CASTING CALL: 2022 Criminal Queerness Festival
Updated: May 19, 2022
CATEGORY: PERFORMERS NATIONAL QUEER THEATER PAID STIPEND
Job Details: Seeking actors for National Queer Theater’s Criminal Queerness Festival 2022 at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. All roles are available.
PLEASE APPLY THROUGH THE FORM LINKD HERE
Audition Date(s):
Video submissions due April 7
In-person callbacks to follow
Rehearsal Date(s): 06/01/2022 - 06/20/2022
Rehearsal Space:
Alliance of Resident Theaters/New York (A.R.T./New York)
520 Eighth Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10018
212-594-0422
Run: 06/21/2022 - 06/24/2022
Performance Dates:
June 21: Staged reading of Courage Rebirth by Muleme Steven
June 22: Staged reading of short plays Beginner’s Luck and Stargazer and Waiting For Gordon by Jonathan Wamukota Opinya
June 24: Production of The Survival by Achiro P. Olwich
Performance Space:
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
61 W 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023
UNION
AEA Showcase (Pending) or Non-AEA
APPLICATION
Please complete the form linked below which asks for a headshot, resume (in PDF or JPG format) and a 1-2 minute video of a contemporary monologue.
PAY
$1000 stipend, non-negotiable
PROJECTS & ROLES:
Each actor will have several roles in the full production and two staged readings.
Trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming artists are encouraged to apply.
Full production:
June 24th, 2022:
The Survival by Achiro P. Olwoch
Directed by Jacob Basri
Synopsis: Told through different points of view of traditions versus modernity, The Survival is a play involving the subjects of homosexuality being taboo, and the societal pressure and expectations of women in Uganda. The piece tells the story of Achan, a 27-year-old woman being pressured by her mother to find a husband. Achan meets Oyat and gets pregnant, but finds out that he’s a gay man in a relationship with John. In time, Achan finds herself learning about love, heartbreak, and family.
Staged Reading:
June 21st, 2022:
Courage Rebirth by Muleme Steven
Directed by Ann C. James
Synopsis: Courage Rebirth is a play that follows the story of a gay Somali woman, Fauzia, who’s displaced by political unrests in her home country at 21 years old. She finds asylum later in Uganda as a refugee of war together with her little brother Axmed. Both haunted by the loss, scars, and gaps that the war inflicted on their family, the siblings never give up. At Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, Fauzia is a source of entertainment to fellow refugees, and sings riveting songs that attract Kato, 39, a Ugandan teacher and LGBT rights activist in the camp. Later, Rashid moves back to Kenya, and Fauzia, now 28, a professional singer and a music teacher, hits both small and big stages. However, even with her talent, society doesn’t view her as one of their own, but she remains determined to find happiness even with what life throws at her.
Staged Reading:
June 22nd, 2022:
Beginner’s Luck, Stargazer, and Waiting for Gordon by Jonathan Opinya
Directed by Raz Golden
Stargazer Synopsis: Mugged and killed before his wedding to his soon-to-be-husband, Jonathan has a heart-to-heart talk with a life-long friend and visits memories of his choosing. He gets to revisit courage, friends, and most importantly, love.
Beginner’s Luck Synopsis: Love at first sight, a young man falls in love with an enchanting smiling stranger at a cafe. Sharing precious moments together with the purest forms of affection, they part at a bus stop when the man with the radiant smile gets shot and killed for holding hands with another man.
Waiting for Gordon Synopsis: Francis, a university student, meets Gordon who is running from the police. When they form a loving relationship, Gordon asks Francis to come out to his parents. Through the care they have for each other, Francis finds out about some truths that Gordon has been keeping from him.
20s-30s, African/Black, Female:
Characters:
ACHAN (The Survival): She is very dark-skinned and has a natural afro. She likes to wear red lipstick and long skirts and short tops. She has a nice figure and she always wears flat shoes. She is very articulate and is very social and liberal. She is a confident woman who is looking for forms of love, because she also has a lot of love to give.
