Backyard Theatre Company is seeking five actors/movers for an upcoming production of Red Bike by Caridad Svich, directed by Emma Parsons and assistant directed by Lila Rutishauser.

Pay Rate: $800 stipend
Audition Dates: in person July 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th from 7-10pm, with callbacks to follow on Tuesday, July 21st
Audition Location: Three Crows Theatre - 4541 N Ravenswood Ave, Suite #204
Contact: Miguel Salgado Jr. (they/them); miguel@backyardtheatreco.org

Synopsis:
"So, it's like this: you're eleven years old, you live in a small town and the times are dark, as they say. But you have a bike, a bike you love, a bike that makes you dream about a world bigger than the one you live in. One day you take a ride through the outer edges of your town and something goes awry. Let's call it an accident. Let's say it causes you to see the world anew. Or maybe it just causes you to see the world for what it truly is."

Red Bike is a nostalgia-driven, coming of age story that explores the choice between what you dream of being versus what you are destined to become. Interwoven with themes of hope, greed, loneliness, and desire, this play follows the journey of a young person on the precipice of growing up in a defiant attempt to hold onto the innocence that can only come with still believing in the beauty of the world around you, despite all odds.

Casting Breakdown:
Seeking five strong movers/storytellers to act as the ensemble for this production. Besides The Kid, every actor will play multiple roles with an emphasis on one particular featured character in the script. Please note, this play is written to represent a diverse span of backgrounds, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, disabilities, and religions. While the casting breakdown exists as a guideline, we encourage all qualified artists to submit for whatever role they feel best represents them and their abilities.

- The Kid: 20's to play younger, any gender/ethnicity
Whimsical, headstrong, envious, and curious, The Kid is always hungry to know why, and has a quiet observance about them. On the inside, they are burning for more, something we get to see come out in scattered, introspective or imaginative outbursts. The Kid takes the audience on the journey of the play through their lens only and will speak most of the dialogue in the script, so being a good storyteller is a must. Although they are meant to represent an eleven year old, in no way should the actor be making physical or vocal choices that directly reflect an adolescent.
*The actor playing The Kid must be able to spend a portion of the show pedalling a real, stationary bike on stage.

- Old Guy +Others: 40's-60's, any gender, prioritising indigenous-American identifying artists
Mystical, firm, reflective, and warm, Old Guy is someone who feels both baked into the town and a stranger to it at the same time. There is no street, neighbour, or story they do not know and they highly value lineage and roots, although a part of them yearns for a deeper perspective. While they sometimes speak in contorted, dreamy, or riddle-like lessons, Old Guy is very practical and often provides context or cautionary tales to The Kid as they re-live parts of their own past alongside the present story.

- The Man Who Owns The Town +Others: late 20's-40's, male, any ethnicity Greedy, apathetic, lonely, and stuck, The Man Who Owns The Town is a cleverly disguised human embodiment of capitalism, dripping in wealth and pride but never satisfied with his riches. He is hard working and boastful, and, through the eyes of the Kid, essentially untouchable (until he isn't). Although he is the antagonist to our story, The Man Who Owns The Town feels deeply and represses his emotions, often prioritising his status of power over his connection to community and self.

- Parent One +Others: 30s, femme, any ethnicity and
- Parent Two +Others: 30s, masc, any ethnicity
- Kind, law-abiding, and passive, both Parents One and Two represent those people we all know that, despite doing the "right" thing, always seem to come up short. They are simple, live a quiet existence, and are grounded in their obligations - leaving them tired and igniting the fear of adult responsibilities in The Kid. Whereas Parent One shows her strength in great patience and unwaveringly false positivity, Parent Two responds with inactions, remaining determined and quietly sad.
*The actors playing Parents One and Two will also take on the majority of the ensemble roles in this production, so a strong movement background is especially recommended.