AUDITION NOTICE Submission Deadline October 20, 2023
Tough Guy (Development Workshop)
Written by Hayley Moorhouse / Directed by Brett Dahl
Produced in collaboration between the lead artists and Common Ground Arts Society
Tough Guy is supported by RISER Edmonton. RISER is a project incubator produced by Common Ground Arts Society supporting 3-5 projects annually towards productions or development workshops with mentorship, producing support, and various in-kind resources. Since its inception in 2021, RISER Edmonton productions have gone on to tour nationwide and have been nominated for six Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards.
— ABOUT THE SHOW —
Tough Guy is set in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a queer nightclub. Amateur boxer Quinn is heralded as a hero, having stopped the gunman just a few minutes into his rampage. Emerson arrives in the city. She’s a survivor of a similar shooting from two years ago, and is now making a documentary, trying to shed light on the lives of queer people impacted by homophobic and transphobic violence. Quinn shuts themself away in the boxing gym to escape the prying questions of Emerson and the heavy expectations of their friends and family – they know the grief will descend the moment they stay still, so they keep fighting.
— CASTING BREAKDOWN —
The full ensemble will include eight performers. At this time, we are seeking submission for the following three roles to join the ensemble:
QUINN (They/Them) – 26, non-binary
An amateur boxer. They stopped the shooter and have been hailed a hero. A “Tough Guy”, at least on the surface.
EMERSON (She/Her) – 25, a trans woman
A budding documentarian, new in town. She survived a mass shooting two years ago. Direct, unflinching, curious.
SPENCER (He/Him) – 26, a trans man
A master’s student and Quinn’s best friend. He wasn’t present at the shooting but is trying to care for his friends who were. Compassionate, anxious, insightful.
Gender identity is an important aspect of Tough Guy. We are committed to bringing gender-diverse characters to life with authenticity and respect. While we welcome submissions from all interested performers, we kindly encourage applicants to consider if they self-identify with the gender of the character they’re applying for.
— LOCATION —
Edmonton, Alberta
Rehearsals at the Roxy Theatre on 124 Street
A small travel stipend will be provided for out-of-town artists based on available funding, but we are unable to provide fees for accommodations or per diems. We will support non-local artists in finding queer- and trans-friendly billets.
— DATES —
There will be 2 phases of the Tough Guy workshop.
The first will take place from December 15-19, 2023. This will be a script workshop with actors expected in rehearsals for an estimated 24-32 total hours.
The second will take place between March 15-25, 2024 (full dates & hours pending). A full-time commitment is expected within this window. This phase will end with a public staged reading.
— CONTRACT —
This is a non-Equity project. Any Equity members will be contracted under the Indie 2.2 or Collective Agreement. All artists will be paid above minimum scale fees for the Equity Indie 2.2 agreement (between $650-$700 per week, including for part-time weeks).
All artists will be required to sign and abide by the Common Ground Arts Society Safe(r) Spaces policy.
— AUDITIONS —
Auditions will take place between October 30 and November 1, 2023. Successful applicants will receive material to prepare and information about the time and location of their audition no later than October 23, 2023. We may consider self-tape auditions for out-of-town applicants who are available to work in Edmonton during the contract dates.
— TO SUBMIT —
Please send your headshot & resume to Hayley Moorhouse at moorhousehayley@gmail.com, with the subject line TOUGH GUY AUDITION. All submissions will be responded to no later than October 23.
