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Description: Love and Other Life Sentences is an original Commedia-inspired musical blending the wit and structure of 1950s sitcoms with the absurd and over-the-top physical comedy of Commedia dell'Arte. Featuring a book and lyrics by Jake Erickson, this production will be a bold homage to Commedia's historical roots while infusing it with the dynamic energy of contemporary musical theatre. About the Show: The play is about love in its many (often tedious) forms: unrequited love, shallow and surface-level love, love's relationship to vanity, love as a tool to obtain power, love's metamorphosis into resentment, and ultimately, "true love." The characters' ribald exploration of what they think love is makes for a zany story of misidentification and trickery, and the many cross-woven plotlines eventually sort themselves out in a surprising yet satisfactory ending– a very quintessential story structure in classic Commedia dell'Arte plays. Roles Available: We're seeking to add 1-2 musicians/composers to our current company of artists. Interested parties should have experience composing story-driven musical theatre pieces. While we are not at all married to one artistic/aesthetic style, it is important that the writer has the skills to compose a full musical score that drives the plot of the play. If the interested party is also an actor: great! We are more than happy to have our composer join us on stage as a performer in this company if they have the interest and capacity. For actors: we are looking for performers who embrace spontaneity, creativity, and collaboration. While physical theatre experience is preferred, we welcome performers from diverse backgrounds. Commedia dell'Arte veterans and newcomers alike are encouraged to audition: we're not looking for experts, but rather passionate players who relish the joy of performance! Soft Brain Theatre Company is a hands-on troupe. We welcome multi-hyphenate artists who are excited to help our theatre company grow. For eager multi-hyphenates we welcome your expertise in fundraising, event production, social media management, and all of the technical and creative roles on a show-to-show basis. A brief overview of the characters in this show (most will be cast from current company members): Narrator/Stranger: Our narrator and a stranger in town The General: Retired general, current show owner Celine: The General's daughter Theodor: Head Sales Assistant of the General's shop Christian: Salesclerk of The General's shop Christopher: Salesclerk of The General's shop Marcus Tony: A soldier. Black and white uniform. Griselda: A young maiden General Sr.: The General's father Ms. McMenamin: General Sr.'s housekeeper/nurse Boy: Ms. McMenamin's eight-year-old son Audition Details: Please submit samples of your musical composition portfolio at the provided Google Form. Please also send an introductory video (selfie format is fine, no production value needed!) telling us a little about the following, in 3 minutes or less: - How do you define your artistry? - What draws you to this project and to this company? - Where are you in your artistic career and where are you looking to go/grow? Please also submit your headshot and resume through the Google Form. Google form: https://forms.gle/SLeKcPxc63616JNV7 Callback Details: October 12 Callbacks will be in Midtown Manhattan on October 12, time pending based on applicants' availability. At the callbacks, you will collaborate with current Soft Brain Theatre Company members for musical improvisation and to see how you interact with the Commedia masks. If invited to Callbacks, we will send you a bit of introductory information about the Commedia stock characters. Production Commitment: First table read: Monday, October 20 Weekly meetings with the writing team: Monday, October 20 - Monday, November 24 (day of week TBD). For 2025, rehearsals will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from November 3 through December 3. Actor-composers are required to attend rehearsals; composer-only collaborators are not required to come to every rehearsal (though you're always welcome!). Commedia dell'Arte education workshop: Monday, January 12 - Thursday, January 15. 7pm - 10pm nightly. (Optional for non-actor collaborators) 2026 Rehearsals, 7pm - 10pm in Midtown Manhattan*: Twice weekly from Tuesday, January 20 - Thursday, February 19 Thrice weekly from Tuesday, February 23 - Thursday, April 30th * = if the composer hired is not an actor, not all rehearsals are required to attend Tech: Monday, May 4th - Thursday, May 7th Performance Details: We are looking at a 10-day run in May. At maximum, these will be the show dates: Thursday 7 May (Preview) | 7:30pm Friday 8 May (Opening) | 7:30pm Saturday 9 May | 2:00pm & 7:30pm Sunday 10 May | 2:00pm Tuesday 12 May | 7:30pm Wednesday 13 May | 7:30pm Thursday 14 May | 7:30pm Friday 15 May | 7:30pm Saturday 16 May | 2:00pm & 7:30pm Sunday 17 May | 2:00pm + STRIKE SHOW Compensation: We operate on a profit-share model. That is, points are attributed to the amount of work collaborators invest (ie: an actor who is also a lighting designer will have more profit-share points), and the net profit of the show is proportionally distributed to all collaborators. $150 guaranteed stipend. About the Company: Soft Brain Theatre Company (SBTC) is a collective of creatives making character-first comedy through the lenses of Commedia dell'Arte, clown, and musical theatre. Think: Caricature! Hyperbole! Satire! Mockery! Tomfoolery! We honor the art form of Commedia, but we are not shackled by the responsibility to replicate these Italian Renaissance plays as they were historically presented. Commedia dell'Arte uses stock characters with prescriptive physical attributes as well as similar plot structures across its canonical literature. We use these performance traditions as the foundation of our work and build from there, exploring the "stock characters" of today (ex. burly, bandana-clad bartenders) in situations that feel familiar and exciting to a 21-century audience (ex. the forbidden coworkers-to-lovers pipeline). As actors and creatives, we believe that if we are having fun in the rehearsal room, the audience will have fun with us, too. We aim to soften our audiences' brains and warm their hearts. Additional Information: We encourage performers of all backgrounds, ages, and identities to audition. Can't wait to clown with you!

Oct 11, 2025

Location: New York, NY

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