August 23, 2012
The Big reTHiNK OPEN AUDITION CASTING CALL – SUNDAY 26TH AUGUST
The Big reTHiNK at Q Theatre, Auckland (1st – 6th October) is being promoted as a “Mind-altering event” and will launch Mental Health Awareness week this year by putting on a professional production showcasing multi-genres including multimedia, comedy, theatre and music.
The aim is to to use reTHiNK as a vehicle to get audiences and mainstream media to think about mental health issues and challenges.
Twelve short plays* with individual Directors will be woven with a live session band, well known stand up comedians, other performance arts, film and motion graphics to tell a story of the journey through madness and recovery, and we are looking to cast over 50 roles for these plays through an open casting session next Sunday the 26th of August 2012.
What do I need to do?
Please prepare a 1-2 minute monologue of your choice that shows of your skills and talent to the best of your ability and register by emailing taimi@mindandbody.co.nz with your preference for one of 2 sessions. Session 1, 10am – 12pm or Session 2, 1pm – 3pm. We will do our best to accommodate your request however we cannot guarantee your chosen time.
You will be emailed back with a form you need to attach a small headshot to, fill in, and bring along with you to the audition. You will also be advised of your allocated session time, the location of the Audition (Central Auckland) and car parking. Keep your car parking receipt in case your audition is successful, in which case you will be reimbursed.
Be prepared to stay for the whole 2 hours of your session. This is a general casting call, so you will be performing in front of other actors and as such will be expected to stay after your audition is complete to support everyone equally.
We will make the process as informal and comfortable as possible, so do not be afraid.
We are seeking both experienced actors and new emerging talent for the show and openly encourage those with personal experience of mental health challenges to audition.
You may wish to look at the roles we are casting (following) in case you would like to tailor your audition
The Big reTHiNK is produced by Mind and Body Consultants as part of the Like Minds, Like Mine Campaign to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental ill health and is supported by Mindfood Magazine and The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.
ROLES BEING CAST
Making Sense
Alien Student x 2: 17-25; Any gender
Young aliens, confused at our strange human behaviour
Older Alien Student: 25+; Any gender
Alien, wise and patient
We are Everywhere
Park Bench Lead: Any age; Any gender
Judgemental Character
Park Bench Lead: Any age; Any gender
Empathetic Character
Passersby x 3: : Any age; Any gender
Commedia del Arte Characters
N.O.T, Negatively Orientated Therapy
Dr. Downer: : Any age; Any gender
A disheveled, “glass half empty” Therapist
I. M. Flourishing: : Any age; Any gender
A “too happy”patient
Mad O Phobic
Professor John Barker: 50 +, Male
An academic or science Professor. Paternalistic, cautious, stigmatizing attitude.
Samantha Reed: 30’s, Female
Administration person, Interviewer, holds a fear of people with mental illness.
William Ray: Mid to late 20’s, Male
Metrosexual Human resource manager. Bit of a “know-it-all”.
Della: 20 – 40, Female
Interviewee, confident and competent – very similar in demeanor to other interviewees, may even look similar.
May: 20 – 40, As above
Evie: 20 – 40, As above
Future Vs Nurture
Taylor Anderson: Any age (Adult); Any gender
Doctor/ Radiologist. American accent. Slightly cheesy in a “salesman”type way – a lot of complicated medical dialogue.
Sam Collins: 30 – 40, Female
6 months Pregnant Mother (Australian or NZ Accent) Wants best for baby, but not at the expense of risk.
Chris Collins: 30 – 50, Any gender
Partner of Sam (American or Kiwi Accent with trace of American) Overly cautious but loves Sam and excited about new baby.
Hang on Tight
Brett: Early 30’s, Male
Nicola’s husband. Should he listen to his workmates, or support her?
Nicola: Early 30’s, Female
Intelligent yet troubled by how her symptoms affect her relationship with her husband.
Steve: 30’s – 40’s; Male
Supportive friend who reminds Brett of what’s important
Cindy: 20’s – 30’s, Female
Ignorant, meddling co-worker. Judgmental
Wayne: 20’s – 30’s, Male
As above
Office Junior x 2: Late Teens, Any gender
Gossipy and patronising.
Mrs Belinda Vandersandt: 40’s, 50’s; Female
The Boss, smart and can make up her own mind.
Wayward Seniors
Ruth: 20’s, 30’s; Female
An attractive, compassionate matron.
Alma: Elderly; Female
Looks frail, but is quite agile. Has a cheeky sense of humour.
Doug: 40’s; male
Alma’s grandson. A stern bank manager
Sandra: 40’s, Female
Doug’s wife. Has survived years of marriage to him, so is obviously very tolerant
Old Man / Pilot: 60+, Male
2 small characters, a confused old man and a helicopter pilot.
Terribly Unwell
Jenny Smith: 17 – 30; Female
Young woman, the worried well
Mrs. Smith: 45 – 60; Female
Jenny’s mother, fairly conservative.
Mr. Smith: 45 – 60; Male
Jenny’s father. Professional, quite strait-laced.
Doctor: 40+; Any gender
Authoritative, slightly paternal manner
Somehow in Relation
A Thinker: Any age; Male
Able to sing as well as perform poetry with music. He is confident, well-spoken and highly competent but does not necessarily know it.
A Searcher: Any age, Female
Highly competent, her experience of distress is born from her search for meaning and connection.
Dancers x 4: : Any age; Any gender
Variety of Body Shapes and Looks. Work with the Thinker and the Searcher to weave their stories together.
Cloudboy
Cloud boy: Child, Male
With Autism, Aspergers, ADHD and Oppositional Disorder, making sense of his life in his own way
Cloud mother: 30’s; Female
Caring and compassionate mother of Cloud boy, tries to explain Cloud boy’s world to outsiders through empathy and poetry.
Chorus x up to 7: : Any age; Any gender with at least 2 male
Cloud father, pediatrician and voices of the public, teachers, nurses etc.
Attribution, a Tribulation
A “Patient”: Any age; Female
Chatty, self analyzing. Trying to work things out in her head as she speaks.
A “Clinician”: Any age; Male
Needs the skills to deliver the same line in 100 different ways.
reTHiNK Your Safety
Airline Captain: Any age; Any gender
Authoritative, friendly if somewhat cheesy, well spoken with clear “radio announcers” voice.
Flight Attendants – up to 50: Any age; Any gender
Non-speaking –Variety of different looks and attitudes, confident, charming, bored etc. These parts will probably be cast from the rest of the reTHiNK plays.
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See Scoop media story
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* The call for creative works with mind-altering themes went out around the world in March and people from across the globe have answered in their droves. Final scripts have now been selected for The Like Minds Big reTHiNK and the production phase is now underway.
The top twelve 2012 scripts selected blind for The Big reTHiNK launch event at Q Theatre (October 2nd – 6th) come from America, Australia and across New Zealand. The victorious script writers are:
Dan Tomasulo (USA) for N.O.T,
Ric Colsey (Aus) with We Are Everywhere,
Rex McGregor for Wayward Seniors,
Taimi and Stewart Allan for Future Vs Nurture, and
the same writers again along with Steve Carter for Rethink Safety,
Lora Keyes for Attribution A Tribulation,
Lynz Wilmshurst for Hang on Tight and Mad-O-Phobic,
Daniel Larsen and Miriam Barr for Somehow in Relation,
Sheree Veysey for Terribly Unwell, and
the same writer along with Laura Ashton for Making Sense.
[Cloudboy is the 12th play]
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