Casting for a Grandmother role in a Senior Overview Film

Title: They Shared A Meal
Production Dates: March 14-15, 2024
Synopsis: On the eve of Thanksgiving in the 1990s, a city-wide power outage leaves Amari stuck at home with her mother, Kaiya, and grandmother, May, unable to finish their holiday preparations. As the quiet stretches on, old wounds resurface, and Amari finds herself caught in the tense divide between her mother and grandmother as they are forced to confront their unresolved past.

Role Details:
Name: May
Age: 60 (ish)
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: African American
Description: May is a 60-year-old African American woman who is proud, emotionally guarded, and deeply shaped by a lifetime of challenges that have left her introspective and conflicted. Currently a part-time school teacher, May is determined to focus on her “new life” while avoiding the unresolved guilt and pain of her past. Her relationship with her daughter, Kaiya, is strained due to the emotional distance she maintained during Kaiya’s upbringing, a rift May chooses not to address directly. Instead, May pours her love and attention into her 12-year-old granddaughter, Amari, becoming the warm and nurturing figure she never was for Kaiya. She views her relationship with Amari as a way of making amends, though she avoids confronting Kaiya’s lingering hurt. For May, this dynamic offers a semblance of redemption, even as it reveals her ongoing struggle to fully face the emotional wounds of her past.

Required Media: Headshot/Photo, Video Reel

We are currently accepting self-tape submissions for our student film project. Please submit a self-tape to theysharedameal@gmail.com, showcasing your range and emotional depth using material you already have. In your email, please include the role you are auditioning for in the subject line. If selected, you will be invited to attend in-person auditions in St. Louis, Missouri. Invitations for in-person auditions will be sent by February 17th. Thank you!
Additional: This is an unpaid project for a senior thesis film at Webster University. While there’s no financial compensation, this is an excellent opportunity for experienced actors to collaborate on a professional set. The film will be submitted to festivals and showcased at the university’s senior film showcase in May of 2025. Meals and snacks will be provided, and you’ll receive a copy of the final film for your reel. I’m excited to bring this meaningful story to life with you and truly appreciate your consideration!

Audition Dates: TBA
Location: First round Online Auditions, second round TBA
Deadline for Submissions: February 17th, 2025
We look forward to seeing your submissions and bringing this powerful family drama to life!