THE ROMEO INITIATIVE
by Trina Davies
Directed by Jonathan Seinen
The perfect man. The perfect romance. Single men are hard to come by in Cold War Germany so when Karin Maynard meets the handsome and attentive Markus Richter while on vacation abroad, it has to be fate. Or is it? Based on a real program in East Germany in which men were trained by the Stasi to be the “perfect man” to woo West German secretaries, The Romeo Initiative is half romantic comedy and half spy thriller with a tantalizing twist.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
All roles are available, and actors are welcome to submit for the role with which they feel alignment.
Character descriptions provided, including age range and gender, describe character traits only. Actors of all race and ethnicity are encouraged to apply.
This production will not make use of accents.
Roles
| Role | Type | Gender | Number |
| KARIN (KAH rin) MAYNARD | Lead | Female Identified | |
|
(30s, she/her) – West German. Receptionist. Introverted and serious, she is at turns naïve and insightful. Compromises her values for romance, then later plots her redemption.
|
|||
| MARKUS RICHTER | Lead | Male Identified | |
|
(30s-40s, he/him) – East German. Spy. Charming by nature, deceitful by training. Alternatingly seductive and cold-hearted, he hides his vulnerable side behind his duty. Blinded by love and inexperienced, he underestimates his target.
|
|||
| LENA HAHN | Supporting | Female Identified | |
|
(20s, she/her) – West German. Ambitious, self-possessed survivor in Cold War austerity. Tough, embodied, and not afraid of her own sensuality. Forgoes ideals to get what she wants in a climate of deprivation.
|
|||
- or -
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Please submit a headshot and resume (PDF format only) to [email protected] with the subject line: THE ROMEO INITIATIVE. Please indicate the role you would like to be considered for.
If there is a potential barrier that might prevent you from being able to audition, we encourage you to let us know so we can work with you to dissolve it. Due to the volume of submissions, only those selected for an audition will be contacted. Reading copies of the script are available upon request.
Submission Deadline
May 30, 2025
AUDITION DATES: June 13 & 14, 2025
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 30, 2025
CONTRACT DATES: January 13 to February 14, 2026
Artists will be engaged under the CTA, with anticipated rates set at “C” House category.
Rehearsals start: January 13, 2026
Opening: February 6, 2026
Closing: February 15, 2026
ABOUT PERSEPHONE THEATRE
Persephone Theatre is located on the beautiful lands of Indigenous peoples who have lived here since time immemorial, including the Nêhiyawak, Nêhithawak, Anishinabek, Nakawe, Nakota, Nehinawak, Lakota, Dakota and Dene peoples. This place is also the homeland of the Métis. At Persephone, we also like to acknowledge the contributions of the Whitecap Dakota and Round Prairie Métis peoples in establishing our city of Saskatoon. Persephone Theatre is located on Treaty 6 territory and is committed to living in good relations with our Indigenous neighbours, in the spirit with which the Treaties were intended.
Persephone Theatre is committed to a reflecting the rich diversity of our community in the stories we tell and the ways in which we undertake creating our work. We prioritize a workplace culture that centres equity, inclusion, and authentic representation. We strongly encourage submissions from artists who self-identify as members of historically excluded communities, which includes (but is not limited to) those who identify as IBPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, or who have a disability or chronic illness. We also strongly encourage artists to submit for the roles they feel align with their gender identity and/or gender expression.
COVID-19 WORKSAFE POLICY
Our current Covid-19 protocols require artists to provide proof of vaccination to Persephone prior to commencing work. Other Covid-19 protocols, such as masking, may also be in place at the time of production. These protocols will be communicated clearly to artists at the time of offer and be included in a rider to their contract
Persephone Theatre encourages submissions from diverse artists of all backgrounds, regardless of race, colour, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
