BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

  • Non-Equity
  • Anywhere

Website chicagoshakes Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Pay Rate: $475/week (up to 23 hours a week)
Audition Date and Time: Please submit headshot/resume to castingoffice@chicagoshakes.com by End of Day 10/17/2025
Audition Location: Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Seeking non-AEA understudies for five roles in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

Book by Ashley Robinson, with songs by Dan Gillespie Sells

Based on Annie Proulx’s short story

Producer: Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Director: Jonathan Butterell

 

 

 

 

Material to Prepare:

Send h/r as one PDF to castingoffice@chicagoshakes.com, subject BROKEBACK, by EOD Friday, October 17.

Time Commitment:

Contract begins: 4/20/2026
First preview: 5/28/2026
Opens: 6/4/2026
Closes: 6/28/2026

Character Type/Restrictions:

SEEKING NON-AEA UNDERSTUDIES FOR:

ENNIS DEL MAR. Early 20s–30s. Dirt-poor, working class. Quiet, broody—a coiled snake. Quick-tempered, with
an intimidating presence. Stoic, hardworking, and wary of showing emotion, he embodies the ruggedness and isolation of his landscape. Beneath his guarded exterior lies a deep capacity for tenderness and longing, though fear and shame bind him. His struggle between desire and duty defines the tragedy of his story.

JACK TWIST. Male, White. Early 20s–30s. A dirt-poor rodeo cowboy with charm, energy, and an optimism that counters Ennis’ reserve. He’s the engine. Passionate and reckless. Bold, adventurous, and hungry for
connection—quick to laugh but just as quick to anger when denied or dismissed. He dreams of a
freer life, and his restless spirit collides with the harsh limitations of his world.

BALLADEER/ENSEMBLE. Female, White. 60s–70s. Wise, warm, earthy—yet ethereal. She is an elemental force, embodying the rugged, unattainable Wyoming landscape and giving it voice through music. Both mythic and maternal, she guides the audience across memory, time, and terrain, weaving song into story. In the final
scene, she transforms into Jack’s Mother, grounding the sweeping love story in intimate, human
loss.

ALMA/LUREEN (two separate tracks). ALMA BEERS DEL MAR. Female. White. Mid-20s to late 30s. Ennis’ wife. Plain, simple, Wyoming-born working class. Practical, resilient, quietly observant. At first she clings to the hope of a stable family life, but heartbreak grows as she senses—and ultimately witnesses—the truth of Ennis’ divided love. She bears both the pain of betrayal and the dignity of survival. LUREEN TWIST. Mid to late 30s. Jack’s wife. A Texas Rose. Raised in privilege as the daughter of a wealthy farm machinery dealer. Intelligent, ambitious, and polished. She genuinely cares for Jack, but theirs is a pragmatic marriage—bound more by money and appearances than passion. Her strength comes from control: where Jack drifts, Lureen anchors. Actor playing Lureen also sings in the band. Bluegrass/country western style. (Though there is a band, this is not a musical. No one sings in character.)

 

 

To apply for this job email your details to castingoffice@chicagoshakes.com