StageQ, Inc. will be holding auditions for Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein.  Directed by Scott Albert Bennett, Torch Song will be presented on the Drury Stage at The Bartell Theatre, running February 16th through March 4th, 2024.

Dates and Times

Auditions will be held Monday and Tuesday , December 18th and 19th at 7:00pm at the Bartell Theatre on 113 E Mifflin, Madison, WI 53703. Callbacks, if needed, will be held on Wednesday the 20th.
 

Roles

Arnold Beckoff - (he/him, late 20’s to early 40’s) - Jewish heritage & humor, openly gay, makes his living as a drag queen, honest, demands respect, fought hard for what he has, but just wants to be loved and have a good life

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Ed - (he/him, late 20’s to early 40’s) - Schoolteacher, charming, sometimes insensitive, bisexual, has relationships with Arnold and Laurel, and then helps with fostering David

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Alan - (he/him, between 18 - early 20’s) - a former hustler turned model, falls in love with Arnold and has dreams of adopting a child together someday

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Laurel - (she/her, late 20’s to early 40’s) - liberal-minded but has a habit of falling in love with gay men, is on-again-off-again with Ed, and has a hard time letting him go

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David - (he/him, high-school age appearing) - a gay teenager who is having trouble in life and school, he is placed in foster care with Arnold, which causes all sorts of misunderstandings and conflict with Arnold’s mother

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Ma Beckoff - (she/her, 50’s or older) - Arnold’s mother, Jewish heritage, widowed, can be intolerant, bigoted & critical, but also motherly and very caring/loving

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All roles are non-equity, volunteer.

 

Auditions

Auditions will consist of reading from provided sides from the show either alone or with other auditioners. Actors may bring resumes and headshots, though not required. No prior acting experience required. 

 

COVID Safety

StageQ currently follows the CDC Community Transmission Levels and uses them as a guide for masking. As long as Dane County is in the green/low level, masking will be optional at all auditions and rehearsals. If levels rise to medium or higher, masking will be required by cast and crew. The StageQ Board of Directors will monitor these levels and adjust audience masking requirements as necessary.

Vaccination status will not be a factor in being allowed to audition; however, participation in this production may require you to disclose your vaccination status to the producer and director. StageQ prefers and highly encourages those wishing to participate in productions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if eligible and able to be vaccinated.

 

About Torch Song: 

A two-act revival based on the award-winning Torch Song Trilogy – the life of Arnold Beckoff, a torch song-singing, Jewish drag queen living in New York City, is dramatized over the span of the late 1970s and 1980s. Torch Song follows Arnold’s odyssey to find happiness in New York. All he wants is a husband, a child, and a pair of bunny slippers that fit, but a visit from his overbearing mother reminds him that he needs one thing more: respect.

 

Rehearsal Dates and Location

First read through will be Sunday, January 7th, with rehearsals starting immediately after. Rehearsal location will be First Congregational Church (1609 University Ave, Madison, WI 53726).

 

Visit stageq.org for more information or RSVP on our Facebook page.