NEXT TO NORMAL

music by Brian Yorkey
book and lyrics by Tom Kitt
director: Emilia Sargent

NEXT TO NORMAL is the groundbreaking, Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning rock musical that tells the story of a suburban family coping with mental illness. From the outside, the Goodmans are a normal family, but inside, there’s no such thing. Diana’s bipolar disorder is a challenge not only for her, but also her overly protective husband, Dan, and anxiety-ridden daughter, Natalie. Can Dr. Madden’s treatments help make any of them “better”?

TampaRep is thrilled to present this must-see show for anyone who has ever struggled with mental illness or loved someone who has.

Initial auditions: Saturday, December 9th, 2023, 10am-1pm, 2-5pm
Callbacks: Monday, December 11th, 6:30-10:00pm
Audition location: TBD, Tampa

Rehearsals are scheduled to begin the week of Tuesday, April 30th, 2024
Rehearsal hours are typically evenings & weekends up to 32 hrs/wk
Rehearsals will be at USF Theatre Center
Performances will take place at USF Theatre Center

Preview is Thursday, May 30, 2024
Opening night is Friday, May 31, 2024
NEXT TO NORMAL runs three weekends from 5/31/24 – 6/16/24

All roles are paid an average of $12-15/hr

Auditions for this show are by appointment only.

A digital perusal copy of the SCRIPT is available to read by clicking here.
(Not available for print or download.)

To request an audition slot:

• AEA members may request an audition spot by emailing auditions@tamparep.org.
  • Please indicate your preference of Morning or Afternoon.
  • Make sure to FILL OUT THIS FORM to submit your headshot, resume, and information.
• Due to limited audition slots, Non-union actors must submit a self-tape audition or work sample to be considered
  • Follow the guidelines posted above for a VIDEO SUBMISSION.
  • Please submit a self-tape or work sample that shows your range and ability to sing & act the material from the show.
    • If we want to see more, we will contact you.
  • Make sure to FILL OUT THIS FORM to submit your headshot, resume, and information
• Please allow up to one week for a response. We will respond to every email submission we receive.
• The deadline to request an audition spot is Thursday, December 7th.
• Those chosen for an audition slot will receive further instructions and links to the audition/callback material.

Next to Normal FAQ:

 1. Why do I need to submit a video first?

We have already had many requests for auditions, and as much as we want to meet and audition ALL of you, we just don’t have the time. We’d rather respect your time and ours.

2. What do you want to see from me?

A video showing us YOU. Maybe it’s you singing in a previous show, or you singing at a bar, or you with an accompanist submitting a traditional short audition song. Show us YOU at your best and make us WANT to bring you in for an in-person audition.

a. Should I sing from the show?

For your pre-screen audition, feel free to sing whatever you like – from Next to Normal or not, as long as it’s “in the style of”. If we schedule you for an in-person audition, we’ll ask you to prepare specific songs & sides.

3. I can’t make the audition, can I send in a video?

Sure. We will watch everything we receive.

4. What should I sing? How long should it be?

Sing something in the style of the show, long enough for us to see you make some choices, but not too long. A minute is a good length to shoot for, give or take.

5. How/Where do I submit my video?

Follow the “Video Submission Guidelines” posted at the top of this page.

6. I’m non-union – can I submit?

Of course! Our agreement with AEA means we will see all Equity members without a prescreen. We are asking non-union actors to submit a video because: see question #1.

7. What AEA contract do you work under?

For Next to Normal, we will be employing AEA talent under a Special Appearance agreement, Tier 2: https://www.actorsequity.org/resources/Producers/agreements-and-forms/special-appearance/

8. Do you offer housing?

Unfortunately, except in very specific circumstances, we are not able to offer housing to out-of-town artists. This is also more of a choice, as at TampaRep, we want to offer opportunities to Tampa-based artists as much as possible.

9. Can I sing a capella on my audition video?

No. You’ll be singing with music in the show. Singing without doesn’t show us if you can keep the beat or match pitch.

