Couch Penny Ensemble is seeking actors for its upcoming production of ISAAC'S EYE by Lucas Hnath.

Directed by Bryce Lederer

We welcome actors of all ethnicities and gender identities to audition. Gender non-conforming, transgender, and non-binary actors are encouraged to audition for the roles they are most interested in being seen for.

SYNOPSIS:
Fact: Isaac Newton stuck a needle into his own eye. Seriously, he really did that.

Before he became one of the world's greatest intellectuals, Isaac Newton was a young man desperate to be taken seriously. His theories about color and light bring him face-to-face with Robert Hooke, renowned scientist and known dog murderer (seriously). As the two men clash over science and ego, Isaac's pursuit for recognition spirals into an increasingly bizarre battle of wits.

Funny, filthy, and deeply strange, ISAAC'S EYE gleefully mixes historical fact with outright fantasy, imagining the obsessions, desires, and ambitions that drove a young Isaac Newton toward greatness - and the sacrifices he (might have) made to get there.

ROLES:
ISAAC NEWTON (20s, male presenting)
Brilliant, emotionally stunted, selfish, and deeply convinced of his own importance. When he was a kid, everyone called him "the sad little man." He's in his 20s, but already his hair is white. A prodigious little punk, stuck in a mundane life and desperate to prove himself as one of the all-time greats. Struggles to understand the emotional needs of the people around him. Will do whatever it takes to achieve greatness.

ROBERT HOOKE (30s-40s, male presenting)
Renowned scientist, inventor, and president of the Royal Society. He boasts a laundry list of accomplishments. Intelligent, well-spoken, hedonistic, vile, argumentative, a little unhinged, a little violent, and completely comfortable being the dominant force in any room. Keeps a diary where he attempts to track every one of his sexual experiences. He has already earned the recognition Isaac desperately craves, and will fight ruthlessly to maintain his position. Also, he exploded 12 dogs. Seriously.

CATHERINE (30s, female presenting)
Sharp, perceptive, and fiercely emotionally intelligent, Catherine is a woman with a strong sense of who she is and what she wants from her life. She values stability, intimacy, and the possibility of an ordinary life. Wants to grow old with someone she loves. She has a complicated history with Isaac, understands him better than anyone, and, while she is drawn to his brilliance, she is also acutely aware of his flaws. She loves him, but will not abandon her own future to accommodate his.

ACTOR / DYING MAN NAMED SAM (any age, any gender)
The play's narrator. A theatrical chameleon who moves fluidly between storyteller and participant. The Actor helps guide the audience through the play's balance between fact and fiction, while also stepping into the role of Sam, a dying man caught in the middle of Isaac and Hooke's experiments. The Actor should possess a warmth and ease with the audience, with an ability to shift quickly between comedy, omniscient authority, and genuine vulnerability. This is a highly theatrical role, requiring an actor who can embody the spirit of the production and deftly switch between different realities.

NOTE: While the play takes place in the 17th century, there should be no attempt to "play period." Actors speak as they speak. And please no accents.

AUDITIONS:
September 28 & 29
5pm-10pm

CALLBACKS (Invite Only):
October 9th
5pm-10pm

Both auditions and callbacks will be held at the Greenhouse Theater Center 2257 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

There will be a $150 stipend for this production.