Auditions

Actors Theatre of Little Rock announces auditions for BLACK NATIVITY by Langston Hughes. Auditions will be held BY APPOINTMENT Saturday, May 6, 2023. Audition appointments can be made and questions answered by emailing CASTING@ACTORSTHEATRELR.ORG. 

Auditions will be held at Pinnacle View Middle School (5701 Ranch Dr, Little Rock, AR 72223), and appointments will begin at 12:00pm. Callbacks, if needed, will be held by invite only at a later date.

Performance dates are December 7-17, 2023. Rehearsals will begin mid-October. This production will be co-directed by Dariane Mull and Caelon Colbert with music direction by Cordell Piggee.

Those auditioning are asked to prepare a 32-bar selection of a gospel song. An accompanist will be provided. While it is preferable that you utilize accompaniment, karaoke tracks are acceptable if you don’t have sheet music. If you sing acapella, you will be asked to sing something with the piano. 

Those auditioning must be 6 years old by May 1, 2023 to be considered for casting. No roles have been precast. All roles are paid. 

Actors Theatre of Little Rock emphasizes inclusivity and diversity in casting regarding but not limited to race, gender, ethnicity, body positivity, age, etc. While this approach may be considered “non traditional casting”, we prefer to think of it as acknowledging humanity in all its forms. Each person is valuable and deserves to have their story shared on stage, regardless of previous practices that heightened ableism, racial prejudice, gender binaries, thinness, and others. 

We encourage performers of ALL ethnicities, race, gender identities, body types, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities to attend every audition. 

Non-binary and trans actors will be seen and considered for all roles.

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Synopsis:

Black Nativity is a celebration of the nativity story through gospel music imbued with the Black experience. A generational story that is given life through words, music, narrative, movement, and the connection found in fellowship. After Christmas service, the family has traveled far and wide to spend the holidays with the matriarch after losing their father, their familial rock and pastor. Learning to grieve and find stability during the holidays.

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Character Breakdown:

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.

• Evelynn Brown: Female identifying, Black/African-American, 60+, Alto. The matriarch of the family, also known as Granny, is working through the grief of her husband’s death. This is the first Christmas without him and the family has not fully come together since his funeral. She is the mother of Amara, Mariah, & Adam Jr. and grandmother to their children. She is kind and wants what is best for her family. 
• Amara Clay: Female identifying, Black/African-American, 30-50s, Alto. A daughter, mother, sister, and wife, hardworking, almost to fault, and is everything to everyone but herself. She is the planner and organizer for her family, including taking care of her mother and her own three children - Aaron, Miriam, & Moses. At the same time she’s also navigating her marriage with her husband - Jonah, and maintaining her relationship with her younger siblings - Mariah & Adam Jr.
• Mariah Brown-Mercer: Female identifying, Black/African-American, 30-50s, Mezzo-Soprano/Strong head voice, a daughter, mother, sister, and ex-wife, she is fun-loving and enjoys living life to the fullest. She has a big personality and is the definition of an independent woman. She is divorced from her ex-husband and is the mother to Ayannah. 
• Jonas Clay: Male identifying, Black/African-American, 40-50s, Baritone, married to Amara and father to Aaron, Miriam, & Moses, devoted to his family yet oddly distant and at unease when confronted with the trials that confront his family. He wants to help but cannot track that first step, so instead he retreats within himself, appearing selfish and uncaring when it is indeed the opposite.
• Aaron Clay: Male identifying, Black/African-American, late 20s-early 30s, Tenor, son and eldest child of Jonah & Amara. Living in Seattle, he is a project manager and proud gay man who has brought his boyfriend home with him for the holidays. He struggles with his relationship with his father but despite that is a light in the heaviness that has become his family. 
• Miriam Clay- Female identifying, Black/African-American, late teens-early twenties, Soprano/high belt. The top of her class, honors student. Feels overlooked by her parents’ constant worry of her brothers. Constantly held to a higher standard than them. Questions her faith. Close friends with Hannah.
• Joshua Clay: Male identifying, Black/African-American, tweens-teens, Tenor, Identified as neurodiverse, he has an extraordinary skill with mathematics, but significantly struggles with social interactions.
• Adam Brown Jr: Male identifying, Black/African-American, 30s, Bari-Tenor, Single father to Gianna and just wants to do tight by her but sometimes he doesn’t feel as though he is enough for his little girl. The glue of his family. He’s the more reserved observer comparable to his sisters Amara & Mariah. First and only son to Evelynn, he carries his father’s name and legacy. 
• Gianna ‘Gia’ Brown: Female identifying, Black/African-American, 6-12 range, Soprano, daughter of Adam Brown Jr. She is a happy, precocious little girl despite growing up without her mother. She reads, writes, and speaks well for her age with an uncommon confidence and unwavering optimism. 
• Ayanna Brown-Mercer: Female identifying, Black/African-American, late teens-early twenties, daughter of Elijah & Mariah Brown-Mercer she is very much her mothers daughter but a daddy’s girl. Confident, classy, and the it-girl at school - homecoming queen, captain of the dance team. Attends an HBCU.
• Hasani Brown-Mercer: Male identifying, Black/African-American, late teens-early twenties, Tenor. Son of Elijah & Mariah Brown-Mercer, boyfriend of Hannah. Star football athlete and positioned to play professionally. Questions where his life is heading and wonders if this is really what he wants. He is proud, stoic, and always concerned about his appearance.
• Elijah Brown-Mercer: Male identifying, any ethnicity, 40s to 50s, Baritone/Bass, father to Ayanna & Hasani and ex-husband of Mariah Brown-Mercer. He’s the fun uncle, always cracking jokes, laughing, and poking fun. Loved by everyone but less liked by his ex-wife - though always the supportive co-parent they find reason to argue. Proud of his children and loves the names they’ve created for themselves.
• Hannah: Female identifying, Caucasian, late teens-early twenties, Soprano/high belt. Girlfriend of Hasani, daughter of a state representative and PTA mom. Privileged and worldly. Outspoken but not naive. Doesn’t have the best relationship with Mariah. Close friends with Miriam. 
• Oliver: Male identifying, Caucasian/AAPI/Latinx, late twenties-early 30s, Bari-Tenor. Aaron’s extroverted boyfriend. Singer-songwriter from Seattle who joins Aaron to visit his family for the holidays. Extremely approachable and friendly, never meets a stranger. Guitar skills are a plus.

