BOSTON COURT PASADENA
Audition Information
"A Going Away Party Play"
Keyanna Khatiblou has gifted us with a beautiful play and we appreciate your time and interest!
All updates will be posted here, so please check back for the most current information.
This website is designed to make this audition process as transparent and supportive as possible.
If you have any additional questions (after reading through the 411 below),
please email me directly Julia@Florescasting.com
With Gratitude Always,
Julia Flores
FAQ/UPDATES:
All updates will be posted here. The newest information will be listed at the top. We will also date and time any new details so that you know you have the most current information.
Please check back before your audition to make sure that you have the most current information.
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June 15th: 2pm
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We are now fully cast. Thank you all for making this a smooth and enjoyable experience! It was wonderful to spend time with cherished old friends and to meet so many new friends as well! Enjoy this beautiful summer.
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FAQ:
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Please see UNDERSTUDY INFO below.
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Dropbox link with video audition material: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aivurc5nhclodbu/AADWCQWbUHxcCxOODM48C2sza?st=6b01mpbe&dl=0
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We would rather you hold text and stick to script than be off book and improv (especially since the playwright will be viewing these auditions..)
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A SPECIAL NOTE FOR OUR ARTISTS:
Please visit Boston Court's website for their Land Acknowledgement and Anti-Racist Ethos https://bostoncourtpasadena.org/about/
COVID PROTOCOLS
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We will be adhering to all current Health and Safety and AEA requirements.
DATES:
Rehearsal Date(s): 08/13 Preview: 09/19 Opening: 09/28 Closing: 10/27 Possible Extension: 11/03 or 11/10
CONTRACTS
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AEA Los Angeles 99-seat Theatre Agreement. Actors are paid $18.00 per hour.
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There is no minimum on the 99-seat contract. It is $18/hour based on actual call.
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There is no pension and health under this agreement. 36 hours of rehearsal maximum / one, and occasionally two days off per week
REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
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Rehearsal Schedule: TBD but generally weeknights and weekend days, some days possible depending on actor availability. 36 hours rehearsal weekly maximum/one, and occasionally two days off per week.
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Performance weeks after opening are some combinations of Wednesdays through Mondays, with student matinees scheduled on some Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings throughout the run.
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Specific Performance Schedule Information:
Previews:
Thursday September 19th 8PM
Friday September 20th 8PM
Saturday September 21st 8PM
Sunday September 22nd 2PM
Thursday September 26th 8PM
Friday September 27th 8PM
Performances:
Saturday September 28th 8PM (Opening)
Sunday September 29th 2PM
Wednesday October 2nd (#1 Student Matinee) no public performance
Thursday October 3rd (#2 Student Matinee) no public performance
Friday October 4th 8PM
Saturday October 5th 2PM
Sunday October 6th 2PM
Monday October 7th 8 PM
Wednesday October 9th (#3 Student Matinee) no public performance
Thursday October 10th (#4 Student Matinee) no public performance
Friday October 11th (#5 Student Matinee) no public performance
Saturday October 12th 8PM (Yom Kippur)
Sunday October 13th 2PM
Wednesday October 16th (#6 Student Matinee) no public performance
Thursday October 17th (#7 Student Matinee) no public performance
Friday October 18th (#8 Student Matinee) no public performance
Saturday October 19th 8PM
Sunday October 20th 2PM
Monday October 21st 8PM
Wednesday October 23rd (#9 Student Matinee) no public performance
Thursday October 24th (#10 Student Matinee) no public performance
Friday October 25th (#11 Student Matinee)
Friday October 25th 8PM
Saturday October 26th 8PM
Sunday October 27th 2PM
Possible Extension Matinees:
Wednesday Oct 30 #12 (Student Matinee) no public performance
Thursday Oct 31 #13 (Student Matinee) no public performance
Friday Nov 1 #14 (Student Matinee) no public performance
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Please audition ONLY if these dates and terms are agreeable to you.
Please clear any/all conflicts with Flores Casting prior to your audition Julia@Florescating.com
Thank you!
RYAN/BASIR VIDEO UNDERSTUDY AUDITION INFORMATION:
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Although we cannot guarantee performances, it will be fall and that always means an uptick in illnesses so it’s not a matter of if, but when you will go on.
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James Fowler will be director for both casts.
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SCOPE OF WORK:
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Rehearsal start date 8/13
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First week of rehearsal: It would be wonderful to have you there as much as possible. 100% attendance is not required, but always helpful!
