Casting Call: Columbia University SOA, 'KARL, or The Fog'

[Creative Team]
Company: Columbia University
Playwright: Vicky Anh Pham
Director: Trey Noh
Assistant Director: Tucker Tab DeGregory
Dramaturg: Sara Ziglar
Production Stage Manager: Taylor Jordyn Lang
Producer: Vick Liu, Eunha Chung

[Show Info]
First Rehearsal: 4/4
Performance Date: 5/9-5/10
Rehearsal Schedule: 4/4 - 5/9
Venue: Studio @ Schapiro, 605-615 W 115th St, New York, NY 10027
Contract: Non-AEA / Free

[SYNOPSIS]
Karl, or The Fog is dark comedy exploring grief, identity, and the crushing expectations placed on Asian American youth. Set against the foggy backdrop of San Francisco, the play follows Gianna, a Vietnamese American high school senior struggling to craft the perfect college essay. As she searches for the right story, memories blur with reality, forcing her to confront unspoken truths about family, guilt, and the emotional cost of success. Blending surrealism, sharp dialogue, and the pressures of the model minority myth, Karl, or The Fog examines the weight of expectations and the stories we tell—to others and to ourselves.

[SEEKING]
Non-AEA actors of Asian descent for the first staging of a new play, part of a second-year Columbia MFA Collaboration assignment, under the mentorship of Anne Bogart, Brian Kulick, Lynn Nottage, and David Henry Hwang.

[Cast List & Description]
Gianna / Gina (18-30) – Asian American, Female-Identifying
A sharp, ambitious high school senior struggling under the weight of expectations. Driven and intelligent but emotionally guarded, she wrestles with her past while trying to craft the perfect college application. As she rewrites events to fit an ideal narrative, she is forced to confront guilt, grief, and the truth about her relationship with her sister. In the meta-theatrical second act, she becomes Gina, a playwright wrestling with her script, mirroring her own struggles with memory and self-perception. (Strong emotional range required; must balance realism with surreal/metatheatrical moments.)

Suong / Kimmie (18-40) – Asian American, Female-Identifying
Gianna and Thuy’s mother, a pragmatic and loving woman who pushes her daughters toward success but struggles to express emotions in traditional ways. She carries her own unspoken grief and sacrifices, yet remains a pillar of stability in the family. In the second act, she becomes Kimmie, an old friend from Gina’s past who forces her to confront long-avoided truths. (Requires an actor with emotional depth and nuance, particularly in scenes of quiet resilience and cultural tension.)

Rafael / Ryan (18-30) – Asian American, Male-Identifying
A dedicated and controlling diving coach who sees Thuy as his protégée. His belief in her talent turns possessive, and his own ambitions cloud his ability to truly support her. He represents the pressure of expectation that many Asian American youth face. In the second act, he is Ryan, Gina’s collaborator and the play’s producer, struggling to keep the production on track while dealing with her unreliability. (Strong presence required; must convey both mentorship and toxic authority.)

Carlos / Chris (18-40) – Any Ethnicity, Male-Identifying
A pragmatic and results-driven tutor who pressures Gianna to find a compelling story for her college essay, inadvertently pushing her toward exploiting her sister’s trauma. He embodies the transactional nature of success within the Asian American community, reinforcing the model minority myth and the expectation to commodify struggle for institutional approval. In Act Two, he becomes Chris, the play’s stage manager, trying to impose structure on Gina’s creative chaos. (A commanding yet detached presence preferred; must balance dark humor with underlying tension.)

[Casting Call Timeline]
3/7 Fri: Application Deadline
3/8-9 Sat-Sun: Call-back
3/14: Finalize Casting

[Compensation]
As this is a student production, all actors will be paid on a most favored nation basis, for a stipend of $50-100.
For any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to the producers via email at bl3006@columbia.edu(Vick Liu) & ec3878@columbia.edu(Eunha Chang)

Requirements

Please submit:
1. A Modern Monologue
2. A Performance of your selected character’s side
3. A Movement/Singing Reel (Optional)

[Movement Notes]
If you have a movement or dance video in any style or genre, you are welcome to submit it along with your monologues. This is entirely optional and will not affect your audition outcome. A movement section will be included during callbacks to assess physical expressiveness, but there is no need for concern. Thank you.

Application Instructions

Apply Online
Please submit by filling out this Google form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehtZv1HT1q3iTNhL_H0utfq345eEPdgJ00prFG6p9K3z_Zng/viewform?usp=dialog