for a weeklong workshop in August 2026 of a new Canadian play
This has been filled. -May 28, 2026
Leila Roils the Seas
Written by Lily Chang
Workshop directed by Leslie Dos Remedios
Produced by Gateway Theatre & Ruby Slippers Theatre in association with vAct & Wax Apple Productions
Workshop Dates: Aug 10-15, 2026
Workshop Location: Vancouver, BC
CASTING FOR:
PŎPÓ, F, 50s to 80s, East Asian, ideally can speak Mandarin and/or Taiwanese.
Those with no or minimal acting experience are welcome to apply.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTION
PŎPÓ is Leila’s maternal grandmother, in her 80s. Born and living in Taiwan, she has led a challenging life: she worked as a child labourer instead of receiving education, was sold to a teahouse as a teenager, married a doctor who was later unfaithful to her, and has many health and mobility problems in old age. Pŏpó is traditional, loud, harsh, blunt, sarcastic, stubborn, resentful, mean, but also spirited, sassy, resilient, and incredibly loving. Devoutly Buddhist, she is angry that Leila does not believe in what she believes. Throughout the play, as her body is in a coma while her spirit is stuck in this plane, she pressures Leila to help her die so her spirit can move on. In the end, she realizes that she is the one who cannot let go of her granddaughter and the grief that she holds.
PLAY SYNOPSIS
Leila Roils the Seas is a multilingual, darkly funny magical realism family drama about the special bond and generational, socio-cultural clash between a Taiwanese-Canadian woman and her Taiwanese grandmother. Upon receiving news that her grandmother has fallen into a coma, Leila returns to her birthplace in Taiwan, only to find that she alone can see and interact with Pŏpó’s consciousness outside her comatose body. When Pŏpó pressures Leila to help her move on to the celestial realm of Pure Land Buddhism, Leila must suppress not only her nonbelief in the afterlife and her grief over losing her beloved grandmother but also her anger at Pŏpó’s contradictions and history of violence.
TO BE CONSIDERED
Complete this form by June 12, 2026, 11:59 pm.
Candidates selected for video/online auditions will be contacted with materials and further information.
For any questions, email waxappleproductions@gmail.com.