Equity Principal Auditions

For the 2023–24 season, a Seasonal EPA was held locally in New Haven on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 and in NYC on May 31 & June 1, 2023.

Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.

Yale Rep is committed to an inclusive casting policy and encourages all actors to audition regardless of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Please refer to the character breakdown and description of roles below.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN OF AVAILABLE ROLES

WISH YOU WERE HERE

By Sanaz Toossi
Directed by Sivan Battat

Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT

First Rehearsal: August 22
First Tech Rehearsal: September 27
Previews: October 5, 6, 7, 10, 11
Opening October 12
Closing: October 28

NAZANIN: Late 20s-30s; pronouns: she/her; Iranian; sort of mean. An anchor in this friend group, lashes out sometimes, loves deeply.

SALME: Late 20s-30s; pronouns: she/her; Iranian; the peacemaker; religious and hijabi; attuned to her friends even when she’s absorbed in a book.

ZARI: Late 20s-30s; pronouns: she/her; Iranian; happy-go-lucky; can be a bit of a space case. Spunky, curious, playful, grows up a lot.

SHIDEH: Late 20s-30s; pronouns: she/her; Iranian; a little uptight and can be intense; very smart; a little anxious; charmingly sarcastic.

RANA: Late 20s-30s; pronouns: she/her; Iranian; the queen of cool; sophisticated; magnetic; effortlessly fun.

NEW FRIEND/Understudy Shideh: Late 20s-30s; pronouns: she/her; Iranian; mechanical engineer. Tentative, alert, a little bit sweaty. Doubles as Understudy for SHIDEH

THE SALVAGERS

By Harrison David Rivers
Directed by Mikael Burke

Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT

First Rehearsal: October 10
First Tech Rehearsal: November 16
Previews: November 24, 25, 27, 28, 29
Opening: November 30
Closing: December 16

BOSEMAN SALVAGE JUNIOR: Black, male-identifying, 23-year-old, an actor. Angry at the world and searching for a way out. Loves desperately.

BOSEMAN SALVAGE SENIOR: Black, male-identifying, 37-year-old, JUNIOR’S father, a locksmith. Trying to make up for lost time. Loves fiercely.

NEDRA SALVAGE: Black, male-identifying, 39-year-old, JUNIOR’S mother, a postal worker. Trying to make up for past mistakes. Loves out loud.

ELINOR DEWITT: Person of color, female-identifying, 32-year-old, a substitute teacher. Meets people where they are. Loves compassionately.

PAULINA KENSTON: Person of color, female-identifying, 21-year-old, a waitress. Sees people as they are. Loves authentically.

ESCAPED ALONE 

By Caryl Churchill
Directed by Liz Diamond

Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT

First Rehearsal: January 23
First Tech: February 29
Previews: March 8, 9, 11, 12, 13
Opening: March 14
Closing: March 30

NOTE: The play is set in a provincial English town in the present, in Sally’s back garden. All characters are British and in their 70s. Ethnicities may vary.   

MRS JARRETT: (70s – British) Acquainted with Sally and the others but not part of their friend group. Working-class, formerly served as a school crossing guard. Observant, curious. Steps out of the action several times over the course of the play to describe what happened in the aftermath of various apocalyptic events which she alone survived.

VI: (70s – British) An old friend of Sally’s and Lena’s. Lower middle class. No-nonsense, direct. Holds strong opinions about the need for women to face their fears head on. The mother of a grown son from whom she is now estranged. Was imprisoned for six years some time ago for killing her husband, an act judged to have been committed in self-defense.

SALLY: (70s – British) An old friend of Vi’s and Lena’s, hosting them for tea in her back garden.  A cheerful and energetic retiree, she warmly welcomes Mrs Jarrett to join the gathering despite the reservations of the others. She is expert at keeping the conversational ball in the air, but has a crippling phobia of a cats, which causes her to panic whenever they are mentioned.

LENA: (70s – British) An old friend of Sally’s and Vi’s. A sweet tempered, timid, woman who struggles with depression and agoraphobia. Gamely participates in the conversation but finds Vi’s hearty efforts to encourage her to get out more deeply distressing.

THE FAR COUNTRY

By Lloyd Suh
Directed by Eric Ting

Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT

First Rehearsal: March 19
First Tech Rehearsal: April 18
Previews: April 26, 27, 29, 30 and May 1
Opening: May 2
WP! Morning Student Matinees: May 14, 15, 16
Closing: May 18

NOTE: Seeking AAPI performers to play roles as:  

GEE and as cast: male-identifying, 40s/50s, Chinese American; strategically mercurial; can be gregarious and affable one minute, then broody and calculating the next.

MOON GYET and as cast: male-identifying, 20s, Chinese American; sincere, thoughtful. Keeps contained a deep well of sorrow until he cannot.

LOW and as cast: 40s/50s female-identifying, Chinese American; passionate and plain-spoken. As full of love as she is of heartache.

YUEN and as cast: 20s, female-identifying, Chinese American; practical but improbably optimistic and adventurous; her youthful energy has wisdom in it.

YIP/ONE and as cast: 30s/40s male-identifying, Chinese American; an efficient interpreter; doubles as ONE, a storyteller who is many people of many dispositions all at once.

TWO and as cast: 40s/50s, male-identifying, Chinese American; a storyteller who is many people of many dispositions all at once.

….

HARRIWELL/INTERPRETER and as cast: 40s/50s, white, male-identifying, honest and direct.

DEAN/INSPECTOR and as cast: 30s/40s, white, male-identifying, has all the power, so he doesn’t have to prove it.