Description:

She's called to a spiritual existence; he's committed to an earthly one. Alma (Spanish for 'soul') loves the boy next door, John Buchanan. The two each have a rather different philosophy for life, though. While Alma is moved by graces and troubled by petty, every-day cruelties that accompany living, John cares only for human impulse and immediacy. He brandishes his chart of the human anatomy to prove his point: there's no room in a body for a soul.

Circling one another, the pair illustrates the double-edged sword of human nature, darkness making way for lightness and vice versa, only to cut one another short. A gothic Southern town caked in heat makes for a brooding observer. In the quietly unsettling fashion unique to Tennessee Williams' works, Summer and Smoke explores the connection between two people bound by a breathing tether. Stretch it too tightly, and it's doomed to snap.

The production will be executed in a manner of how many of us perceive memories - surreal and suggestive, rather than prescribed and tangible. All actors, except Alma and John, will be double cast in multiple roles. This "chorus" of actors will observe the action of the play the entire time. They will play instruments to underscore certain scenes and transitions. This will allow the audience to accept that they aren't watching realism, but watching expressionism, surrealism, and memory. Summer & Smoke in the style of a fever dream - so to speak.

Character Breakdown:

The Impostors Theatre Company has a desire to work with all kinds of artists. We encourage people of all backgrounds, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, disabilities, and religions to submit for consideration.

John Buchanan (20's/30's, male identifying, any ethnicity)
Lives an earthly life. As a young doctor, he's more interested in what makes people tick than curing them. John is motivated by what feels good and doesn't like to be tacked down. He is committed to being a contrarian, of sorts. Intelligent. Self-centered. Humorous. Charming.

Rev. Winemiller; Dr. Buchanan (30's/40's, male identifying, any ethnicity)
+ The Reverend: Alma's father. The Reverend is a man of faith, heavily burdened by his family - perhaps more than your average man. He is a kind soul, but duty and conviction stand over anything else. He loves his daughter deeply.
+ The Doctor: John's father. His son is named after him. The Doctor is a man of science, but certainly has a sense of humor. Because of his son's reputation, his is ashamed of John, and his tendency to be quick to anger rears its ugly head more than once. It's difficult for him to have raised a son who doesn't listen.

Mrs. Winemiller; Mrs. Bassett (30's/40's, female identifying, any ethnicity)
+ Mrs. Winemiller: Alma's mother. Mrs. Winemiller is wildly immature and full of childlike energy. She is demanding; the only thing she enjoys more than ice cream is making fun of Alma. She gets what she wants, and is colloquially known as the Reverend's "cross to bear."
+ Mrs. Bassett: The neighborhood busy-body, the church gossip, the pot-stirrer.

Rosa Gonzales; Rosemary (20's/30's, female identifying, LatinX)
+ Rosa: Mr. Gonzales' daughter. Rosa is a free thinker, strong-willed, and vibrant. Despite other people's prejudices, she is desperately trying to achieve something better out of life.
+ Rosemary: The young town "spinster," intelligent and knows it, quiet, wounded when interrupted.

Nelly Ewell; Dusty (20's/30's, female identifying, any ethnicity)
+ Nelly: Alma's voice student. She's bright and eager, perhaps honest to a fault. Because she was introduced to the concept of sexuality early, she likes testing the boundaries on what she can say. She's confident for her age.
+ Dusty: Dusty works at Moon Lake Casino as a member of the waitstaff. Adept at interrupting intimate moments.

Mr. Gonzales, Vernon (30's/40's, male identifying, LatinX)
+ Mr. Gonzales: Rosa's father and owner of Moon Lake Casino. Boisterous, jovial, a story-teller, family man, and hard-working business man. He will make sure his daughter finds success in life, no matter what the cost.
+ Vernon: A quiet, polite man. He does what is asked of him, every time.

*The role of Alma Winemiller has been cast.
*The roles of Roger Doremus and Archie Kramer (played by the same actor) have been cast.

Audition & Callback Dates:
Audition: Saturday, November 23: 10:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Callback: Sunday, November 24: 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Actor must be available for part of one of the callback time slots. Your callback time preference will be asked at auditions. Time slots will be 1:10 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.; 2:40 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; 4:10 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.)

Auditions and Callbacks will be held at:
The Edge Theater
5451 North Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640

Time Commitment:
Rehearsals: Monday, January 27 - Friday, February 28 (Mon-Fri evenings)
Tech: Monday, March 2 - Thursday, March 12 (Details provided at auditions. Must be available.)
Performances: March 13 - March 28 (Pick-up on Wed, Performance Thurs-Sun)

Rehearsals will be held at:
The Edge Theater, 5451 North Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640.

Tech & Performances will be held at:
The Pentagon, at Collaboraction Studios, 1579 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Material To Prepare:
Please bring a a printed copy of your headshot and resume. Please prepare a 2-minute monologue and a 1/1:30-min song of your choice. If you play an instrument, please bring it with you to auditions. A piano will be provided in the audition space. There will be no accompanist. Performers are encouraged to accompany themselves. If you are not accompanying yourself, please sing a capella.