CALL FOR ENSEMBLE MEMBERS-A devised play by The People’s Theatre

CALL FOR ENSEMBLE MEMBERS

To devise a new original play by The People’s Theatre
No performance experience required · Paid · Community-centered

The People’s Theatre is seeking ensemble members to join the devising process for a new original theater work exploring democracy, participation, and responsibility. They are intentionally seeking participants across racial, generational, and political perspectives to be in the room together.

This is a collaborative, facilitated devising process grounded in storytelling, movement, and group exploration. Ensemble members will bring their lived experiences, beliefs, questions, and contradictions into the room to help shape the work. Your voice will be an integral part of the project, which will premiere in The People’s Theatre’s inaugural season at The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante—a new cultural home dedicated to amplifying the voices of New York City’s diverse immigrant communities and cultivating work by local artists and arts organizations.

The devising process will be facilitated by Mino Lora, Executive Artistic Director and Co-Founder of The People’s Theatre, with playwright Marco Antonio Rodríguez collaborating with the ensemble throughout the process.

This is a non-AEA, community-based devising project.

About the Project

Set in a near-future United States, the piece takes place one week before a high-stakes national election. When five strangers become trapped in a subway car with no exit and no cell service, they are forced into an urgent conversation about power, participation, fear, and responsibility.

Blending tension, humor, multilingual storytelling, embodied movement, and surreal theatrical shifts, the work asks:
What does democracy demand from its citizens?
How do you find common ground across differences?
In a country built by immigrants, what role do you play in continuing to build and strengthen democracy?

Time Commitment
1 week: March 16–20 (Monday–Friday)
9:30 AM–2:30 PM

Location
Washington Heights, New York

Compensation
$550/week

Application Timeline
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Priority consideration will be given to applications received by February 20.
Final selection decisions will be made during the first week of March.

If you see yourself in any part of this description—even loosely—they encourage you to apply.

Requirements

The characters described below are intentional starting points for the work. They are not templates to be replicated—you do not need to align with these views exactly. Bring yourself, with all your lived experience, nuance, and contradiction.

1. Chinese Immigrant Woman
   40s–50s | Conservative-leaning
   A Chinese immigrant woman navigating family responsibility, safety, and political expression as an Asian American. This perspective may include conservative values such as personal responsibility, faith, or belief in following established immigration processes, alongside caution or hesitation around sharing political opinions due to experiences of racism or violence.

2. Dominican Immigrant Man
   Late 30s–early 40s | Politically Apathetic / Disillusioned
   A Dominican immigrant man who feels detached or skeptical about electoral politics. This perspective may include frustration with the two-party system, choosing not to vote, or a belief that political participation has limited impact on everyday life, while remaining deeply focused on work, survival, and family.

3. Black American Teen
   18–19 years old | Socially Conservative / Undecided Voter
   A young Black American man, child of Caribbean or African immigrants, approaching his first opportunity to vote. This perspective may include faith-based or traditional views that challenge common assumptions about Gen Z politics, shaped by lived experiences of labor, safety, masculinity, and navigating public space.

4. Mexican Immigrant Woman
   60s | Unable to Vote / Politically Impacted
   A Mexican immigrant woman whose life is deeply affected by political decisions, regardless of voting eligibility. This perspective centers labor, exhaustion, restraint, and concern surrounding elections and policy changes. Spanish fluency preferred.

5. White Midwestern Woman
   20s (Gen Z) | Progressive / Politically Active
   A white woman from the Midwest who identifies as progressive and politically engaged. This perspective may include activism and allyship, alongside ongoing self-reflection around class, privilege, gentrification, and the complexities of well-intentioned political engagement across differences.

Important Notes
You do not need to match every detail listed above.
These perspectives are points of entry, not roles to perform.
They welcome contradiction, uncertainty, and evolution.
This is not a debate space, but a facilitated creative process rooted in respect and dialogue.

Application Instructions