APT Announces 2nd Round of Auditions for Black Actors for “The Island”

Allentown Public Theatre is holding auditions for “The Island” Saturday, January 30, 11am-2pm at St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 417 N. 7th St., Allentown. “The Island” will open April 23 for two weekends in Allentown, with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday performances.

Black actors only – male and female adults – are invited to audition. (Note: While the characters in the play are male, we are also considering casting females.) Actors wishing to audition should notify APT's artistic director, Anna Russell (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). She will email the script in advance to allow familiarity with it before reading. Actors should also prepare two contrasting monologues and be prepared to stay for the full three hours. You are welcome, but not required, to bring resumes and head shots.

“The Island,” set during South Africa's period of apartheid, is a semi-autobiographical play written by actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona, and director Athol Fugard. It tells the story of two inmates on Robben Island. They labor under cruel conditions by day, but at night, they prepare for a prison performance of “Antigone.” The Greek tragedy has special meaning to these political prisoners who have rebelled against a tyrranical state. The Island – which toured internationally, including a run on Broadway – is a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of a crushingly oppressive system.

In 1974 after The Island appeared on Broadway, the two actors won a shared Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for both The Island and Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, another play the three devised.