📣AUDITION NOTICE: Pipeline by Dominique Morrisseau 📣
Shades of Theatre Company, in collaboration with The Topeka Chapter of The Links and Highland Park High School, is excited to announce auditions for:
Pipeline is a powerful 2017 drama by playwright Dominique Morisseau. It follows Nya, an inner-city public school teacher who sends her teenage son Omari to a private boarding school to shield him from the systemic school-to-prison pipeline. When Omari triggers a physical altercation with a teacher, Nya must confront his mounting rage, her own parenting choices, and a fractured educational system.
Directed by Guest Director Darren Canady.
📖 AUDITION Date:📅 Saturday, September 26⏰ 1:00 PM–4:00 PM📍 Echo Ridge2021 SE Market, Topeka, KSCallbacks immediately following🔗 Sign up for auditions here:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A49A4AB2AA5FFC16-65525031-pipeline
📖 Performance Dates:November 13–14 & November 19-22📍 Highland Park High School Theatre
We are seeking actors for the following roles:
NYA — Black woman, 30s–50sA dedicated public-school teacher and fiercely protective mother of a teenage son. Intelligent, passionate, loving, and carrying enormous pressure as she fights to protect her child from forces she cannot fully control.
OMARI — Black male, late teens/young adult to play high-school ageNya’s son, a bright and perceptive student attending a predominantly white private school. Thoughtful and emotionally complex, Omari is wrestling with anger, identity, expectations, and the feeling of being constantly scrutinized.
JASMINE — Black or Latina female, late teens/young adult to play high-school ageOmari’s girlfriend and fellow student. Bold, outspoken, confident, funny, and unwilling to be dismissed. Beneath her toughness is genuine affection and emotional insight. A spirited young woman who speaks her mind and holds her own.
XAVIER — Black man, 30s–50sOmari’s father and Nya’s former husband. Educated, financially successful, composed, and accustomed to solving problems practically. His relationship with his son is complicated by distance and differing ideas about what Omari needs.
LAURIE — White woman, 50s–60sA veteran public-school teacher and Nya’s colleague. Tough, outspoken, seasoned, and darkly funny. She has spent years on the front lines of an educational system that can be chaotic and unforgiving. Blunt and formidable, but deeply committed to her students and fellow educators.
DUN — Black man, 30s–50sA public-school security guard and Nya’s colleague. Observant, grounded, approachable, and compassionate, with an understated sense of humor. Dun understands the realities facing the students around him and often sees what others miss.
Shades of Theatre Company welcomes experienced and first-time performers to audition. Highland Park High School students are strongly encouraged to audition for age-appropriate roles. Actors should come prepared to explore challenging, emotionally rich material in a collaborative and supportive rehearsal environment.
📩 Scripts are available upon request by emailing: admin@shadesoftheatre.comWe can’t wait to see you in the room!