Auditions

Speakeasy holds auditions by appointment for upcoming projects.

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Audition for SpeakEasy’s production of:
JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING
By Jocelyn Bioh
Directed by Summer L. Williams
Rehearsals begin April 7, 2025. Performances run May 2 – 31, 2025 (with a possible extension through June 6).

A show-specific audition will be held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 from 10am – 3pm. We are looking to cast both union and non-union actors.

To request an audition slot, please send your contact information, Equity status, your headshot/resume (combined in one PDF document, titled “LAST NAME, FIRST NAME (2024)”), and your complete availability during the audition window to auditions@speakeasystage.com. When we confirm slots, we will send along a side for you to prepare.

Please see the character breakdown below. Note that the role of Marie has already been cast.

If you have any questions, please email auditions@speakeasystage.com.

2024-25 SEASON

LAUGHS IN SPANISH
By Alexis Scheer
Directed by Mariela López-Ponce
Rehearsals begin 8/19/24;
Tech begins 9/10/24;
Performances run 9/13/24 – 10/12/24

PRU PAYNE
By Steven Drukman
Directed by Paul Daigneault
Rehearsals begin 9/23/24;
Tech begins 10/15/24;
Performances run 10/18/24-11/16/24. TBD Extension close 11/23/24

AIN’T NO MO’ (co-production with Front Porch Arts Collective)
By Jordan E. Cooper
Directed by Dawn M. Simmons
Rehearsals begin 12/09/24;
Tech begins 1/7/25;
Performances run 1/10/25 – 2/8/25

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Directed by Paul Daigneault
Rehearsals begin 1/27/2025;
Performances run 2/21/25 – 3/22/2025

JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING
By Jocelyn Bioh
Directed by Summer L. Williams
Rehearsals begin 4/7/25;
Tech begins 4/29/25;
Performances run 5/2/25 – 5/31/25; TBD Extension close 6/7/25

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CASTING BREAKDOWN BY SHOW

LAUGHS IN SPANISH

MARIANA. Female. Late 20’s. Half Colombian/Half Jewish. Born in Miami. Director of Studio Six, an art gallery.

CAROLINA. Female. Late 20’s. Cuban-American. Born in Miami. A painter and intern at Studio Six.

JUAN. Male. Late 20’s. Colombian. Born in Medellín. Miami-Dade police officer. CARO’s boyfriend.

ESTELLA. Female. 40’s-50’s. Colombian. Born in Medellín. A movie star and MARIANA’s mom.

JENNY. Female. Mid 20’s. Caucasian-American. Born in Westchester. ESTELLA’s assistant. A screenwriter.

PRU PAYNE

*PRU PAYNE. Female. Late 60s. White. Public Intellectual, good breeding. Exacting, charming, charismatic, intimidating. A WASP and, at times, waspish.

*THOMAS PAYNE. Male. Early 30s. Mixed Race, ½ White, ½ African American. Smart, reticent, sensitive. Shares Pru’s patrician manner of speaking—on him it can sound quasi-British. 

*GUS CUDAHY. Male. Late 60s. White. Custodial Engineer, thick Massachusetts accent. Prideful, jocular, handy, unschooled, intuitive. Laconic New Englander but jovial.

*ART CUDAHY. Male. Early 30s. White. Chip off the ol’ block, same accent. Tough jock-type but lovable, with a latent poetic side.

*DR. DOLAN. Female. 40. Any race. Nerdy, dry humor, can seem prim because she aims for scientific detachment. 

*NOTE: These roles have been cast. Submissions will be considered for replacement roles only.

AIn’t No Mo’

PEACHES. Male. Mid 20’s to mid 30’s. Black. A drag queen and stewardess on African American Airlines. Bombastic, deeply charismatic. Adept at code-switching and knows effortlessly how to work an audience. Our emcee for the evening, and we’re happy to be in her capable hands. Witty, tells it like it is. Tough and no-nonsense, but also possesses a deep warmth and love for her community. Has strong language skills, possessing both humor and emotional truth. 

