CHICAGO THEATRE WORKSHOP is a revolutionary new theatre company dedicated to the creation of works that invigorate, inspire and challenge our perceptions of art and music through workshops, full productions and a digital presence. CTW will open this fall as a resident company of the new EDGE Theatre space, located at 5451 N. Broadway in Edgewater.

The theatre company, led by award winning director, Tom Mullen will work with artists at all stages of their careers in a laboratory like setting to help nurture new works where music plays an integral role in the fabric of the production. The company will have three distinct arms, development, producing and digital.

Seeking actors for the following roles. Please review breakdowns. For these breakdowns, performers of all ethnic and racial background are encouraged to attend. Is understood to encompass actors of color, actors with disabilities, trans actors, etc.

WICKED CITY - (Premiere)
by Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar
Performances: October 6th through October 30th 2016
First Rehearsal: 9/20/16

From the creators of Broadway's upcoming Gotta Dance which recently premiered at the Bank of America Theatre, comes a hilarious film noir musical comedy about Detective Eddie Cain, his mother, Mira and the woman who came between them. This madcap send-up is regional premiere and features a gorgeous swing jazz score by the Tony nominated team of Broadway's ELF and The Wedding Singer.

Seeking the following roles:

DETECTIVE EDDIE CAIN- Young, handsome detective, early to late twenties. Eddie is a classic private eye in every sense. Think Humphrey Bogart, Maltese Falcon or Fred MacMurray, Double Indemnity. Eddie is the straight guy in the comedy but also must have excellent comedic timing for others to play off of. He was overly mothered as a child and has a hard time keeping business and pleasure separate. He went into detective work because he always felt lost himself. Underneath his tough demeanor he is really just a little boy trapped in a man's body. High Baritone/Tenor

JO VAN CLEAVE - Classic film noir femme fatale, think Lana Turner, Postman Always Rings Twice. Beautiful, sexy, scandalous and always hiding a deep dark secret. Jo will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Smoldering temptress that know how to play dumb quite well. Mezzo-Soprano with strong belt and strong comic timing. (30 to 40)

MIRA CAIN - Eddie's mother and a mirror image of Joan Crawford in Mildred Pearce. Domineering, deceptive and will do anything to prevent her son from finding out about his past. Mira is hilarious character of woman who has watched too many detective films in her life and thinks she is actually living in one. In reality she is ashamed of the woman she has become and wants nothing more than a better life for her son. Alto Belt with excellent comedic timing. (40-50's)

MALLOY/LAWTON/WALLY - Mayor Lawton is a greasy, rough, cigar smoking big guy. He is a corrupt politician that appears dumb and uneducated but is actually getting ahead in the political system of this corrupt city. Folks owe him favors left and right and he has no problem getting rid of people who stand in his way. Baritone with excellent comedic timing (30-40's) Actor also play role of lazy cop Malloy and bar owner, Wally.

MADAME THERESA - A tough, wise cracking fortune teller, strong african american actress with big belt and excellent comedic timing. Madame Theresa is the ultimate con-artist who scams folks out of money with the promise that she can see their future until one fateful night everything changes and she is forever changed.

INSPECTOR HAMMETT / EDGAR / THUG / JUDGE - Strong comedic actor that can dance well and is a great sight reader to play a multitude of classic film noir roles.

MRS. MCCRACKEN / RUBY / MISS LEE / MITZIE - Strong comedic actress that can dance well and is a great sight reader to play a multitude of classic film noir roles.

CREATIVES - (World Premiere Pop Opera)
by Irvine Welsh & Don De Grazia featuring songs from Simple Minds, Oasis, New Order, White Mystery, Iggy Pop, Happy Monday's and new music by Laurence Mark Wythe.
Performances: February 10th through March 5th 2017
First Rehearsal: 1/24/17

From the writers of Trainspotting & American Skin and the composer of Tomorrow Morning comes this new pop opera with music from some of the greatest bands of the past century! Paul Brenner's Wednesday night fiction seminar is a perfect cross-section of the Chicago literary scene, with all its incestuous dysfunction, shoe-gazing narcissism, bitter rivalries, and, here and there, shards of transcendent brilliance. When Paul's former student, best selling crime writer Sean O'Neil, visits this group of wannabe novelists to judge a writing contest, the stakes are suddenly raised to startling new levels. This darkly comic pop opera reveals the desperation that fuels the passion to create.

We are seeking actors who sing and some that can play musical instruments for the following roles: Please read the breakdowns carefully:

PAUL, a middle aged creative writing professor. Great comic timing. Does not play a musical instrument but does sing. Paul has been working for years as the head of the creative writing department and has seen his own career stall recently as a writer, he is secretly having an affair with one of his students and cares deeply about the success of his class and the importance of literature as an art form.

SEAN, a best-selling crime novelist. Sean is a total sell out and a sleeze. He is from Chicago but has moved to LA and has become a huge success in the genre of crime fiction. Must sing well, but does not play a musical instrument.

