Actors Needed for "The Laramie Project" Play Audition
Actors sought for "The Laramie Project". ONLY LOCAL TALENT WILL BE CONSIDERED. See the breakdown below. About the project: On October 6, 1998, a young, gay college student was beaten, robbed, and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. The story became a national headline. On November 14, 1998, The members of Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie to conduct interviews with the people of the town. During the next year, they would return to Laramie several times and conduct over two hundred interviews. What resulted is this play: a montage of interviews, news reports, journal entries, and court transcripts documenting the town’s reactions to this event and the small group of theatre makers’ experiences as they searched for answers. A striking example of verbatim theatre, this play is constructed entirely of the real words spoken by the residents of Laramie, Wyoming. Additional info: Looking for 8-10 actors (subject to change) of all ethnicities, genders, ages 20-70s. This is an ensemble show. All actors will be playing multiple characters, narrators, and ensemble. You may be asked to play characters whose ethnicity, race, gender, etc. differ from your own. You are primarily playing the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, who re-enact the interviews they conducted. Many characters only have a few lines, and a few scenes will be read off the page. Directors are seeking actors who reflect our world to tell the stories they put onstage, and therefore strongly encourage people of diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups to audition. Callbacks by invitation: January 18 (2-5 pm). Rehearsals will be light to start out and get busier in March/April. Performance dates: May 1, 2, 3 at 8:00 pm May 4 at 3:00 pm If you are interested, please apply.
90 roles
Founder of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Narrator. 35. Organizes the first trip to Laramie. Gay, Venezuelan, Jewish. From New York. Director of the Laramie Project.
Member of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Narrator. 31. Associate writer. He played himself in the original production.
Member of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Narrator. Dramaturg. She played herself in the original production.
Member of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Narrator. ~27. Dramaturg. He played himself in the original production.
Member of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Narrator. Associate writer. He played himself in the original production.
Member of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Narrator. Dramaturg. She played herself in the original production.
Member of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Narrator. Assistant Director and Head Writer of the Laramie Project.
Father of Mathew Shepard. Wyoming Native. Given the decision of whether or not to pursue the death penalty. Later, he co-founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation with his wife Judy.
Lesbian. 21. Close friend of Mathew Shepard. Founder of Angel Action and political activist. Plays guitar and wears a black leather jacket.
Romaine Patterson’s sister. Coffee shop owner.
Friend of Matthew Shepard. Eastern European accent. Brings the group to visit the scene of the crime.
One of the perpetrators. 21. A roofer. Has a history of drug problems and physical abuse when he was younger. Has a child with his girlfriend, Kristen Price. Currently serving two life sentences.
Father of Aaron Mckinney. Truck Driver. Hounded by the media during the arraignment, he defends his son. Had Aaron when he was around 20.
Girlfriend of Aaron Mckinney. Tennessee accent. Has a child with Aaron. Baptist. Charged with accessory after the fact.
Works for the railroad.
Friend of Aaron Mckinney.
A friend of Aaron Mckinney.
Latino from Laramie. Knows Aaron. Recently in jail for assault and battery.
One of the perpetrators. 19. Eagle Scout. Priest of the Mormon church, excommunicated for what he has done.
Grandmother of Russell Henderson. Working class woman who provides a popular day-care service in town. Reads a statement at Russell’s sentencing.
To Russell Henderson. Friend of the family for 48 years who ordained Russell a priest of the mormon church. Chooses to still support him despite his excommunication.
Russell Henderson’s landlord.
University student. 19. First person to discover Mathew while biking. Christian.
University student. 19 years old. An actor. Christian.
Muslim woman in Laramie, a university student. Calls herself an “islamic feminist”. Parents are from Bangladesh. Knew Aaron Mckinney in grade school.
Bisexual university student. 19. From Cody, Wyoming.
Limo driver and local entrepreneur. Not really a doctor. From Bossler, about 30 minutes away. Got to know Mathew when he picked him up one night.
Gay Laramie resident. 52. Recovering from a broken leg.
Gay man.
Bartender at the Fireside Bar, where Mathew was last seen. Student at the University. A witness in the case. Aspires to be an actor (or at least be the center of attention).
Owner of the Fireside Bar. Aspires to grow his business.
30. DJ at the Fireside Bar. Last to see Mathew in public.
Looks like Debbie Reynolds. 44. Works at a local Inn.
Volunteer for a social service agency in town. Very good friend of Marge Murray.
Mother of Reggie Fluty, friend of Allison Mears. Has had emphysema for many years but continues to smoke. Social service worker and bartender.
Policewoman who responded to the 911 call and found Mathew at the fence. 39. Daughter of Marge Murray.
Of the Laramie Police Department. 3rd generation Laramie resident.
Of the Albany County courthouse sheriff’s department. Chief Investigator for Mathew Shepard’s murder. Interrogates Aaron Mckinney.
ER Doctor at Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie. Treated Mathew Shepard and Aaron Mckinney on the same night.
CEO of Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins Colorado. Mormon.
Rancher.
Gil's wife.
Car mechanic.
Rancher. Resident of Centennial, a nearby town.
Head of the theatre department at the university of Wyoming. Midwestern accent. Moved to Laramie recently. Directs a production of Angels in America as a response to these events.
Out lesbian professor at the university.
Mathew Shepard’s academic advisor. Political science professor.
Administrator at the University. Lesbian. Texas accent.
Admin assistant at the University.
President of the University.
Contacts Philip Dubois to complain about the community's response to Mathew’s murder.
State ecclesiastical leader for the Mormon Church in Laramie. Professor at the university.
From Texas. Biblical literalist. Hesitant to be interviewed.
Catholic priest. Very outspoken.
Unitarian minister. Very left-wing.
Minister of the Westboro Baptist Church, from Kansas. His website is godhatesfags.com. Travels to Laramie to protest Mathew’s funeral and the following trials.
At Mathew’s funeral.
First-term Republican up for re-election in Wyoming. 45.
Local reporter.
Reporter with Casper star tribune.
At the arraignment.
At the arraignment.
At the homecoming parade.
Interviews Sgt. Hing at the scene of the crime.
Prosecuting attorney.
At the arraignment.
At the Russell Henderson trial.
Must decide if they are pro-death penalty when being selected for the murder trial.
Reads Aaron’s verdict.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
ENSEMBLE.
Sing “Amazing Grace”. ENSEMBLE.
At the trials of Russell and Aaron. ENSEMBLE.
Who work with Reggie Fluty and Rob Debree. ENSEMBLE.
Protest towards Fred Phelps, singing “amazing grace”.
Mother of Mathew and husband of Dennis.
RELATED CASTING CALLS