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Attend the designer dress (~3 hours)
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Attend other run throughs as scheduled
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Attend 4 of the 7 previews (3-4 hours each, depending on final length of show)
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We anticipate at least 2 understudy rehearsals, 5 hours each, after opening
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Watch one show per week once the show opens to stay familiar with it (3-4 hours each time, depending on final length of show)
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Be on call to fill in for sick or otherwise absent cast members. You do not need to be at the theatre.
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See performance schedule above
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COMPENSATION:
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Our understudies will be paid for all hours worked at a rate of $18.00. With the hours outlined above, we anticipate minimum compensation for each understudy of around $1000, possibly more depending on how many understudy rehearsals are held and when/if you go on.
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PLEASE:
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Dialects PLEASE even if you don't feel 100%, it helps us check to see if you have a general ear for dialects. Please just try and know that it does NOT need to be perfect; just a sense of the dialect will help. Plus...Boston Court is all about the Fearless Artist who is all in so what better way to jump into this material.
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Look over all dates (rehearsal and performances) and contract details. Email Julia with any/all concerns updates to your schedule and please add those to your contact sheet.
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It is clear that we are looking for actors who are game to create, experiment and break that third wall as well as be 100% grounded to access the truth and heart of the storytelling here. s
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Keyanna will be viewing all auditions so although we would like you to be off book enough to play and experiment, we would rather you hold text and stick to script than be off book and improv.
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FULL SCRIPT (please read): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uaya5a2v601u9ft6xw9qz/AFGeVmkXu0OVHvSyiyK6znE?
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RYAN/BASIR SIDES:
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Ryan Monologue: Page 73 Start “My parents immigrated to America with empty pockets,” End “Never, Never, Never, Never, Never.”
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Scene for Basir: Pages 25-26, Start “Maman and Baba really cleaned this place up for you two,” End “And the pay is truly pitiful.”
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Scene for Basir: Pages 16-17, Start “You are quiet, Caroline,” End “And Drama?.”
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It is preferred that video auditions should be submitted via Eco Cast, but if this is not possible, then you may submit directly (Julia@Florescasting.com) via Youtube, Vimeo or Dropbox. We will not view auditions submitted with direct downloads or google links, etc.
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PLEASE INCLUDE:
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A full body view. You can introduce yourself, tell us where you're from/where you live, etc. while you do this so it's not 100% awkward ;)
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Requested audition material (see above)
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Contact Sheet https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uaya5a2v601u9ft6xw9qz/AFGeVmkXu0OVHvSyiyK6znE?
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Headshot and Resume (if not sent via Eco Cast)
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LIVE AUDITION CHECKLIST:
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Please clear ANY AND ALL conflicts with Julia Flores BEFORE you audition
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Please bring a stapled copy of your Headshot and Resume
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Please bring a copy of your Actor Contact Sheet https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/uaya5a2v601u9ft6xw9qz/AFGeVmkXu0OVHvSyiyK6znE?
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Please bring audition material for the role(s) you have been asked to read and any others you are interested in
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PARKING AND ENTRANCE: Parking will be in the lot behind the theatre (driveway is north of the theatre). Please use the lobby entrance (on Mentor. You’ll see it as you drive into the driveway).
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GENERAL NOTE:
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After 2+ years of being mostly on camera, many actors have let their stage muscles slacken a bit. I'm talking about the size of your voice (both volume and placement) and the size of your bodies. Take up space. Use your full instrument.
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AUDITION DATES/ LOCATION/ WHO WILL BE THERE:
LIVE AUDITIONS:
DATE:
LOCATION: Boston Court Theatre (70 North Mentor in Pasadena. Parking lot is behind the theatre. Please use the the main entrance on Mentor and make yourself comfortable in the lobby.)
Who Will Be There:
Jessica Kubzansky (Artistic Director), Margaret Shigeko Starbuck (Assoc. Artistic Director), James Fowler (Director), Keyanna Khatiblou (Playwright) and Reader (TBD)
BREAKDOWN:
About the Play:
Mina is throwing a party for her closest friends and for you, the audience. Over the course of the party, the friends play games, reflect on the current American socio-political landscape, and discover truths about the story of Mina’s parents falling in love and staying in love while fleeing the Iranian Revolution. A Going Away Party Play is a celebration of multicultural identities and an exploration of what it means to leave or lose your home country.
About the Acting Company:
Each actor will play a present-day character and double as a character from the 1970s timeline. The present-day characters are written to be a grounded and authentic Greek chorus; they should feel like our friends and neighbors. They are us. Mina’s friends at the party will step in to play Mina’s family from the past. While doing so, actors should not “play old,” or “play Middle Eastern,” nor should they be portrayed farcically, or as a comedic interpretation of a culture. Instead, actors should do their best to play the essence of the character they are inhabiting in the ‘70s timeline. Actors may be asked to do a slight Persian dialect while doubling.
