Additional Links
Directed by TammyRa’
Audition Dates:
Saturday, Oct.19: 12:30 p.m – 4:30 p.m
Sunday, Oct. 20: 12:30 p.m – 4:30 p.m
Monday, Oct. 21: 6:30 p.m – 10 p.m
*Thursday, Oct. 24 (Callbacks): 6 p.m – 10 p.m. *By invitation only.
Performance Dates: Feb. 21 – Mar. 23, 2025
Artist Stipend: $725.00
Dot will run in the Drew Studio Theatre. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Rehearsal Length: 6 Weeks
First Rehearsal: Jan.12, 2025
Tech Week: Feb. 16 – Feb. 20. 2025
*No attendance conflicts allowed after Feb.10.
Summary:
The holidays are always a wild family affair at the Shealy house. But this year, Dotty and her three grown children gather with more than exchanging presents on their minds. As Dotty struggles to hold on to her memory, her children must fight to balance care for their mother and care for themselves. This twisted and hilarious new play grapples unflinchingly with aging parents, midlife crises, and the heart of a West Philly neighborhood.
https://youtu.be/96emyeM0dJ0 (Humana Festival First Look: Dot by Coleman Domingo)
Preparation:
Actors will perform cold-readings from the script at initial auditions. Those invited to callbacks will receive sides ahead of time.
Available Roles:
DOTTY: African American. 60s-70s. The matriarch of the Shealy Family. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease one year prior, her condition is progressing rapidly. She is, at her best, a force of nature. Strong, bold, witty, self-assured and a pistol. Her pride is her children, which she and her husband raised to be strong, passionate citizens of the world. Mother to Shelly, Donnie, and Averie.
SHELLY: African American. 40s. Dotty’s oldest daughter. Mother to Jason. She is the primary family caregiver to Dotty responsible for her safety and mental well being. She juggles being a mother, a public defender, a daughter, sister and caregiver. With so many roles to fulfill, she is at the end of her rope.
JACKIE: Caucasian. 30s-40s. Is a long-time neighbor and Donnie’s ex-girlfriend currently living in Harlem, New York. Her family was close with the Shealys growing up and she has not overcome the pain she experienced through her breakup with Donnie. Running away from her life in New York, she returns home to make a decision about her unexpected pregnancy.
DONNIE: African American. 40s. Dotty’s middle child. A musicologist and an independent music critic. He is married to Adam, the love of his life. He comes to grips with Dotty’s condition and is forced to face his past and his future through Jackie and Adam.
ADAM: Caucasian/Latin/Arab. 30s-40s. Donnie’s husband. A kind and generous spirit who’s having a bit of a midlife crisis that he isn’t very aware of. Comes to important realizations about his relationship with Donnie throughout the play.
AVERIE: African American. 30s. Dotty’s youngest child. She is very much a product of our modern culture. Boisterous, confident, and fame obsessed. She is the most guttural in the way she operates. Not afraid to speak her mind, she struggles to reconcile her new found responsibility in the face of her family’s changing needs.
FIDEL: A Kazakh. 20s-30s. A caregiver from Kazakhstan. He came to this country with absolutely nothing and forged a life for himself. Fidel is a quiet healing presence in the play that is always there. An unsung hero. He has forged an unlikely bond with Dotty—despite both their difficulties in expressing themselves. English is his second language. He is the only one who allows Dotty to express how she really feels because he is an outsider. He is also seeking what all of the characters are struggling to find: a new description of home.
Creative Bios:
Colman Domingo (Playwright) is an Academy Award nominated, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, Astra and Satellite Award nominated for his starring role as Bayard Rustin in the film Rustin. He received the Spotlight Award | Actor at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, as well as the Virtuoso Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Colman has received the 2023 Newport Beach Film Festival Honor | Outstanding Performance and was honored by the Critics Choice Association with the Actor Award for Film in Rustin. Domingo starred as Mister in the The Color Purple musical motion picture. A two time Film Independent Spirit, Gotham, SAG, Critics Choice, NAACP Image, Tony®, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League and NAACP Theatre Award nominee for his work on stage and screen, Colman is an OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award winning actor, playwright, director and producer. Colman landed a historic double win of Lead Actor and Supporting Actor Awards at the 2024 NAACP Image awards. Domingo was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Production of a Play for the Pulitzer Prize winning play Fat Ham on Broadway. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama, a Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series/Anthology, and an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his role as Ali in the HBO series Euphoria. Colman stars in an eight part limited series for Netflix entitled The Madness, directed by Clement Virgo, due in 2024. Mr. Domingo takes on a role of Joe Jackson in the Universal Pictures biopic Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Domingo received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. Colman is on the Board of Directors of The Gotham Film & Media Institute, and has served as a Juilliard School Creative Associate and a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama. He has been honored with the inaugural Denver Film CinemaQ-LaBahn Ikon Film Award, the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award, the Creative Coalition Television Humanitarian Award and the Atlanta’s Out On Film Icon Award. Through his award-winning production company, Edith Productions, Colman develops television, film, theater and animation projects.
