Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
by Erin Shields
Direction by Jason J. Flannery
Open Auditions: February 10 & 11, noon-3pm (must be checked in by 2pm)
Location: 2nd floor of the Spectrum Theater at 160 Fountain NE.
Performance Dates: May 2-5, 9-11
Rehearsals: Rehearsals will begin in March
Audition Requirements: No headshots or resumés required, but encouraged. Sides will be made available online by January 8. Please be prepared to list any potential schedule conflicts throughout the rehearsal process.
Characters:
All roles are open to individuals of all races and ethnicities (except where explicitly prescribed by the playwright), genders, abilities, body sizes, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses. Trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer actors highly encouraged to audition.
Satan: Female presenting, over 40, formerly Archangel Lucifer; a rebellious angel, tempter of humanity, clever, wounded, free
God the Father: Male presenting, over 40, "creator of everything, weary innovator, loving patriarch"
God the Son: Male presenting, 20's-30's, "son of God, redeemer of humanity, full of love"
Adam: Male presenting, 20's, the first man, in love with Eve
Eve: Female presenting, 20's, the first woman, in love with Adam
The Ensemble
7 ensemble members each play two roles: one in the Chorus of the Damned and one in the Chorus of the Chosen. Although approximate age ranges are listed, this will be flexible depending on the collected ensemble.
The Chorus of the Damned:
Beelzebub: Female presenting, 30's-40's, Satan’s confidant and second in command (doubles with Gabriel)
Moloch: Male presenting, 30'-40's, Satan’s general, a fierce warrior (doubles with Michael)
Belial: Male presenting, over 50, a wise warrior and philosopher (doubles with Raphael)
Mammon: 30's-50's, lesser angel, an early adapter fused to Astoreth (doubles with Uriel)
Astoreth: Female presenting, 20's-40's, lesser angel, moon goddess, fused to Mammon (doubles with Urania)
Sin: Female presenting, over 40, daughter/lover of Satan; half angel, half-serpent (doubles with Zephon)
Death: Male presenting, 20's-30's, son/grandson of Satan; angry and hungry (doubles with Ithuriel)
The Chorus of the Chosen:
Gabriel: Archangel/seraph, general in God’s army
Michael: Archangel/seraph, general in God’s army
Raphael: Archangel, gentle mentor, amateur theatre director
Uriel: Archangel, regent of the sun
Urania: Angel, muse of astrology
Zephon: Angel, guardian of the garden
Ithuriel: Newly formed angel, guardian of the garden
About the Director:
Jason J. Flannery is a Grand Rapids artist and educator; teaching courses in theatre, acting, directing, and improvisation and directing collegiate productions at Grand Rapids Community College (Wilderness (2019), Eurydice (2022), A Doll's House, Part 2 (2022), Grand Concourse (2023), at Grand Valley State University (Defy the Stars (2018), Bard to Go: Bardic Inspiration (2022)), and Aquinas College (The Foreigner (2019)). He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing from Lindenwood University (2017), where he studied directing, acting, script adaptation, and scenic art. At Actors’ Theatre, he serves as a member of the Play Selection Committee, as a Social Media Coordinator, as a Scenic Artist, and as a performer; appearing in productions of The Whale (2018), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2018), At the Table (2018), Sweat (2019), Petty Crimes (2023), and Witch (2023).