JONATHAN, a gifted young student of serious literature, wealthy. Must sing and play a musical instrument. Early to late 20's

JENNIFER, a gifted young student of serious literature, wealthy, african american and in a very unhealthy relationship with Paul, her professor. Must sing well. Early to late 20's. Does not play a musical instrument.

LUIIS, a gifted young student of writing, poor. Luis is a hispanic Chicago writer and is very talented. He is overshadowed regularly by others until a twist leads him to take the limelight, albeit even momentarily. Must sing well and play an instrument. Age 20 to 30's

JESSICA, a goth student of vampire fiction. Dark, moody and highly emotional. Jessica loves the dark side of things and does not get along well with others. Must sing and play a musical instrument.

ASHLEY, a cheerleader type. Fun, kooky and always up for a good time. Ashley is a bit of a ditz, must sing. Does not play a musical instrument.

SHEILA, a middle-aged, divorced housewife with drinking issues. Funny, caustic and taking the class mainly because she always thought she had the talent to write, but is now doubting herself. Must sing well, but does not play a musical instrument.

ERIC, ex basketball, real estate jock type. Must sing and may play instrument.

JEREMY, hipster sort, anti-establishment. Total joker and a player. Must sing and may play a musical instrument.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
(Regional premiere in association with Li'l Buds Theatre Company) By James Lapine and William Finn

Performances: May 11 through June 4, 2017 First Rehearsal: 4/17/17

From the Tony Award winning team of James Lapine (Into The Woods, Sunday In The Park With George) and William Finn (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) comes a musical comedy about one modern family's unexpected route to brighter days. Based on the Academy Award-winning film, Little Miss Sunshine is an outrageously funny and surprisingly touching new musical.

Seeking the following roles:

SHERYL HOOVER is a working mother who is constantly stressed. She loves her crazy family and will do anything to keep them together. She is level-headed, pragmatic, responsible, the most ''normal'' in the family. Sheryl is a good mom but she is often overwhelmed with the huge task of reigning in the powerful personalities of her unconventional family. Mezzo Soprano with Strong Belt

RICHARD HOOVER is a well-meaning enough father to Olive and husband to Sheryl. He is competitive, outgoing, ambitious, and impatient and obsessively trying unsuccessfully, to sell his self-help and self-improvement technique, 10-steps-to-success, that he created. His tendency to view everything through the 10-step lens annoys the rest of the family, who are aware that life is not as simple as Richard suggests. Richard is repellent in character, and blind to the real 'successes' of life, placing too much importance on what he sees as winning. Baritone / Lyric Baritone

FRANK GINSBERG is the brother to Sheryl and uncle to Olive Hoover. He is caring, humane and intelligent, a scholar of French author Proust. But after being scorned by a recent gay lover Frank attempts suicide and is released from hospital into Sheryl's entrusted care. Though depressed, Overall Frank is an incredibly stable character given his situation and is a constant bed-rock for other characters to latch to in times of distress. Tenor / Must have a big voice with excellent comedic timing.

GRANDPA EDWIN is a veteran and a self-proclaimed playboy, with a foul mouth and a cocaine habit. Recently evicted from his retirement home for snorting cocaine and sleeping around, he is forced to move in with his son Richard Hoover, and the family. Even though Edwin is represented as a bad role model and a bad father, He is very close to his granddaughter, Olive and fancies himself as the loving role model and pageant talent coach for Olive. He spends hours working on her dance routine with her. This is a take no crap kinda guy, a badass grandpa. Baritone / Must be able to sing and be musically rhythmic, must be nimble and move well.

DWAYNE teen actor needed between the ages of 15 to 20 to play a Nietzsche-reading troubled teenager who has taken a vow of silence until he can accomplish his dream of becoming a test pilot, driven, withdrawn from his family, must sing very well and have a great sense of comic timing.

JOSH/KIRBY attractive male in his 20's to late thirties to play both roles. Must sing well and have a great sense of comic timing; Josh is the rival ex-boyfriend of Frank; Kirby is a techie at the Little Miss Sunshine Pageant.

LARRY/BUDDY is male in his 30's to 50's with a strong tenor/baritone voice, must have excellent comedic timing; Larry is Frank's ex-boyfriend's new lover, a rival Proust expert and toad-like college professor; Buddy is the eccentric and overly-committed emcee of the Little Miss Sunshine pageant.

MISS CALIFORNIA/LINDA strong actress between the ages of 30 to 40 to play dual roles. Miss California is the reigning queen, should be physically fit and polished, must sing extremely well with a high pop belt and have a great sense of comic timing.

PLEASE NOTE* The role of Olive and the roles of three pageant girls will be cast at a later date in January of 2017. If interested in being seen or signing up your child for these parts, please email casting@chicagotheatreworkshop.org

Audition Dates: SATURDAY, JULY 9TH for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE & CREATIVES SATURDAY, JULY 16 for WICKED CITY & CREATIVES