TammyRa’ (Director) is an Award winning Storyteller, Actress, Director, Master Hair Stylist, Vocalist and Entrepreneur with a wide array of experiences, based here in Omaha, Nebraska. TammyRa’ has performed in many theaters throughout the Omaha/Lincoln area, including The Center Stage, The John Beasley Theater, Omaha Community Playhouse, Lincoln Community Playhouse, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Nebraska Shakespeare the Union for Contemporary Art and The Rose Theater. TammyRa’s performance credits also include short film, commercials both local and regional, as well as radio and television voice overs. She has worked with the Great Plains Theatre Commons (GPTC) since 2008 as both an actress and director. In 2022, she join GPTC as a Community Connector. During COVID, she started doing virtual shows with Playzoomers so that she was able to continue to share her talents with others and give back in her own way. TammyRa’ has performed in several shows at OCP and won an award for each performance. She won the CLARENCE TEAL AWARD for her first appearance in SOPHISTICATED LADIES. She also been the recipient of the Fonda/Mcguire Award two years in a row for THE COLOR PURPLE as Celie (2021-2022, Season 97) and PRETTY FIRE as Charlayne (2022-2023, Season 98). She was the Assistant Director for CONSTELLATIONS and Associate Director for FENCES.
Para leer en español por favor haga clic aquí:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17QtQyD0zBgurkKiVNy_EUUmef_1KsN-jXra3WiPSyzE/edit?usp=sharing
Original Music Arrangements by Cynthia Reifler Flores
Directed by Alex Rodriguez
Music Directed by Miguel Angel Gonzalez
Audition Dates:
Saturday, Oct. 26: 12:30pm-4:30pm
Sunday, Oct. 27: 6pm–10pm
Monday, Oct. 28: 6pm–10pm
*Saturday, Nov. 2 (Callbacks): 12:30pm–4:30pm *By invitation only.
Preparation:
1.) Actors will perform cold-readings from the script.
2.) Actors are asked to sing 60 seconds of a song in the style of the show, English or Spanish. Please bring an accompaniment track, a speaker will be provided.
3.) If you play a relevant instrument, please bring it to auditions and prepare a short song to showcase your skills. You may choose to accompany yourself.
4.) For Bilingual (Spanish/English) actors, please ONLY prepare one of the two Spanish songs in the link below. If you know a different Spanish song in the style of the show, you may sing that instead.
5.) If you’re having a hard time finding an audition song, we’ve included “Remember Me” as an option in the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MjcUyuaPeFQP0L6i8LvhDnMDeKyYje4Ip9zJxoYxotY/edit?usp=sharing
Performance Dates: May. 2 – Jun. 1, 2025
Artist Stipend: $725.00
American Mariachi will run in the Drew Studio Theatre. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Rehearsal Length: 7 Weeks
First Rehearsal: March 16th
Tech Week: April 27th – May 1st
*No attendance conflicts allowed after April 19, 2025
Summary:
Lucha spends her days caring for her ailing mother, but longs for something more. When a forgotten record album sparks her mother’s memory, Lucha and her cousin strike upon a radical idea to defy social norms and create an all-female mariachi band. But it’s the 1970s, girls can’t be mariachis…or can they? Infused with vibrant, infectious live mariachi music, this regional premiere of American Mariachi is a “big-hearted, musical tug at the heartstrings” (Denver Post) that reminds us how the power of music and love can help overcome obstacles and make the seemingly impossible come true.
https://youtu.be/i18VbO9wPUk?si=c3haFGFqc0k9-CqC
Available Roles:
LUCHA MORALES, early 20s, U.S. born Mexican American. Bilingual. Daughter of AMALIA and FEDERICO MORALES. Struggles with her father’s expectations. Dreams of one day becoming a nurse. She is the primary caregiver for her mother. She loves to sing (soprano, vocal range: G3-D5) and learns to play the violin. Her best friend is her cousin BOLI.
HORTENSIA PÉREZ (“BOLI”), early 20s, Mexican American. Works as a hotel maid and later at a cannery. LUCHA’s cousin. Hungry to learn about the world. She is fiercely loyal and protective of her family and friends. She loves to sing (alto, vocal range: G3-G5) and learns to play the guitar.
AMALIA MORALES, late 40s/early 50s. Mexican American. Bilingual. Mother of LUCHA, married to FEDERICO. She is battling early onset dementia and is mostly lost in the past except for a few moments of lucidity. She sees and speaks to her deceased aunt, TÍA CARMEN. She used to play violin, and sings beautifully (soprano, vocal range: G3-G5). Also performs as DOÑA LOLA; an elderly eccentric lady who loves her hair styled in the salon.
