17 minute stories - Casting Notice & FAQ
We are launching our 2020-2021 season “Into The Unknown” with 17 Minute Stories, a live-streamed series of solo shows by women writer/performers, centering around the theme “How did I get here?” For this project, “Here” can mean anything: a city, a mindset, or a moment in time.
With this project, we aim to explore the complexities of human existence through the performance of unique, personal narratives that further our understanding of each other, ourselves, and the society we create. Whether it is an intimate retelling of self-revelation or a rousing ballad of personal adventure - we want to dive into them all!
When we say women we mean ALL women: We seek stories that empower and promote women of color, trans women, femmes, lesbian/bi/pan/queer-identified women, and woman of all ages, sizes, nationality, religion and ability. We are committed to casting all scripts inclusively.
How does this work?
We understand that each artist will come to the table with their idea in different states of readiness—some may need additional time to workshop their pieces and others may be ready to livestream upon auditioning, and we are okay with that. We are committed to giving each artist a personalized timeline to support their creative vision.
We invite you to craft a story from your life based on the prompt “How did I get here?” This prompt is intentionally vague in order to provide our artists the creative freedom to choose what personal story they want to tell. We encourage you to freely interpret the question and let it inspire you.
This will be an ongoing project from September 2020 to July 2021. After the selection process, artists will be given dramaturgical, directing, producing, and live-streaming support. The shows will be performed live at least once and recorded. Writer/performers will be paid a $300 honorarium.
Who will be involved?
Producing Artistic Director Amy Poisson, Resident Playwright Maggie Lee, and Resident Director Anna Ly will be leading this project. Writer/performers can also request to use a different director if they have someone in mind.
Where will the show take place?
We will be filming the livestream at West of Lenin. Performer safety is a priority for us; a detailed safety plan will be provided to all participants three days before their scheduled filming. Macha will strictly adhere to the CDC and WHO guidelines for physical distancing and safety protocols.
What are the audition requirements?
Participants must be local to the Seattle area. While the format is flexible, ideally each show will be around 17 minutes long and performed in black-box style with minimal set, props, and costumes; the focus will be on the human aspect of storytelling.
Please email the following to machacasting@gmail.com:
A 1-3 minute video of your pitch
A short written description (150 words max) about you and what inspires you
Headshot and resume (if available) and/or links to your website/social media
Your general schedule and any conflicts from October 2020-July 2021
Submit your digital audition by Midnight on September 7, 2020.
Callbacks will be Zoom interviews scheduled the week of September 10-14, 2020.
What kind of stories are we looking for?
All of them. There are no rules. Well, maybe one. Stories that are chosen for production will follow the Macha test, a set of criteria we use to determine if a script fulfills our mission to produce fearless female theater.
Stories where more than half the characters are female, more than half the lines are spoken by women, female characters are central to the narrative, the script has a female perspective, and/or the story empowers women (and when we say women we mean ALL women: We seek stories that empower and promote women of color, trans women, femmes, lesbian/bi/pan/queer-identified women, and woman of all ages, sizes, nationality, religion and ability. We are committed to casting all scripts inclusively).
Stories without arbitrary violence against women or abuse of women. If the violence or abuse is important to the narrative, it is addressed directly and intentionally in ways that do not perpetuate rape culture.
Why 17 Minutes?
A note from the Producing Artistic Director:
While working on the idea that became 17 Minute Stories, and trying to decide how to manage the length of time for the one woman shows, I was reading Michelle Obama’s book Becoming.
She has a great story about Barack’s Democratic National Convention speech in July of 2004. After the speech the news went wild saying “we just witnessed the first black president.”
Michelle said, ‘Must have been a good speech.’
It became a personal running commentary between them. That speech was 17 minutes long. When Michelle made her speech in August of 2008 at the Pepsico center it was also 17 minutes.
If someone can make a 17 minute speech that alters their lives and the world forever, so can you.
Thus, 17 Minute Stories was born.
-Amy Poisson
Everyone has a story
We believe in the power of personal storytelling to inspire greater understanding. It’s how we get to the heart of society, learning both what makes us different AND what we share in common as individuals. These stories share our joys, encourage our empathy, reveal our sameness, and inspire change. More than ever, our world needs stories.
And we can’t wait to hear yours.
Into the Unknown we go!
Banner photo: Fathiya Ritter from Macha’s 2018 production of “Veils” by Tom Coash. Photo by Joe Iano Photography.