SEEKING

DIANA GOODMAN (female, any race/ethnicity, 30-50)

A complex and multifaceted character, Diana is strong and resilient, vulnerable and fragile, controlling and manipulative and fiercely protective of her family. She is struggling to come to terms with Gabe’s death, and she is also struggling with her own mental illness. She is a deeply human character who is trying to find her way in the world. Vocal range G below middle C to high G -strong mix to a D.

DAN GOODMAN (male, any race/ethnicity, 30-50)

Dan is a loving and supportive husband who will go to any length to keep up the façade of the “perfect, loving family”. He is exhausted and frustrated, and he sometimes feels like he is losing control of his life while trying to find a way to help Diana. A “good man” who is just trying to do what he thinks is best. Vocal range B below written middle C to high A full voice and to high D flat falsetto.

NATALIE (female, any race/ethnicity, teens/early 20’s)

A bright and talented teenager who feels angry and resentful because she has to be the adult in the family. A young woman trying to find her way in the world, who just wants to lead a life that is “next to normal”. Vocal range G below middle C to high G – strong mix to E flat.

GABRIEL (male, any race/ethnicity, 20s)

Diana and Dan’s son who died as a baby. He appears to Diana as a figment of her imagination. Or is he? Energetic, carefree,and charming, he knows that he is his mother’s favorite child and will go to any lengths to ensure that security. Vocal range C (written middle C) to high A full voice and high D (above staff) falsetto

HENRY (male, any race/ethnicity, teens/early 20’s)

Natalie’s high school boyfriend. He’s a musician, goofy, and a self-proclaimed “loner and a bit of a stoner.” He is Natalie’s security and the most solid person in her life. Vocal range low A below written middle C to high G full voice and high A falsetto.

DR. MADDEN / DR. FINE (any gender, any race/ethnicity, 30-60)

Two of Diana’s doctors (played by the same actor). Dr. Madden, a psychopharmacologist, is more traditional when it comes to treatment and is less inclined to take his patients suggestions into consideration. Dr. Fine is Diana’s “rock star” and far more practical when it comes to Diana’s treatment and more willing to work with her and her family. Vocal ranges low A below written middle C to high A flat full voice.

AUDITION SIDES

ALL MY SONS

by Arthur Miller
director: Christopher Marshall

SUPPLEMENTAL AUDITIONS

Initial audition via video. Please submit by following the guidelines above.

Rehearsals are scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Rehearsals will be at USF Theatre Centre in Tampa
Typical rehearsals are Tue-Fri evenings 7-10pm and Sat 10am-6pm

Preview is Thursday, June 1, 2023
Opening night is Friday, June 2, 2023
Performances will take place at USF Theatre Centre, TAR 120 in Tampa
ALL MY SONS runs three weekends from 6/1/23-6/18/23

All roles are paid

A digital perusal copy of the SCRIPT is available by clicking here.

To submit a video audition, please follow the guidelines above AND  FILL OUT THIS FORM

CALLBACK SIDES

SEEKING

An ensemble of excellent actors to play the following roles:

DR. JIM BAYLISS (male-identifying, any race/ethnicity, 30’s-40’s)
“Doctor Bayliss is nearing forty. A wry, self-controlled man, an easy talker, but with a wisp of sadness that cling even to his self-effacing humor.” A successful doctor, but frustrated with the stifling domesticity of his life. He wants to become a medical researcher but continues in his job as it pays the bills. He is a close friend to the Keller family and spends a lot of time in their back yard.

BERT (male-identifying, any race/ethnicity, 8-14 to play 8)
Bert is a little boy who lives in the neighborhood; he is friends with the Bayliss’ son Tommy and frequently visits the Kellers’ yard to play “jail” with Joe. He appears only twice in the play: the first time, his part seems relatively unimportant, but the second time his character is more important as he sparks a verbal attack from mother when mentioning “jail,” which highlights Joe’s secret.