FEDERICO MORALES, late 40s/early 50s. Mexican. Immigrated to the U.S. as a young man. Bilingual, father of LUCHA, married to AMALIA. He works as a cook by day and sings (tenor, vocal range: A3-D4) and plays an instrument as a professional mariachi by night and weekends. Not coping well with his wife’s illness and haunted by the actions of his past; he has largely closed himself. Also performs as CHOIR MEMBER in Scene Two.
ISABEL CAMPOS, early to mid 20s. Mexican American. Bilingual. Married to MATEO. Shy and has a hard time speaking up for herself. Singing is her greatest passion. She sings (soprano, vocal range: G3-D6) in her church choir. Learns to play the trumpet. Also plays PARTY GUEST in Scene One.
MATEO CAMPOS, early to mid 20s. Bilingual. Married to ISABEL. Struggles with the traditions of “Macho” culture and his love for his wife. Also plays DRUNK UNCLE in Scene One, CHOIR MEMBER in Scene Two, HOLY ROLLER SINGER/TRIANGLE PLAYER/LOS MUCHACHOS (guitar) in Scene Four, RENÉ and RUBÉN, SOYLA’s twin cousins. RENÉ loves women and he loves to dress them. RUBÉN is always looking for a deal and complains when he doesn’t get it. Can sing (tenor or baritone vocal range: E3-A4 or G2-A3) and must play guitar.
GABBY OROZCO, late teen/early 20s. Mexican American. A Born-Again Christian. She lacks confidence, style, and experience in the world. Her Spanish isn’t so good either. Works as a baker at El Águila Panadería. She sings (alto, vocal range: G3-B4) and plays the electric bass at her church. Learns to play the guitarrón. She actively searches for guidance and companionship. Also performs as BERTA, DRUNK UNCLE’S WIFE in Scene One, and CHOIR MEMBER in Scene Two.
SOYLA REYNA, early/mid 40s. Born in Colombia. Immigrated to the U.S. as a young woman. Bilingual. Owner of Salón Superior de Soyla. She is always well put together. Savvy about the world, opinionated, self-sufficient, sexually confident, and supportive of the young women. She sings (soprano) beautifully and learns to play the vihuela. Also performs as PARTY GUEST in Scene One, SISTER MANUELA, an old school Catholic nun in Scene Two, and FEMALE HOLY ROLLER SINGER/TAMBOURINE PLAYER in Scene Four. Can sing mezzo soprano (vocal range: G3-G5) and learns to play the vihuela.
MINO AVILA, late 40s/early 50s. Mexican. Compadre of FEDERICO, but they haven’t spoken in years. Bilingual. A mariachi (any vocal range), he is very wise, a music historian. LUCHA’S godfather. A soft-spoken and humble man with a broken heart. He repairs music instruments in his garage. Plays PADRE FLORES, HOLY ROLLER YOUTH PASTOR/SINGER in Scene Four. Plays guitar or vihuela (tenor or baritone range: E3-A4 or G2-A3).
TÍA CARMEN, late teen/early 20s is a memory/spirit and should be a mariachi (violin, alto, range: G3-B4).
MARIACHIS (4): (violin, vihuela, trumpet, guitarrón) play live and underscore throughout and will also play MARIACHI SPIRITS, CHOIR MEMBERS, HOLY ROLLER BAND (acoustic guitar), LOS MUCHACHOS, MUCHACHO (speaking roles to be assigned), and MARIACHIS at “El Infierno” cantina.
About the Playwright:
José Cruz González’s plays include American Mariachi (Denver Center Theatre Company, Old Globe Theatre), Sunsets & Margaritas (Denver Center Theatre Company), September Shoes (Geva Theatre), Curious (Teatro del Pueblo), Among the Darkest Shadows (Wharton Center for Performing Arts), The Highest Heaven (Childsplay), The Long Road Today (South Coast Repertory), The Astronaut Farmworker (La Jolla Playhouse), The Magic Rainforest (The Kennedy Center). Mr. González has written for PAZ, the Emmy Award nominated television series produced by Discovery Kids for The Learning Channel. His plays have been published by Dramatic Publishing, University of Texas Press, Smith and Kraus, Inc., Anchorage Press Plays, Inc., Playscripts, Inc., Lion and Seagoat Press, and Dutton Children’s Books. Mr. González was a 2016 PEN Center USA Literary Award Finalist, 2015 Orlin Corey Medallion by the Children’s Theatre Foundation, 2012 Ann Shaw Fellowship by Theatre for Young Audiences/USA, 2010 Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist Grant, and is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is a professor at California State University Los Angeles and a member of The Dramatists Guild of America and TYA/USA. He is a Playwright in Residence at Childsplay (AZ).
