Odds+Ends Theatre Company is holding virtual auditions for How to Defend Yourself by Lilliana Padilla and directed by Jianna Atlas. Performances will take place at the Greenhouse Theater Center at 2257 N Lincoln Ave.

Callbacks will take place by invitation only 1/11/25 at Green Shirt Studio from 12pm-4pm (call times may vary).

Compensation for principal performers will be a $75 stipend.

SEEKING:
Diana (18+ to play 18, she/her): Mexican-American, immigrated to the United States at a young age. Loves guns.

Mojdeh (18+ to play 18, she/her): Iranian-American, desperate to lose her virginity

Nikki (18+ to play 20, she/her): Person of color, pulls all her tentacles in to disappear.

Brandi (18+ to play 21, she/her): White, sorority VP & a black belt in karate.

Kara (18+ to play 21, she/her): Person of any race/ethnicity. Susannah's best friend. Into rough sex and not afraid to say it.

Andy (18+ to play 21, he/him): White. He's trying to be an ally, he's really trying.

Eggo (18+ to play 20, he/him): Person of color. Wants to be loved, by anyone really.

BIPOC, trans and nonbinary individuals, and persons with disabilities encouraged to audition.

Preparation: Please submit a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue as an unlisted Youtube link below.

About the show: Seven college students gather for a DIY self-defense workshop after a sorority sister is raped. They practice using their bodies as weapons. They wrestle with their desires. They learn the limits of self-defense. This play by writer, director, actor, and community builder Liliana Padilla explores the intersection of sex, community, and what it means to heal in a violent world. Padilla shows how learning self-defense becomes a channel for these college students' rage, anxiety, confusion, trauma, and desire. The play examines what one wants, how to ask for it, and the ways rape culture threatens one's body and sense of belonging.

Content Warnings: Please be advised, How to Defend Yourself deals with themes of sexual violence and rape culture. Specific topics include physical violence, explicit language, and intense discussions of sex and sexual assault.

Odds and Ends Theatre Company is a brand-new company dedicated to exploring theatre in all its forms. We aim to showcase new interpretations of existing stories, workshop and produce new works, and devise as a collective. We invite artists to engage wholly in the process of creation and prioritize accessibility and affordability for our audiences.