Audition Information
HERE AND THEIR
June 13-28, 2025 at 12th Avenue Arts
Book by Jasmine Joshua
Music and lyrics by Heather Ragusa,
Story by Jasmine Joshua and Alexei Cifrese
Contact info: Production Manager Katie McKellar, mckellar.kathryn (at) gmail.com
THE TEAM:
Director: Jasmine Joshua
Music Director: Jordyn Day Palmer
Choreographer: Elizabeth Posluns
Assoc Choreographer: Laura McFarlane
Stage Manager: Jack Bateman-Iino
Production Manager: Katie McKellar
Set Designer: Robin Macartney
Costumes: Krista Lofgren
SYNOPSIS:
Samantha O’Malley, 100% female human woman, lives happily in Butte, Montana. Engaged to David and running the family restaurant, everything in Sam's life seems perfect until a carefully guarded family secret is unearthed. Not only does Sam have an estranged aunt no one has ever mentioned, but it turns out she's lesbian punk rock icon Vikki Vektor!
While online stalking, er, researching, Sam stumbles across the term "nonbinary" and digs deeper into a world that is simultaneously completely unknown and innately familiar. Admitting you're nonbinary is one thing, but admitting it to your family is another. Sam panics, leaves David at the altar, and heads to LA to find Vikki Vektor, hoping she has the answers Sam's been looking for.
This is a joyful, funny rock musical about coming out “late” in life and intergenerational queerness. This show is for trans people and the people who love them.
SHOW HISTORY:
HERE AND THEIR was originally developed as a part of The 5th Avenue Theatre's First Draft Program. With support from NAMT grants, HERE AND THEIR was workshopped at the Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2020, had a reading in 2021, and in July 2022. The writers continued to develop the show at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat and the Goodspeed Musicals' Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove. In 2023, HERE AND THEIR was a finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award, a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference, and a finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant.
AUDITIONS:
Initial auditions: 5-9pm Monday, September 16th and 5-9pm Tuesday, September 17th at Seattle Public Theatre
Dance call: 3:30-5:30pm Saturday, September 28th, Studio D, TPS
Callbacks: 6-10pm Saturday, September 28th, Studio D, TPS; 4:30-10pm Sunday, September 29th, Aspire Kinetic Arts
TIME COMMITMENT:
Phase 1: Workshop!
This is the main reason why we’re auditioning people so early. The writers haven’t had a chance to hear this version of the script and we’re hoping to have a couple casual read-throughs before we start rehearsals. Timing of this will be dependent on cast availability.
Phase 2: Music intensive and invited read/sing-through!
April 15-21, 2025, weekday evenings and daytime on weekends
Invited Read/Sing-thru 7:30pm April 22, 2025 at Seattle Public Theatre
Phase 3: Rehearsals and Performance!
REHEARSALS
Starting May 4, 2025
6-10pm Sunday-Wednesday
TECH at 12th Avenue Arts: June 1-11, 2025
Weekday evenings and daytime on weekends
PERFORMANCES at 12th Avenue Arts:
7:30pm Thursday 6/12 - Final preview
7:30pm Friday 6/13 – Opening Night
7:30pm Saturday 6/14
2pm Sunday 6/15
7:30pm Monday 6/16 – Industry night
7:30pm Thursday, 6/19
7:30pm Friday 6/20
7:30pm Saturday 6/21
2pm Sunday 6/22
7:30pm Thursday 6/26
7:30pm Friday 6/27
7:30pm Saturday 6/28 – Closing
STIPEND:
$300
AUDITION MATERIALS:
Please prepare a comedic monologue (1 minute) and a verse and a chorus of a contemporary musical theatre or pop/rock song. There will be an accompanist provided. Please bring sheet music with your cut marked, a head shot, and resume.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
TGNC and POC roles will be cast as written. If you feel you’re able to play a Jewish or cis queer character with love, dignity, and respect even if you do not identity with those descriptions as an actor, you’re welcome to audition.
