AUDITION NOTICE –
A Ruby Slippers Theatre and SkirtsAfire Premiere production
Presented by Theatre Network, The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Presentation House Theatre and Blackout Art Society.
— Vancouver, BC//Edmonton, AB
Production Name: Bella Luz by Alexandra Lainfiesta
Director: Jenna Rodgers
Rehearsal & Production Dates:
January 4 – February 7, 2027
February 8 – March 1, 2027 (Hiatus)
March 2 – 14, 2027
Rehearsals will begin in Edmonton before moving to Vancouver for final rehearsals and performances. Then there will be a hiatus before the Edmonton performances.
Audition Dates: June 29 & 30 (daytime)
Deadline to submit: June 22, 2026 at 12pm MST
EMAIL SUBMISSIONS ONLY. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Email info@skirtsafire.com with “Bella Luz Auditions” in the subject line, please include the role you are interested in auditioning for, the city you are currently located in, with a headshot and resume attached by Monday, June 22, 2026 at 12:00pm MST.
Auditions will take place June 29 & 30 (daytime). If callbacks are required, they will take place July 1 (daytime). If you have any scheduling conflicts, please communicate them in the body of the e-mail. Auditions are in-person in Edmonton, but Vancouver artists are welcome to apply and will be asked to submit a self-tape.
Audition Requirements
-Sides will be provided if you are granted an audition. Actors should be comfortable enough with the material to be directed. Audition slots are 15 minutes.
-Self-tapes can include an introductory slate, and one to two versions of the scene for the director to consider.
We thank everyone in advance for their interest in Bella Luz, but only those selected for an audition will be contacted and sent further information.
Ethno-cultural mandate: SkirtsAfire Festival and Ruby Slippers Theatre are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and encourage submissions from people of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.
For Bella Luz, the characters of Mama and Abuela are written as Latinx women, and priority consideration will be given to performers who identify as Latinx for these roles. The character of J is a physically demanding role that also requires fight experience. Priority consideration will be given to performers who fulfill that capacity. We welcome submissions from artists of all backgrounds, however, when casting identity-specific roles, we aim to honour the cultures and experiences reflected in the script.
For Bella Luz, the characters of Mama and Abuela are written as Latinx women, and priority consideration will be given to performers who identify as Latinx for these roles. The character of J is a physically demanding role that also requires fight experience. Priority consideration will be given to performers who fulfill that capacity. We welcome submissions from artists of all backgrounds, however, when casting identity-specific roles, we aim to honour the cultures and experiences reflected in the script.
Synopsis of Bella Luz by Alexandra Lainfiesta
Bella Luz is a darkly humorous magic realist play unfolding across three simultaneous worlds: a major global city in Canada, a city in the central highlands of Guatemala called Antigua Guatemala, and a surreal immigration game show realm. The play follows Sumailla, a Guatemalan dancer desperately trying to secure permanent residency in Canada while navigating impossible bureaucratic systems, family expectations, love, sacrifice, and the pressure to prove her worth in this country. Sumailla’s choices in Canada’s stunt industry, where she is cast to play stereotypical Latina roles, directly impact her family dynamics in Guatemala and her eligibility to remain in Canada. Torn between her mother’s and grandmother’s opposing views on migration, her loyalty for fellow stuntwoman J, and the harsh reality that her only chance to stay lies in “proving” her value to the systems in place, Sumailla wrestles with moral compromises that echo her grandmother’s warnings.
Content Transparency:
Coarse language, covert misogyny, racial micro-aggressions and transnational grief.
Character Breakdown
J: 30s – 40s. Sapphic, white presenting. A professional stuntwoman. Sharp. Flirty. Charming. Keeps her cards close to her chest. Actor must have stage fight experience, as this role requires extensive fight choreography. Also plays: ENGLISH VOICE, LAWYER 2, PHOTOGRAPHER, AGENT, and HOST of “PERMANENT JEOPARDY.”
MAMA: Latina, 40s – 50s. Conservative. Strict. Tough. Loves her daughter. Also plays: LAWYER 3, ANNOUNCER for “IDEAL OR NOT IDEAL?”, HOST of “WHO WANTS TO BE A PERMANENT RESIDENT?” and DR. HAWTHORN.
ABUELA: Latina, 60s. Progressive. Cheeky. Frank. Loves her daughter and granddaughter. Also plays: HOST of “THE LAWYER GAME.” and ANNOUNCER for “THE FILLING FACTOR.”
This production will be an ITA CAEA Joint Production contract (We anticipate a G-F House) with 3 weeks rehearsal, 9 performances in Vancouver and up to 12 performances in Edmonton (Beginning January 4, 2027) with a Hiatus from February 8 – 28, 2027. Rehearsals will be full time. The play will run until March 14, 2027.