PASSENGER 1. Female. Early to late 20’s. Black. Doubles as TRISHA: A young woman, pregnant, and recently widowed as a result of police brutality. She may be young, but tragedy has forced her to grow up quickly. Pragmatic. Resilient but exhausted. MARIE: The eldest child of a wealthy, conservative family. Poised, elegant, restrained. Regal. Able to keep her siblings in line without appearing to exert the slightest effort. KEISHA: An inmate in a maximum-security prison. Young, sincere, direct, and somehow still hopeful. Naïve and open, she’s excited and curious to learn more about the outside world. KENDRA: A cast member on the “Real Baby Mamas of the South Side.” Young, pretty, privileged, and clueless. No filter. Over the top. Think Portia from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

PASSENGER 2. Male. Late 20’s to early 30’s. Black. Doubles as PASTOR FREEMAN: A fire and brimstone preacher. Hopeful. Energetic, charismatic, adept at rallying a crowd. A natural showman. Could talk anyone into anything. DAMIEN: A young man cut down in the prime of his life. Stuck between this world and the next, he is desperate to not be erased and forgotten. Full of love, anger, and untapped potential he’ll never be able to explore. JONATHAN: Wealthy, privileged. Educated in the best schools. The child of immigrants, he believes in hard work and the American Dream.

PASSENGER 3. Female. Late 20’s to early 30’s. Black, Fair-Skinned. Doubles as ZAMATA: An activist. Passionate, outspoken. Fed up with the inequality of the status quo, and unafraid to resort to the most difficult and radical forms of protest to make her voice heard. RACHONDA: The first “transracial” cast member of “The Real Baby Mamas of the South Side.” A white woman who believes that she is black. Excited to explore her new identity. Loud, outspoken, takes up space. Not a bashful bone in her body. SUSAN: A wealthy, conservative woman, who has dealt with her unhappy marriage and her boredom with her life by repressing her darker feelings. When a bad dinner party unearths hidden grievances, she begins to find some freedom in watching the carefully constructed world around her crumble.

PASSENGER 4. Female. Early to mid 30’s. Black. Doubles as WOMAN: A woman waiting in line at an abortion clinic. Frank, she tells it like it is, with a take-no-prisoners sense of humor. Chatty, and not one to bother about personal space, she’ll talk to anyone for as long as she wants. Although her stories are ones of trauma and violence, to her they’re unremarkable. Not one to dwell, she delivers them with humor and candor. OFFICER BROWN: A prison warden. Empathetic & maternal, but in no way a pushover. Treats the inmates under her watch with patience and dignity. KATIE: The youngest sibling in a wealthy and privileged family. Sweet, bright and bubbly. A bit naïve. Happy to let others take the lead in situations, and a bit sheepish when it comes to owning her own voice

PASSENGER 5. Female. Early to mid 30’s. Black. Doubles as BLACK: A spirit that has been imprisoned for decades, recently released. A ball of unbridled energy and power. Ravenous, sensual, vibrant, alive. Devours all the air and energy in the room, and spits poetry with passion and velocity. BLUE: An inmate in a maximum-security prison. She’s seen unimaginable pain and suffering, and the weight of everything she’s experienced is evident in her very being. Weary and broken, she’s hanging on but only by the slimmest of threads. NEWSWOMAN: Professional, put together. Conservative. Dedicated to telling stories with fairness and compassion. Thinks of herself as the voice of reason in a crazy world.

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

*ALFIE BYRNE (Baritone, 30 – 45) A middle-aged Dublin bus conductor and director of an amateur theatrical troupe, the St. Imelda’s Players. Gay, but closeted.

ROBBIE (Tenor, 21 – 32) The handsome, young bus driver Alfie begins to fall in love with.

ADELE RICE (Soprano, 17 – 25) A pretty young woman who has fled her hometown after becoming pregnant out of wedlock. She meets Alfie on his bus, and he woos her into taking the leading role in Salome.

*BALDY (Baritone, 50 – 70) Alfie’s retired friend and stage manager who takes every opportunity to poke at Alfie about St. Imelda’s rag-tag productions.

BRETON BERET / PETER (18 – 25) A handsome, dangerous young man who tries to seduce Alfie. When he finally succeeds, he and a group of men jump Alfie, leaving him badly injured.

CARNEY / OSCAR WILDE (Baritone, 40 – 60) The butcher, Lily’s boyfriend, and one of St. Imelda’s prominent actors until he reports Alfie to the church sodality for putting on an “obscene” play. AND the famous Irish, 19th century playwright, novelist, and poet who haunts Alfie Byrne’s waking hours until Alfie cannot tell where Wilde ends and he begins.

