuel: Mexican-American, 20s – 30s. From South Texas. On the run. Struggling with his father’s inability to stand up for himself, Manuel decides to exact revenge on those who ruined his father’s life – - only to find himself alone and with no one to turn to. Guilt-ridden. His world collides with Alex’s and in her he sees a glimmer of hope. Spanish speaker.

Perry: Man, 20s, any ethnicity. National Guardsman. On the eve of his first deployment, he fears dying a virgin. Naive and timid.

The following two roles are cast. Auditioning performers will be considered as possible replacements, should any become necessary.

Harvey: CAST. Man, late 30s, any ethnicity. National Guardsman. A lifer. Likes his women. On the eve of a deployment, his belief in the American Way demands that he help his friend Perry lose his virginity. In the process, he is surprised to find himself making a real human connection.

Eddie: CAST. Mexican-American, late 30s. Manuel’s cousin. The epitome of Tejano masculinity and pride. He is physically imposing, and has an unorthodox manner of protecting his cousin. Gay.

Equity Principal Auditions: Thursday, February 5, 10 AM – 5:30 PM (Lunch from 1:30 – 2)

The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street

Please prepare a brief contemporary monologue (preferably no more than two minutes long).

Please bring a picture and resume, stapled together.

Theatre’s statement: “We are committed to casting diverse companies. We encourage qualified actors of all cultures, ages, disabled and non-disabled to attend.”