Forgive Me! - S4 Casting Call

Forgive Me! S4 Casting Call

Who: Actors/voice actors—ANY age, gender, and race

What: Audio drama—to be distributed/produced as a fiction podcast

When: Audition Deadline October 31 Season 4 to be recorded starting in December 2024

Where: Remote (we produce with live direction wherever possible, but asynchronous recording is fine if scheduling doesn’t work out)

Production: Rogue Dialogue Productions

Creative Team: Writers: Bob Raymonda, Jack Marone, Casey Callaghan, Clarice Meneses, Eli Barraza; Producer/Composer: Adam Raymonda

Compensation: Payment will be paid upon delivery of audio. Individual payment will be dependent on cast breakdown and the amount of lines required per-episode. Rates are as follows:

Primary Cast (50+ lines): $50 per episode

Secondary Cast (24-49 lines): $25 per episode

Ensemble (10-24 lines): $15 per episode

Cameo (1-9 lines): $10 per episode

NOTE: We often plumb the depths of our ensemble and cameo characters when writing future episodes of the series, so even if a role is small during this go around, there is always room for the character to return for their own feature confession in the future.

Submission Instructions:

Please fill out this Google Form by no later than October 31.
Multiple roles are restricted for VA’s of certain groups. If you aren’t a member of that group, do not audition. There are several other characters for you to audition for instead.
You do not need to reveal your age or send a headshot.
No previous voice acting experience is necessary; everyone is encouraged to audition!
Please record sides using the equipment you would use for production.
Please limit your audition to two takes per character.
Format audition file as “CHARACTER NAME_ACTOR NAME.mp3.”
If you are auditioning for multiple roles, please feel free to fill out the form multiple times.

Synopsis:

Forgive Me! tells the story of Father Ben, a try-hard young Catholic priest who was recently reassigned to St. Patrick’s, a new parish in the fictional Texarkana, NY, under mysterious circumstances. Each episode follows Ben into the confessional with another eccentric parishioner from around town, exploring the intertwined lives of this new community and the funny, sad, and sometimes painful quirks that come out of the Catholic experience.

Character Breakdowns:

BISHOP MARINO | Late 40’s to Mid 50’s | 2 Episodes (Primary)

The imposing-yet-unbothered head of the local Diocese of which St. Patrick’s is a part. Believes that church matters should either be dealt with his way, or at the very least, ruffle as few feathers as possible. Boston Italian accent.

SIDES

Can you believe I’ve been in this awful town for an hour and this is the first I’m hearing from the Pastor?
Oh stop trying to butter me up Klem, it’s unbecoming. You’ve been working at St. Patrick’s since before I was in seminary, I know you think I’m an ass
First, that’s correct, I am the Bishop. You might think this is your parish but you are renting it from ME. So you can roll your eyes at me telling you how things are but as long as you live in my house, you follow my rules, got it?

SISTER ANNE | Late 60s to Early 70s | 3 Episodes (Ensemble)

The Bishop’s stern, no-nonsense right hand woman who has long had unreciprocated romantic feelings toward Fr. Klem. Has a history of corporal punishment with the students of the local Catholic school.

SIDES

Oh I don’t know… I’m partial to anything… (UNDERTONES) German.
Oooh yes! What do you call a loud mouthed homewrecking priest who doesn’t make a sound?
You watch your tone, I still keep a ruler in my purse from my school teacher days. Anyhow the answer is The Pastor of St. Patricks! (laughs) see it’s like a tree falls in the woods joke.

CINDY | Mid 30s | BIPOC | 1 Episode (Cameo)

Lisa’s kid sister who has spent her life being Mitchell’s cool and trendy aunt. A bit too permissive with her nephew’s recreational habits. Drives Lisa absolutely insane.

SIDES

I’m so glad that Estebong is still treating you well after all this time.
Yeah, Lees, it’s legal. You can’t even narc on me anymore.
Oh you do, do you? That’s not what I remember you thinking when I turned 18!

NOTE: We will only consider BIPOC performers for this role.

ISABEL | Mid-40s to Early 50s | FILIPINO | 1 Episodes (Primary)

A local, lonely gravedigger with a wry sense of humor who has a tendency of stealing snacks off of gravestones in the cemetery. Goes to increasingly zany lengths to placate the boy who believes she is the ghost of his grandmother.

SIDES

Nothing, for a good minute. I just sat there with my sprained hip, on top of the grave, holding onto the empanadas and not saying a word to the kid. Guess you could say I was being cryptic, heh. Then his mom showed up.
I ate it, Father. I ate the rotten little jellyworm, and let me tell you, deception is a hard bug to swallow. I nearly choked. Then young Jorge gave me the biggest, happiest little kid smile, told me he’d see me next week, and skipped off to the car.
Yep. It was a one-way ticket to vomit town as soon as I managed to bite into one, but I held it together, just about. All I had to do was get through the goodbye prayers.

NOTE: We will only consider actors of Filipino descent for this role.

JORGE | 5-10 | FILIPINO | 1 Episodes (Ensemble)

A young boy dealing with the loss of his grandmother, who comes to believe that Isabel is her ghost, offers her homemade food creations.

SIDES

I saw the way you were eating those empanadas, Grandma. You must be hungry!
I made it specially for you!
Ghosts don’t throw up!

NOTE: We will only consider actors of Filipino descent for this role.

