Auditions for Indecent

Indecent is the Pulitzer and Tony-winning play that depicts the true story of Sholem Asch’s 1907 drama God of Vengeance, which toured the Yiddish theaters of Europe before coming to Broadway in 1923, causing a scandal, in part because of its lesbian protagonists.

Indecent depicts the real-life events of the cast’s arrest and trial for obscenity. Through ensemble storytelling and evocative live music, Indecent explores themes of censorship, LGBTQ stories, antisemitism, and Fascism’s spread across Europe and America.

With its klezmer band and bouncing dance numbers, Indecent is also a love letter to theater and the human capacity to create art and beauty even in the darkest chapters of history.

Intrigued? Check out this clip to learn more.

AUDITION FORM

Please complete this  online audition form, preferably prior to arrival. You’ll have the opportunity to upload your resume and headshot in your submission.

INTIMACY, VIOLENCE, & LANGUAGE DISCLOSURE & QUESTIONNAIRE

Indecent includes physical intimacy between actors, as well as some staged violence and the use of strong language, so we’ve prepared a disclosure and questionnaire. Please review this prior to auditions:

Intimacy, Violence, & Language Disclosure & Questionnaire

• Theater resume and headshot: we prefer you submit a soft copy via this  online audition form at least 24 hours before the audition, but we will also accept hard copies when you arrive.
  
• Prepare to read from audition sides for your character, which you can find  here.
• Please prepare 32 bars of a song that demonstrates your singing ability. You are welcome, but not required, to select  songs from the show. You will need to bring recorded music — we will have a Bluetooth device available.
• Please prepare to sing from  these music sides depending on the role you are auditioning for. For the song “Ale Brider”, we are not looking for you to know all the Yiddish words – just learn the melody and we’ll teach the words later.
• Auditions will include a movement portion that you will learn on-site. Please be prepared with comfortable clothes and shoes.
• If you are an actor who also to plays the accordion, violin, clarinet, bass clarinet, mandolin, ukelele, high hat or tin whistle, and would like to show us your skills (even if you play just a little), please bring your instrument with you and prepare 60-90 seconds of music to share during audition.
• If you are auditioning for one of the musician roles, please prepare a 2-minute selection to share with the team. It can be any piece of music that shows your skills. Come prepared to participate in the “movement” portion of our audition, so bring comfortable shoes and clothes you can move in.

Questions? Email [email protected]

LEMML, The Stage Manager
25-50, Male, Any Race/Ethnicity (Ensemble Vocalist)

A passionate and curious stage manager from a humble background, often underestimated by his peers. Strong acting required. Will dance in the ensemble. Will sing in English, German and Yiddish. Will speak in a Yiddish accent at certain points in the show. There will be an intimacy coordinator and dialect coach.

CHANA, The Ingénue
20-35, Female, Any Race/Ethnicity (Solo Vocalist)

Characters played range from passionate to adventurous to insouciant to principled and smart: Rifkele, Young Madje Asch, Elsa, Immigrant, Reina/Ruth, Virginia, Bagelman Sister. Must be able to differentiate between characters physically, vocally, and stylistically. Will dance. Will sing in English, German and Yiddish, and speak in a Yiddish accent at certain points in the show. Chana engages in same-gender and opposite-gender kissing, in addition to same-gender touching. Chana will be rained on onstage. There will be an intimacy coordinator and dialect coach.

AVRAM, The Ingénue
20-35, Male, Any Race/Ethnicity (Ensemble Vocalist)

Characters played range from ambitious to rebellious to droll and worldly to naive: Sholem Asch, Immigrant, Morris, Eugene O’Neill, John Rosen. Must be able to differentiate characters physically, vocally, and stylistically. Will dance. Will sing in English, German and Yiddish. Will speak in a Yiddish accent at certain points in the show. Avram’s character engages in opposite-gender kissing. There will be an intimacy coordinator and dialect coach.

HALINA, The Middle
25-45, Female, Any Race/Ethnicity (Solo Vocalist)

Characters played range from vulnerable to flippant to sophisticated to frank: Manke, Immigrant, Freida, Deine/Dorothee, Dr. Hornig, and Bagelman Sister. Must be able to differentiate characters physically, vocally, and stylistically. Will dance. Will sing in English, German and Yiddish and speak in Yiddish and German accents at certain points in the show. Halina’s character engages in same-gender kissing and touching, and gets rained on onstage. There will be an intimacy coordinator and dialect coach.

MENDEL, The Middle
35-50, Male, Any Race/Ethnicity (Ensemble Vocalist)

Characters played range from stubborn to entrepreneurial to authoritative to desperate: Nakhmen, Immigrant, Harry, Officer Bailie, Rabbi Silverman. Must be able to differentiate characters physically, vocally, and stylistically. Will dance. Will sing in English, German and Yiddish and speak in Yiddish and Irish accents at certain points in the show. Will say a few phrases in Mandarin, French and Spanish. There will be an intimacy coordinator and dialect coach.