PLEASE SIGN-UP FOR AN AMERICAN MARIACHI AUDITION APPOINTMENT HERE
Directed By Susan Baer Collins
Music Directed by Jim Boggess
Choreographed by Michelle Garrity
Puppetry Direction by Stephanie Jacobson Assistant Director Brendan Brown Fight Director Kevin Barratt
The Old Man and the Old Moon is an American “play with music” written by and originally performed by PigPen Theatre Company.
The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. Each night he climbs a ladder with a bucket of moonlight to refill the moon with light. In her loneliness, the Old Woman is drawn away by a mysterious melody that sparks memories of their shared past. Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). He chooses to go after his wife and abandon his nightly task. What follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.
A variety of storytelling forms will be utilized in the play, which will include music, puppetry, movement, foley sound effects, and combat. The cast, consisting of 12-14 people, will consist of actor/singers, actor/musicians, and musicians.
Saturday, November 23rd 12:30pm-4:30pm
Sunday, November 24th 11:00am-3:00pm
Monday, November 25th 6:00pm-10:00pm
Tuesday, November 26th (Callbacks) 6:00pm-10:00pm *By Invitation Only
Actors who sing:
Please attend the auditions with sheet music and be prepared to sing 16 to 32 bars of a song.
Actors who play instruments:
If you play an instrument, please bring it to the audition and be prepared to sight-read a brief piece of music from the show and/or play a brief selection you have chosen.
All Actors:
Please wear comfortable clothes and close toed shoes. There will be a movement combination taught to the actors.
There will also be a brief improvisation you will be asked to perform.
NOTE: Reading for roles will take place at the Callback.
About the cast:
Those unable to attend auditions in person may submit a video, which needs to include:
Actors: Present 16 – 32 bars of a song, sung to accompaniment. Present a brief monologue, once as a human character, followed by the same monologue as an animal character (whatever that means to you). Musicians: Perform a brief selection on your instrument(s). Actor/Musicians: should do all of the above. Please include the link below. Video submissions will not be accepted after Friday, November 22nd.
Performance Dates: March 7th, 2025-March 30th, 2025
Artist Stipend: $700.00
The Old Man and the Old Moon will run in the Hawks Mainstage Theater. Performances are Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm.
First Rehearsal: January 19th, 2025
Tech Week: March 2nd- March 6th, 2025
*No conflicts allowed during tech week or for any performance.
Characters:
The Old Man: An old man whose job it is to fill the moon with liquid light. His journey in pursuit of his missing wife forces him out of his complacent lifestyle.
The Old Woman: An old woman who’s grown tired of her life filling the moon with her husband. She leaves her home in search of a forgotten memory.
Matheson: The first mate of the ship and the narrator of the tale. Matheson loves telling stories so much that he commands the attention of the audience and the respect of his sailors.
Llewellyn: The youngest, somewhat naive, spirited sailor whom the Old Man mentors and takes on as an apprentice towards the end of his journey.
Mabelu: A sailor who has a good sense of humor and the best of intentions. He lost his precious dog years ago.
Callahan: An Ardent Sailor. Never loses a fight.
Cookie: An unhinged cook. Might be afraid of fire.
Captain: A fearless leader and most eloquent speaker.
Perry: A legendary hero of the imperial fleet. First Naval Lieutenant Pericles Llewellyn McWallender was thrown overboard by his mutinous crew. He now spends his days inside the belly of a ‘Prison Fish.’
Clerk: Overwhelmed and unenthused each and every day at the boat shop.
Mickey: The clerk’s young assistant. Wears his grandfather’s hat to work.
Solomon: A witty aeronautical engineer. Sibling of Bartley
Bartley: A witty aeronautical engineer. Sibling of Solomon.
Dog: Her name is Lucy. Mabelu lost her years ago.
Bartender: Goes by Bill but that’s not his real name.
Patron: Plays the piano but doesn’t take requests.
Fine Lady: She lives in town. Has a secret.
Rebel One: Rebel Captain. Trying to avoid a fight.
Rebel Two: Rebel Soldier. Trying to start a fight.
Boatswain One: A master Boatswain.
Boatswain Two: A Boatswain’s apprentice.
Ben: He has a store in town, but they’re currently sold out of everything.
The Young Woman: The old woman, a long time ago.
TBA
Through upholding high ethical standards, demonstrating respect for all and consciously working to provide diverse representation, OCP is committed to creating an inclusive and safe environment in which all community members feel a sense of belonging and does not discriminate in casting practices on the basis of an individual’s ethnicity, age, gender, physical and cognitive ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, country of origin or other factors. Omaha Community Playhouse is committed to diverse and inclusive casting.
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