Ghostlight Ensemble is casting for its fall production of American Son by Christopher Demos-Brown directed by Ebby Offord.
American Son follows an estranged biracial couple who must confront their feelings about race and bias after their son is detained by the local police following a traffic stop incident. Their disparate histories and backgrounds inform their assumptions as they try to find out what happened to their son.
Character Type:
Ghostlight will be casting for the following roles and understudies:
KENDRA ELLIS-CONNOR – African-American, female, thirties to early forties. A professor of psychology and the mother of a teenage son. Recently separated from her White husband. Emotionally raw but trying to keep it together behind a professional façade. Exceptionally intelligent and self-possessed. [THIS ROLE HAS BEEN CAST - SEEKING UNDERSTUDY]
SCOTT CONNOR – White, male, late thirties to forties. Kendra’s estranged husband. An FBI agent of predominantly Irish ancestry. Takes pride in his family’s long tradition of military service. Though rigid in his views, he has a warm, sensitive side and is a deeply loving and devoted father.
OFFICER PAUL LARKIN – White, male, mid-twenties to thirty. An intelligent, congenial young police officer with bold career ambitions who lacks actual life experience.
LIEUTENANT JOHN STOKES – African-American, male, late thirties to mid-sixties. A tough, no-nonsense career police officer who is used to having people listen when he talks. He has paid his dues. He knows the rules and has no hesitation enforcing them.
Please Note:
This script contains the use of slurs and moments of physical aggression between the characters of Connor, Larkin and Stokes.
Time Commitment:
Rehearsals will be 3-4 times/week on weeknight evenings or occasional weekend days in August and September 2026. Final dates will be confirmed after review of cast conflicts.
Cast members and understudies MUST be available the following dates:
Tech week: Sunday, September 13 in the afternoon and Monday, September 14 through Thursday, September 17 in the evenings.
Performances: will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon matinees from September 18-October 4, 2026. There is an additional understudy performance on either Monday, September 21 or 28, to be confirmed by the start of rehearsals.
Please note that performances will be held at Friendship Community Place (5150 N Northwest HWY, Ste 100, Chicago, IL 60630).
Materials To Prepare:
Please submit to be considered via the audition form. If invited to initial auditions, please prepare a contemporary dramatic monologue no longer than 2 minutes. Actors who are invited to callbacks after the initial auditions will be provided with sides to prepare.
Actors will receive a confirmation from casting@ghostlightensemble.com if they have been selected with their audition slot. Please clearly indicate the roles you are interested in and if you have any conflicts during indicated audition times, June 29 and June 30, or callbacks on July 7. Sides will be provided.
If you are unavailable for initial auditions on June 29 or 30, we may consider video submissions. We will contact you if we wish you to submit a video audition.
Note on Gender:
Please submit for any role that you feel comfortable portraying based on your gender expression/identity.
Pay:
Main cast: $300 stipend for production. Understudies: $150 stipend + $25/show performed.
Audition Time & Location:
Generals: Monday, June 29, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Callbacks: Tuesday, July 7, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Both general auditions and callbacks will be held at Broadway United Methodist Church (3338 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657)
Contact:
For questions only — do not send resume and headshots.
Justin Broom at casting@ghostlightensemble.com