A Play by Lynn Nottage

Director: Sharia Benn

The time is 1905, the place is New York City, where Esther, a black seamstress, lives in a boarding house for women and sews intimate apparel for clients who range from wealthy white patrons to prostitutes. Her skills and discretion are much in demand, and she has managed to stuff a good sum of money into her quilt over the years. One by one, the other denizens of the boarding house marry and move away, but Esther remains lonely and longing for a husband and a future. Her plan is to find the right man and use the money she’s saved to open a beauty parlor where black women will be treated as royally as the white women she sews for. By way of a mutual acquaintance, she begins to receive beautiful letters from a lonesome Caribbean man named George who is working on the Panama Canal. Being illiterate, Esther has one of her patrons respond to the letters, and over time the correspondence becomes increasingly intimate until George persuades her that they should marry, sight unseen. Meanwhile, Esther’s heart seems to lie with the Hasidic shopkeeper from whom she buys cloth, and his heart with her, but the impossibility of the match is obvious to them both, and Esther consents to marry George. When George arrives in New York, however, he turns out not to be the man his letters painted him to be, and he absconds with Esther’s savings, frittering it away on whores and liquor. Deeply wounded by the betrayal, but somehow unbroken, Esther returns to the boarding house determined to use her gifted hands and her sewing machine to refashion her dreams and make them anew from the whole cloth of her life’s experiences.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS

Please review the breakdown of roles and prepare to audition for the one that speaks to you the most.

ESTHER

Female 35, An African-American seamstress in New York City, Esther sews intimate apparel for ladies of all levels of society. She is thirty-five and single, but she desires to marry and has saved for eighteen years to open a beauty shop for African-American women. *This role requires onstage intimacy.

MRS. DICKSON

Female 50s A widowed African-American woman, Mrs. Dickson owns the boarding house where Esther lives.

MRS. VAN BUREN

Female 30s, A wealthy, white American woman in her thirties, Mrs. Van Buren orders fancy corsets from Esther. She has also become her friend. *This role requires onstage intimacy.

MR. MARKS

Male 30s A Romanian Jewish fabric seller in his thirties, Mr. Marks is friends with Esther. Role requires an Eastern European accent.
Please Note: Anyone auditioning for MR. MARKS will be required to slate (introduce themselves) with an Eastern European accent. The auditioner may present one of their audition monologues with the accent, this is encouraged but not required for the first audition. For callbacks, auditioners will be asked to perform a short excerpt from the play in the accent, side will be provided.

MAYME

Female 30s An African-American prostitute in her thirties, Mayme, through her lingerie orders, has become good friends with Esther. *This role requires on stage intimacy.

GEORGE

Male 30s A Barbadian man in his thirties, George initiates a correspondence with Esther while he is working to build the Panama Canal. He eventually comes to New York City and marries Esther. *This role requires onstage intimacy.
Please note: Anyone auditioning for GEORGE will be required to slate (introduce themselves) with a Barbadian accent. The auditioner may present one of their audition monologues with the accent, this is encouraged but not required for the first audition. For callbacks, auditioners will be asked to perform a short excerpt from the play in the accent, side will be provided.

Please note that as a part of this production, the following intimacy will be required between the following characters:

Mrs. Van Buren Kisses Esther
George Kisses Esther, George places his hands on Esther’s body, General Husband and Wife Intimacy between George and Esther
Intimacy between Mayme and George

Audition Requirements:

Be prepared to present two contrasting, one-minute, memorized monologues from works of established playwrights, including at least one contemporary selection.
Monologues must be from published plays written for theatre.
You should have read the entire play and have a thorough understanding of the character you are playing.
Please note: Anyone auditioning for GEORGE or MR. MARKS will be required to slate (introduce themselves) with an accent as listed above. The auditioner may present one of their audition monologues with the accent, this is encouraged but not required for the first audition. For callbacks, auditioners will be asked to perform a short excerpt from the play in the accent, side will be provided.

Callbacks:

Callbacks will be March 24th by invitation only.

Reach out to [email protected] with questions.

PLEASE NOTE:

Auditions are by sign-up ONLY. Please sign up through the following form:

AUDITION FORM

AUDITION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS):

Who may audition?

Anyone may audition! Theatre Harrisburg is committed to identity-conscious casting. This means the casting committee will consider an auditionee's identity in relation to that of a character. Thus, you may audition for any character you wish to, but please be aware that the casting committee must consider licensing restrictions and other such factors when casting. In some cases, casting notices will be very specific with regard to character (gender-presenting, race, ethnicity, etc.) in others, open to anyone. Regardless of casting notices, everyone is welcome to audition for any show, unless age specific requirements are noted (some shows may not be suitable for minors).

How do I audition?

Each show director will set their requirements for audition day. Standard requests will be that you bring your upcoming scheduling conflicts to share with the casting committee, fill out an audition form (parents/guardians will need to sign this form as well for minors), and have fun! Musicals typically ask you to prepare 16-32 bars of a song to sing for the committee. Some plays ask for a prepared monologue, others give you something to read at the open call. Many musical auditions will have a movement or dance call. Please see individual shows below for more information!

What is an open call?

An open call audition means anyone is welcome to attend that day. There may be sign-ups in advance for time slots, but beyond that, open means just that! Please be aware that our sign-ups fill up quickly, so consider signing up ahead of time.

What is a callback?

Callbacks are closed, invitation only auditions. During a callback, individuals are selected from open calls and other means to attend a second audition. This second audition gives the show director and casting committee an opportunity to have you read from the show script, sing from the show, and work with other auditionees so that we can put together the best cast possible for a show. Please note that for musicals any readings will happen at callbacks. In some cases this is where the dance call will happen as well. If you are not available for callbacks for a musical we may not be able to consider you for any roles soley on you vocal audition. Please make sure you clear your schedule for callback ahead of time. Please email [email protected] if you will not be available.

How will I know if I get the part?

Everyone who auditions is notified either by e-mail or a call if they are being offered a role in a show. Typically, an email is sent to those who did not fit the director’s vision for that particular show to let them know they should try again for a different production. Calls are made within a few days of callbacks for role offers. Everyone will be contacted within 2 weeks of auditioning.

Do you pay actors?

Theatre Harrisburg is a non-profit Community Theatre. Our actors, crew, ushers, and box office personnel are all volunteers...and we love them for giving their time and talents to us!

Are any of your shows pre-cast?

Theatre Harrisburg does not pre-cast shows. Some directors and other production members may invite community members to audition, but no one is ever offered a role before the auditions are completed. Each show has a committee attached to it for casting that includes the Artistic and Production Director to insure our inclusive and conscious policies are being adhered to in a manner befitting our stance of being the home where “community takes center stage.”

When are rehearsals?

Rehearsal schedules will vary per director, but generally rehearsals are in the evenings during the week and may include a weekend rehearsal, as well.

Intimate Apparel

CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS

Audition Requirements:

Callbacks:

PLEASE NOTE:

AUDITION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS):

SAVE WITH SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS