SEEKING ACTORS, DANCERS/PUPPETEERS FOR FIFTY BOXES OF EARTH

FIFTY BOXES OF EARTH AUDITIONS

by ANKITA RATURI
directed by KT SHORB
choreo by ANANYA CHATTERJEA

Acting Auditions: Sept 8 & 9
Dance Call: Sept 8
Acting Callbacks: Sept 16

SEEKING

Seeking actors and dancers/puppeteers for the world premiere of Fifty Boxes of Earth. While the actors will not have heavy choreography roles, they may have to interact seamlessly with those who do. For the dancers/puppeteers, we are looking for artists who can move with grounded movement vocabulary, non-mainstream aesthetics, improv, and rhythm.

AEA minimum is $605 per week, and non-AEA actors will be paid a minimum of $15 per hour, or equivalent rate. All roles are local contracts.

SYNOPSIS

In this world premiere, Q just moved to the neighborhood, but instead of a bed, they brought fifty boxes of earth for the community garden. When Q starts cultivating fantastical, improbable plants, one man's distrust grows even as his young daughter reaches out in friendship. A creative response to Bram Stoker's Dracula, Fifty Boxes of Earth weaves in choreography and puppetry to consider the heavy costs of leaving a home and putting down new roots.

REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE DATES

  • First Rehearsal: Jan 29, 2025

  • Tech Rehearsals: Feb 19-Mar 1, 2025

  • Previews: Feb 27 & 28, 2025

  • Opening Night: Mar 1, 2025

  • Closing Performance: Mar 16, 2025

Rehearsals will take place at the Mu Studio (755 Prior Ave. N, #107, Saint Paul), Ananya Dance Theatre (1197 University Ave. W, Saint Paul), or Park Square Theatre (408 Saint Peter St., Saint Paul), with tech rehearsals and performances at Park Square Theatre.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

Q - an immigrant, they/them. Asian. Identifies as nonbinary or trans. A parent who leaves their child in their own country to start a new life in a new land. They start by planting their own plot in a community garden.

Mina Harker - a local, 11-year-old, she/her. Asian American/Black/Latine/Indigenous. Befriends Q.

Jon Harker - a local, Harker’s father, he/him. Any race. Suspicious of Q and has concerns that Mina is befriending them.

Nature Ensemble - Any race, any gender. An ensemble of up to five dancers and/or puppeteers from non-Western movement traditions work together to make the plants grow and the weather shift. They represent nature, the environment, locality, intentions, roots, land, wind, rain. Femme artists and queer, nonbinary, and trans performers are encouraged to audition.

WHAT TO SUBMIT & PREPARE

Interested in only the acting roles?

  1. Fill out our audition form, which will also ask you to send over your headshot and resume to info@theatermu.org.

  2. Sign up for in-person auditions at our SignUpGenius. In-person auditions are Sept 8 from 10 am-3 pm CT and Sept 9 from 4-9 pm at the Mu Studio (755 Prior Ave. N, #107, Saint Paul).

  3. If you cannot make it in person, please submit a video to info@theatermu.org with the recorded acting sides by Sept 9 at 9 pm CT.

  4. Acting sides are available in this folder. Acting callbacks (invite only) will take place Sept 16 from 5-10 pm CT at the Mu Studio.

Interested in only the dancer/puppeteer ensemble?

  1. Fill out our audition form, which will also ask you to send over your headshot and resume to info@theatermu.org.

  2. Sign up for the in-person dance call at our SignUpGenius. The dance call will take place from Sept 8 from 3:30-6 pm CT at Ananya Dance Theatre (1197 University Ave. W, Saint Paul). Expect to stay the whole time. (The time of the dance call has been updated as of Aug 20.)

  3. At the dance call, wear comfortable clothes you can move in and expect to dance using bare feet. Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea will be teaching you a short routine on site.

  4. If you cannot make the dance call, please go to the Audition Materials folder and open the Virtual Dance Auditions folder. There, you will find instructions on what to submit for a virtual dance audition, which entails a short routine and two improv passages. Submissions are due Sept 16 at 11:59 pm CT to info@theatermu.org.

Interested in both the acting and dance/puppet ensemble roles?

  1. Fill out our audition form, which will also ask you to send over your headshot and resume to info@theatermu.org.

  2. Sign up for both an in-person acting audition slot and the dance call slot at our SignUpGenius.

    • Acting auditions will take place on Sept 8 from 10 am-3 pm CT and Sept 9 from 4-9 pm CT at the Mu Studio (755 Prior Ave. N, #107, Saint Paul).

    • The dance call will take place on Sept 8 from 3:30-6 pm CT at Ananya Dance Theatre (1197 University Ave. W, Saint Paul). Expect to stay the whole time. At the dance call, wear comfortable clothes you can move in and expect to dance using bare feet. Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea will be teaching you a short routine on site. (The time of the dance call was updated as of Aug 20.)

  3. If you cannot make it in person to an acting audition and/or the dance call, we will be accepting video submissions as well.

  4. Acting callbacks (invite only) will take place Sept 16 from 5-10 pm CT at the Mu Studio.

Questions? Email info@theatermu.org or call (651) 789-1012.

 
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