AUDITIONS
Synopsis: In 1881, Black laundresses in Atlanta led a strike weeks before the International Cotton Exposition came to town. Demanding $1/dozen pounds of laundry, the Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike of 1881 was one of the largest, successful interracial labor strikes of the post-Civil War era.
The Wash offers an intimate and often funny look at ordinary women who went from workers to fighters– and won. With humor, heart, and history, Kelundra Smith’s play celebrates ordinary women who discovered extraordinary strength, transforming from workers into fighters and ultimately changing the course of labor rights in the South.
Auditions for The Wash by Kelundra Smith
Co-produced by Powerstories Theatre & The Studio@620
Directed by Erica Sutherlin
Audition Information:
- When: Saturday, August 8th from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Where: The Studio@620 (620 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701)
Please prepare two contrasting contemporary monologues.
Show Information:
Rehearsals: September 8-30, 2026
Performances: October 1-11, 2026
Compensation: Actor stipend
Characters
- ANNA: mid-40s to early 50s African American woman. She is a short woman with a tall presence. She is a caregiver and a caretaker. An entrepreneur at heart, her motivation is community survival.
- JEANIE (pronounced Gee-nee): mid-40s to early 50s African American woman. She has a wry sense of humor, but is God fearing. If no one else will say it, she will, even when you don’t want her to.
- THOMASINE (pronounced Tom-ma-seen): early to mid-30s African American woman. She is a devoted wife and mother of four who must find her own strength. She mixes soaps and oils to make extra money to support her family. Everyone calls her Tommie.
- CHARITY: early 20s dark-skinned African American woman. She is a sweetheart, but not a pushover. She is newly married and hopes to have children someday.
- JEWEL: early 20s, light-skinned African American woman. She has a strong sense of self and believes that education is the key to a better life. She is preparing to go to college.
- MOZELLE (pronounced Moe-zel): early to mid-30’s, poor white woman. She is a single mother who is taking care of her mother and daughters as a laundress. She joins the Washing Society and encourages other white women to join her. She has dignity. This role can also double as the offstage voice in act one scene four.
