AUDITIONS
Face Off Theatre Company is seeking dynamic, versatile performers located within 2 hours of Kalamazoo for our upcoming production Exit Strategy by Ike Holter.
AUDITIONS: In-person @ Jolliffe Theater in the Epic Center
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall
Saturday, September 2
12:00 - 3:00 pm
What To Prepare:
You will be reading from the script at the audition. No need to prepare in advance.
All rehearsals and performances will take place at The Epic Center.
All performers will be paid a $350.00 stipend, mailed at the close of production.
Video audition submission requests can be sent to faceoffproductionmgmt@gmail.com no later than September 10, 2023. Audition sides will be provided once the request is received.
We are committed to inclusive, diverse casting. For every role, we will consider qualified performers, without regard to age, sex, ethnicity, disability, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by law unless otherwise specifically indicated by the licensing company and playwright. First-time actors are welcome!
FACE OFF THEATRE'S MISSION
To create meaningful work that inspires and sparks change in our community by providing a space that empowers, develops, and supports artists of color.
For more info about the theatre company CLICK HERE.
Production Details
EXIT STRATEGY by Ike Holter
Directed by Marissa Harrington
SYNOPSIS:
Drawing from the headlines, Exit Strategy is set in Chicago and tells the story of a fictional public high school slated for closure at the end of the year. Despite funding cuts, bureaucrats run amok, apathy, and a rodent infestation, a small, multiracial group of teachers launch a last-minute effort to save the school, and put their careers, futures, and safety in the hands of a fast-talking administrator who may be in over his head. The tenuous situation also raises fears and anxieties among students, and within the volcanic neighborhood that is home to the school.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
RICKY: 30, White. Assistant principal. Casually professional head-case with a mile-a-minute mouth.
[This role has been cast] PAM: late 40s-early 50s. Open race. Old-school educator without a second to spare. End. Of. Her. Rope.
ARNOLD: late 40s-early 50s. Open race. Former nice guy turned stone-cold teacher. Lost something.
LUCE: early 30s. Latinx (including Afro-Latinx). Ex-frat boy turned math teacher. Everybody’s right-hand man.
SADIE: mid to late 30s. Black. Assertive educator. Positive foot forward. Till she trips.
JANIA: late 20s. Latinx ( including Afro-Latinx). The youngest teacher in the room. Survived the toughest stuff. Acts like it.
DONNIE: 18. Black. Student. Spits out words like hand grenades and holds nothing back.
CASTING NOTICE:
Actors of all ages and races/ethnicities and abilities are encouraged to audition.
CONTENT DISCLOSURE:
Script contains mature language and insinuation of Self-harm
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE:
- Rehearsals: 7-10pm; Sundays through Thursdays, from September 18 to October 22.
- Tech: 3-10pm on Sunday (10/15) through Wednesday (10/18) from 6-11pm
- Shows: Thursday (10/19) through Saturday (10/21) @ 7:30 PM; Sunday (10/22) @ 2:00 PM. (A brief talkback will follow every performance.)
*A reception for actors, crew, company, and audience will occur on either opening night or closing day of the show.
Expanded Character Descriptions
RICKY, 30. White. Vice Principal. Hipster headcase with a nervous twitch and a professional ability to say the worst thing at the best time. Has a strong backbone but it’s hidden by a perpetual slouch. Doesn’t know when to stop talking. Moved to Chicago from a small town after college; has been here for nearly a decade but still can’t quite fit into the groove of the city.
[ THIS ROLE HAS BEEN CAST ] PAM, late 40s-early 50s. Open race. The tough-love teacher who knows every student by name and has their parents on speed dial. Pack-a-day smoker. Drives a beat-up car and loves it. Has been teaching for decades and hides her disappointment in the educational system by pushing every student to the limit—guiding them to succeed at any cost. Could direct a school play and stop a gang fight and beat anyone in a game of poker, all in the same day. Has a killer game face but a big heart.
ARNOLD, late 40s-early 50s. Open race. Been-there-done-that high school teacher. Nobody’s favorite educator but everybody’s toughest critic. Formerly inspecational: years of teaching have finally taken their toll. Caustic, guarded, short-tempered. He cares about his job–deeply–but his love for the work has also come at great personal cost. A sense of humor so dry it’s basically in smolders. Born and bred Chicagoan. Can stop a room with a look.
LUCE, early 30s. Latinx (including Afro-Latinx). Ex-frat boy turned math teacher. Loud and effervescent; a hype man and best friend whenever necessary. Perpetually honest but also incredibly bad at reading a room. The life of the party who can’t ever be trusted with a secret. Weed fanatic. Queer. Born and bred Chicagoan.
SADIE, mid to late 30s. Black. A wannabe Oprah who doesn’t realize she has more in common with Steve Harvey. Mother to two kids but considers every student part of her family. Teaches too many classes but still brings supplies and food for any and everyone. Is used to being told no, but will fight hard for any yes she can get. God-fearing, speechifying, hilarious. Will never admit when she’s wrong. Lifelong Chicagoan believes in “turn the other cheek” instead of “taking it to the street”.
JANIA, late 20s. Latinx ( including Afro-Latinx). The youngest person in the room but also the smartest. Went to an Ivy League school but chose to work at one of the most dangerous public high schools in the state. Has seen more school closings than any other teacher around; hides survivor’s guilt with a tough attitude and a fast and brutal barrage of insults. Has a heat-seaking internal whistle that can locate anyone’s weakness. Bilingual. Secretly would love to fit in but has made a career standing up for tough issues. So serious that she doesn’t realize she is actually quite funny.
DONNIE, 18. Black. Spits out words like hand grenades. A charismatic fighter. Chance The Rapper meets Holden Caulfield. The most popular kid in school is also a boots-on-the-ground activist; tech-savvy, and well-trained in social media takeovers. The fight for his school is the biggest battle Donnie has ever fought, and he puts his heart and soul into his survival. Funny, sly, and calculating.
[ THIS ROLE HAS BEEN CAST ] PAM, late 40s-early 50s. Open race. The tough-love teacher who knows every student by name and has their parents on speed dial. Pack-a-day smoker. Drives a beat-up car and loves it. Has been teaching for decades and hides her disappointment in the educational system by pushing every student to the limit—guiding them to succeed at any cost. Could direct a school play and stop a gang fight and beat anyone in a game of poker, all in the same day. Has a killer game face but a big heart.
ARNOLD, late 40s-early 50s. Open race. Been-there-done-that high school teacher. Nobody’s favorite educator but everybody’s toughest critic. Formerly inspecational: years of teaching have finally taken their toll. Caustic, guarded, short-tempered. He cares about his job–deeply–but his love for the work has also come at great personal cost. A sense of humor so dry it’s basically in smolders. Born and bred Chicagoan. Can stop a room with a look.
LUCE, early 30s. Latinx (including Afro-Latinx). Ex-frat boy turned math teacher. Loud and effervescent; a hype man and best friend whenever necessary. Perpetually honest but also incredibly bad at reading a room. The life of the party who can’t ever be trusted with a secret. Weed fanatic. Queer. Born and bred Chicagoan.
SADIE, mid to late 30s. Black. A wannabe Oprah who doesn’t realize she has more in common with Steve Harvey. Mother to two kids but considers every student part of her family. Teaches too many classes but still brings supplies and food for any and everyone. Is used to being told no, but will fight hard for any yes she can get. God-fearing, speechifying, hilarious. Will never admit when she’s wrong. Lifelong Chicagoan believes in “turn the other cheek” instead of “taking it to the street”.
JANIA, late 20s. Latinx ( including Afro-Latinx). The youngest person in the room but also the smartest. Went to an Ivy League school but chose to work at one of the most dangerous public high schools in the state. Has seen more school closings than any other teacher around; hides survivor’s guilt with a tough attitude and a fast and brutal barrage of insults. Has a heat-seaking internal whistle that can locate anyone’s weakness. Bilingual. Secretly would love to fit in but has made a career standing up for tough issues. So serious that she doesn’t realize she is actually quite funny.
DONNIE, 18. Black. Spits out words like hand grenades. A charismatic fighter. Chance The Rapper meets Holden Caulfield. The most popular kid in school is also a boots-on-the-ground activist; tech-savvy, and well-trained in social media takeovers. The fight for his school is the biggest battle Donnie has ever fought, and he puts his heart and soul into his survival. Funny, sly, and calculating.