Turtle Lane Playhouse, Auburndale, MA Casting call for “Rent” – Auditions will be held Sunday, February 28th, 2010, 6:30-9.30 pm. AND Monday, March 1st, 2010, 7:00-10.00 pm.
CALLBACKS will be held Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010, 7pm-10pm. You may be asked to dance at callbacks.
Seeking uninhibited actors who sing and move, ages 18 and up, all ethnicities and types to portray various characters in the Turtle Lane Playhouse production of Jonathan Larson’s RENT. All actors MUST believably play characters in their early 20s –30s.
Auditions are by appointment only. Email: tlpaudition@comcast.net or Phone: 617-244-0169
NEEDED: 5 principle male roles & 3 principle female roles AND 4 male chorus members & 5 female chorus members (will play multiple roles). All actors must be comfortable with their bodies, willing to kiss members of the same sex, dress in drag, and leave all inhibitions at the stage door.
Please prepare 16 – 32 bars of a pop/rock song and 16 – 32 bars of a ballad.
We recommend that you only pick songs you are very familiar and comfortable with. We want to hear your voice!
Please note that not everyone will sing both songs at auditions.
PLEASE PROVIDE SHEET MUSIC WITH ACCOMPANIMENT (Accompanist provided). Remember, we are looking for originality and personality! Show off who you are!
Please do not come dressed as your favorite RENT character.
Please note that all characters in RENT are meant to be honest, fully-realized people. Not caricatures.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
MEN:
MARK COHEN: (must pass for mid-to-late 20s, all ethnicities) Baritone/Second Tenor. A filmmaker. Left behind his affluent upbringing to pursue his craft. Would rather tell the story than be the story. Hides behind his camera.
ROGER DAVIS: (must pass for early-to-mid 20s, all ethnicities) Rock Tenor. Former frontman for a fledgling rock band. Tortured artist. Recovering drug addict. Searches for meaning through his songwriting and guitar. Playing guitar a plus.
TOM COLLINS: (must pass for late 20s to 30s, all ethnicities) Baritone. Philosopher, professor, activist. Former roommate of Mark, Roger, and Benny. Angel’s lover. The patriarch. Strong, yet warm presence.
BENNY: (must pass for mid-to-late 20s, all ethnicities) Baritone/second tenor. Went to college with Mark. Lived with Roger, Collins, Maureen and Mark. Married into a wealthy family. Hopes to fulfill dream of building an arts studio for his friends, while making money for his father-in-law.
ANGEL: (must pass for late teens to mid-20s, all ethnicities) High tenor with great falsetto. Living with AIDS. Warm, lovable, nurturing, and honest. The mother hen. Must be willing to convincingly play in drag. MUST BE ABLE TO DANCE IN HEELS.
4 MEN FOR ENSEMBLE (20s-30s): Great actors/singers who move well to play various characters including: JOANNE’S DAD, LIFE SUPPORT GROUP, SQUEEGE MAN, SEASONS OF LOVE SOLOIST and more.
WOMEN:
MIMI MARQUEZ: (must pass for late teens to mid 20s, all ethnicities). Raw voice with high belt. Fragile drug addict. Sexy and street smart.
MAUREEN JOHNSON: (must pass for mid-to-late 20s, all ethnicities). A performance artist. Not as good as she leads on. Lover of Joanne. Selfish. She has a big range.
JOANNE JEFFERSON: (must pass for late-20s to 30s, all ethnicities). Pop belt. Harvard grad, lawyer. Affluent upbringing. Comfortable with her artistic liberal way of life and conservative upbringing. Insecure in her relationship with Maureen. Dry wit.
5 WOMEN FOR ENSEMBLE (20s-30s): Great actors/singers who move well to portray various characters including: ALEXI DARLING, MARK’S MOM, ROGER’S MOM, JOANNE’S MOM, SEASONS OF LOVE SOLOIST and more.