Epiphanies New Works Festival – Auditions

Waco Civic Theatre invites you to audition for the Epiphanies New Works Festival — a celebration of bold new voices and original theatre.

This exciting festival will feature one fully staged production and two staged readings, showcasing brand-new plays written by emerging and established playwrights.

Whether you’re a seasoned performer or stepping onto the stage for the first time, this is your opportunity to help bring never-before-seen stories to life!

BL!NK

A Full Production

BL!NK follows Sadie, an anxious but brilliant coder, and Natalie, her bold best friend and marketing genius, as they dream their way out of a small college town by creating a dating app designed to protect women from predators and data mining. In Act One, they pitch their idea to a skeptical investor, land a game-changing deal, and move to Silicon Valley—leaving behind Sadie’s stagnant relationship. Act Two picks up four years later. Natalie is planning her lavish wedding to Addie and growing frustrated that the now-single Sadie does not have a date. Then Sadie is swept into a whirlwind romance with Jake, a man she meets on their own app. As the wedding approaches, corporate compromises and personal heartbreak threaten their friendship, forcing both women to confront the true cost of success and what they want their futures to be.

 

RIVERBEND

A Staged Reading

RIVERBEND is a modern musical retelling of the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo. Daphne is an eighteen-year-old high school graduate living in a small Rivertown on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Feeling her late mother’s absence in town, she plans to take her sailboat for a year-long trip on “The Great Loop,” a journey her mother took when she was her age. However, when twins Aiden and Diana move into town, Daphne’s heart and her plans are challenged by feelings she’s never known.

 

THE LAST PIECE

A Staged Reading

Amara is shocked when she receives a call from the doctor stating she must come see her ex-husband Andrew, who she has not spoken to in 10 years. She learns of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis and is encouraged by the doctor to spend time with him to discuss their past memories and slow the progression of his disease. As the two reflect on their relationship, they recall their feelings for each other and begin to fall in love again – or so Amara thinks so. When Andrew’s memory begins to acutely worsen and he often finds himself torn between past and present, Amara is hurt as she wonders whether he ever loved her at all. Andrew ends up in the hospital after going missing and Amara finds him. When she learns why he went missing, she is forced to make a decision about their relationship moving forward – one she makes with love and grace, and one that shows how much of ourselves are made up of the fragile memories we hold.

Production Team:

Director: Trent Clifford

Music Director: Melanie Wheat

Audition Details:

Tuesday, November 18, 6:00-9:00pm

Waco Civic Theatre (1517 Lake Air Drive)

Audition Preparation:

• Prepare 1 minute of a song that shows your vocal ability. Have the song ready to play on your device (no speaker hook-up) or sing a capella.
• Scripts may be provided during the audition for cold readings to assess character fit. No monologue or advanced preparation needed!
• All experience levels are welcome to audition – from seasoned performers to first-timers!

Rehearsal Process / Time Commitment:

• Initial table readings early December, with individual rehearsals scheduled with music director over holidays as needed. Full cast rehearsals start the week of Jan 5.
• Rehearsals generally take place Monday through Thursday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. A more detailed rehearsal schedule will be provided to cast members. We strive to be an inclusive environment where we work around jobs and other commitments. During the audition process, we will ask about your availability and schedule conflicts.
• Work Days (build and paint set, help with costumes, etc.) are required and take place on Saturdays 9am-1pm. Cast members will be provided the list of Saturdays they are expected to work.
• Performances:
  • BL!NK: January 29, 30, 31 at 7:30pm
  • Riverbend: January 31 at 2:30pm
  • The Last Piece: February 1 at 2:30pm

Roles Available:

BL!NK 

Sadie Haas (Mezzo-Soprano) – 20s, female. Computer genius, anxious and undiagnosed neurodivergent.

Natalie Kane (Soprano) – 20s, female. Definitely a Leo. A big dreamer with not a lot of skill to back up all her great ideas. Hates her waitress job, has changed her major 7 times. Sadie’s best friend. Gay in a small town but that’s not her whole story!