Actors Theatre of Little Rock announces auditions for SKELETON CREW by Dominique Morisseau. Auditions will be held BY APPOINTMENT Saturday, May 6, 2023. Audition appointments can be made and questions answered by emailing CASTING@ACTORSTHEATRELR.ORG. 

Auditions will be held at Pinnacle View Middle School (5701 Ranch Dr, Little Rock, AR 72223), and appointments will begin at 12:00pm. 

Performance dates are August 10-13, 2023. Rehearsals will begin April 4th. This production will be directed by DeAndre Lewis.

Once an appointment is made, those auditioning will be provided with sides from the script to prepare. We expect a well-prepared, committed performance, but memorization is not required. A copy of the script is available to read upon request. Those auditioning must be 18 years old by June 1, 2023 to be considered for casting. At this time, we are only looking to cast the roles of Faye and Shanita. The roles of Dez and Reggie have been cast. 

Actors Theatre of Little Rock emphasizes inclusivity and diversity in casting regarding but not limited to race, gender, ethnicity, body positivity, age, etc. While this approach may be considered “non traditional casting”, we prefer to think of it as acknowledging humanity in all its forms. Each person is valuable and deserves to have their story shared on stage, regardless of previous practices that heightened ableism, racial prejudice, gender binaries, thinness, and others. 

We encourage performers of ALL ethnicities, race, gender identities, body types, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities to attend every audition. 

Non-binary and trans actors will be seen and considered for all roles.

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Synopsis:

At the start of the Great Recession, one of the last auto stamping plants in Detroit is on shaky ground. Each of the workers have to make choices on how to move forward if their plant goes under. Shanita has to decide how she'll support herself and her unborn child, Faye has to decide how and where she'll live, and Dez has to figure out how to make his ambitious dreams a reality. Power dynamics shift as their manager Reggie is torn between doing right by his work family, and by the red tape in his office. Powerful and tense, Skeleton Crew is the third of Dominique Morisseau's Detroit cycle trilogy.

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Character Breakdown:

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.

FAYE

Black woman, mid-late 50’s, Working class woman. Tough and a lifetime of dirt beneath her nails. Somewhere, deep compassion.

DEZ - This role has been cast. 

Black man, mid-late 20’s, Working class man. Young hustler, playful, street-savvy, and flirtatious. Somewhere, deeply sensitive.

SHANITA

Black woman, mid-late 20’s, Working class young woman. Pretty but not ruled by it. Hard-working. By-the-books. Believes in the work she does. Also, pregnant. Somewhere, a beautiful dreamer.

REGGIE - This role has been cast. 

Black man, late 30’s. White collar man. Studious. Dedicated. Compassionate. The Foreman. Somewhere, a fire brims.