We’re off and running! Rehearsals for Faust Syndrome kicked off this week with a meet & greet, designer presentations, and a table read at Paul’s apartment. After seeing our designers’ sketches and models, and hearing the play out loud, we are even more excited to bring this story to life. We are also so happy to be back in the rehearsal room for a new full-length production after three years!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for even more sneak peeks at Faust Syndrome over the next few weeks. And book your tickets today!

Theater in Asylum is seeking an existing quartet (any vocal range) to join the cast of their upcoming production of Faust Syndrome, a new adaptation of the Faust myth. The piece follows three activists who strive to end the genocide in Gaza, abolish ICE, and bring an end to American imperialism. When they are approached by the Devil’s agent Mephistopheles and offered extraordinary –and terrifying!– power, the age-old Faustian bargain cycle unfurls yet again. The production will feature puppets, a choir, and urgently-need questions around movement building, individualism, and violence.

Music will include adaptations of music from The Sacred Harp, an early American singing tradition (example here), as well as vocal music in four parts composed for the show. The choir will form a kind of collective character in the show, and all music will be performed from the stage (there will be no pit).

REHEARSAL/PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

• Preparation: Early Sept: singers receive scores, review and prepare music on own time
  
• Music rehearsals: Three 2hr. rehearsals in late Sept/ early Oct, scheduled according to singers’ availability
  
• Music & show rehearsals: Tuesdays Oct. 6, 13, & 20 + Wednesday, 10/21 (evenings)
  
• Tech: Friday Oct. 23 - Tuesday, Oct. 27 (weekday evenings & weekend afternoons + evenings)
  
• Dress rehearsal: Wednesday, Oct. 28 (evening)
  
• Performances: Thursday, Oct. 29 - Sunday, Nov. 15 (weekday evenings & weekend afternoons + evenings)
  

PAY:

• $900 stipend per performer for full collaborators (same amount to everyone, regardless or role). This is inclusive of AEA travel reimbursement (if applicable). We’re a pretty small theater company and we know we’re not able to pay anyone (including ourselves) what we’re worth.
• All collaborators working on the entire process (from first rehearsal to closing night) are paid the same full stipend. Collaborators coming in for just performances or for a short portion of the process are paid a half stipend or hourly. All collaborators are shared on the complete show budget. More on how Theater in Asylum works to share power, time, and money is here.
• Theater in Asylum is seeking an Equity Showcase Code for this production.
• Food: Theater in Asylum provides a snack at all activities longer than 3 hours and a meal at all activities longer than 6 hours.
• How we work together: Our community agreements are here and more on how we share power/time/money is here.

If your quartet is interested in participating, please email [email protected].

Please note: we would prefer to cast one existing quartet for the full production. If we are unable to cast an existing quartet, we will open up casting to individual singers.

Faust Syndrome is a new adaptation of the Faust myth, performing this fall in NYC. The piece follows three activists who strive to end the genocide in Gaza, abolish ICE, and bring an end to American imperialism. When they are approached by the Devil's agent Mephistopheles and offered extraordinary –and terrifying!– power, the age-old Faustian bargain cycle unfurls yet again. The production will feature puppets, a choir, and urgently-need questions around movement building, individualism, and violence.

THEATER IN ASYLUM:
Theater in Asylum makes rigorously-researched, ensemble-driven theater to challenge and empower. We prize the theater as a space — as an asylum — where we can process and question, where reality is temporarily suspended, and where we can create with joy. Since 2010, Theater in Asylum has brought New York artists and not-yet-artists together to read, research, devise, and perform politically charged, of-the-moment new plays.

To learn more about Theater in Asylum, see here.

WHERE:
The Episcopal Actors' Guild in midtown (29th & 5th Ave)

WHEN:

• Rehearsals: September 19-October 28, 2026
• Rehearsals will mostly be nights and weekends.
• Not every actor will be called to every rehearsal. We aim to schedule around people’s availability.
• Performances: October 29-November 15, 2026 (15 total)

PAY: 

• $900 stipend
• All collaborators working on the entire process (from first rehearsal to closing night) are paid the same full stipend. Collaborators coming in for just performances or for a short portion of the process are paid a half stipend or hourly. All collaborators are shared on the complete show budget. More on how Theater in Asylum works to share power, time, and money is here.
• Theater in Asylum is seeking an Equity Showcase Code for this production.
• Food: Theater in Asylum provides a snack at all activities longer than 3 hours and a meal at all activities longer than 6 hours.
• Theater in Asylum’s community agreements are here.

THE ROLE:

• Name: Walker
  
• 20's or 30's, any race.
• A young, reluctant activist who is deceiving her friends into believing she is on the front line of every cause. Years ago, she saw a protest become violent, and she cannot shake the image of someone being beaten by the police from her mind.
  
• She is a bit jumpy. Wide-eyed before the more seasoned and hardcore activists. Well-intentioned, but dishonest.
  

TO SUBMIT:
If this project sounds exciting to you, please email a headshot and resume to Paul Bedard & Katie Palmer at [email protected].

Faust Syndrome is a new adaptation of the Faust myth, performing this fall in NYC. The piece follows three activists who strive to end the genocide in Gaza, abolish ICE, and bring an end to American imperialism. When they are approached by the Devil's agent Mephistopheles and offered extraordinary –and terrifying!– power, the age-old Faustian bargain cycle unfurls yet again. The production will feature puppets, a choir, and urgently-need questions around movement building, individualism, and violence.

THEATER IN ASYLUM:
Theater in Asylum makes rigorously-researched, ensemble-driven theater to challenge and empower. We prize the theater as a space — as an asylum — where we can process and question, where reality is temporarily suspended, and where we can create with joy. Since 2010, Theater in Asylum has brought New York artists and not-yet-artists together to read, research, devise, and perform politically charged, of-the-moment new plays.

To learn more about Theater in Asylum, see here.

WHERE:
The Episcopal Actors' Guild in midtown (29th & 5th Ave)

WHEN:

• Rehearsals: September 19-October 28, 2026
• Rehearsals will mostly be nights and weekends.
• Not every actor will be called to every rehearsal. We aim to schedule around people’s availability.
• Performances: October 29-November 15, 2026 (15 total)

PAY: 

• $900 stipend
• All collaborators working on the entire process (from first rehearsal to closing night) are paid the same full stipend. Collaborators coming in for just performances or for a short portion of the process are paid a half stipend or hourly. All collaborators are shared on the complete show budget. More on how Theater in Asylum works to share power, time, and money is here.
• Theater in Asylum is seeking an Equity Showcase Code for this production.
• Food: Theater in Asylum provides a snack at all activities longer than 3 hours and a meal at all activities longer than 6 hours.
• Theater in Asylum’s community agreements are here.

THE ROLE:

• Name: Inés
• Latina, in her 60's or older.
  
• An artist-activist puppeteer and sculptor. 
• She has seen a lot and knows –fully– who she is and what she is doing.
  
• She is sharp-tongued, sometimes even to the point of rudeness, but cares deeply for others and for the movement.
  
• She is an unstoppable force with little patience for stupidity and vanity.

TO SUBMIT:
If this project sounds exciting to you, please email a headshot and resume to Paul Bedard & Katie Palmer at [email protected].