IMPORTANT DATES:

Performances: September 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27. All Performances at 7:30pm with actor call at 6:30pm.

Rehearsals: estimated August/September (Rehearsal schedules will be built around actor availability.)

SYNOPSIS

William Shumway, a young, idealistic cellular biologist has a brilliant new idea for curing cancer. He gets recruited from relative obscurity to Hill-Matheson, a major cancer research institute, by its charismatic director, Bob Brock, with the offer of his own lab and all the resources he will need to pursue that idea. As the pressure to show publishable results begins to build, fueled by unexpected competition from a rival lab at Oxford and the politically agile head of another department who has resentfully seen his own budget slashed to free up more funding for Shumway’s lab, his research suddenly hits a snag. He is faced with having to choose between full disclosure of the problem, which would jeopardize the funding he needs, and making the more expedient decision to bend the rules just a little, which will buy him enough additional time to solve the problem.

CHARACTERS: (All Roles Are Open)

WILLIAM SHUMWAY: Male, Early thirties , any race. Immunologist. A passionately curious scientist in cancer research and rising star at the Hill-Matheson Institute. By nature, gentle and isolated.

ROBERT BROCK: Male, Fifties, any race. Immunologist and Director of Hill-Matheson. Shumway’s mentor, a charismatic man of great intelligence and ambition. More awkward in his personal life but capable of a gruff kind of affection.

ALICE CURITON: Female, 21 years old, any race. A student in Shumway’s lab. A bright, ‘mouthy’ spitfire, indifferent to etiquette. Has a brief, business-like flirtation with William.

SAUL ROTH: Male, 67 years old, any race. Chief of Toxicology at Hill-Matheson. Plays at being the amiable philosopher but is in fact a very political animal. Brock’s rival for power.

DIRECTOR NOTES: 

Honestly, my first response to the show licensors description of the play was, "What a snore." When I read the script, though, I found a fast-paced dramatic tale of science, ethics and human conflict told with four intriguing characters, snappy dialogue and sharp wit, worthy of Aaron Sorkin. It will take four strong actors to pull this off. I look forward to collaborating with them to bring audiences an exciting theater experience.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Performances: February 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28 in 2027. All performances at 7:30pm. Actor call at 6:30pm.

Rehearsals: estimated January/February (Rehearsal schedules will be built around actor availability.)

SHOW SYNOPSIS:

Sarah Boyd is an extraordinary human being. Not only did she build her company from scratch, she also sits on the precipice of truly saving this planet. Because on top of being one of the fastest growing tech companies in history, Tactix will usher this planet into the post-plastic era—a time where we need not worry or fret over the great destruction being done to our world from this non-biodegradable foe. With her eyes steady on her next round of funding, Sarah must persevere through a late-night interview with a particularly tough reporter, a lawsuit aimed at a person from her past and the waffling of her CTO. It’s a heavy load, and Sarah knows that she is the only one great enough to bear it.

CHARACTERS: (All Roles are Open)

SARAH BOYD: female, early to mid thirties, any race. CEO and Founder of Tactix. Charismatic.

JENNIFER WEAVER: female, early to mid thirties, any race. Chief of Technology for Tactix. Brilliant.

ALEXIS LYONS: female, late twenties to thirties, any race. Journalist. Charming, able to make most people she comes in contact with trust her right away. Polished.

NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR:

Burst is a play that, on the surface, may feel like an exploration of the expected power dynamics of tech CEO with their feet to the fire. However, nothing is simple about the characters in this play or their motivations and relationships to each other.

I’m excited to work with an ensemble that is curious enough to dig in beyond the expected to the more complicated and nuanced truth of ambition, the system that dictates progress, and what we owe to each other — both those we know personally and humanity as a whole.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Performances: May 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24 in 2027. All shows are at 7:30pm. Actor call is at 6:30pm

Rehearsals: estimated April/May (Rehearsal schedules will be built around actor availability.)

SYNOPSIS:

Max and Whitney both have personality disorders that cause them to retreat into imaginary worlds. When participating in a clinical drug trial that aims to rid them of their delusions, they fall in love. As the pills take effect and the fantasies subside, Max and Whitney must decide if romance is worth leaving their worlds behind.

CHARACTERS: (All Roles are Open)

Max: Male or Non-Binary, late 20s-early 30s, any race. Has schizoid personality disorder. Closed-off, withdrawn, and hyper-protective of his inner reality. 

Whitney: Female or Non-Binary, late 20s-early 30s, any race. Has schizoid personality disorder. Curious and creative, with a highly developed and complex inner world similar to a space opera. Has absolutely no boundaries.

NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR:

At its heart, this show isn’t really about a personality disorder; it’s about the search for connection and meaning in a highly disconnected modern world. Whitney and Max are polar opposites yet they forge an unlikely bond.

The show explores themes of society’s definition of “normalcy,” trauma, mental health, fantasy versus reality, and what it means to protect and sacrifice for someone else.

Actors who audition should be comfortable exploring dark themes (allusions to violence and suicidal ideation), along with – if cast in the show – light kissing and touching between the characters.

Auditions will consist of paired readings from the script with direction given during auditions. Come prepared to have fun and tell a story.