“The Laramie Project” Auditions, Jan. 26-27

Auditions will be held at the Robert A Lee Community Recreation Center at 220 S Gilbert Street, Iowa City, Room A at the following dates and times:

January 26: 6:00 – 8:00 
January 27: 6:00 – 9:00 

Production Logistics:

*Rehearsals will begin in mid/late February, depending on Cast/Crew Conflicts 

*There will be a complete, 30-minute pre-show.  It will involve creating a living museum using the actors cast in the play.  

*Rehearsals will be 7pm – 10pm, five days a week (typically Sunday – Thursday) – with a schedule built so no actor will need to be available all five days.  This schedule is moldable depending on the cast member schedules.  

*The Show will open Friday, April 17, and run through Sunday, April 26.  Actors must be available for all performances and tech week (April 12 – 16).  Friday/Saturday performances will be at 7:30pm and Sunday performances at 2:00pm 

About the show:  

In October 1998 in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was tied to a fence post, severely beaten, robbed, tortured and left, alone, to die. His body — battered, bloody, barely clinging to life — was discovered eighteen hours later. He was rushed to the hospital and put on life support. He died five days later. The reason for this brutal crime? Matthew Shepard was gay.  The hate crime attracted vast attention worldwide, bringing sexual discrimination and violence to the forefront of public discourse. The Tectonic Theater Project, led by their founder Moisés Kaufman, traveled to Laramie in the aftermath of the murder with the intent of creating a theatrical portrait of a town coming to grips with horrible, hate-fueled violence. Over the course of a year and a half, the group interviewed over 200 subjects, some directly related to the case and some regular citizens of Laramie. Out of these interviews, journal entries, and found texts, “The Laramie Project” was born.

For Auditions: 

*Please come prepared with a dramatic monologue no longer than two minutes in length.  

*Sides will be available at auditions for cold readings. 

*Expect more of a collaborative environment in auditions.  We will audition in a group rather than individually.  Those in auditions will also be asked to work with a partner in multiple scenarios.  

*Make sure you have all conflicts from February 1 – April 26th, ready to note on your audition form.  

*Actors should also list any music skills they have; specifically noting any instruments they can play.  

Characters:

The play is made up of over sixty characters and each actor will be asked to play a variety of roles.  We are looking for 8-10 actors; aged eighteen and above, of all sexes to play all of these roles.  All actors cast will serve a dual purpose as both actor/director.  This will be a heavily engaged collaborative project with actors engaging with the show in multiple different facets.  

Please email openarenas@gmail.com with any questions. 

-Grant Freeman, Director