Free Casting Calls and Auditions

Project location: Seattle WA
Project length (approximate) : January – March 2008
This will be a 60-minute short film. Micro-budget.
Monetary compensation will be determined after auditions.
Need casting of major and minor characters.

Auditions: First two Sundays of January 2008 (01/06 and 01/13)
Time: 9 AM to 6 PM
Location: Studio H, 4th Floor of Center House in Seattle Center

FILM SUMMARY:
“The Thirteenth Step” is a dryly humorous black comedy about a 12-step type support group, seen from the point of view of Jane, a woman who joins the group in an attempt to recover from a bad relationship. As Jane gradually becomes more and more involved with the group and entangled with its members, we begin to see how even a support group with strict rules and good intentions can simply be another showcase for the same kinds of conflict, confusion, misunderstandings and relationship problems encountered in everyday life. Like the members of an extended dysfunctional family, each of the group’s participants has a distinct role to contribute to the chaotic dynamics and “toxic” combinations of different personality styles.

Please go to http://frankoliver.tripod.com for script.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Jane: Protagonist. Late 30’s. Reasonably attractive. Intelligent and good-hearted, but insecure. Generally polite manner, but doesn’t hesitate to express feelings of skepticism and/or confusion. Dresses conservatively. Numerous physical expressions of nervousness when something is bothering her. Happy to joke with people when appropriate. Major scenes: opening and closing monologues, Scene IV dialogue with Elise, Scene V dialogue with Albert, Scene VIII dialogue with Paula.

Mark: Early 30’s. Boy Scout type. Short and slight, short hair, glasses, dresses conservatively, clean-cut, regular features. Unemotional speech style, although does tend to smile politely a lot and sometimes punctuates his speech with a short, fake-seeming laugh. Speaks somewhat hesitantly. Relaxed, still posture; tends to stand and sit “at parade rest.” Major scene: Scene II.

Elise: Late 40’s, trying to appear younger. Short, dyed dark hair, large glasses, New-Age-type clothes. Speaks and smiles a lot in a polite, stiff manner, as though she is hand-picking every word. Her occasional jokes come across as more stiff and obvious than funny. Voice and speech are focused and relaxed, but movements are occasionally nervous, restless, and bird-like. Major scenes: Scene III sharing section monologues, Scene IV dialogue with Jane.

Dean: Late 30’s. Insecure, aging-hippie type. Extremely overweight. Long hair, long beard, glasses. Typically wears overalls. Carries a small teddy bear everywhere. Pauses a lot. Sighs a lot. Clears his throat a lot. Unemotional speech style. Scratches his head a lot and frequently does neck-rolling exercises and/or attempts to crack his neck. Major scenes: Scene IV conversation with Jane and Albert, Scene XI.

Paula: Late 50’s. Reasonably attractive, conservatively dressed. Intelligent and articulate. Supportive, friendly w/o being effusive. Ready to find the humor in things. Relaxed, still posture. Major scene: Scene VIII dialogue with Jane.

Jason: Late 20’s. Very attractive, in a gaunt, haunted way. Tall, painfully thin, pale, long curly brown hair. Usually wears jeans, tennis shoes and band T-shirts. Speaks hesitantly in a soft but calm voice. Withheld, still posture. Pushes his hair out of his face a lot. Major scene: Scene IX dialogue with Jane.

Albert: Late 30’s. Tall, thinnish, long straight blond hair and mustache. Tends to wear Hawaiian shirts and dark glasses. Intelligent and well-spoken, but frequently negative, often in a sarcastic, caustic or bitter way. Addicted to black humor. Tends to have a long-suffering, put-upon manner – sighs a lot. Major scenes: Scene VII monologue, Scene V.

Belinda: Early 30’s. Short, unattractive, pale, glasses, chronically worried expression. Intelligent, but very paranoid and defensive. Moves abruptly. Tends to fidget a lot, blinking, shifting in her chair, looking around, fiddling with her possessions, etc. Major scenes: Scene I lines, Scene III lines.

MINOR CHARACTERS:

Jason’s housemates: Evan, Chas and Sean (late 20’s and early 30’s, all musicians)

Six “biker” types (all male)

Two police officers

Albert’s bridge partners (late 30’s, two men and a woman)