[NEohioPAL] Auditions Announced for Ayad Aktar's DISGRACED at Beck Center

[Scott Spence]

"E*veryone has been told that politics and religion are two subjects that
should be off limits at social gatherings..."~~~**NY Times Review*


*Beck Center is pleased to announce auditions for DISGRACED, the
winner of **the
2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama by Ayad Aktar.*

*Director Christopher Mirto will see interested actors by appointment on
Sunday, March 8th and Monday March 9th. To reserve your audition
appointment please call 216-521-2540 ext 10. *

*DISGRACED opens in Beck Center's intimate Studio Theatre space on May 29th
and continues through June 28th. Rehearsals will begin sometime after April
19th.*

*It is anticipated that two Equity contracts will be available. All
non-union actors are paid a stipend as well. AEA contracts for this
production are Special Appearance Contracts- Tier One.*

*Roles are available for 3 Men and 2 Women {See character descriptions
below}*

*Auditioning actors will read sides from the script which will be provided
several days prior to your audition appointment. Callbacks will likely
occur the weekend of March 14th.*

*About The Play*

Amir Kapoor is a successful Pakistani-American lawyer who is rapidly moving
up the corporate ladder while distancing himself from his cultural roots.
Emily, his wife, is white; she's an artist, and her work is influenced by
Islamic imagery. When the couple hosts a dinner party, what starts out as a
friendly conversation escalates into something far more damaging.

*Critic's Response*

*"DISGRACED...a vitally engaged play about thorny questions of identity and
religion in the contemporary world, with an accent on the incendiary topic
of how radical Islam and the terrorism it inspires have affected the public
discourse. In dialogue that bristles with wit and intelligence, Mr.
Aktar...puts contemporary attitudes toward religion under a microscope,
revealing how tenuous self-image can be for people born into one way of
being who have embraced another." {NY Times}*

*"...blistering social drama about the racial prejudices that secretly
persist in progressive cultural circles..." ~~~Variety*

*"What makes DISGRACED impressive is that Aktar, having invented educated
intelligent characters, lets the burgeoning mess articulate itself through
their interaction....you rarely feel the playwright nudging them in the
right direction."~~~Village Voice*

*Character Breakdown*

*EMILY*: White female; early-30s; artist; intelligent; her work is inspired
by Muslim faith;

married to AMIR, though the seams of their marriage are starting to wear.
Charming,

easy to talk to, and ready for a major leap into the art world.
Level-headed and quick to

diffuse uncomfortable conversations, especially when interacting with her
husband.



*AMIR*: South Asian male; around 40 years old; corporate lawyer; married to
EMILY;

complicated relationship to his Muslim identity; born in America; tough,
dark streak,

passionate about beliefs. Though a successful lawyer, things have been hard
for this

him since 9/11; he is quickly put into a stereotypical box because of the
color of his skin.

*Looking for an actor with similar ethnic background and/or experiences.*



*ABE*: South Asian male; around 20 years old; passionate about social
justice;

arrogance of youth; nephew to AMIR. Parents immigrated from Pakistan to the
United

States when he was eight years-old. Also has a complicated relationship to
being South

Asian in America but has tried to assimilate superficially. By then end of
the play he

does an about-face and zealously embraces his identity, fighting against
the “terrorist”

stereotype. *Looking for an actor with similar ethnic background and/or
experiences.*



*JORY:* Black female; mid- to late-30s; successful corporate lawyer and
colleague in

AMIR’s firm; has everything it takes to become partner: smart, commanding,
no-

nonsense. Married to ISAAC. Confident and can hold her own in a fight. She
chooses

order over justice.



*ISAAC*: White, Jewish male; around 40 years old; art gallery owner
interested in

EMILY’s artwork; married to JORY. Charming, funny, a little pretentious,
clear about his

views and what he likes and dislikes. Likes to argue but doesn’t know when
to back

down.
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