Dance theatre company cakeface is casting for a long-term project called Stairway to Stardom, which is currently in development at HERE Arts Center. As Culturebot describes, "cakeface is a group of fierce, funny, talented women" whose projects thread together intricate choreography and original, abstract scripts. The company's projects contemplate the uncomfortable through the use of grim themes and an inherently wry female wit. Creative Loafing recently called their work “as disturbing as it is delightful" and Culturebot nailed it with “Think Monica Bill Barnes for the Amy Schumer Generation,” in their piece, Eight Reasons cakeface’s Harold, I Hate You Is Your New Favorite Downtown Dance/Theater Piece. cakeface is founded by writer, director and choreographer Amanda Szeglowski, a HERE Resident Artist and 2015 recipient of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation's Women Playwrights Commissioning program.

Stairway to Stardom is a mixed media dance-theatre tour of shattered dreams, from impractical to impossible. Inspired by and sourcing footage from the 1980s public-access television series by the same name, Stairway to Stardom rides the wave of the disenchanted. Synthesizing intricate choreography and original texts with lighting by Amanda K. Ringger and the post-apocalyptic sound and visuals of Brooklyn's Prism House (Matt O'Hare + Brian Wenner), cakeface honors the contributions of the wildly passionate but questionably talented through their powerful female voice and signature style of linguistic performance art.
 
We are seeking 1-2 seasoned female dance artists. Candidates should have a minimum of 3 years of professional performance experience, a background in contemporary dance, and must be extremely comfortable speaking. The work has an extensive script and you will be expected to learn lines at a rapid speed. There is no acting involved.

Candidates must be available for a concentrated rehearsal schedule from Jan 10 - March 12 for workshop performances as part of a Resident Artist works in development festival. Performances take place at HERE in Soho Fri/Sat March 11 & 12 with an all-day tech on Thursday, March 10. These dates are mandatory and this showing is a step along the way in the development of the piece; there will be several more performance opportunities including workshops, residencies and informal showings. Stairway will have its world premiere at HERE in Soho in Fall 2017. Paid performances, workshops, showings but not rehearsals. Rehearsals are usually 2 days a week - weekend mornings and weekday evenings.

Auditions will be in Lower Manhattan on Saturday, January 9, 2016 from 11am - 3pm. For more information and to reserve a slot please email your resume and a non-headshot photo (you can also include video clips or a reel if you have them) to info@cakefaceart.com by Jan 5. If you meet the criteria and space is permitting you will be given the audition location and we'll see you Jan 9!

cakefaceart.com