Strawdog Theatre Company is looking for non-AEA actors for their upcoming production of WELCOME TO KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE by Brian James Polak, directed by Leda Hoffmann. We would like to strongly encourage performers of all ethnicities, genders, sizes, and abilities to submit.

Keene, New Hampshire shares a view of Mount Monadnock with Thornton Wilder's fictional Our Town. Modern day Keene shares many of America's challenges - guns, opioids, divergent political views. Brian James Polak's play explores the way we are today: in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying.

Parking Officer (She/Her): F, American of Mexican descent, 20-50's. The narrator of our play (à la Our Town's Stage Manager). She is easy to talk to and non-confrontational, but like most people she has a breaking point. When she breaks, she REALLY breaks. Like many people from this part of the world, her politics don't split down the liberal/conservative line in the way you'd expect. Her friends would describe her as having a dry sense of humor. Seeking principal and understudy.

Leon (He/Him): M, American of Korean descent, 30-40's. Owner of a Chinese restaurant. Fun-loving with a good sense of humor. He never set out to own a Chinese restaurant. He actually has many dreams in life, but has shelved them all to live the life he has with his wife in this small New Hampshire town. It will never happen, but he does wish he could one day move to a city and start a whole new life all on his own. Seeking principal and understudy.

Sophie (She/Her): F, any ethnicity, mid 30's-mid 50's. A middle-aged seller of repurposed clothes and goods. She has been married several times and it never works out. This might be due to the fact that Sophie's insecurities are a huge obstacle in the way of her opening her heart for a partner or her child. She is old-fashioned and wishes things could be the way they never actually were. Seeking principal and understudy.

Milo (They/Them): non-binary (AFAB), any ethnicity, teenager. They are Sophie's child who was assigned female at birth. Milo has just recently decided to quit school and save money to get the hell out of Keene. They are a talented musician with their own sense of style and a dark, direct, and snarky sense of humor. Surprisingly bold for a person their age. Basic Guitar Skills. Seeking principal and understudy.

Heather (She/Her): F, any ethnicity, teenager. Plays on the tennis team. The feelings she has for her tennis coach do not feel like a typical school-girl crush to her. They are real, deep, and sincere. Heather does feel pressure to express the same desire to escape Keene that her peers have, but really she would be happy to stay there and raise a family. This makes her defensive and insecure when discussing the future. Seeking principal and understudy.

Kevin (He/Him): M, white, 20-40's. A member of the Free Keene movement. He got wrapped up in an anti-tax movement when he was young. He didn't realize how this movement was evolving to become anti-government, anti-immigrant, and sliding towards the alt-right. That's not who he is. He just wanted to be part of a group. He was too young to know any better at the time. Seeking principal and understudy.

Louie (He/Him): M, white, 20-40's. A member of the Free Keene movement. He was that typical back-of-the-room slacker in school. He didn't think he was smart enough so he compensated by acting out and making trouble. He joined the Free Keene movement because he needed a group to be part of in order to feel like his life had meaning. He simply doesn't want to be alone, and if that means wreaking havoc, then so be it. Seeking principal and understudy.

Candice (She/Her): F, white, 20-40's. A member of the Free Keene movement. A pseudo-intellectual with a punk rock soul. She's got big opinions, but tends to be horribly ill-informed. She always wanted to be in charge of something, so having two people follow her orders is probably more important to her than the actual politics she's espousing. Seeking principal and understudy.

Mr. Cunningham (He/Him): M, any ethnicity, 60-80's. A long-time resident of Keene, NH. The kindest person you will ever meet, with the only exception possibly being his wife. He's not directly confrontational, but is intelligent enough to throw shade without you realizing it. If he was your grandfather you would be looking forward to the holidays so you could spend some time with him. Seeking principal and understudy.

Mrs. Cunningham (She/Her): F, any ethnicity, 60-80's. A long-time resident of Keene, NH. She adores simple things in life. She probably dreamed of being the trumpet player in a big band orchestra, but when she was young she didn't have the nerve to try. She's a matter-of-fact sort of communicator. She likes a good joke, but might not let on. Seeking principal and understudy.

James (He/Him): M, any ethnicity, mid 30's-late 50's. Lawyer and tennis coach. He doesn't speak much when he talks and that might be because he's afraid of accidentally saying something cruel. It might also be because he has bottled up his emotions as a way of protecting himself from the monster he thinks he might be deep down inside. Seeking understudy only.