BREATHE
By Brian Petti
Petty Love Productions is excited to be producing a new work by a local playwright. This production is to be presented in a Staged Reading format and will be accompanied by an audience Q&A to help this local artist continue to hone the script for this provocative, and timely, piece.
Show Synopsis
BREATHE is about an adult autistic woman who, after encountering a clown and a soothsayer at a carnival with her caretaker father, wakes up the next morning without autism. The father calls in his estranged wife, who left the home to pursue a relationship with another woman, to address the seeming miracle. While the father tries to track down the clown and soothsayer, the mother gets to know her daughter as a non-autistic person, who is experiencing a new and exciting engagement with the world. When the father returns without answers, he has to face his daughter's changed outlook and willingness to experience life, and come to grips with his redefined role in her life. The father and mother also address their failed relationship, and their roles in each others' lives.
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Altogether, BREATHE is about the nature of parenthood, and the push and pull of caring for a child as they grow and change beyond the control and safety of parental expectation. It is also about adapting to new norms, and redefining oneself in the face of ever-changing familial relationships.
Show Details/Important Info
Production Dates: Saturday, November 22nd & Sunday, November 23rd
Performance Location: DuCret Center of Art in Plainfield, New Jersey
Director: Letitia Townes
Stage Manager: Kelly Rayner
Rehearsal Dates: Rehearsals will take place in the two weeks leading up to performance, either virtually or on site at DuCret Center of Art
Role Descriptions
Pete
Character Age: 45-70
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Open to all
Character Breakdown: The Father. Dutiful, caring, sad, a bit of a martyr, taken aback by the changes occurring around him, and struggling to redefine himself amid them.
Jenny
Character Age: 25-35
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Open to all
Character Breakdown: The Daughter. Autistic adult, begins non-communicative, distant, inward, changes dramatically to open, optimistic, adventurous (sometimes recklessly so), yet confused and sad
Katy​
Character Age: 45-70
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Open to all
Character Breakdown: The Mother. Strong, but sometimes self-doubting, balancing her choices for self determination with her impact on those around her, ultimately trying to do her best for herself and her daughter
The Clown​
Character Age: Open to all
Gender: Open to all
Ethnicity: Open to all
Character Breakdown: Loud, brash, hard-living, but ultimately sympathetic
The Soothsayer
Character Age: 50+
Gender: Open to all
Ethnicity: Open to all
Character Breakdown: Straight-shooter, single-minded, needs to deliver her message, not mysterious or otherworldly despite her role
Self Tape Audition Instructions
Submission Deadline
Wednesday, October 29th, 2025
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Submission Guidelines
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Your video submission must include:
- Your name, location, and role(s) you're auditioning for
- One excerpt from a Contemporary Monologue, 90-120 seconds in length
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Video Formatting:
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Shot in landscape (horizontal)
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Use a clean, well-lit space with minimal background noise
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Label files clearly: "LastName_FirstName_Role”
Email your video submission, as well as an up to date resume & headshot to info@pettyloveproductions.org
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Email any questions to info@pettyloveproductions.org