*PLEASE NOTE: SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED AS OF 4PM PT ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH*
Director: Jordan Kaiser
Music Direction: Jonny Perl
Audition Information: Please prepare 16-32 bars of a rock, pop, or contemporary musical theater song. If you plan to utilize our accompanist, please bring sheet music. You may also sing a cappella, or with a prepared track. We will email you with an audition time slot and all audition information prior to auditions.
Synopsis: Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's RENT follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.
Character Descriptions:
Roger Davis
A struggling musician and former drug addict. He is a wannabe rockstar. Roommates with Mark in the loft and battles with being HIV-positive.
**Character is male-presenting.
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: F2
Mark Cohen
Filmmaker and video artist. Knee deep in his own soul-searching, Mark is the typical young artist. He and Roger are roommates in the loft. A bit of a nerd.
**Character is male-presenting.
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Tom Collins
A computer genius and liberal professor. He is a nurturer with a smooth and relaxed disposition. Used to be a roommate in the loft and is HIV-positive.
**BIPOC, Queer
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: F#2
Benjamin Coffin III
The landlord of Mark and Roger's apartment building. A former roommate in the loft, Benny traded in their personal morals for power and wealth.
**Race/ethnicity and gender identity/expression are not relevant to this character.
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2
Joanne Jefferson
A public interest lawyer and headstrong lesbian. She is smart and purposeful in all her decisions. Carries on a tumultuous relationship with Maureen.
**BIPOC, Queer
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Angel Dumott Schunard
The eccentric HIV-positive street drummer. A drag queen with an incredible gift of dance and a magnetic personality. He becomes Tom's lover.
**BIPOC, Queer
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Mimi Marquez
An HIV-positive stripper with drug addictions. Slender and sickly, she conceals it all at her job in the local strip club. She lives in the same building as the loft.
**Latinx
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: Eb3
Maureen Johnson
An unpredictably zany performance artist. Maureen oozes sexuality and used to live in the loft. She has recently dumped Mark for Joanne.
**Queer
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: C4
Ensemble
Homeless Men & Women, Junkies, Parents (Mrs. Cohen, Mr. & Mrs. Jefferson); Support Group (Steve, Gordon)
Theatre's Casting Statement: "Conundrum Theatre Company is committed to the practice of color-conscious casting, in which we intentionally consider the importance of race and ethnicity in the stories we tell. We recognize that theater has an exclusionary history and that many roles that have traditionally been played by cisgendered white performers could be played by BIPOC, trans, or gender-nonconforming performers. There are also roles for which the character’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity are vital to the story. Casting actors who share those identities is particularly important in protecting stories that center on characters with historically marginalized identities. In our casting notices, we indicate which parts of a character’s identity are relevant and seek to fill those roles with actors who share those identities. We celebrate diversity and welcome actors of any race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression or ability status to audition for any role that is not reserved for individuals with particular identities relevant to that character."
Please Note: Some roles may be double cast in this production.
Any questions? Email auditions@conundrumtheatreco.com
