Actors. (female) - a job post by Meryl O'Rourke

About the job

Casting Call

Low/No paid R&D with pending funding app’s. N. London.

Thrown By Giants is an ArtsDepot/Tsitsit Resident Artist work for ‘24.

My play about refugee women in the Isle Of Man’s enemy alien camp during 1940, has its R&D booked Jul 8-12. 

HERTA: 30-35 German Jewish refugee. Haughty, pensive, maternal. 

EDITH: 30-35 German Jewish refugee. Nervous, relieved, naive. All roles have emotional depths, but Edith in partic has to comfortably portray emotional extremes.

GERTRUDE: 27-35 German nurse. Friendly, secretive, arrogant.

GISELE: 30-35 Black/Mixed Heritage German refugee. Hardened, kind, funny.

Due to their unspoken journeys I partic welcome actors from Jewish/Refugee/Queer/Incarcerated backgrounds. 

Contact details below to ensure you’ve read fiddly bits…

Me: I’m a Jewish/Irish comedian. (Herta is my grandmother) Thrown By Giants is my 1st drama, developed with Young Vic Writers. Due to current sensitivities feel free to check my socials to see if I’m someone you want to work with before applying :)

Funding: I was shortlisted but turned down by ACE, I shall re-apply. Also Crowdfund & seek private donation. If funding is secured that will be reflected in fee. At present I can offer £90 for the week. The R&D will be filmed for my notes & to create a trailer to secure paid productions- you can use footage for showreels/socials.

Project: The July R&D will be followed by a staged rehearsed reading 8-14 Nov. Ideally I’d like same cast but realise the problems securing this.

Ages: As I’m asking a favour & it’s R&D I’m flexible with ages! Herta & Edith are parents of teens & mums would be partic useful for the research period- finding modern actors with teens of the same age mums would be in ‘40 will always be a challenge! Gisele needs to be believably trying to conceive. Gertie can be any age, late 20’s is historically accurate.

Accent: Actors speak in their own accents for most of the play. German accents sporadically & for R&D not essential, though we will play with portraying communication barriers.

Gisele: I’ve been conscious throughout of problems in a white writer creating a Black/Mixed character. I’ve worked with a professor of Black Germany, based her on a real woman & had Black dramaturgs & sensitivity reads. As there are Nazis in the play the language is stark- but I am very keen for the actor playing her to take ownership of the language & characterisation and help me portray events within creative safety & authenticity. 

Background: The welcomed backgrounds are not essential, just useful, as are many others. The roles already cast have Jewish/Refugee/Queer background so rep. Is present, but I’ve already had 2 people on the project make unthinking anti semitic remarks, so having knowledge of the world of the play is helpful.

First instance send CV & part/parts sought to meryl.mor@gmail.com

I’ll reply with scenes for self tape.

Final auditions will be in person 6th or 17th June.

THANK YOU!

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