AUDITION NOTICE – (EDMONTON, AB)
Production: Smoke by Elena Belyea, produced by Tiny Bear Jaws
Director: Jenna Rodgers
Production Dates: January 27- February 6, 2022 (Subject to change, based on the evolving situation with COVID-19).
Rehearsals start: January 3, 2022 (Subject to change)
Audition dates: Monday, August 30 from 6pm – 9pm, Friday, Sept 3 from 4pm – 7pm. Call-backs September 4 from 11:30am – 1:30pm. (Please note, our full team at auditions will be double-vaccinated and masked. If you have any questions our COVID-19 protocols in the rehearsal hall before or during the audition, please let us know. If you are more comfortable submitting a self-tape, please let us know.
Deadline to submit: August 24, 2022
Synopsis: Aiden’s ex, Jordan, appears at her apartment, seeing clarity around sexual assault allegations Aiden recently made against Jordan (in confidence) to a mutual friend. Jordan swears to have no idea what Aiden is talking about. Aiden remains unconvinced. Together, they work to untangle the events of a university party years before, attempting to find the truth, hold each other accountable, and figure out what next.
CHARACTERS – WE WILL BE CASTING FOR ALL ROLES
AIDEN LEE: 23-years-old. Cis-gender woman. Asian-Canadian. Fiction writer. Working class. Lives alone. Parents are divorced. Closer with her father. Mother moved out when she was 17. Three younger brothers. Well-read. Charismatic. Funny. Passionate. Articulate. Stubborn. Has high expectations of herself and those around her. Works part-time as a caterer.
JORDAN ENGELS: 23-years-old. (We are looking to have rotating casts, so that Jordan is played as a cis-gender woman during half the performances, and as a cis-gender male for the other half– the script will indicate which lines are for which casting with either an M or F. Please note that we are open to actors who self-identify as cis-gender, trans, and/or gender non-conforming for these roles.) Caucasian (half-Jewish). Poet. From a modestly wealthy family. One sister (Charlotte, nicknamed “Charlie”). Strained relationship with parents. Struggles with anxiety. Well-read. Self-deprecating. Self-identifies as an activist. Works for a realty firm, maintaining their website.
Casting notes:
We encourage submissions from artists who self-identify as members of under-represented communities. Tiny Bear Jaws is committed to diverse and inclusive hiring.
Submission Guidelines:
Please e-mail a headshot and resume to Executive Director Tori Morrison at tinybearjaws@gmail.com with the subject line “Smoke – [CHARACTER YOU WOULD LIKE TO AUDITION FOR]”. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, not everyone who submits will receive an audition. We will however be hosting a number of workshops and meet and greets over the course of the fall, if you’re interested in meeting our team and making a connection with our company.
A script is available upon request.
About the company:
Founded in 2015, Tiny Bear Jaws is an agile, femme and queer-run cross-Canadian theatre company run by Elena Belyea and Tori Morrison. We produce innovative, provocative, and engaging new works. We’re passionate about anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and anti-hierarchical organizational structures. We’re committed to engaging meaningfully with the communities with whom we share our work and providing hands-on mentorship opportunities for under-represented emerging artists. Find out more at tinybearjaws.com
About the director:
Jenna is a mixed-race Director and Dramaturg based on Treaty 7 Territory. She is the founding Artistic Director of Chromatic Theatre – a company dedicated to producing and developing work by and for artists of colour. Jenna is also the Dramaturg for the Playwrights Lab at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She is a passionate arts equity advocate; the Board Co-Chair for LMDA; and the Artstrek Director with Theatre Alberta. Jenna is a graduate of the NTS Artistic Leadership Residency (2020), a graduate from the Banff Centre’s Cultural Leadership Program (2019), and a member of the artEquity National Facilitator Training cohort (2018). She was shortlisted for the 2021 Gina’s Prize and is a recipient of a 2018 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Emerging Artists. She holds a MA in International Performance Research from the universities of Amsterdam and Tampere.
About the playwright:
ELENA (OR ELI) BELYEA (they/she) is an award-winning queer playwright, performer, producer, and arts educator from Amiskwaciwȃskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton) whose plays have been produced across Turtle Island. She’s a graduate of the University of Alberta and the National Theatre School of Canada (Playwriting). They’re also half of queer sketch duo “Gender? I Hardly Know Them”. More at elenabelyea.com / @belyeache + @genderihardlyknowthem.
If you have any questions, please contact Executive Director Tori Morrison at tinybearjaws@gmail.com.
