Could radical fundamentalism be the gateway to radical feminism? In ultra-conservative religions, female followers' mission in life is submission, and womanhood is synonymous with motherhood. But what happens when Mom discovers that the family's values of freedom of religion and freedom of speech pale in comparison to the most desirable freedom of all: reproductive? Will Mom maintain her pro-life stance-that birth control is exerted solely by God-or will she stop denying her born children the right to life? Written by Allison Fradkin and directed by Tera Flores, HOLY INAPPROPRIATE is a 30-minute play that satirizes purity, piety, and patriarchy and will be presented as part of RhinoFest in June.
Seeking: 4 actors to portray female-identifying characters.
Characters:
Mary Jo, the mother: a godly woman delightfully devoted to her family and her faith, Mary Jo is the epitome of bonhomie; however, she is starting to feel the effects of sexual repression and is beginning to experience misgivings about her conservative convictions and limiting lifestyle
Damaris, the youngest daughter: bored with the Lord, Damaris possesses character traits that are incongruous with her upbringing: verbosity and curiosity; she's certain there's more to life than caretaking and baby-making and resists her family's insistence on infants and infantilization
Tamar, the middle daughter: the genuinely genial and innocently inquisitive Tamar acts as placater and peacemaker; taking her cues from both her younger and older sisters, she is at once ambivalent and ambiguous, as well as effortlessly humorous
Lois, the eldest daughter: ignorantly blissful and impishly imperious, Lois's indoctrination into her family's belief system is so successful, she can run purity rings around any and every fundamentalist female in existence; she can't wait to create a family-and an army-for God
The daughters' ages are unspecified because they are all considered "girls" until marriage and motherhood-and even then, they don't necessarily lose that label.
Stipends: Shows receive one third (33%) of gross ticket sales for their performances. The proceeds will be divided equally among the team.
Audition Dates: Saturday, April 6, 10am-12pm (virtual) and Sunday, April 7, 10am-12pm (in-person at Chicago Dramatists)
Rehearsals will be held at least once a week, with the schedule determined by the team's availability. Rehearsals will take place in or near the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Performances will take place at the Facility Theatre, located at 1138 N. California Avenue in Chicago, on the following dates:
Sunday 6/9 at 1:00pm
Sunday 6/16 at 1:00pm
Sunday 6/23 at 1:00pm
Sunday 6/30 at 1:00pm
Contact Info:
RhinoFest consists of numerous shows. If you would like to be considered specifically for Holy Inappropriate, you must audition virtually on 4/6. Please email allisonfradkin@aol.com with "Holy Inappropriate Auditions" in the subject line. Provide your headshot and resume, email and phone, a list of your conflicts in May and June, and your availability between 10am and 12pm. Upon emailing, you will receive a copy of the script, from which you will read at auditions.