Website Beyond the Door
We are seeking video submissions from non-union actors based in the Chicago area for Beyond the Door by Denise Jones, directed by Julissa Marcel, with music direction by Felicia P. Fields. The show will rehearse at Morgan Park Church on 110th Pl. Performances will take place at New Life Church on Diversey Ave.
Beyond the Door is a raw, emotionally charged stage play inspired by the true life of Executive Producer Denise Jones and based on her memoir Who Said It Couldn’t Be Done. Set on the West Side of Chicago, the play unearths a lineage of generational trauma that seemed destined to end in tragedy. Through fractured timelines and lived testimony, we witness a mother and daughter shaped by shame, addiction, and survival. But what unfolds is not just a story of hardship, but of reckoning—and of a redemption that can only be described as truly divine.
Material to Prepare:
Please prepare a self-tape of the sides for each character you are auditioning for. Self-tapes can be submitted via Backstage at tinyurl.com/btdbackstage or via email at BTDCasting2026@gmail.com. If submitting via email, please include a headshot and resume. For characters with singing ability, please include a 30-60 second cut of a song (preferably gospel or blues). To access sides and more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/btdsides.
Time Commitment:
Rehearsals begin June 16 (3 days a week: 6-10pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11am-1pm Saturdays until August 13). Tech is August 14-20, times TBD. There will be a preview performance on August 21 and two public performances on August 22. Please note that we will not accept any conflicts from August 14-22. If you have a rehearsal conflict, please state that in your self-tape.
Character Type/Restrictions:
ELDER MOSLEY
Black man, 50s–70s. A seasoned minister whose presence naturally commands respect. Deeply rooted in faith, grounded, and compassionate. He speaks with measured authority when needed, yet carries warmth and pastoral gentleness at his core. Requires strong vocal control, emotional steadiness, and quiet gravitas. Ability to sing is a plus.
DENISE (On Stage Narrator)
Black woman, late 40s–50s. Intelligent, perceptive, an excellent storyteller. She tells her own story with both vulnerability and strength. Requires strong internal acting and subtle emotional shifts. Must be able to convey a lived experience with authenticity.
MAMA
Black woman, 40s–60s. A no-nonsense, traditional, faith-centered matriarch. A survivor. Deeply Protective. Requires strong emotional range, especially an ability to deliver on both humorous moments and deeply emotional scenes. Must be able to sing.
ANNIE MAE / DIRTY O / SISTER ANNIE
Black woman, 20s–40s. A demanding transformational role. Plays the same woman at different stages: young, naive, and reactive (Annie Mae), street-hardened and guarded (Dirty O), and later composed and faith-driven (Sister Annie). Requires clear physical and emotional shifts. Ability to sing is a plus.
YOUNG DENISE / DJ
Black girl/woman, teens–20s. Dual role and the center of this story. Young Denise is observant, sensitive, and still holds onto childlike hope. DJ is definitively tougher, defensive, and shaped by her environment. DJ is extremely masculine in a traditional sense. Requires distinct physicality between roles. Ability to sing is a plus.
MABLE / BENESSE
Black woman, 20s–40s. Dual role. As Mable, she is Annie Mae’s sister: observant, conflicted, and complicit through silence. As Benesse, she is Denise’s younger sister, sharp and street-aware but not as hardened. Requires strong emotional grounding, the ability to hold trauma quietly, and clear shifts in age and physicality.
SISTER RUTH / SISTER ROCHELLE
Woman, 40s–60s. Dual role. Sister Ruth is firm but kind, a persistent witness to Dirty O. Sister Rochelle is a former addict turned church member who speaks plainly about her past and offers both practicality and kindness.
CATHY / MIA
Woman, 20s–30s. Dual role. Cathy is loud, impulsive, and fully immersed in the street lifestyle, Dirty O’s girlfriend in her street life. Mia is DJ’s girlfriend, more vulnerable and emotionally attached, and later shown physically harmed and exhausted by the streets. Requires strong contrast between bravado and fragility.
BIG STEVE / STANLEY
Black Man, 20s–30s. Dual role. Big Steve is volatile, prideful, and threatened by DJ’s presence. Carries real physical danger. Stanley is DJ’s older brother, who reflects on his sister as an adult with distance and unresolved guilt.
WILL / GEORGE / KING FLO
Black man, 30s–50s. Multi-role. Will is a follower, complicit but less dominant. George, DJ’s adult brother, is also a thug, but defensive and resentful. King Flo is controlled, manipulative, and commanding—more a psychological threat than explosive. Actor must clearly differentiate power levels and status shifts.
INMATE / RENEE
Woman, 20s–30s. Dual role. Inmate is calculating and street-smart, offering DJ another path deeper into crime. Renee is charismatic, persuasive, and tied to gang life, drawing DJ toward her gang.
YOUNG STANLEY / JERMAINE
Black boy, 10–14. Dual role. Young Stanley is energetic, playful, and outspoken, often masking instability at home with humor and bravado. Jermaine (Annie’s young son, non-speaking role) is quieter, observant, and emotionally open.
YOUNG BENESSE
Black girl, 10–12. Denise’s younger sister. Sensitive, impressionable, and attached to Young Denise. Often confused by the instability around her but still childlike and hopeful.
DOCTOR
30-50. Minor Character (one scene). A doctor employed in a prison. Disengaged and uninterested in their job and patients.
AUDREY
Woman, 18-30. Minor Character (one scene). A battered, frightened young woman accustomed to life on the street. Both terrified and desperate.
REGINA
Black Woman, 25-40. Minor Character (one scene). Denise’s sister, very put together and disturbed by her sister’s behavior. Just a bit uppity, though not completely unsympathetic.
ANGELA
Black Woman, 18-30. Minor Character (one scene). Denise’s younger sister, well acquainted with their difficult life but still sweet and compassionate. Thinks the best of her sister, regardless.
Background Players - Male
Male, 18-30. Background players appear in a variety of scenes, and must be able to adjust their mannerisms to fit the setting (examples of scenes include a house party, a bar, and a church). Ability to sing is a plus.
Background Players - Female
Female, 18-30. Background players appear in a variety of scenes, and must be able to adjust their mannerisms to fit the setting (examples of scenes include a house party, a bar, and a church). Ability to sing is a plus.
To apply for this job please visit tinyurl.com.