Waitress
About the project
Jessie Nelson, book; Sara Bareilles, music-lyrics; Rick Hammerly, artistic dir.-dir.; Leilani Fenick, music dir.; Paul Dandridge, choreo.
Casting Equity actors for roles in "Waitress." Synopsis: Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker, finds herself stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. When a nearby baking contest offers her the chance of escape, and with support from her fellow waitresses, loyal customers, and an unexpected romance, Jenna begins to find the courage to take her long-abandoned dream off the shelf. "Waitress," featuring the music of Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, celebrates the power of friendship, dreams, the family we choose, and the quality of a well-baked pie.
Roles in this project
Dates & Locations
Rehearsals begin May 12; runs June 20-Aug. 3 in Richmond, VA.
Compensation & Contract
Key Details
- Feb 24, 2025: 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM EST
An
Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects
of this audition. To schedule an audition appointment, fill out the
following form: https://forms.gle/D7CCjiWxEX5RiGPQ8.
Callbacks
on March 10-11 (6-10 p.m.). Prepare two songs (approximately 32 bars
each); a musical theatre selection, and a pop-country selection, and
prepare a comedic monologue of not more than 2 minutes. Bring sheet
music in your key. An accompanist will be provided. Also, bring one hard
copy of your headshot and resume stapled together.
In casting
"Waitress," Virginia Repertory Theatre endeavors to be as inclusive as
possible. They invite all performers, including gender non-conforming,
genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary actors, to audition for the
roles they most identify with. They will also list race/ethnicity when
specific to the character but are otherwise seeking all races and
ethnicities.
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity
is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a
policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive
model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all
ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with
disabilities, to attend every audition.
Additional Materials
SEEKING:
JENNA:
(Female Identifying, 25-40s) A woman stuck in her life as an unhappily
married waitress in a small town. Finds some happiness and expression
through her meticulous baking of pies and her friendships with her
coworkers, Dawn and Becky. Lives her life paycheck-to-paycheck, day by
day, and wants nothing more than to get away and start fresh,
unbeknownst to her destructive husband, Earl. Has a fantastic pop/rock
voice with great range. Vocal Range: F#3-F5.
DAWN: (Female
Identifying, 24-30s) She is the youngest of the waitresses. Thick
glasses, hair parted 14 centimeters to the left - eccentric is the nice
way to say she’s slightly unusual, and not so slightly OCD. She sets the
tables, painstakingly ensuring each salt and pepper-shaker is
equidistant from the napkin holder. Has an excellent pop/rock/folk
voice. Vocal range: G3-E5.
BECKY: (Female Identifying, 35-40s)
The oldest of the three waitresses. Irreverent, irascible, been there,
made it back, and somehow kept her forward and sometimes wicked sense of
humor with excellent comedic timing. Has a soulful pop voice with an
excellent pop belt. Vocal range: Eb3-E5.
DR. POMATTER: (Male
Identifying, 30-45) Handsome, endearing, and neurotic. Has a warm, if
clumsy, matter. Jenna’s gynecologist with whom an unexpected
extramarital affair is born. Has a quirky sense of humor and a big
heart, despite the fact that he’s contributing to the affair. Has
impeccable comedic timing and moves well. Has a very strong pop/rock
tenor that can navigate the musical style of Sara Bareilles with ease.
Vocal Range: Bb2-Bb4.
EARL: (Male Identifying, 25-late 30s)
Jenna’s husband. Peaked in high school, handsome in a gruff way, but
that face is clouded with broken dreams, drowned with cheap beer. Just
enough narcissism mixed with stupidity, to be a potent Molotov cocktail
that can explode into unexpected anger one second and then turn into a
sobbing mess the next. Guitar playing a plus. Vocal range: Eb3-G4.
OGIE:
(Male Identifying, 30s) Strange, yet oddly lovable. Becomes slightly
obsessed with Dawn (in a hilarious yet endearing way) after she goes on a
5-minute date with him. Quirky, incredibly persistent, and odd, yet
kind. Has excellent comedic timing. Has an excellent pop/rock
tenor/baritenor sound. Vocal range: C3-Bb4.
JOE: (Male
Identifying, 60-70) The owner of the diner where Jenna, Dawn, Becky, and
Cal work. A seemingly old, curmudgeonly man who has a soft spot for
Jenna (and her pie), warm at heart. A sarcastically funny and
no-nonsense guy with a keen ability to read people. Very funny. Vocal
range: B2-G#4.
CAL: (Male Identifying, 40s): A chef at the diner.
A “Salt of the Earth” guy’s guy surrounded by gals. Brash, impatient,
unsentimental, but somehow charming. Has a strong pop/rock voice with
great comedic chops. Vocal range: B2-G4.
LULU: (Female
Identifying, 4-5 years old). Caucasian. Jenna’s daughter. A sweet,
carefree child who appears in the last scene of the show. Is confident
and able to engage in a small amount of dialogue and movement on stage
ENSEMBLE:
Excellent pop voices in the style of Sara Bareilles, great comedic
timing, and be able to play a range of characters comprising the
community in which the story takes place. Strong movers/dancers.
Also seeking understudies for all roles.