All ethnicities, gender representations, LGBTQIA+ are urged to audition. In several roles, identification is flexible depending on the actor cast. See this note from the playwright: “The intention of the present-day characters, with the exception of Mina, is to represent Americans with varied cultural backgrounds, specifically regarding the stories of how they came to be in present-day U.S.A. In this premiere production, adjustments to the script and character backgrounds can be made in order to best suit the cast.”
RYAN/BASIR understudy:
20's to 30's. Middle Eastern. RYAN (Male, or Male Identifying, 20s-30s, Middle Eastern, present day). First generation American. He feels guilt about being "average" despite his parents' sacrifices and high ambitions. He is Mina's close friend.
Also plays BASIR (Male, or Male-Identifying, 23-27, Middle Eastern, Persian dialect, 1970s). Mina's father. Charismatic, charming, very good looking. A computer engineer raised in Iran who studied in England. He is a chameleon: he gets along with everyone, and he's the life of the party. He likes Western culture and loves his home country. He is not political. He is romantic, a poet, passionate. Young and overconfident.
MINA/NILOOFAR:
20's to 30's. MINA: Female, or Female Identifying, Middle Eastern, present day). First generation American. Smart, neurotic, a little gloomy. She's our protagonist and narrator, retelling the family stories she heard growing up because she can't get them out of her head. She feels like Cassandra, warning everyone about impending doom and falling empires.
Also plays NILOOFAR (19-23, Female, or Female Identifying, Middle Eastern, Persian dialect, 1970s). Mina's aunt. A political activist and student. She is hot-tempered, passionate, sarcastic, funny. She dreams of what Iran could become under a democracy and fights for freedom in her country. She is fearless and optimistic.
KATE/CAROLINE:
20's to 30's. White woman. KATE (Female, or Female Identifying 20s-30s, White American, present day). Mina's close friend. A little ditzy, supportive, kind, clever, and bold. She is here to support her friend.
Also plays CAROLINE (Female, or Female Identifying 21-25, British, West Country English dialect, 1970s). Mina's mother. Born in a small farming town in Wiltshire, England, raised in poverty, and seeking adventure. She is practical, gentle, though sometimes thoughtless and naive. She is swept into an unexpected romance, and then a war. She doesn't know much about Iran before agreeing to move there with her husband, Basir. ALL ACTORS auditioning will be asked to do a West Country English dialect while doubling as Caroline.
RYAN/BASIR:
20's to 30's. Middle Eastern. RYAN (Male, or Male Identifying, 20s-30s, Middle Eastern, present day). First generation American. He feels guilt about being "average" despite his parents' sacrifices and high ambitions. He is Mina's close friend.
Also plays BASIR (Male, or Male-Identifying, 23-27, Middle Eastern, Persian dialect, 1970s). Mina's father. Charismatic, charming, very good looking. A computer engineer raised in Iran who studied in England. He is a chameleon: he gets along with everyone, and he's the life of the party. He likes Western culture and loves his home country. He is not political. He is romantic, a poet, passionate. Young and overconfident.
MATEO/SECURITY OFFICER:
Male, or Male-Identifying, 20's to 30's. Hispanic/Latinx. MATEO (20s-30s, Hispanic). Mina's close friend. Mateo is a real, genuine, unashamed romantic. He loves love, and he is not ashamed of it. We should be inspired by him.
Also plays SECURITY OFFICER (Male, or Male-Identifying, any age, Middle Eastern, Persian dialect,1970s). A soldier during a time of martial law in Iran.
DEBBIE/MAMAN BOZORG:
25 to 30's, woman. DEBBIE (Female, or Female-Identifying, 20s-30s, Asian-American, present day). Mina's close friend. Blunt, a little serious, grounded. Not afraid of confrontation. She's the most likely person to call Mina out. Knows how to have fun, though.
Also plays MAMAN BOZORG (Female, or Female-Identifying, 50s, Iranian, Persian dialect, 1970s). Niloofar and Basir's mother and Mina's grandmother. Raised in a tiny village in Northern Iran, and now lives in Tehran. Traditional, modest, loving. She is less of a literal interpretation of Mina's grandmother, and more of a memory of matriarchy, ancestry, and very good cooking. Note regarding the age differences between Debbie/Mama B, seeking a versatile actor who isn’t “playing old,” but portraying the essence of the character.
UNDERSTUDIES: We will be casting understudies for all roles listed above.