AUDITION INFORMATION
Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight
By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Jessica Franz-Martin
Stage Management by MacKenzie Sammons
February 5th-21st, 2027
AUDITION AND CALLBACK INFORMATION
Auditions will be held Sunday, November 1st from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. at Olathe Civic Theatre Association, 500 E. Loula.
Callbacks will be by invitation only on Sunday, November 8th beginning at 6:00 P.M. and will be held at Olathe Civic Theatre Association, 500 E. Loula.
If you want to audition but are unable to attend on November 1st, please submit a video audition by following the directions below. Videos must be received by NOON on November 1st. All submissions may be emailed to director Jessica Franz-Martin at sabrynef@yahoo.com.
Those interested in reading the script prior to auditions can access a PDF version here.
**Actors of all ethnicities, abilities*, and gender identities are welcome and encouraged to audition. We will only be considering actors ages 18+.**
**Please note that actors will be required to navigate stairs to the dressing room, as well as a spiral staircase leading to the stage.**
ABOUT THE SHOW
Part historical fantasy and part theatrical thrill ride, Emilie follows 18th‑century physicist and mathematician Émilie du Châtelet as she returns from the afterlife determined to answer the question which is more important: love or philosophy, head or heart? In a whirlwind of wit, passion, and scientific discovery, Émilie defends her brilliance, her desires, and the legacy that would ultimately shape modern physics.
Written by Lauren Gunderson, who has ranked among America’s most produced playwrights since 2015 (American Theatre Magazine), leading the list three times.
WHAT TO PREPARE/BRING
– Please fill out an audition form and bring it with you to auditions, along with a copy of your resume and a current headshot if available. If you do not have a headshot or resume, please do not let that stop you from auditioning!
– Please provide all conflicts from January 3rd – February 21st, 2027.
– For general auditions, please prepare a 1-2 minute classical or contemporary monologue. Heightened or poetic language is preferred, but any type of monologue is welcome! If you do not have a monologue, you may opt to prepare one of the below scenes:
– If you cannot attend the audition in person, video auditions will be accepted until NOON on
November 1st. All submissions may be emailed to director Jessica Franz-Martin at sabrynef@yahoo.com.
REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Rehearsals begin on Sunday, January 3rd, 2027 and will typically be held Sunday-Thursday from 7:00-10:00 P.M. at OCTA.
Performance dates are as follows:
Friday, February 5th, 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 6th, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 7th, 2:00 p.m.
Friday, February 12th, 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 13th, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 14th, 2:00 p.m.
Friday, February 19th, 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 20th, 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 21st, 2:00 p.m.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
All roles are open to actors of any race/ethnicity. Gender identities listed reflect character
identity; casting is flexible and inclusive.
Important Note Regarding Onstage Intimacy: The characters Voltaire, Soubrette, and the Gentleman engage in different degrees of staged intimacy.
Emilie: Forty-ish. A driven, brilliant physicist. She frames the play, narrating the action and reliving it, in her quest to figure out if she made the most of her life, scientific work, and romantic relationships. She guides the story with a warm and lighthearted connection to the audience.
Voltaire: Fifty-ish. French Enlightenment philosopher. Brilliant, charismatic, and knows it. Bit of a diva. He loves Emilie, but he is quick to anger when the relationship doesn’t go his way.
Soubrette: A younger woman, mid-20s-ish. Plays younger Emilie, appearing in many of the flashbacks. Soubrette often physicalizes Emilie’s story in moments when present-day Emilie cannot make physical contact with others. Also plays Gabrielle (Emilie’s daughter, who calls her out for not giving her the same life choices she gave herself, bold and direct), Marie-Louise (Voltaire’s adult niece who he has an affair with, an ingenue), and others.
Gentleman: 30s-ish. Portrays Emilie’s husband The Marquis (calm and compassionate, described as being the “earth,” compared to Voltaire’s “fire”), Jean-Francois (a young soldier-poet who Emilie falls in love with after her relationship with Voltaire ends; he is very earnest and adores her; she finds the relationship to be safe and effortless, like “air”), Maupertuis (Emilie’s tutor who she has an early affair with), and others.
Madam: 50s-ish. Portrays Mother (Emilie’s mother, traditional, cold, and wounded) and Madame Graffigny (a demanding, not-too-self-aware, and enthusiastic noblewoman).
QUESTIONS
Please email all questions and video submissions to Jessica Franz-Martin at sabrynef@yahoo.com.