Masked: A New Musical - Workshop Auditions Rubber City Theatre is holding auditions for a workshop production of *Masked* A New Musical. We are casting local non-union actors and one AEA actor. Audition appointments are by appointment only. WHEN: Tuesday, December 10 from 5:00pm - 9:00pm Accepting Video Auditions through December 14. WHERE: Rubber City Theatre 243 Furnace St Akron, OH 44304 TO SCHEDULE AN AUDITION: APPOINTMENTS CAN BE MADE BY E-MAIL to casting@rubbercitytheatre.com. Please include your name, phone number, an attachment of your headshot and resume, and your preferred day and/or time. You will receive a response within three business days. We will endeavor to schedule you as near as possible to your requested time, pending availability. AEA contracts: One AEA Special Appearance Contract is available for this production. Non-AEA contracts: Non-AEA actors are non-paid at this time. PREPARATION: Please prepare a 32 bars of a contemporary musical theatre song and be prepared to read from the script. An accompanist will not be provided. You will be auditioning for Dane CT Leasure, Director and Artistic Director, and Russell Aguirre, Artistic Apprentice. Please bring a copy of your most current headshot and resume. VIDEO AUDITIONS: Please submit a video of 32 bars of a contemporary musical theatre song. Rehearsals: Please note rehearsals are Monday through Thursday from 6:30-10:00pm, and Sundays from 4:00-9:00pm. At the beginning of the week leading into opening, we will have Monday off. Workshop performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, and Saturday and Sundays at 2:30pm, one weekend of performances only. We will only allow a couple conflicts during the rehearsal process, no conflicts during the last week and show run. Venue: This show’s rehearsal and performance location are at our new venue at 243 Furnace St. Akron, OH 44304. Production Notes: This is a workshop production; used as a part of developing new works. We will be rough staging the show, and using basic scenic elements, lighting, costumes, and props. The public performances are to provide feedback to the creative team. If you are cast in the workshop production, it does not guarantee an offer for the full production which will rehearse in April and run during May. Offers and follow up auditions for the full production will take place a few weeks after the workshop. In reference to the character descriptions below - most characters we encounter currently are on the binary and are written with the he/him or she/her pronouns and you will see that are in the following descriptions. But, however limiting the descriptions are, our casting seeks to be as inclusive as possible and we invite gender non-conforming, genderqueer, transgender, non-binary actors to submit for the roles they most identify with. We will also list race/ethnicity when specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and ethnicities. As an ADA compliant theatre, we welcome performers of all abilities and will make all reasonable accommodations in order to cast performers, regardless of disability, in any role possible. Please let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or if there are any accommodations we can provide. (Language developed by Kevin Kantor and Emily Tarquin from the Actors Theatre of Louisville). Masked A New Musical by Rachel Dean and Amy Burgess Director: Dane CT Leasure Music Director: Jaron M. LeGrair First rehearsal: January 6, 2020 Opens: January 24, 2020 Closes: January 26, 2020 Casting: 10W, 6M Synopsis: It is May, 1945, and the G.S. Good Rubber Factory in Akron, OH, is in the throes of rubber production for World War II. With most of the men overseas, it is no time to be frail for the female workers as they navigate the new, harsh work environment of factory life, and discover the freedom and agency that come with it. In this adaptation of Shakespeare's *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, Helen, the factory forewoman, Billie, the factory machinist, Ellie, the factory owner's daughter, and Sandra, a female Naval Lieutenant turned filmmaker comprise a lovers' quartet on a collision course with their burgeoning feelings for each other and the uncertainty of a changing world. With the announcement of V-E Day, their newfound freedoms are in danger, and all four must decide how to chart their futures. Mix in Robert and Clarence (long-time partners and proprietors of the local Ritz Theatre longing for the old days of sumptuous revelry and passion), Buck (their mischievous assistant), Nick (the exceptionally handsome lead singer of the band "The 4 Fs”), and a mad-cap masked party in the woods, and the end of the war is sure to only be the beginning. CHARACTERS: 1. Helen Brown (29) - She is headstrong, straight-forward, stubborn, and follows the rules to the letter. She is the youngest factory overseer on the floor, and everyone around her treats her like she is in charge. She is good at her job and well-respected by the women working under her. Helen is no-nonsense and, to the casual observer, someone who is closed off from involvement in others’ affairs. She is brusque and doesn’t have room for niceties. Hard outer shell, soft in the middle. She’s in love with Billie. 