Description:

Theatre EVOLVE seeks non-equity actors for all roles and understudies for Spring 2024 show. The production will take place at Raven Theatre 6157 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60660. Rehearsals begin February 27th, preview is April 11th, play opens April 12th, and closes May 4th. Pay is $300 for principal actors, $200 for understudies.

Roles being cast:

VOICE – 20's-30’s, she/her. Struggling to fit into the new place, but focused and opinionated. The role calls for brief physical intimacy (a kiss).

GABE – 20’s-30’s, he/him. Voice’s boyfriend. Easygoing, well-adjusted, and thinks he knows what's best. The role calls for brief physical intimacy (a kiss). Also plays GOLEM – Only makes sounds but does intuit what is going on. Eats a lot. Made of mud and crap. Requires physical comedy.

HETCHMAN – late 30's+, he/him. Stubborn, spoiled, a bit possessive - in short, a curmudgeon. Requires physical comedy.

HETCHMAN’S WIFE – late 30’s+, she/her. Brave and direct, but running out of patience. The role calls for brief physical intimacy (a kiss) and requires physical comedy.

MECKEL – late 30’s+, he/him. Hetchman’s neighbor and only friend. Cheerful, popular, and kind. The role calls for brief physical intimacy (a kiss) and requires physical comedy.

WALL – any age, she/her. Omnipotent, flirty, and encouraging, but also a Wall. This role is solely pre-recorded voiceover, to be recorded in collaboration with Director and Sound Designer over January-February 2024 prior to rehearsals, with small touch-ups during rehearsal process.

All roles can be played by actors of any race, gender, or physical ability.

HETCHMAN, his WIFE, and MECKEL all speak with quasi-Eastern European accents. They read as older, but only in the way your high school math teacher could be 40 or 90 or both.

Show description:
When a young woman moves in with her boyfriend expecting domestic bliss, their new house reveals the magical tale of its previous inhabitants: an old hat-maker and his long-suffering wife, who runs away with his favorite hat. This sweet and surreal story bends time and space to redefine the idea of family, home, and true love itself.

Director's casting note:
The Hatmaker's Wife is an earnest, enchanting, and very silly play. I mean, there's a talking Wall! This vaudevillian fairy tale gets mixed with a modern narrative reminiscent of lockdown-era isolation and hyperfixation. So, we are hoping to assemble a cast of clowns (but like, sensitive clowns) and together, we'll explore relationship dynamics, loneliness, and finding your inner voice. And magic - did I mention the talking Wall?