Audition Call Out : Choir Boy
October 18, 2022
CHOIR BOY
by Tarell Alvin McCraney
CASTING BRIEF
About the Show
Choir Boy is a Tony Award-winning, soaring musical drama written by the Oscar-winning writer of Moonlight, Tarell Alvin McCraney.
Pharus, a talented student, has been waiting for years to take his rightful place as the leader of the legendary gospel choir at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys. He bravely stands up to the traditions that would silence his voice in this moving story of sexuality, race and hope, featuring stunning á cappella gospel music.
Choir Boy will play at the Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta from the 14 February – 11 March 2023. We are excited to be producing the Australian premier at National Theatre of Parramatta, where playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney himself will be flying over to lead our playwrighting mentorship program STAGING THE WORLD. He will be accompanied by the Musical Director for the Broadway production, Allen René Louis, who will also be joining our production as musical director. This is an exciting opportunity to work with a renowned American team.
Creative Team
Presented by Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta
Playwright: Tarell Alvin McCraney (he/him)
Co-Directors: Dino Dimitriadis (they/them) & Zindzi Okenyo (she/her)
Music Director: Allen René Louis (he/him)
Casting by Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta & Evolution Casting
Casting Director: Rhys Velasquez (they/she)
Set and Costume Design: James Browne (he/him)
Lighting Design: Karen Norris (she/her)
Production Dates
Rehearsal Dates: Monday 9 January 2023 – Monday 13 February 2023
Production Dates: Tuesday 14 February 2023 – Saturday 11 March 2023
*Possible Extension through to April 2023.
Agreement
Casting is open to anyone in Australia.
The National Theatre of Parramatta adheres to the PCA Award.
Covid Safety Plan
All artists auditioning acknowledge and understand that in order to audition and be considered for this production, they must be fully vaccinated with the recommended doses recognised by Australian authorities or hold a valid exemption from the vaccine, authorised by a medical practitioner. Auditionees will be required to provide proof of vaccination or exemption prior to the commencement of employment, either during the audition process or post.
Auditionees must also agree to comply with both the Venue and the Productions COVID-19 safety plan and acknowledge these may change from time to time and venue to venue.
Casting Statement
Evolution Casting is committed to Representative, Inclusive and Conscious Casting that fosters meaningful and positive representation. Evolution Casting believes that when a character’s identity is mentioned in the material or crucial to the story telling, that it should be cast as authentically as possible. If identity is not crucial to a role, Evolution Casting and the creative team invite actors of any and all Races, Ethnicities, Cultural and Religious Backgrounds, Sexual Identities, Gender Identities and Expressions, Disabilities and Neurodiversities to apply and will consciously consider how stereotypes and misrepresentation will play into those cast. Actors are invited to view the Casting Mission and Values (click here) of Evolution Casting through the previously provided links.
If you require to have an open conversation with casting or the team in regards to any cultural or accessibility requirements for auditions and during the production, please contact rhys@evolutioncasting.com to set up a conversation over the phone or however is most suitable and accessible.
Audition Dates
First Round auditions are via Self-Tape only (Details under ‘Submissions’ at the end of the brief)
Callbacks will be scheduled following self-tape submission.
Zoom callbacks will be made available to those living outside of New South Wales.
Attendance at auditions are at the artists own risk. Any costs incurred for attending the auditions are the sole responsibility of the artist and not the production, creative or casting teams.
Character Breakdown
All ages listed should be considered ‘Playing age’
Please note, this show includes strong themes of homophobia, religion and violence and may find some of the content triggering. Strong themes relating to specific characters are listed in their breakdown. If you need to discuss any listed themes further, please contact casting.
Some artists might be required to partake in intimate scenes that include partial nudity, intimate or close body contact and choreographed violence. Specific details have been included for each character in their breakdown below. An Intimacy Coordinator will be involved in the production to ensure the physical and mental safety of artists during the building of these scenes. No artist will be required to commit to intimate moments in these scenes during the audition process.
All characters included in this brief require actors from the African diaspora. Actors who identify as African-American; African-Australian; African or Black are welcome to apply. Although professional experience is not required, Actors must be able to sing.
PHARUS JONATHAN YOUNG; he/him; Late Teens
Characters Gender: Male.
Character Ethnicity: African-American.
An effeminate young man of colour. Begins the play as a junior at the Charles R Drew Prep School for Boys and the lead of the School’s famous choir. He is roommates with AJ JAMES.
Vocal Range: Tenor.
Content Warnings: This character experiences direct homophobia and physical violence.
Intimacy Requirements: This character has scenes that may require partial nudity; Scenes with intimate physical contact (non-sexual); as well as scenes with choreographed physical altercations.
Submissions
Artists interested in being considered for Choir Boy must submit a self-tape singing a gospel song of their choice, à capella. Please also include an introduction/slate with your NAME, LOCATION, VOCAL TYPE & AGENT (if applicable). Upload your self-tape edited together with your slate (do upload separately) to YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive and send the link, as well as a headshot and performance CV to rhys@evolutioncasting.com
If any artists are not familiar with self-taping, please reach out to Casting and they will chat you through the requirements.
Artists auditioning must be eligible to work in Australia by the time of auditions and must be 18 years old or older.
Callbacks are by invite only. Artists successful in gaining a callback will be notified no later than within the week before the auditions commence. Some artists might be required to prepare material for more than one role.
If any artists have any accessibility requirements to make their audition experience more comfortable, please make this known in your submission. Casting will be in contact to discuss your requirements further.
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE 21st OCTOBER 2022. LATE SUBMISSIONS RUN THE RISK OF NOT BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE PRODUCTION.