Audition Information

“Fairview” by Jackie Sibblies Drury

Director: Lormarev Jones

Audition Dates: Sunday, August 11th, 4- 7 p.m. and Monday, August 12th, 6:30- 9:30 p.m.

Performance Dates: February 7/8, 14/15, and 21/22 at 7:30 pm and February 9, 16, and 23 at 3:30 pm (possible matinee on Saturday, February 22nd).

Tech Rehearsal Dates (attendance required): February 2-6.

Location for auditions, rehearsals, and performances: The Justice Theater Project, 8208 Brownleigh Drive, Raleigh, NC 27617

 Rehearsal Schedule:  This rehearsal schedule will be split into parts to allow the company time and space to process. 

3-4 rehearsals the week of September 8th (no Wednesdays)

5-6 rehearsals the first two weeks of December (no rehearsals past December 12th)

Continuous rehearsals begin in earnest on January 7th, with rehearsals on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

(Sundays 4-7, weekdays 6:30-9:30)

The final rehearsal schedule will be based on cast availability.

Show Synopsis: Nothing is what it seems in this comic, challenging, searing 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winner. What begins as a seemingly pleasant, playful examination of a blatantly stereotyped African-American family morphs into a scalpel-sharp commentary on racism, prejudice, and white privilege. The play’s eventual destruction of the fourth wall delivers its themes boldly and directly to its audience in an unforgettable theatre event.

CAST BREAKDOWN:

While the characters in Fairview are written on the binary, all gender identities are welcome and encouraged to audition for the show.

BEVERLY—Black female, late thirties—early forties. High-strung, polished, pristine. Eldest daughter energy. The manager of the family.

DAYTON—A black male in his late thirties or early forties, he is easy-going, fun-loving, and jovial. He is Beverly's foil and keeps the peace whenever possible.  

JASMINE—A black female in her thirties, she is fiery, feisty, and fierce. She is a truth-teller. She is Everything Beverly is not, but that’s the beauty of being the younger sibling: freedom. 

KEISHA - Black female, *teenager. The wisest, sharpest, most-conscious, caring,

self-aware human in the play. Her age deceives others into believing that’s not true. She gets to prove them wrong. 

SUZE - White female, 20’s to 30’s. Every well-meaning liberal white woman. The superego.

JIMBO - Non-black male, 20’s to 30’s.  Toxic masculinity at its most basic. The id.

MACK - Non-black male, 20’s to 40’s.  Curious, sensual, sexual. Also dense, at times.  Beta male energy, but also effeminate, somehow. 

BETS - Non-black female, 20’s to 40’s. The only non-American in our play. The “race” construct confuses her, and she thinks she’s above it. She is not. This role will require dialect work of some kind, to indicate her country of origin. (That country of origin is not specified in the script, but she cannot have a slav dialect.)

*Actors under 18 are allowed to audition for Fairview with permission from a parent or guardian. Parents/Guardians must fill out an audition consent form and turn it in to the proctors at the check-in desk during auditions. If a parent/guardian can’t attend auditions, they can email their filled-out consent form to Olivia Allen at olivia@thejusticetheaterproject.org ahead of time.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE: Ages are ranges for the characters, not necessarily the actors playing them. The characters of the Frasier family must be portrayed by black actors. There is some flexibility for the four characters who are not in the family—it’s complicated.

The play explores race through the lens of performance. There will be much discussion and table work on these themes and how they relate to the play. The Justice Theater Project will have an Intimacy Director to talk through closure practices for both individual cast members and the company as a whole.

Perusal copies of the script are available for a 48-hour loan at Umstead Park United Church of Christ. They can be checked out between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays and 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Otherwise, please contact Melissa Reilly at mreilly@thejusticetheaterproject.org to coordinate a time to check out a script.

AUDITION GUIDELINES:

Reading the entire play before your audition is highly recommended. The tone of the piece changes as the play unravels; be prepared for cold readings that focus on different genres of television, musical theatre, and melodrama. There will also be some structured improv.

You can sign up for an hour-long audition timeslot on either Sunday, August 11th, between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. or Monday, August 12th, between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Bring your filled-out AUDITION FORM and attach a headshot and one-page theatrical resume if you have one. Headshots don’t have to be formal. They can be a recent photo that represents the current “you.” JTP will always accept last-minute walk-ups for auditions.

Link to SIGN UP on SignUpGenius

Link to AUDITION FORM (please print and bring to your audition)

Link to PARENTAL AND GUARDIAN CONSENT FORM (if under the age of 18)

If you have trouble signing up, downloading forms, or have questions about scheduling, contact Melissa Reilly at mreilly@thejusticetheaterproject.org

Video Audition Guidelines: The production team is happy to accept video auditions if you are unable to attend the initial audition dates. If you choose this option, the director would like you to perform a short monologue with 2 different interpretations (e.g., playing with genre). Please send your video and audition paperwork (audition form, headshot, resume, and Parent/Guardian Consent Form if under the age of 18) to Olivia Allen at olivia@thejusticetheaterproject.org by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 12th.

Production Resources: The Justice Theater Project operates under The Chicago Theatre Standards. In addition to having an Intimacy Director on the production staff, a social worker can counsel cast and production team members during shows with challenging material.

All actors will be paid a stipend of at least $400.00 for their work.

For more information, please email Melissa Reilly at mreilly@thejusticetheaterproject.org

Thank you for considering this audition notice and contributing your talents to this portion of the audition process.