Audition Application

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Be You Productions is excited to announce our 2023 production of Lucky Stiff to be staged in August at the MC Showroom.

Link to a Plain Text Version of this brief.

We are now seeking TEN cast members for a paid opportunity through ethical profit share.

Lucky Stiff is the heartwarming tale of a man, a corpse, and a whole lot of money. Harry Witherspoon, a down-on-his-luck shoe salesman, inherits a fortune from his dead uncle, but there's a catch: he has to drag the old man's embalmed body to Monte Carlo for one last hurrah. Along the way, Harry finds love, adventure, and the true meaning of family (even if it's with a deceased relative).

With hilarious songs, outrageous plot twists, and a cast of unforgettable characters, Lucky Stiff reminds us that even the weirdest situations can lead to unexpected beauty. So come for the laughs, stay for the heartwarming message, and don't forget your dancing shoes!

OUR VISION

This show is quirky and fun, with poignant moments - we want to work with people who can lean into the contrasting aspects of the show, whilst enjoying ourselves. While this show can be very melodramatic and lean into stereotypes, we think with the right amount of sincerity it will not feel fake or cheesy. We want our actors to lean into the truth of their characters, the heightened nature of the story, as after all the truth is funny. Honest discovery, observation, and reaction is better than contrived invention.

Real humour does not come from sacrificing the reality of a moment in order to crack a cheap joke, but in finding the joke in the reality of the moment.

CASTING PHILOSOPHY

At Be You, we hold open auditions, which means each performer will be chosen for their personal abilities. Every role is open to every performer, regardless of traditional ‘fit’ for the role. The rights of the musical prescribe the gender expressions of each character, though this does not limit our imagination as to who is able to play each role. If you are passionate about a character but unsure if you fit as an actor, we encourage you to give it a shot!

PAYMENT

We use an Ethical Profit Share model to pay our people for their work. For this production profits will be shared equally between all members of the cast and creative team, excluding Bradley, Daniele, John, and Weng Yi, who are volunteers.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

People who are not afraid to have fun and experiment in a safe environment
People who want to be part of the creation of the show
People who display emotional intelligence, authenticity, and a passion for acting.
People with an open, playful attitude where storytelling is concerned
People who will adhere to our values and be excited to embark on this new adventure in creating sustainable theatre.
People who care - we don’t need exceptional singers or dancers, we need passionate actors and storytellers.
People who have the ability to work in Australia, and live in Victoria.

CASTING NOTES

We are proud of our diverse community and want to ensure people feel welcome to be considered for any of the positions available. We will provide support for anyone who needs some extra time and coaching to grow into a role - we’re mostly looking for passionate people.
We actively encourage submissions from performers who identify as Indigenous, Black, a Person of Colour (IBPOC), culturally, gender and body diverse and/or those living with disabilities (visible or nonvisible). Any character can be played by performers of any background and we will not exclude anyone from consideration due to a character’s perceived identity.
Please contact us if you require any additional support in submitting and/or during the audition process, including but not limited to more time, information, guidance, alternative formats or anything you are unsure about. We believe this process should be accessible and are happy to be called in at any time to help you - email casting@beyouinc.org

SUBMISSION PROCESS

We’re accepting video submissions for the first round and with our open audition policy everyone who applies will be seen. Character descriptions are available in the audition form, though we will simply ask if you're interested in a featured or ensemble role, or both.

Please prepare a video with the following:

A slate with your name, pronouns, location, and why you’re applying.
Two 60 second cuts of songs of your choosing which show your range as an actor. Storytelling to the front, and we are not fussed if these songs are your favourites from previous auditions - there is no need to try and replicate something you’ve already done. Self-tape tips are included at the bottom of this brief.

In our submission form we will also ask you to provide your:

CV, and
Headshot

We encourage you to submit your initial audition earlier than the deadline, because we will be reviewing submissions as they are received. You may receive your first call back instructions earlier if you submit your video to us sooner.

Apply Now

Important Dates

Auditions:

SUBMISSIONS CLOSE: 22 April 2023

CALLBACK 1 (Virtual): by 6 May 2023

CALLBACK 2 (Group/Ensemble): 13 May 2023

CALLBACK 3 (Solo): 20 May 2023

Rehearsal Workshops:

Evening of 7 & Arvo of 11 June

Rehearsals:

Mon (evening), Wed (evening), Sun (1-5pm)

9 July - 20 August

Season:

21 - 27 August 2023

If these dates are impacted by lockdowns or restrictions, we will reschedule for a later date, with our finalised cast having the first right of refusal for future dates.

Callbacks and auditions will be held in venues that have lift access or do not require stairs. If you require more information about our venues please contact us and we will get back to you.

We don’t believe in asking people to attend more auditions than required. This means that if we know you’re a right fit after Callback 2, we may not ask you to attend Callback 3 unless it’s necessary to test more material with you. Regardless of the outcome, you will always hear back from us.

CALLBACK INFO

After the initial video submission, our first call back will also be presented via video within a week of submissions closing. In this second submission we’ll ask you to present material from the show with the freedom to submit multiple takes and multiple interpretations of songs and scenes.

Materials for the first call back are already available, so you can start preparing for your video call back as soon as possible (and have a little look before you audition if you'd like)

FINER DETAILS

We will be in contact regardless of the outcome of your audition.
For those who are successful in receiving a call back audition, you will be sent an email with all relevant information, including material to prepare for your audition.
Please note that you may be photographed and recorded as part of your participation in the audition process for casting purposes.
You may be asked to be recorded, either inside or outside the audition room, with such recording to possibly be used for promotional content of the production process including, but not limited to news stories, programming for broadcast and social media. Such recordings will be voluntary without compensation.
Anyone who is invited to join our cast will be asked to read and sign acceptance of Be You Group’s code of conduct and other various workplace policies.

ABOUT BE YOU PRODUCTIONS

Be You Productions is a Melbourne based professional independent theatre company that strives to create sustainable theatre using an ethical profit share model.

This production will be our fourth sustainable music theatre show, underpinned by the following principles:

Focus on the story
Open audition process
Transparent budget management
Performers includes in decision-making
Minimal budget

As mentioned above, we will keep expenses low so as to maximise on all profits received and therefore shared, to compensate for the work put in by the whole team, excluding volunteers.

Our ethos of being honest, open, and ethical in all we do will inform our approach to all things. You can read about our principles here.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

Be You Productions operates under the Be You Group’s Casting Conflict of Interest policy.

We’re proud of this policy as it provides for equitable casting and underpins our Open Audition Process principle, and we believe it makes us a leader in Best Practice for our industry.

SELF TAPE TIPS

Shoot the scenes at mid-shot to close-up (just below the shoulders to three inches above the top of the head)
Please ensure good sound levels so we can hear your voice clearly with limited background noise.
Reduce visual distractions - filming against a blank wall is most ideal
Please send through via Vimeo or Youtube link
Edit songs together and upload submission as a single file.