Commissioned One-Act
Be part of a brand-new one-act play!
Selected actors will participate in the first-ever workshop and staged reading of this new work. Experience what it's like to work with a professional playwright to develop a new piece of theatre and gain valuable experience that will make you a more agile actor, a stronger collaborator, and a seasoned pro at dissecting new works!
Audition submissions will be accepted until June 1, 2024.
About the Play
Retreat
By Peter Gil-SheridanWhen Rebecca drops out of college, her best friend persuades her to visit a secluded wellness retreat in the mountains. What begins as a weekeend of tranquility soon spirals into a harrowing descent into manipulation and control as Rebecca discovers the retreat's true, dangerous agenda. Retreat is a darkly comic, edge-of-your-seat drama about how one woman's search for wellness lands her in the grip of a community led by the charismatic and enigmatic Mother Maya.
About the Author
Peter Gil-Sheridan
Peter Gil-Sheridan is a Cuban-American playwright whose play This Space Between Us had its world premiere off-Broadway with Keen Company. The play was developed by The New Harmony Project and Page 73 Productions as part of the P73 Residency. Cockfight, originally written at Soho Rep's Writer/Director Lab, was developed by PlayPenn and recently produced as a podcast by The Parsnip Ship. His play Useful People was developed by Powerhouse. His newest play, Maybe When You're Older, was developed at PlayLabs as part of their 20/20 Commission program and had its world premiere there. Topsy Turvy Mouse was produced by the Cherry Lane Mentor Project and Borderlands Theatre and was the winner of The Smith Prize, awarded by NNPN for outstanding political work.
Residencies include the Jerome Fellowship, Stillwright, The Sundance Institute, The Millay Colony, The Ucross Foundation, and the Tofte Lake Residency. He's performed his solo piece People Tell Me Things at several venues across the U.S., including Ars Nova's ANTFest, Identity, Inc. in Farmington, NM, Ucross in Wyoming, and Martha's Vineyard.
Peter is the Playwriting professor at Vassar College. MFA: Iowa. BA: Fordham.
About the Director
Maria McConville
Maria McConville is the Director of Education & Engagement at Stage Partners. She directed the inaugural One-Act Commission at ITF in 2024, Reel Times at Somerset High by TJ Young. Other favorite credits include directing The Addams Family at Wilton High School, CT, Newsies at Wilton Children's Theatre, and acting with Equity theatre company, Thrown Stone, in Molly Smith Metzler's Cry It Out. As a teaching artist, Maria has worked with 2nd grade through 12th grade, though she has a special place in her heart for 6th-8th graders. Growing up in NYC, Maria attended LaGuardia HS of Performing Arts for Drama and then went on to study theatre at Fordham University at Lincoln Center. Her published plays include To Date or Not to Date (Playscripts), #VIRAL, #Censored, and Two of the Fairest Stars (Stage Partners). Her favorite show of all is her family.Want to Audition?
Registered students interested in participating in the Commissioned One-Act workshop and staged reading (as performers or stage managers) should submit a virtual 1-minute audition monologue video by June 1. Student need not be an inducted Thespian to participate. Auditionees who are cast in the workshop/reading will be notified by June 15. Workshop rehearsals will be held at designated times during the week of ITF, culminating in a staged reading of the play on Friday of festival week.
Casting Breakdown
Note: All genders will be considered for all the roles. Casting is flexible.
- Rebecca, 19, taking a gap year from college, eager
- Esme, 19, her best friend, a skeptic
- Mother Maya, retreat leader, claims to be 56 years of age but she's actually 23, powerful, smart, and persuasive (can also be Father Maya or simply Maya)
- Nightshade, 22, chief Little Mountain, Mother Maya's loyal assistant, a rule follower, attached to their clipboard
- Gingko, 19, a total devotee to Mother Maya, maybe a little in love with Maya
- Sunshine, 20, a regular Little Mountain, been there for a while, they speak flatly, like there is always a cloud over their head, think: Aubrey Plaza
- Bamboo the Bursar, 30, matter-of-fact, Mother Maya's accountant, takes funds and collateral from Little Mountains
- WC Wendy, the custodian, appears to be about 175 years old but is actually much younger, FBI agent in disguise
- Other Little Mountains, 4 actors who can move, who play various and sundry Little Mountains that participate in a movement sequence, only required to attend 2 rehearsals and the performance.