We’re not carding at the door, friends. You know what’s right :)
SAM O’MALLEY - Nonbinary, 30s, Jewish - Optimistic, dependable, and earnest, Sam runs the family business in Montana and is engaged to David. Sam discovers they are nonbinary and realizes that that is the missing piece. Despite these big changes, this is not a woe-is-me role.
VIKKI VEKTOR - Female, 50s -- Acerbic punk rock lesbian icon. Sam's estranged aunt who was kicked out of the house when she was 16 by her homophobic father and now lives in LA with her wife Tommy. Had a couple national hits and then disappeared into obscurity.
TOMMY - Female, 50s, Black - Dry wit and a huge heart, Vikki’s wife of 30+ years. Tommy has learned to change with the times, but has strong convictions about being authentic. Runs the Pink Triangle, a lesbian bar in LA.
DAVID - Male, 30s - Sam’s fiance. He runs O’Malley’s Bar and Grill with Sam and Meghan. A foodie and a dork, he loves Sam, though doesn’t know anything about their identity crisis.
MEGHAN O’MALLEY - Female, 30s, Chinese American - Sam’s cousin and closest friend. Out-going and confident, sometimes puts her foot in it. She runs O’Malley’s Bar and Grill with David and Sam.
SARAH O’MALLEY - Female, 60s, Jewish -- Sam’s mother. Sharp and outspoken. Loves her in-laws and has mostly assimilated into the O’Malley clan.
HAYLEE -- Female, young ambitious suit lesbian. Works for the record label that bought out Vikki's original punk label. Is trying to update Vikki's style and sound. Definitely on the path to being a corporate shark.
PINKY -- Nonbinary, Any Age - Pinky uses zie/zir pronouns. Zie is the ephemeral and over-enthusiastic leader of the Trans Welcome Wagon and helps shepherd baby queers into community. This role is pre-cast.
ALICE -- Trans Woman, Any Age - She/her. Alice has been through it, but has come out the other side happy, safe, and with a sense of humor.
DYLAN -- Nonbinary, Any Age - They/them. Dry sense of humor, works in IT, likes Trek. Reassures Sam that you don't have to be flamboyant to be queer.
ENSEMBLE -- Any and all - Butte bachelorettes, bridal party guests, bar flies, LA denizens, weird back-up dancers, personifications of the internet, and more!
~~~~~~
Dear GOD, there’s more???
Only if you want to keep reading :) This next section is in our script and is based on some questions we got during workshops and retreats. Read if you want, but no presh. You already have all the info you need to audition for the show!
NOTE ABOUT CASTING:
Actors of all ethnicities should be considered for any of the roles with the exception of Tommy, who is Black, and Meghan, who is Chinese. All trans characters must be played by trans actors.
We did not specify Sam (and therefore Vikki and Sarah) as a specific race or ethnicity beyond being Jewish (and not all Jews are Ashkenazi) because all of the writers are white and we didn't feel it was our place to write an identity play with a global majority lead. But that doesn't mean you should limit your casting to white actors! It just means that our script is written from a white queer perspective and may not take into account queer global majority experiences.
"Why is Tommy Black?"
Several Black queer people and women who read this script before Tommy's ethnicity was specified told us, "Tommy is Black, right?" So she is!
"Why is Meghan Chinese? In Butte?"
There is a long history of thousands of Chinese people living in Butte, Montana. Take a look! There were many other members of the O'Malley family in previous drafts that have subsequently been cut, so Meghan is the only representative left... we’re hoping to be mindful with the rest of the casting so that Meg (whom we ADORE) doesn’t end up as a BIPOC sidekick.
"Jews? In Butte?"
The oldest synagogue in Montana (early 1800s) is in Butte, Montana.
"But seriously. It's Butte."
Global majority and underrepresented peoples exist in small towns all across the United States. We wanted to include them in this story *because* it is accurate, not for pats on the back.