*ERNIE LALLY St. Imelda’s actor and propmaster who is extremely dedicated to his craft.

FATHER KENNY (40 – 60) St. Imelda’s curmudgeonly but caring priest.

LILY BYRNE (Mezzo, 42 – 52) Alfie’s sister and roommate who wants nothing more than for Alfie to find a wife and move out so that she is free to marry Mr. Carney.

MISS CROWE A member of the St. Imelda’s Players, the wiry Miss Crowe has taken on the additional responsibility of costume design.

*MRS. CURTIN (Non-singing, tap dance, 30 – 40) St. Imelda’s actor and choreographer with a strong tendency towards tap dancing in her choreographic choices.

*MRS. GRACE (35 – 55) A full-figured kindly woman who recently took time off from St. Imelda’s players to tend to her ailing husband. Mrs. Grace paints watercolors.

MRS. PATRICK (40s) The middle-aged married woman who is having an affair with the younger Robbie.

JAJA’s African hair braiding

MARIE. Female. 18. Black Senegalese. Has lived almost her whole life in America. JAJA’s daughter who runs the shop for her mother. Does a great job. Kind and smart. Academically successful, but her immigration status is in the way of her college dreams. Carrying a lot of weight on her young shoulders pretty gracefully.

SISTA BEA. Female. 30’s. Black Ghanaian. Has been at the shop the longest and values her seniority. Constantly gossiping with AMINATA. Has a great sense of humor, but you don’t want to cross her. Critical and unpredictable, she creates a lot of drama. But when push comes to shove, she’ll come through.

AMINATA. Female. 30’s. Black Senegalese. Does a good job but takes all day. BEA’s best friend in gossip and drama – she doesn’t create it, but she doesn’t diffuse it either. Dryly funny, has mastered the art of side-eye.

NDIDI. Female. 20s. Black Nigerian. The young spitfire. She dresses the youngest and braids the fastest. Everyone at the shop knows that she makes the most money, and it doesn’t always go over well – especially with BEA, who accuses her of stealing clients.

MIRIAM. Female. 30’s. Black Sierra Leonean. Quiet and kind. She has a five-year-old daughter back in Sierra Leone, who she is trying to bring to America. Her peaceful demeanor belies a rebellious streak, which has landed her in this life – very different than the one she was raised for.

JAJA. Female. 40’s. Black Senegalese. Owner of the shop. Getting married today in City Hall to Steven – the landlord of a local building. Warm, joyful. Has a presence that draws you in.

JENNIFER. Female. 20’s. Black American. Comes to the shop for micro braids, and is in there all day. Patient, and an enthusiastic audience to the stories and dramas of the women in the shop.

CHRISSY/MICHELLE/LANIECE: CHRISSY: Female. 30’s. Black American. Very particular about her hair and adamant that they “make her look like Beyonce.” MICHELLE: Female. 20’s. Black American. The nervous client who doesn’t want trouble or confrontation and just wants to get her hair done peacefully. A former client of BEA’s who has come to have her hair done by NDIDI, without realizing they’re in the same shop. LANIECE: Female. 30’s. Black American. A really messy eater.

VANESSA/RADIA/SHEILA: VANESSA: Female. 30’s. Black American. A super-rude customer who no one wants to deal with. RADIA: Female. 18ish. Black American. One of MARIE’s former classmates whose “just catching up” conversation highlights the differences between the opportunities available to them. SHEILA: Female. 30’s. Black American. A friendly but loud-talking and nosey customer. Constantly on her phone.

JAMES / FRANKLIN, THE SOCK MAN / OLU, THE JEWELRY MAN / ERIC, THE DVD MAN: JAMES: Male. 30’s. Black Ghanian. AMINATA’s on and off again husband who clearly takes advantage of her. Charming, of course. FRANKLIN, THE SOCK MAN & OLU, THE JEWELRY MAN: Male. 30’s. Black West African. Honest men just trying to make a living; well-known to the women who work in the shop. ERIC, THE DVD MAN: Male. 30’s. Black West African. The caring DVD man who looks out for his friends; brings them critical news.