Elgin Theatre Company proudly announces auditions for THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by Larissa FastHorse, directed by Brian Rabinowitz.
When: Sunday, June 14 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm and Monday, June 15 from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. Callbacks only if needed. Open call, no appointment necessary. Auditionees will read sides from the script. Please bring headshot/resume, if available.
Where: Congregation Kneseth Israel
330 Division St, Elgin, IL 60120. Free parking behind building - entrance off parking lot.
Synopsis: This Broadway comedy by 2020 MacArthur Fellow Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) expertly balances societal critique, absurd comedy and wickedly funny satire.
A painfully "woke" theatre teacher on the brink of losing her job enlists her wannabe actor boyfriend, a hapless history teacher, and a ditsy professional actress to co-create a Thanksgiving play to put on at an elementary school. But trying to maintain political correctness while writing a play without Native Americans to add their voices to the script plunges their efforts into ever-increasing chaos.
After being told her work was 'uncastable', Indigenous playwright Larissa FastHorse set out to create a show featuring zero minority actors and wrote a scathing satire thas become one of the most produced pieces of theater in the US.
Roles:
Logan: Female, 30s-40s, white/white-passing, the high school drama teacher that's always pushing the envelope in potentially inappropriate ways. Earnest about theatre and proving herself.
Jaxton: Male, 30s-50s, white/white-passing. Actor/yoga practitioner, Logan's boyfriend. Politically correct to a fault, a big one. He's the confident guy that everyone loves, but his overly PC thinking takes weird turns.
Alicia: Female, 20s-30s, dark-haired brunette, white/white-passing with looks that would've been cast as "ethnic" in 1950s movies. Sincere and very attractive - in a Hollywood way. She is comically not-too-bright and sometimes surprisingly profound.
Caden: Male, white/white-passing, 30s-50s. The academic. Awkward elementary school history teacher armed with tons of facts, but little else. Aspiring playwright with no practical understanding of theater.
Rehearsals: will take place at Congregation Kneseth Israel 3 days a week (Sunday - Thursday) beginning in late July. Tech week begins September 27.
Performances: Opens Thursday, October 1 (7:30 pm) and then runs Fridays (7:30 pm), Saturdays (2:00 & 7:30 pm) and Sundays (2:00 pm) thru October 11 at The New Elgin Arts Showcase, 220 DuPage Street, Elgin 60120