Auditions

(& Medea)

Conceived by Arlo Howe, Developed and written by Jess Shoemaker

Seeking:

Medea – Tough, seismically powerful, uncertain, a live wire; requires intimacy with Jason
Heller – Youthful, good-natured, playful, intuitive. Medea's younger sister.
Jason – Charming, handsome, with an easy confidence you want to believe in; requires intimacy with Medea
Atalanta – Awkward, loud, not terribly aware, protective, boyish, likeable as fuck
Pelias – Imposing, cunning, contains a seething anger
The Princess – Extremely pretty, more bright than warm, trying so very hard 

The Chorus -- our addition, with the playwright's blessing, to this script.  An amorphous and musical entity that moves like water and guides Medea through her story.

Show Description:

She lived a life before the tragedy. It's time we hear about it. In a timeless and poetic retelling of Euripides’ infamous play, a Greek chorus guides us through the details of Medea’s life and love. In this version, we get to know her for who she was before she committed an act that would become the defining moment of her narrative forever.

Accompanied by the sounds and movements of water, we set out to reconstruct the image of a woman history has deemed purely a villain.  We set out to offer her the things she was never truly given: context, history, and her love story.

Content Notices:

Death, traumatic loss of a pregnancy, cursing, intimacy (sex scene performed in a blackout and kissing), grief, discussions of war

Important Information:

Rehearsals are slated to begin October 5th, 2025 with performances running the weekend of November 21-23, 2024. Rehearsals will take place on Wednesday evenings, every other Friday, and Saturday mornings.  

***MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO AUDITION***

When:

In person September 8th, 6:30pm-9:30pm. Or via video audition, due by September 13th at 11:59pm. All auditions will be weighed equally whether in-person or virtual.

Where:

In person auditions will take place at The Deep End Studios, 1313 S 33rd St, Philadelphia PA

What To Prepare:

1. Please prepare a comedic or dramatic contemporary monologue, no more than two minutes in length

2. If you are interested in/willing to accept the roles of The Chorus or Heller, please include 16 bars or 30 seconds of a song of your choice.  

The music of this show is collaborative, arhythmic, and dissonant at times.  It is meant to flow like water.  Please choose a piece that you feel reflects this notion and makes you feel something.  This could include anything from a well known song to a song from your childhood or a folk song! Additionally, we do not need you to be a trained vocalist - we simply want to hear your natural voice and your connection to music.

Note: If you are auditioning in person, you will be asked to sing your cut either a cappella or with a track.  A bluetooth speaker will be provided. 

In The Works Auditions

About In The Works:

In The Works is our ongoing virtual play reading series supporting playwrights’ new works. Any play that has not been fully produced or published can be submitted for consideration for In The Works. This series aims to provide playwrights with the chance to hear their plays aloud, to receive feedback on their work in a constructive environment, and to share a space with actors and network while developing new work! Since these readings take place virtually, this opportunity is available to actors regardless of location.

In The Works play readings are produced throughout the year based on both playwright availability and Amalgamation production schedule openings.

What to prepare:

A video audition of a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue from a play, musical, TV, or film. There is no need to record something specifically for this audition; feel free to use a video you already have on hand. Acting reels will be accepted (ideally no longer than 2-5 minutes). Videos can be submitted through a Google Drive, Vimeo, or Youtube link. Please do not submit videos that require downloading.

If you have any questions or concerns about any audition information, please contact us at amalgamationtheatreco@gmail.com