Milo Rubio (Tenor) – 20s, male. Sadie’s boyfriend, a pisces, relatively sexy, good at committment but bad at most everything else. Sadie’s polar opposite but they’ve been dating since high school so why not stay together?

Addie Romano (Alto) – 30s, an Ivy League graduate who works as an investor for some large Silicon Valley tech conglomerate. Leo with a Virgo rising. Very gay and very not sorry about it.

Jake Blake (Baritone) – 30s, male. Sadie’s first and only match on BL!NK. His brain is done cooking (in a good way). A second grade teacher with a heart of gold. sagittarius with a Cancer Rising. A really good listener.

 

Riverbend 

Daphne (mix/belt) – 18, female. A recent high school graduate. With a strong desire to feel close to her late mother, she plans to take her boat on a year-long sailing trip on the “Great Loop”. She is disconnected from her heart and emotional vulnerability, but doesn’t know that yet.

Diana (mix/belt) – 18, female. New in town. A recent high school graduate. Has a very thick skin and doesn’t yet know that it’s a result of repressed emotions. Her passion is painting but her needs have to take a back seat to the thing she wants to do more than anything: protect her brother.

Aiden (tenor/baritenor) – 18, male. New in town. Diana’s twin brother. A recent high school graduate. Desperately wants to escape his abusive father and his own inferiority complex.

Murphy (Baritenor) – 50s, male. Daphne’s father. Wants nothing more than to connect with Daphne but is struggling to be there for her in the ways she needs. Still grieving the loss of his wife heavily and can’t bring himself to engage with her sailboat – the thing his daughter is currently fixated on.

Ian (Baritone/Baritenor) – 50s, male. Diana and Aiden’s father. Grew up in Wyndham Hill and just moved back. Ill-tempered, very aggressive, and verbally abusive. Somewhere deep down he does care about his children but the demons of his past and his persistent struggle with alcoholism have rid him of any fatherly affection.

The Storytellers (6 total: 1 soprano, 2 mezzo/mix-belt, 1 tenor, 2 baritone/baritenor) – any age, any gender. A stubborn group of six storytellers who serve as the worldbuilding device of the show. They tell this tale as it “should” be told – how it’s always been told.

(Storyteller 2/Rachel: Daphne’s late mother/Murphy’s late wife.)

 

The Last Piece

Amara (mezzo-soprano) – Mid 60s, female. Working as a receptionist and keeps her circle close.

Andrew (Baritone) – Mid 60s, male. Amara’s ex-husband who she has not heard from in years.

Young Amara – 20-50, female. A very sweet and sunny person.

Young Andrew – 20-40, male. A romantic, spontaneous man who is full of ideas about the world.

Greek Chorus – Three performers who double as miscellaneous characters including:

• Morgan (soprano 1), Amara’s best friend since college who doubles as hospital staff.
• Shelby (soprano 2), Amara’s very dramatic friend who doubles as Coffee Shop Employee and hospital staff.
• Francine (alto), Amara’s moderately close friend who doubles as Doctor (alto) – a geriatric psychiatrist who takes care of Andrew.

***18 years and up only; all performance experience levels, genders, and ethnicities are welcome to audition! Don’t worry if you don’t know your vocal range. Our music directors are trained to help you find the right fit. They’ll make sure your role suits your voice and guide you in keeping it strong and healthy throughout the show.

For more information about the Epiphanies New Work Festival, please visit:

https://www.wildimaginingswaco.com/epiphanies

 

If you are unable to attend the in-person auditions, please feel free to submit a video audition:

• Record a brief video: say your name, desired role, and then sing 1-minute of a song that shows your vocal ability
• Email the video to Trent@wildimaginingswaco.com

 

Questions? Email Trent@wildimaginingswaco.com

[Signup: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BA4A629A5FDC61-60257475-auditions#/]