Mad Cow Theatre, in partnership with Black Theatre Girl Magic, presents digital readings of five short plays by award-winning playwright, poet and change maker, Idris Goodwin, to spark conversation about race in America for multi-generational audiences. Events will be livestreamed on Mad Cow Theatre and Black Theatre Girl Magic’s respective Facebook pages August 22nd -October 17th at 1 p.m. (see below for schedule).
With the support of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA/USA), Goodwin has offered these plays to serve as a catalyst for action. Each of these short works, written to be read across the multi-generational spectrum, offer different insights about disconnects in racial conversation and the Black experience in America. Scripts and more can be found here: http://www.tyausa.org/freeplay/
These readings will be offered free of charge to remove the barriers of conversations about race in America.
Sign up at this link for a Zoom audition that will held on Saturday, August 15
Theatre Sparks/Idris Goodwin Play Series Character Breakdown
Note: All ethnicities, gender identities, and ages are encouraged to attend; however, it should be noted that due to the nature and content of these plays, we are seeking Black identifying people unless otherwise specified. In addition, Black Flag will have student actors cast.
Act Free Characters
Note: These roles are open to all gender identities
Kid #1– The Optimist of the group. Excited about the news and hopeful for the future.
Black Flag Characters (2F, 1M)
SYDNEY – 19 or 20, Caucasian. From Georgia, accent preferred. She is proud to be a rebel and has no idea how that may hurt others.
DEJA– 19 or 20, Black. From Detroit, accent preferred. Smart, aware of herself but constantly attempts to not “rock the boat” in situations that make her uncomfortable.
HARRY – 19 or 20, Caucasian. From North California. Absolutely no accent. DEJA’s new boyfriend. Outspoken.
#Matter Characters
KIM – 20s-30s, Black woman. Educated, progressive young adult. Kim is far too familiar with navigating white spaces. She is proud of being a Black Woman and not shy about sharing her views on Facebook.
COLE – 20s-30s, White man. Educated, progressive young adult. Tries to empathize with the movement but comes up short.
Nothing Rhymes with Juneteeth Characters
JEAN - Age 40. The Parent. Extremely supportive of their child’s ambitions and education.
PETE - Ages 7- 13. The Kid. Attempting to write a rap so that they can educate their class on the history of Juneteenth.
The Water Gun Song Characters
SAM – Around 7 years old, brown skinned. Excitable. Fun-seeking with a close relationship to their parent. Full of child-like wonder.
JULES – Age 18+, Adult, brown skinned. A Parent. Keenly aware of what it means to be raising a Black child in a white world.
Mad Cow Theatre and Black Theatre Girl Magic are seeking eager artists. Auditioners will be given sides to read from a character of their choosing. As part of the registration process you will be asked to upload ONE headshot and resume. All artists will be paid a fee. Actors' Equity Members are welcome, and this project will perform under the AEA Theatre Authority.
Mad Cow and Black Theatre Girl Magic are seeking a diverse company of actors and are committed to equal opportunity employment with a flexible, non-traditional casting policy. Non-traditional casting is defined as the casting of ethnic minorities, senior actors, female actors or actors with disabilities in roles where race, ethnicity, age, gender or ability is not relevant.
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Mad Cow Theatre is a 501(c)(3) arts organization funded by The State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, The Downtown Development Board, The Florida Theatrical Association, Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program, and members of the Central Florida community just like you. Mad Cow Theatre is a proud member of The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Central Florida, MBA Orlando and The Downtown Orlando Partnership.
Black Theatre Girl Magic is a community of Brown and Black identifying women with a mission to create a racially just, equitable, and accessible entertainment industry for Black and Brown women. They work to drive a cultural shift in theatre institutions to create safer spaces for the BIPOC community through public discourse and national legislation. BTGM aims to eliminate racist and ableist barriers of entry into all sectors of the entertainment industry. In addition, they elevate the valuable anti-racism work of other Black Woman-run organizations by sharing their resources and platform. BTGM is in the process of becoming a recognized non-profit organization and can be found at www.blacktheatregirlmagic.org.
