Auditions for a Staged Reading of Daybreak: a new play about awe

Seeking actors for a staged reading of Daybreak: a new play about awe by Erin Lekovic & Jacob Watson, with songs by Laura Stratford. Co-Directed by Jacob Watson and Skylar Grieco, produced by Laura Stratford. Initial audition submissions will be via video.

What: a two-performance staged reading of a new play

When: Rehearsals January 12th - February 4th, performances at 3pm on Saturday February 7th and Sunday February 8th (see Google Form for more specifics on rehearsal timing)

Where: The Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street

Synopsis and Character List

Time: the near future, and the latter part of the 19th century

Place: Chicago, outer space, the open waters of Lake Michigan

Synopsis: A spaceship floats above Earth. On it are MILES, a young scientist, and JEANETTE, a seasoned astronaut. Back home, Miles’ bookish sibling DAPHNE has gone quiet while Jeanette’s artist wife CAPRIA is counting the days until her hero’s return.

But when an unexpected collision cuts off their communication, Miles and Jeanette face a terrible decision: continue their mission to combat the mysterious “Dimming” that’s dulling life on Earth, or abandon it to return to the very people they set out to save.

Meanwhile, on the waters below, a wanderlustful SAILOR finds himself washed up on an unfamiliar shore—moved by visions of a brighter future, yet longing for something more. As Miles and Jeanette drift further from reality, their orbit entangles with visions of home, leading everyone to uncover what they might have known all along: that awe returns us to each other.

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Submission Guidelines:

Please submit a 60-90 second contemporary monologue and indicate which character(s) you would like to be considered for.

If interested in the Sailor, please ALSO include a short video of yourself singing a folk-style song, either a cappella or (preferably) self-accompanied on guitar or similar stringed instrument.

Callbacks to be scheduled in late November/early December dependent upon venue availability.

Note: All roles in Daybreak may be played by actors of any race or ethnicity and can be construed expansively in terms of gender and ability. We encourage BIPOC, trans and nonbinary individuals, and people with disabilities to submit for any/all roles.

*Submissions are due by 11/25/25**

Character Breakdown:

CAPRIA (34, Female-identifying)

A restless, multi-hyphenate artist whose creativity is dimmed by loss and isolation. When her astronaut wife rockets into space for one final mission, Capria’s search for connection draws her toward unexpected intimacy and self-discovery. Emotionally raw, magnetic, and impulsive: someone who feels deeply and creates to survive.

JEANNETTE (45, Female-identifying)

A decorated astronaut and captain, Jeanette has built her world around her career. As a queer woman in a male-dominated field, she’s learned to armor herself with competence and composure. But when her latest mission begins to unravel, Jeannette is forced to face what she’s always avoided: her own vulnerability. In the farthest reaches of space, she learns that leadership doesn’t mean control: it means trust.

MILES (25, Male-identifying)

A brilliant but emotionally guarded scientist, raised by hardship and driven by duty. Logical, intense, idealistic, he believes he can save the world through reason alone. But in space, his faith in systems is tested, forcing him to lead from the heart instead of the mind. To survive, and to save the mission, Miles must learn to break from procedure and listen to his own instincts.

DAPHNE (late teens, any gender)

Daphne feels the Dimming more deeply than most. With Miles gone, Daphne withdraws even further—their only companion a beloved pet turtle and books their only escape—fictional lives standing in for the one they can’t seem to live. Bookish, introspective, and dryly funny beneath the gloom, Daphne’s story is about reawakening: stepping outside, connecting, and realizing the world still holds light.

THE SAILOR (Late 20s–40s, Male-identifying)

The Sailor has tried to be a good husband, a good father, a steady man—but the call of adventure always pulls him back to the open waters. Charismatic, weathered, and soulful, part storyteller, part ghost. Beneath his adventurous spirit lies a yearning for belonging and a fear of stagnancy. He sings more than he speaks, his voice rough but full of story. Now, the Sailor finds himself in a new place and time and, for the first time, considers what it might mean to stay. Note: the Sailor is a singing role, and ideally will be an actor-musician who can self-accompany on guitar or a stringed instrument.

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