MARIAH | Mid-30s to Early 40s | FILIPINO | 1 Episodes (Cameo)

A local woman grieving her mother alongside her family who comes into contact with Isabel, the local gravedigger who her young son mistakes as the ghost of his grandmother.

SIDES

As you know, Mom, it’s a Filipino tradition that the soul stays down on Earth for 40 days after death—and as a family, it’s our personal tradition to visit their gravesite every week until then.
I can’t believe you actually ate that worm. It’s been sitting in his overalls for weeks.
Honestly, my mom would’ve thought all this was pretty funny.

NOTE: We will only consider actors of Filipino descent for this role.

GRANT | LATE 50s to Early 60s | 1 Episodes (Cameo)

The owner of a local car dealership whose son gets in over his head after realizing that his wife is pregnant, and that he’s not an equal breadwinner in their marriage.

SIDES

No. You can’t. It’s not that easy… and it’d take all of your time to pull that off. I’d know! Why do you think your mom and I aren’t together?
You’re serious about this… this is that look you had after taking your SAT the first time…
(Over an intercom) Ladies and gentlemen, our salesman Tom just informed me he plans to sell a thousand cars before April or he will quit. This man is desperate to sell you a vehicle and you can bet on the best prices in the area. You can find him in his signature dark purple tie. (to Tom) Better get out there.

WILL | Early to Mid Teens | 1 Episode (Primary)
A nerdy local kid who just got his first DND rule books and decides to run a game for his friends.

SIDES

Guys, I told you over and over during character creation, you don’t need to min-max everything. I’d rather see interesting choices, and Father Ben has a decent hook for a Gnome Barbarian character.
The ogre hears your whisper-shout and turns towards you – just in time for the javelin to hit his left pectoral hard enough to pierce clean through.
In that case... whether it’s just that hungry or that stupid is hard to tell, but the ogre sees a hunk of rancid meat floating in midair and... you swear it gets a merry twinkle in its undead eyes. It lumbers toward Amber’s illusion, stepping right over the tar trap a second time... gimme odds or evens again, Father Ben.

AMBER | Early to Mid Teens | 1 Episode (Primary)
A young, closeted trans woman who is using DND as a first place of gender expression among a group of supportive friends.

SIDES

Father Ben, please don’t make me do that. If I tell her I’ve been playing D&D with these guys I don’t think she’ll let me hang out with them anymore no matter what we’re doing.
Crap. Okay, I’ve got an idea – Shade, you run back and warn the miners. I’ll stay here to spring the trap. Tazeer, you ready a Slow spell to cast on the ogre about 5 feet before he gets to the trap so he’s not in it when it goes off.

Focus Neb, we have evil to vanquish! I cast Minor Illusion and conjure the image of a huge haunch of decaying meat – like, it has a green tinge to it and there are multiple clusters of writhing maggots.

NOTE: We will only consider trans performers for this role.

TRISTAN | Early to Mid Teens | 1 Episode (Secondary)
A nerdy local kid who plays DND with a group of his best friends.

SIDES

Well it is, but... Gnomes are small. So like, even the most jacked Gnome isn’t very muscly.
Tazeer fires off his Slow spell. I’ll target the zombie ogre and five goblins I can see within 20 feet of it, they have to make a DC 15 Wisdom Save to avoid it.
Ooh, thirteen! I aim for the hole Neb made with his first javelin throw. I miss high, but as the arrow splashes off the ogre’s shoulder, the acid drips down and pools in the hole.

BRIANNA | Early to Mid Teens | 1 Episode (Secondary)
A nerdy local kid who plays DND with a group of her best friends.

SIDES

Not this room, but yeah. We attended mass, had some refreshments after, helped put away the chairs and stuff, and then just... stayed.
Well, I’d help you guys out with this, but I’m afraid I’m on babysitting duty.
I guess, but that thing’s not gonna go down quick and you and Tazeer already used Slow and Acid Arrow so our offense is starting to peter out. Maybe just stay out of its way and wait for backup from the miners?

DANA | Mid 30s to Early 40s | NONBINARY | 1 Episode (Primary)
A disaffected previous parishioner of the St. Patrick’s community who is triggered by a run in with an abusive presence from their past.

SIDES

You know what story always stuck with me? Peter, denying Christ three times. He didn’t mean to, but he did. He was looking out for himself. Even knowing that he would do it, he still did it. (beat) Jesus knew that we’d betray him. The Church knew and still did all that horrible stuff anyway.
Same. All those Adirondack ghost stories and I’ve never seen so much as a whisp. But when I saw her… that’s what I imagine it’d feel like. The pure, deep terror. See, this nun, she was my teacher. Back in elementary school.
I believe that people wear different faces for whatever suits them in the moment. That they’re just trying to figure out how much they can get away with. I’ve worked enough hospitality jobs to know that people are pretty terrible.

NOTE: We will only consider nonbinary performers for this role.

SAM | Mid 30s to Early 40s | 1 Episode (Primary)
A jilted member of Ben’s previous parish who has a bone to pick. He’s a more traditional man, thanks to the upbringing of his adoptive parents.

SIDES

C’mon, Ben. You know what I’m talking about. Anyone with two goddamn eyes knows what I’m talking about.
Sure you can. The note’s already history. Can’t we just go to bed? Can’t we just wake up tomorrow like nothing bad ever happened?
(furious) I can’t believe you won’t just tell me the fucking truth. After everything we’ve already been through. Why do you still have to stand there and lie through your teeth?