WORD FOR WORD / Z SPACE 2025 SEASON 

Word for Word Auditions
September 2025

Word for Word Auditions Overview 
Seeking Actors for Word for Word’s Upcoming Production of The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers (selected chapters) as well as general casting for Word for Word’s 2026 Season (TBA), and Word for Word’s Off the Page Reading Series.

Auditions: 
Saturday, September 13th from 12 pm - 6 pm, at Z Below (470 Florida St, SF)
Sunday, September 14th from 12 pm - 3 pm, at Z Below (470 Florida St, SF) 

Callbacks: 
Sunday, September 14th from 3pm - 6 pm, at Z Below (470 Florida St, SF) 
Monday, September 15th from 12 pm - 4 pm, at Z Below (470 Florida St, SF)

Submit Headshot and Resume to casting@zspace.org by August 15th, 2025

Word for Word and Z Space are casting for The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers (selected chapters), Word for Word’s 2026 Season (TBA), and the Off the Page Reading Series.

Local AEA and non-AEA actors are highly encouraged to submit. 

PLEASE NOTE: We are happy to receive submissions from non-local performers but we are unfortunately unable to provide local housing or transportation assistance. 

Please see below for descriptions of the production and audition requirements. 

The Eyes & the Impossible
by Dave Eggers

(a Word for WordPlay and Z Space production. Word for WordPlay is Word for Word’s new youth and family program - The Eyes and the Impossible is Word for WordPlay’s premiere production.) 

Director: Delia MacDougall

  • Rehearsals Begin: Week of Jan 27th

  • Load-in/Tech: Week of Feb 16th

  • Dress/Preview: Week of Feb 25th

  • Opening: Thursday, February 26th

  • Closing: Sunday, March 15th

About The Eyes & the Impossible: The Eyes & the Impossible is the premiere production of Word for Word’s new program for youth and families, Word for WordPlay. It is "a lyrical, soulful book full of wit and passion...a timeless story for readers of all ages." It takes you to the inner world of Johannes, a free and fast dog—and his job as the "eyes" of an urban park by the sea. Join him in his trials and tribulations as the equilibrium of the park is upset by an influx of humans, construction, and creatures of all kinds. 

Roles for The Eyes & the Impossible: 

NOTE: All actors will play multiple roles ranging from human to animal and young to elderly. Performers should be skilled at quick, clear character shifts and comfortable with physical storytelling. Dance or movement experience is a plus but not required.

  • The role of Johannes has been precast.

  • The Bison are the rulers of the park, embodying a sense of wisdom, age, and tradition. They assign Johannes the task of being their Eyes, trusting him to help them maintain order in the park. The Bison are Freya (the eldest & wisest), Meredith (kind and encouraging), and Samuel (cynical, funny).

  • Bertrand, the seagull, is one of the Assistant Eyes who helps Johannes with his duties. He is characterized as loyal, dependable, and resourceful, providing aerial surveillance and insights into the park.

  • Sonja, the squirrel, is another Assistant Eye—shy and one-eyed, but vital to Johannes’s mission to liberate the bison.

  • Yolanda, the pelican, also serves as one of the Assistant Eyes. Like Sonja, Yolanda is a dependable and resourceful member of the group.

  • Angus, the raccoon, is perhaps the most mischievous of the Assistant Eyes. His role in the story is defined by his cunning and resourcefulness.

PLEASE NOTE: If called back for The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers you will be provided with sides to read during your audition. 

         Contract - The Eyes & the Impossible 

AEA BAT Tier II $519 /wk + health & pension. 
NON-UNION $519 /wk

About Word for Word’s 2026 Season (TBA)

Word for Word Performing Arts Company performs short works of fiction, without changing a word, preserving the author’s voice and honoring their intent with inventive staging and theatrical distribution of the text. The company produces two full productions a year. In 2026, Word for Word will produce a summer production (TBD) and a fall production (TBD).  

         Contract - Summer and Fall Word for Word Full-Productions (TBA): 

AEA: BAT Tier II  ($519 /wk + health & pension).
NON-UNION: $519 /wk

About Off the Page

Word for Word's Off the Page staged reading series is the public's first look at pieces being considered for upcoming productions. With a public staged reading of a short story, audiences are invited to see the steps of the process of bringing a work from the page to the stage in the unique Word for Word style.

Contract - Word for Word Off the Page readings

Actor rate: $25 an hour
Approximate hours: 10-12 hrs (including performance)

Audition Requirements for these Word for Word Productions : please send a resume, headshot, and prepare one monologue for an in-person audition, no more than 3 minutes. You may also be asked to read from sides during your audition.

Headshots and resumes, as well as any questions, should be emailed to casting@zspace.org.

Personnel 

Word for Word Artistic Director: JoAnne Winter 
Word for Word Associate Artistic Director: Vanessa Flores Chacko
Executive Director, Z Space: Shafer Mazow 
Curatorial Director, Z Space: Nikki Meñez 

Questions? Contact: casting@zspace.org or visit www.zspace.org 

Auditions will be reviewed and/or seen by: 

JoAnne Winter - Word for Word, Artistic Director 
Vanessa Flores Chacko - Word for Word, Associate Artistic Director
Gendell Hing-Hernàndez - Director of Word for WordPlay - Youth and Family Programming
Delia MacDougall - Director of The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers 
Word for Word Core Company members

Word for Word Performing Arts Company performs short works of fiction, without changing a word, preserving the author’s voice and honoring their intent with inventive staging and theatrical distribution of the text. Word for Word believes in the power of the short story to provide solace, compassion, and insight into our daily lives. We bring stories from diverse cultures to our diverse communities and develop future audiences’ love for the printed and spoken word. Some of the many authors whose works we have produced include Barbara Kingsolver, Edward P. Jones, Tobias Wolff, George Saunders, Amy Tan, Colm Toíbin, Zora Neale Hurston and Lauren Groff. 

Z Space empowers artistic risk, collaboration, and camaraderie amongst artists, audience, and community in the service of creating, developing, and presenting new work. In addition to being home to local and international artists and organizations, Z Space develops and produces its own new work. Over the past few years, Z Space has built a national reputation for developing and producing large-scale new works that reimagine the traditional musical theater form, receiving critical acclaim for Hundred Days (The Bengsons), The Lucky Ones (The Bengsons), and Weightless (The Kilbanes). 

Z Space and Word for Word Casting Commitments
Z Space and Word for Word’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Z Space and Word for Word are committed to diversity and encourage all its employees to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Z Space and Word for Word encourage performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit. 

Z SPACE COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS 
All productions will follow COVID protocols as determined by Z Space in compliance with AEA infectious disease guidelines.