Crossroads Theatre Company | New Brunswick, NJ
New Brunswick, NJ

DESCRIPTION

Notice: Audition Call Type: EPA

AUDITION DATE

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

9:30 AM - 1:30 PM (E)

CONTRACT

LOA

$900 weekly minimum (LOA ref. LORT)

SEEKING

Equity actors for roles in SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD (see breakdown).

No roles will be understudied.

PREPARATION

Please prepare a brief contemporary monologue, one minute in length. Please bring a physical copy of your headshot and resume stapled together.

LOCATION
Actors' Equity New York Audition Center
165 W 46th St
16th Fl
New York, NY 10036

PERSONNEL
Artistic Director: Ricardo Khan
Managing Director: Ezra Ezzard
Casting Directors: McCorkle Casting, LTD
See breakdown for specific production personnel.

EXPECTED TO ATTEND:
Artistic Director: Ricardo Khan

OTHER DATES
First rehearsal- April 21
First preview- May 19
Opening May 23
Closing- June 14

OTHER
https://crossroadstheatrecompa...

EPA Procedures are in effect for this audition.

An Equity Monitor will be provided.

Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to attend every audition.

Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.

Breakdown

SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD- set in 1970’s South Africa

In Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead, the characters are defined by their resilience, agency, and the
"masks" they wear to survive the oppressive apartheid system. The play explores how Black South
Africans, particularly through the characters of Styles, Sizwe Bansi, and Buntu, navigate, resist, and, at
times, succumb to the dehumanizing pressures of apartheid.

Here is a description of the character styles in the play:

SEEKING:

Sizwe Banzi

Sizwe Banzi is a poignant, desperate figure representing the millions of Black South Africans stripped of
their identity by apartheid pass laws. He comes across older, but he’s probably in his 30’s or 40’s, as life
has already been a hard one for him. He is a hardworking father from King William's Town in South Africa
who has travelled 150 miles from his home in search of a better life and way to care for his wife, Nowetu,
and their four children.

Styles - ALREADY CAST

Styles is the owner of a photography studio in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, and the play’s
narrator/introducer Independent and Creative: Styles is a former Ford factory worker who escaped the "circus monkey" lifestyle of manual labor to become his own boss. He is fashionable (wears a bow tie) and takes pride in
his self-employment.

The "Memory" Maker: Styles views his studio as a "strong-room of dreams," where he preserves the
dignity and aspirations of ordinary Black people.

Performative and Charismatic: He breaks the fourth wall, directly addressing the audience to tell stories
about his past.

Resistant: He uses his wit to subvert racist authority. He remembers a time he felt like a "man" when he
managed to reverse roles with his white boss, Bradley, while painting safety lines.

Doubles as:

Buntu

A long-time resident of Port Elizabeth, a friend of a friend, who takes in Sizwe and advises him on how to
navigate the system. Buntu understands the harsh reality of apartheid. He is pragmatic and cynical. While
he operates within the system, his actions in helping fellow Black men are a quiet form of resistance. He a
good brother and appreciates the struggle. But survival is the priority.

Generous and Protective: He offers his couch, drinks, and guidance to help Sizwe, acting as a supportive,
family-like figure.

System-Savvy: He is the one who finds the dead man's passbook and recognizes the "opportunity" it
provides.

SALARY

LOA $900 weekly minimum (LOA ref. LORT)

UNION

AEA