Saturday, January 14, 10:00am-2:00pm
Monday, January 16, 5:00-7:00pm
Callbacks: TBD
@ BLUEBARN Theatre – 1106 S. 10th St, Omaha
Director: Susan Clement
Time Commitment: 9 weeks
Rehearsal Dates: April 24 – May 24, 2023
Production Dates: May 25 – June 25, 2023
All Roles Compensated
***All artists working at the BLUEBARN are required
to have been vaccinated for COVID-19***
Instructions:
Auditions will consist of prepared sides, and cold readings from the script.
Prepared monologues under 2 minutes are welcome, though not required. Tell us a joke!
For more information on auditions or to request a copy of the script and sides contact Amy Reiner at areiner@bluebarn.org.
About the Play:
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they’ll claw their way to the top at the Boogie Crown Grand Prix Finals in Tampa Bay. A 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama, Dance Nation is a stark, unrelenting exploration of female power featuring a multigenerational cast of women portraying our 13-year-old heroines.
Note on Casting:
All characters except Dance Teacher Pat and The Moms are between the ages of 11 and 14 years old. However, they should be played by adult actors (for the most part) and should range in age from 12 to 75+ There is no need for any of the actors to resemble teenagers. (In fact, please resist this impulse!) And the more diverse the cast the better.
Think of it as a ghost play: the actors’ older bodies are haunting these 13-year-olds characters. (We’re getting to see who they grow up to be!) And these 13-year-old characters are haunted by the specters of what they will become. At times we should be fully in “13-year-old land” with all its ridiculousness, pain and pleasure. And at times we should be palpably aware of the actors’ real ages and their distance from this moment in their lives.
Dance Nation Roles:
Dance Nation consists of the following roles. Per the playwright, roles are open to all ethnicities unless otherwise noted:
Dance Teacher Pat: The head of the dance studio
Connie: A talented dancer who thinks she should play the role of Ghandi – Female, 25, Southeast Asian/Indian
*Of the following three roles, at least two must be People of Color*
Amina: The star dancer
Zuzu: Always second best
Ashlee: Future president of post-apocalyptic USA
Luke: The only male dancer on the competition team
Maeve: The oldest and least talented dancer on the team
Sofia: Knows what’s up
Vanessa: Could’ve been a phenomenon
The Moms: Means well. Grown up Wendy
Casting Statement of Principle
BLUEBARN Theatre acknowledges the historic exclusion and lack of opportunity for artists who identify as Global Majority (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), LGBTQIA2S+, neuro-diverse, and artists with disabilities. We are actively working against the field-wide implicit bias and systemic inequities that result in default white, cis, heteronormative casting. BLUEBARN is likewise committed to countering all modes of discrimination in casting.
Sides:
BLUEBARN Theatre acknowledges the historic exclusion and lack of opportunity for artists who identify as Global Majority (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), LGBTQIA2S+, neuro-diverse, and artists with disabilities. We are actively working against the field-wide implicit bias and systemic inequities that result in default white, cis, heteronormative casting. BLUEBARN is likewise committed to countering all modes of discrimination in casting.
BLUEBARN Theatre is committed to fostering a culture of civility, dignity and respect as a right and responsibility of all who walk through its doors. Employees, guest artists, volunteers, and patrons are entitled to and responsible for maintaining an environment of mutual trust – free from intimidation, exploitation, harassment and discrimination. Offensive, abusive, or unwelcome verbal or physical conduct will not be tolerated. Adhering to this standard is vital to the BLUEBARN’s mission: “to provoke thought, emotion, action, and change.”