VERA, The Elder (ALREADY CAST)
50-70, Female, Any Race/Ethnicity (Ensemble Vocalist)

Characters played range from assertive to bawdy to boistrous to dismissive: Sarah, Mrs. Peretz, Ester Stockton, Immigrant, Madje Asch. Must be able to differentiate characters physically, vocally, and stylistically. Will dance. Will sing in English, German and Yiddish and speak in a Yiddish accent at certain points in the show. There will be an intimacy coordinator and dialect coach.

OTTO, The Elder
50-70, Male, Any Race/Ethnicity (Solo Vocalist)

Characters played range from cultured to boisterous to erudite to disillusioned: Yekel, Mr. Peretz, Schildkraut, Immigrant, Bartender, Judge McIntyre, Older Scholem Asch. Must be able to differentiate characters physically, vocally, and stylistically. Will dance. Will sing in English, German and Yiddish and speak in German and Yiddish accents at certain points in the show. There will be an intimacy coordinator and dialect coach.

Note: Musicians will be expected to memorize their music as they will be on stage, interacting with other actors, for several scenes in the show. Musicians will receive a small honorarium to reflect the unusual nature of their role as both actors and musicians, and the expectation that they attend more rehearsals than they would in a traditional musical.

Violinist: NELLY/NAT FRIEDMAN
Any gender, Any Race/Ethnicity

Most importantly, Nelly/Nat is the violinist in the band, performing all songs in the score on violin and ideally, possibly playing mandolin for a few parts of the score. Nelly/Nat and the other members of the band will join the ensemble on stage in some scenes and dances, interacting with the actors in a non-speaking role. Must be able to interact with and physically respond to actors, and comfortably move in and out of acting and dance scenes while continuing to play the violin.

Clarinetist: MAYER/MIRA BALSAM
Any gender, Any Race/Ethnicity

Most importantly, Mayer/Mira is the clarinetist in the band, performing all songs in the score on clarinet and bass clarinet. Mayer/Mira and the other members of the band will join the ensemble on stage in some scenes and dances, interacting with the actors in a non-speaking role. Must be able to interact with and physically respond to actors, and comfortably move in and out of acting and dance scenes while continuing to play the clarinet.

Accordionist: MORIZ GODOWSKY
This role has already been cast

Most importantly, Moriz is the accordionist and band leader, performing all songs in the score. Moriz and the other members of the band will join the ensemble on stage in some scenes and dances, interacting with the actors in a non-speaking role. Must be able to interact with and physically respond to actors, and comfortably move in and out of acting and dance scenes while continuing to play the accordion.

I love Indecent because it expresses the universal through the particular. By portraying a Yiddish theater troupe that defiantly tells a story of love as the world careens toward Naziism, Indecent reveals a universal truth: that humans are irrepressibly drawn to make art, and to love each other, even in the darkest chapters of history.

While this play takes on themes of Fascism, antisemitism, and discrimination against LGBTQ people, the script is also very funny, which only cements its message. And the music … just wait.

The character descriptions list the specific requirements for each role, but here’s what Amy, Ben and I are looking for in every member of the cast:

• Excitement for performing in an ensemble; there are no leads, and each actor plays multiple roles. Great ensemble performers sense their fellow actors on stage and make choices that are generous to their troupe-mates.
• Strong acting and great comedic timing.
• Strong physicality and movement. This show becomes a delight to the audience when actors embody each of the characters they play. There will be dancing, though it won’t be too complex.
• Enthusiasm to tell a story about both queerness and Jewish life. You need not be queer or Jewish to be cast in Indecent, though we strongly encourage Jewish and queer actors to audition. Actors who identify as BIPOC and actors who are nonbinary, trans and genderqueer are encouraged to audition. Most important is a deep curiosity to learn about LGBT and Jewish life as experienced by the characters you portray.

Playwright: Paula Vogel | Co-Creator: Rebecca Taichman

Score and Original Music: Lisa Gutkin and Aaron Halva

Director: Maryanne Kiley

Music Director: Ben Blanchard

Choreographer: Amy Harbin

Stage Manager: Jenifer Wylie

Set Designer: Sandra Epperson

Effects: Thomas Trumbauer

Dramaturg and Yiddish Dialect Coach: Rabbi Michael Panitz

Community Partner: United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

This production will include an Intimacy Consultant for all actors.

January-February approx 6 rehearsals for instrumentalists. Day/Time TBD once musicians are in place,

March 11-May 17 (May 11-15: Tech week)

Mon-Thu: 6:30-9:30 pm

Sat: 9:30 am-1:00 pm

Rehearsals will be held at the Generic Theater in Norfolk.

Invited Dress Rehearsal: Thursday, May 16, 2024

Opening Night: Friday, May 17th at 8pm

Performance Dates: Fridays thru Sundays, May 17th–June 2nd

Saturday, May 18th — Possible matinee performance with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater