CALL TO AUDITION:

 

THE LARAMIE PROJECT

By MOISÉS KAUFMAN
AND THE MEMBERS OF TECTONIC
THEATER PROJECT

 

“We need to own this crime … We are like this. We ARE like this.”

In 1998, in the tight-knit town of Laramie, Wyoming, a young gay man named Matthew Shepard was the victim of  a homophobic hate crime.

In the wake of the national media frenzy that followed, ten members of the New York-based Tectonic Theater Project visited Laramie on six separate occasions over two years, in an attempt to find out what happened and why.

They conducted more than 200 interviews with members of the community, creating a chronicle of a town’s trauma. The play that Kaufman crafted from those transcripts has been hailed as one of the most impactful works of theatre ever produced.

A ensemble cast portray more than 60 characters in this shattering depiction of a profoundly moving modern tragedy.

“A pioneering work of theatrical reportage and a powerful stage event.” Time Magazine

CREATIVE TEAM & CREW
Director Mark G Nagle
Assistant Director Nick Bradshaw
Composer Alexander Sussman
Set Designer David Marshall Martin
Dialect Coach Carmen Lysiak
Production Assistant Celine Widjaya

PERFORMANCE DATES
Tue 7 Oct – Sat 1 Nov 2025

PERFORMANCE TIMES 
Previews Tue 7 Oct & Wed 8 Oct 7:30pm
Opening Night Thu 9 Oct 7:30pm
Thu – Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm
Final performance Sat 1 Nov 2pm

REHEARSALS
Rehearsals will start the week commencing Mon 28 Jul with a combination of two weeknights, one weekend day and possibly a weekday. Due to the ensemble nature of the play, most rehearsals will require the attendance of all actors. Some additional rehearsals will also be scheduled to focus on individual monologues. Current proposed schedule is Tue and Wed evening and either Sat or Sun day. Exact times and dates tbc, subject to cast availability.

AUDITION DATES
Mon 14, Tues 15 and Weds 16 Jul, 5pm
Sat 19 Jul, 9am to 1.30pm

Call-back auditions: Weds 23 Jul, 6pm

ROLES AVAILABLE
The play contains over sixty characters, many of them recurring. A maximum of ten actors will be cast, each playing approx. six characters, including two to three principal characters. Age range is from 19 to 70, although not fixed.

IMPORTANT
We very much encourage and welcome submissions from people who identify as First Nations, BIPoC, CaLD, LGBTQI+, gender diverse, or neurodivergent.

TO BOOK AN AUDITION
It is essential to read the script BEFORE applying. There is a perusal copy of the script available for viewing here.

Email your EOI to laramient25@gmail.com with AUDITION in the subject line. EOIs close Sun 13 Jul, 9pm although earlier submissions are encouraged.

In your email, please:

  • Include an up-to-date headshot and CV.
  • Indicate if you are currently a New Theatre member.
  • Indicate your preferred audition date/time.
  • Indicate if you are unable to audition in person – submission of self-tape can be arranged.
  • Indicate your rehearsal availability (days and/or evenings). Please note: attendance is required on the Mon 6 Oct public holiday (final dress rehearsal) and during the July (auditions) and Sep (production week/season) school holidays.

PLEASE PREPARE
A number of monologues from the play will be sent to you on securing an audition. Please select one and present in a Western American accent (WAE), with particular reference to the Wyoming accent. Please be prepared to also demonstrate accents from other parts of the USA, particularly Midwestern, East Coast (New York) and Southern.

PLEASE NOTE
New Theatre is an amateur theatre company and a volunteer-based organisation – there is no payment for this production.

If cast, you will be required to wash your own costumes and assist with the production bump in/out.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR (Mark G Nagle)
Mark has previously directed six productions for New Theatre and five at Genesian Theatre. Over the past twelve years he has also contributed to a further six shows (NT & GTC) as either Production Manager and/or Assistant Director. After studies at Theatre Nepean Mark travelled and lived abroad: Barcelona, London and Mexico City. On his return to Sydney, he commenced studies in Direction via NIDA Open programs. Mark works in customer service and occasionally assists actors in audition preparation and accent coaching. In earlier years he acted in twenty productions in Sydney and London.

ABOUT THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (Nick Bradshaw)
Nick is a director, and assistant director based in Sydney. He has worked across numerous mediums including theatre, film, live broadcast television and music videos. He graduated from the MFA Directing course at NIDA in 2023 and has since directed a show as part of the 2024 Sydney Fringe Festival. Nick is excited to collaborate on The Laramie Project because the story resonates deeply with him as an artist, and a person.

Main image: © JoseLuis/Adobe Stock