CASTING CALL
for the NON-UNION feature film
MAN FREED
manfreed.com
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MAN FREED is a gothic fiction period-piece adapted from Lord Byron’s c. 1817 closet drama, Manfred. The story follows Count Manfred, a powerful sorcerer and reclusive aristocrat grieving over his deceased lover, Astarte. Seeking to rid himself of her painful memory and acquire forgetfulness, Manfred summons various mythological beings. Throughout his magical efforts to manipulate reality and the cosmos, Manfred slowly loses his sanity.
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ABBOT OF ST. ANTHONY (M, Age: 40-60) The Abbot of St. Anthony is a religious leader dispatched to handle fragile matters such as the troubles of a young, powerful noble. He is a man of absolute piety and plain compassion. Can his wisdom and faith lead the blind into the light?
ASTARTE (F, Age: 20-25) The Lady Astarte was the incestual lover of Count Manfred. After mysteriously dying, she is not buried by a priest, and thus enters the Underworld. Her memory is both a source of tenderness and torment for Count Manfred. Will she reunite with her lover in the afterlife?
WITCH OF THE STREAM (F, Age: 20-70) The Witch of the Stream is a river-witch who makes deals with passersby, often deceiving them or leading these strangers’ souls into her service. As Manfred stumbles upon her aquatic territory, she encounters a formidable magician in the Count. Will she get what she wants and procure Count Manfred’s troubled soul?
CHAMOIS HUNTER (M, Age: 40-60) The Chamois Hunter is a simple mountain man who embodies common folk. A lover of wine and a hearty laugh, his congenial ways are challenged by Count Manfred’s complicated morality. Can his good heart withstand the tragic path Count Manfred plummets down?
FIRST SISTER OF DESTINY (F, Age: 20-30) The First Sister of Destiny, also known as Clotho, is a personification of fate. She is the youngest of her three siblings and her inexperience shows it. Her role as one of the three Moirai siblings is to spin the thread of all human life. Throughout her great journey into the territories of man, will she succumb to overwhelm or will she retain her divine composure?
SECOND SISTER OF DESTINY (F, Age: 30-50) The Second Sister of Destiny, also known as Lachesis, is a personification of fate. She is the middle of her three siblings. Her role as one of the Moirai siblings is to measure the thread of human life, thus nothing gets by her. Will her temperament as a know-it-all rule enforcer blind her vision to ensure all beings follow their true destiny?
THIRD SISTER OF DESTINY (F, Age: 50-70) The Third Sister of Destiny, also known as Atropos, is a personification of fate. She is the oldest of her three siblings and her role as the eldest Moirai sibling is to cut the thread of human life. As it requires great skill and mystical wisdom to accurately end lives when their time comes, she is a matronly sage. Can she not only guide her younger siblings on their pilgrimage, but ensure that death’s bell tolls at its proper time?
NEMESIS (F, Age: 20-50) Nemesis is a goddess whose sole responsibility is to bring vengeance upon all those who act with hubris or greed before the gods. Entirely upright and righteously prepared to slice off the head of any should divine judgment call for it, she is the symbol of virtue and serves the gods with absolute efficiency. Can she deliver the prideful all that they are due?
ARIMANES (M, Age: 30-60) Arimanes is the personification of evil in the whole cosmos. His form is human-like, but don’t be fooled. His skills of deception and enticement are unmatched, and his trail often remains invisible. He is a busy god, for evil never rests. When interrupted by small, mortal matters, he wastes no opportunity to slither his way into the soul of man. Can this Satanic figure ensure evil is the force which every desperate man succumbs to?
HERMAN (M, Age: 20-30) Herman is a servant in Count Manfred’s castle. Young and curious not only about his master, he fixates on being the best servant he can be. Unfortunately, he works alongside a fellow with a bitter temperament and is thrust into a whirlwind of conflict surrounding his master. Can the loyalty for his boss withstand the tempest of quarrels engulfing the castle?
MANUEL (M, Age: 50-70) Manuel is a servant in Count Manfred’s castle, first serving Count Sigismund, Count Manfred’s father. Dreading the current Count and son of his original master, whom he favored more, he seeks to disrupt the ways of new and restore the ways of old. Will his bitterness and golden age fixation manifest any change at the castle?
DEMON (M/F, Age: 20-50) The Demon is a malevolent, supernatural manifestation of Hell. Its sole mission is to bring malicious death upon the cursed. It is an invisible entity to the righteous and pure, but a visible, haunting nightmare to the crooked, vulnerable, and broken. Will it properly serve the forces of evil and drag the damned to tragic ends when their time comes?
FIRST SPIRIT OF NATURE (*VOICE-OVER*, M/F, Age: 20-60) The First Spirit of Nature is the supernatural manifestation of the Star. This celestial being is the voice for the Seven Spirits of Nature. The Spirit of the Star symbolizes desire out of reach, for those who reach for the stars cannot grasp them. Will this stellar Spirit maintain natural harmony throughout its dealings?
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—Small Stipend, IMDb Credit, & Meals are provided for CAST—
—TABLE-READ Sunday, June 4th, 2023 via ZOOM—
—REHEARSALS throughout June 2023-February 2024 via ZOOM—
—PRODUCTION runs approximately 1-2 weekends each month from August 2023-February 2024 throughout NJ & Eastern PA—
—EACH ROLE films only 1-3 total days—
Email man.freed.auditions@gmail.com for SIDES
—After receiving SIDES, email man.freed.auditions@gmail.com with:
NAME, CONTACT EMAIL, PHONE #, HEIGHT, CURRENT LOCATION, UNION STATUS, RESUME, HEADSHOT, SELF-TAPE as UNLISTED YOUTUBE LINK, Zoom Rehearsal Availability (June 2023-February 2024), Weekend Filming Availability (August 2023-February 2024), & Indicate which ROLE(S) you are interested in—
—AUDITION EMAILS due MONDAY, MAY 15th, 2023—
Contact Us: man.freed.auditions@gmail.com