Audition

Rehearsals are scheduled Sundays in the range of 1-6pm* for approx. 3 hours (*depending on actor and team availability); and Monday to Thursday
evenings from 7-10pm.

Please bring a list of schedule conflicts to your audition!

Show Description: Set in New Orleans, AIRLINE HIGHWAY is a gentle portrait of the tight community of residents of the Hummingbird Hotel. In the parking lot of the Hummingbird, one of those old-school hotels with an old
neon sign, on Airline Highway near New Orleans, the residents have gathered to throw a party to celebrate the life of Miss Ruby, the infamous Bourbon Street burlesque performer who has been a mother figure to them all and
whose life is nearing its end. As the party and the celebration continues deep into the night, the stories of this found family, with lifetimes of joy and pain are revealed.

We encourage color-conscious casting and are striving to be an inclusive theater. The idea behind conscious casting is that the casting decisions are made with intent. Productions actively seek to create a more diverse cast
while respecting the playwright’s specific character descriptions. Please see playwright’s note below.

To Audition: Please email volunteer@livearts.org with any questions or if you
are interested in auditioning and would like to reserve a time slot.

We encourage you to read the script before auditioning.

Please contact Aldrian (aldrian@livearts.org) and Susan E. Evans
(susan@livearts.org) if you need assistance.

What to Prepare: Please prepare a 1-2 minute monologue from the modern American theatrical repertoire. Be prepared to sing two bars of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder.

Please Note: this production contains adult language and themes.

Character List, condensed from Acting Edition of the Script*:
Playwright’s Note: “I’ve assigned races to these characters, in some cases it
indicates the way the play was cast in the original production, in other cases it
indicates what I had in mind when I wrote these parts. In terms of race, please
cast this play according to the needs of your company and the way you read
the character; I only ask that one never casts the play as all white, as that
simply is not how New Orleans works.”

KRISTA: White, early thirties, a stripper at Babe’s on Bourbon Street. A gentle soul who turns rabid, when she feels like she is being threatened or when she gets too close to someone.

BAIT BOY: White, or African-American, or a mix, mid-thirties – in his past he has been a bartender, bouncer, a barker outside strip joints, a karaoke wrangler, a waiter, and a street musician (keyboard), all in the Quarter. Long romantic history with Krista.

ZOE: White, sixteen. Bait Boy’s stepdaughter. She’s a junior at the magnet high school in Atlanta – honors track. Learns fast, too fast – … she does not realize how little she has lived.

FRANCIS: White, or African-American, or a mix, early 60s-ish. The mind/creativity/energy of a thirty-year-old, but the grizzly beard, worn face, and watery eyes of a much older, lifelong (happy) social drinker. A true poet, child of the Beats …

TANYA: White, 60s-ish. She’s an old-school hooker, been in business for many years, in and out of it, sometimes bartending, a bit of exotic dancing in the early days, not working at all for one year ten years ago when she was married to the rich banker from California … She can handle alcohol but she CAN turn into a crazy person when it comes to pain pills.

TERRY: African-American, age flexible, he could really be anywhere from 45. Originally from the country, New Iberia, Louisiana, but he has been in NOLA for quite some time – mostly to get away from the crowd he ran with in the country, which were up to no good. He is a handyman …

SISSY NA NA: African-American or possibly Afro-Cuban or African-Puerto Rican. Gender non-confirming bartender and karaoke wrangler at the Cat’s Meow on Bourbon Street … may be the most functional of all these lovable fools.

MISS RUBY: White, of African-American, or a mix. Let’s say she’s eighty-five. Dying (literally dying), infamous Bourbon Street burlesque performer. … Kind of the “mama” of Bourbon Street, she has had many ups and downs.

ENSEMBLE (Roles will be doubled; all of these roles will also play PARTY GUESTS):
NURSE’S AIDE (home health or hospice worker);
SHADY CHARACTERS – temporary residents of the “problem room”
MEN – clients visiting Tanya
Please note: ENSEMBLE will also understudy at least one of the named
roles. However, there are no dedicated understudy performances.