ENSEMBLE 1 (Courage Rebirth) WOMAN SEATED NEXT TO KATO, SMUG STAFF MEMBER, TV PRESENTER, JOURNALISTS
20s-30s, African/Black, Female:
Characters:
ASIIMWE (The Survival): She is a light-skinned banker with very long natural hair that she is always combing into a bun. Asiimwe has a nice smile and is very flirtatious. She is Achan’s best friend and tries to see the story from all sides.
FAUZIA (Courage Rebirth): She is a tall, light-skinned medium-sized young woman of age 21 of Somali descent. Fauzia is a good singer, and passionate about inspiring humanity to have hope. Fauzia is also a big sister to a young man called Axmed. She has just enrolled in first year at university and she’s fluent in English.
YOUNG LADY (Beginner’s Luck)
ANGELINE (Waiting For Gordon)
40s-50s, African/Black, Female:
Characters:
MOTHER (The Survival): Retired secretary. Dresses like she is 25 always blinged up. She is dark-skinned and looks like an older sister to her daughter, Achan. She’s a strict mother who is influenced a lot by the society she lives in.
FRANCIS’S MOTHER (Waiting for Gordon)
60s-70s, African/Black, Female: Character:
GRANDMOTHER (The Survival): Retired teacher. Very strong and able bodied. Wears kitenge complete with a headscarf to match. She has a walking stick and a bandage on her ankle. She is generous, understanding, wise and warmhearted.
Teens-20s, African/Black, Male: Characters:
JOHN (The Survival): Light-skinned and average height. He always has jeans, a shirt and a coat on. He cares for his loved ones dearly and wants the best for himself and Oyat.
AXMED (Courage Rebirth): He is a medium height light-skinned thin young boy of 13 years. he is of Somali descent. Axmed has received basic primary education and is not fluent in English, speaks broken English for that matter. He has a good sense of humor and is more inquisitive.
JONATHAN ( Stargazer)
YOUNG MAN 1 (Beginner’s Luck)
GERALD (Waiting For Gordon)
30s-40s, African/Black, Male: Characters:
OYAT (The Survival): General Manager at a telecommunications company. He is tall and light-skinned with a small beard and big afro. He has a distinct look about him. He is always wearing jeans, a t-shirt with amusing wordings and a leather jacket. He is an observant, loving gentleman that is sympathetic.
DAVID KATO (Courage Rebirth): Kato is a fairly dark-skinned gentleman with a medium height and fairly athletic body. He is a teacher by profession and an LGBT human rights activist who is at the same time the Executive Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG). He is a vibrant communicator with a good command of the English language and Luganda. He is self-aware, innovative, and empathetic.
UNKNOWN (DEATH) (Stargazer)
YOUNG MAN 2 (Beginner’s Luck)
FRANCIS (Waiting For Gordon)
20s-30s, African/Black, Male: Characters:
RASHID (Courage Rebirth): Rashid is a tall, dark-skinned, muscular and soft-spoken gentleman of 32 years. He is the field officer for UNHCR in the Dadab refugee camp in Kenya. He rides the agency motorcycle and does deliveries for the agency. He is caring, and intends for a love relationship with Fauzia.
PEPE (Courage Rebirth)
YOUNG MAN (Waiting For Gordon)
POLICE 1 (Waiting For Gordon)
60s-70s, African/Black, Male: Characters:
THE MINISTER (Courage Rebirth): Solomon is a dark-skinned medium height, gentleman of 60 years. He is the minister in charge of ethics and integrity in Uganda. He is tough by appearance and intolerant in discussion. He is a staunch Christian and very homophobic. He is fluent in English language and has a commanding tone in speech
POLICE 2 (Waiting For Gordon)
30s-40s, African/Black, Male: Characters:
THE REVEREND, BARACK OBAMA (Courage Rebirth)
20s-30s, African/Black, Male: Characters:
ENSEMBLE 2 (Courage Rebirth) MC, SOLDIER, MEDIA PERSON, BISHOP KITIIBWA, DR. FRANK
JAMES (Waiting For Gordon)
20s-30s, African/Black, Male: Characters:
ENSEMBLE 3 (Courage Rebirth) OFFICER, GASPER
FRANCIS’S FATHER (Waiting For Gordon)
Note: We are looking for a flexible ensemble of African or African-American actors.
COVID-19 Protocol: Proof of vaccination will be required for all artists.