2. Eleanor “Ellie” Good (19 or maybe 21?) - Ellie’s energy is bright and kind, and while she is certainly a beautiful young woman by any measure, she presents herself without much fanfare even though her presence is the kind that demands acknowledgement. Ellie is clearly aware of her effect on others, and uses it strategically. A dreamer at heart, she wants to make her father happy, but finds it takes her further and further away from her own pursuit of happiness. Meets and falls head over heels in love with Sandra. 3. Billie Harris (34) - A long time worker on the factory floor, Billie has lived in Akron her whole life, and started working at the factory when she turned 18, one of only a few women who worked on the floor before the war. She is friendly, warm, familial, and outgoing - a stable presence in the community. Billie keeps her private life private. She’s in love with Helen, but because of their complicated history, sees Ellie as someone more emotionally available. 4. Lt. Sandra O’Hare (26) - Sandra is a dashingly beautiful woman with the confidence of a man. A lieutenant in the Navy and the youngest person in charge of a department at the Office of War Information, she is able to command the room and the attention of men and women alike with forcefulness. She’s unquestionably in charge, intelligent, and quick, but with a sense of humor that keeps her amused, upbeat, and sure in the face of conflict. The only thing able to take her by surprise is her feelings for Ellie, which run a little deeper than she expected. 5. Mr. GS Good/Frank (52) - Mr. G.S. Good - Owner and foreman of the factory, Mr. Good has developed a sharp business acumen over the years which has rarely steered him wrong. He is buttoned-up, strait-laced, and very comfortable with maintaining tradition. His first concern is and always has been whatever is best for the factory, which, to him, is synonymous with what is best for the family. His daughter Ellie has him wrapped around her finger, but not so much that he’ll miss an opportunity to merge his company with the Knights’ via Ellie’s marriage. He loves his daughter and wants what’s best for her, in his opinion, of course. - Frank - a member of the Four F’s. Probably the only good player in the group. 6. Robert Sheridan (45) - Together with Clarence Ryan, co-owner of Akron’s Ritz theater and its adjoining bar as well as the temporarily closed Summit Lake Resort in the center of town. The two moved from New York to Akron in 1935, having survived the depression due to considerable real estate and land holdings. They are part of the upper class of Akron, despite their eccentric personalities. Robert has always been the frontman for the two’s business exploits, a dynamic at play in their long-standing romantic relationship as well. 7. Clarence “Clary” Ryan (39) - Longtime business and romantic partner of Robert Sheridan. He’s always been the more detail-oriented and organized of the two, both in business and life; he’s much more likely to feel the stress of perfectionism and getting everything just right. This tendency to be keyed-up is complemented well by Robert’s relaxed and playful approach to life. 8. Buck (25) - Robert’s longtime personal assistant and bartender of the Ritz Bar. Always up for a good time, he often is the deciding vote in Robert’s favor in arguments between Robert and Clarence about how to throw parties. It’s been awhile since they had either reason or venue for a party, though; however, despite the war dragging on into tedium and Buck, Robert and Clarence settling into a ho-hum routine, Buck is never far from stoking some kind of mischief. 9. Nick Butz (30s) - Bandleader of the truly awful but always dogged Four F’s. Always looking for gigs, always underemployed, and potentially the least talented member of the group, he’s perhaps best defined by his hapless determination and stick-to-it-iveness. Also, he may or may not have a thing for Clarence. 10. Frances/Film Crew (30s) - Frances - a member of the Four F’s, and a sometimes composer/songwriter for the band. 11. Finn (drag)/Factory Girl (Mary)/Film Crew (drag) (woman) (20s) - Finn - a member of the Four F’s. - Mary - a bit of a busybody, but a well-meaning one. 12. Factory Girl (Margie)/Fairy/Party Guest (20s-30s) - Margie - Doesn’t talk much, but doesn’t need to - she is incredibly skilled at her work, and communicates only what and when she needs to. 13. Factory Girl (Elaine)/Fairy/Party Guest (20s-30s) - Elaine - A self-styled realist, though others might say pessimist. Efficient at her job, and a valuable team member. 14. Factory Girl (Betty)/Fairy/Party Guest (20s-30s) - Betty - Smart and analytical, but new to the job at the factory and prone to mistakes. She tends to cower before authority. 15. Factory Girl (Ruth)/Fairy/Party Guest (20s-30s) - Ruth - Optimistic, and often a source of wartime information for the other factory workers, since her brother is on or near the front lines. 16. Factory Girl (Jean) /Fairy/Party Guest (20s-30s) - Jean - A bit nosy, a bit talkative, and overall supportive of the other girls on the line and hopeful for the war’s end.