ALL OTHER ROLES ARE CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement

JOE KELLER (male-identifying, White, 50’s-60’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“Keller is nearing sixty. A heavy man of stolid mind and build, a businessman these many years, but with the imprint of the machine-shop worker and boss still upon him. When he reads, when he speaks, when he listens, it is with the terrible concentration of the uneducated man for whom there is still wonder in many commonly known things, a man whose judgments must be dredged out of experience and a peasant-like common sense. A man among men.” Joe was exonerated after being charged with knowingly shipping defective aircraft engine cylinder heads from his factory to the military during World War II, causing the deaths of 21 pilots. For over three years he has placed the blame on his partner and former neighbor, Steve Deever, although he himself committed the crime. When the truth comes out, Joe justifies his actions by claiming that he did it for his family.

KATE KELLER (female-identifying, any race/ethnicity, mid-40’s-mid-60’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“She is in her early fifties, a woman of uncontrolled inspirations and an overwhelming capacity for love.” Kate knows that Joe is guilty but lives in denial while mourning for her older son Larry, who has been “missing in action” for three years. She refuses to believe that Larry is dead and maintains that Ann Deever — who returns for a visit at the request of Larry’s brother Chris — is still “Larry’s girl” and believes that he is coming back.

CHRIS KELLER (male-identifying, any race/ethnicity, 30’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“He is thirty-two; like his father, solidly built, a listener. A man capable of immense affection and loyalty.” Chris returned home from World War II two years before the play begins, disturbed by the realization that the world was continuing as if nothing had happened. He has summoned Ann Deever to the Keller house to ask for her hand in marriage, but they’re faced with the obstacle of Kate’s unreasonable conviction that Larry will someday return. Chris idolizes his father, not knowing initially what he has done.

ANN DEEVER (female-identifying, any race/ethnicity, mid-20’s-mid-30’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“Ann is twenty-six, gentle but despite herself capable of holding fast to what she knows.”
Ann arrives at the Keller home having shunned her “guilty” father since his imprisonment. Throughout the play, Ann is often referred to as pretty, beautiful, and intelligent-looking and as “Annie”. She had a relationship with Larry Keller before his disappearance and has since moved on because she knows the truth of his fate. She hopes that the Kellers will consent to her marriage to Larry’s brother, Chris, with whom she has corresponded by mail for two years. Ann is the truth-bearer in the play. (Role is cast, seeking possible understudy or replacement)

GEORGE DEEVER (male-identifying, any race/ethnicity, 30’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“George is Chris’ age, but a paler man, now on the edge of his self-restraint. He speaks quietly, as though afraid to find himself screaming.” George is Ann’s older brother: a successful New York lawyer, WWII veteran, and a childhood friend of Chris’s. He initially believed in his father’s guilt, but upon visiting Steve in jail, realizes his innocence and becomes enraged at the Kellers for deceiving him. He returns to save his sister from her marriage to Chris, creating the catalyzing final events.

SUE BAYLISS (female-identifying, any race/ethnicity, 30’s-40’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“She is rounding forty, an overweight woman who fears it.” Sue is Jim’s wife: needling and dangerous, but sweet and neighborly. She too is a friend of the Keller family but is secretly resentful of what she sees as Chris’s bad idealistic influence on Jim. Sue confronts Ann about her resentment of Chris in a particularly volatile scene in their backyard.

FRANK LUBEY (male-identifying, any race/ethnicity, 30’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“Frank is thirty-two but balding. A pleasant, opinionated man, uncertain of himself, with a tendency toward peevishness when crossed, but always wanting it pleasant and neighborly.” Frank was always one year ahead of the draft, so he never served in World War II, instead staying home to marry George’s former sweetheart, Lydia. He draws up Larry’s horoscope and tells Kate that Larry must still be alive, because the day he died was meant to be his “favorable day”. This strengthens Kate’s faith and makes it much harder for Ann to move on.

LYDIA LUBEY (female-identifying, any race/ethnicity, mid-20’s-mid-30’s)
ROLE IS CAST, auditioners may be considered for possible understudy or replacement
“a robust, laughing girl of twenty-­seven.” Lydia was George’s love interest before the war; after he went away, she married Frank and they soon had three children. She is a model of peaceful domesticity and lends a much-needed cheerful air to several moments of the play, and a nostalgia to what George “might have had”.