STILL LIFE IN CENTRAL PARK by James Castle Stevens

Set entirely on one weathered park bench, STILL LIFE IN CENTRAL PARK is an ensemble drama told in nine vignettes. Each scene captures a different pairing or small group—ranging from a runaway teen and a solitary jogger, to lifelong companions debating mortality, to a jovial pastor tending quiet grief, to a clown on the cusp of reinvention. As characters come and go, their conversations reveal fragments of larger lives; loves found, losses survived, and choices that shape who they are becoming, together.

STILL LIFE IN CENTRAL PARK can be seen for only 9 performances, February 13-22, 2026. Join us at The MAIN in Santa Clarita, CA! TICKETS go on sale November 5, 2025!

AUDITION INFORMATION:

​Audition sides and the FULL SCRIPT are available here.

AUDITIONS FOR STILL LIFE IN CENTRAL PARK will be held on December 3rd from 7PM - 9PM at The MAIN in Santa Clarita!

The MAIN: 24266 Main St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321

STILL LIFE IN CENTRAL PARK written by (and to be directed by) James Castle Stevens is a world premiere play produced by Theatricus, running for only 9 performances: February 13-22, 2026.

This is an open call. No appointment is necessary. Non-union; there is no pay.

There are 8 roles in this play; 2 are pre-cast (ESTHER and LOU):

CASTING FOR FOLLOWING 6 ROLES:

MAYA - Female, 17, any ethnicity: Tough, guarded, and whip-smart, Maya is unhoused and is doing her best to survive without losing herself. Fiercely independent, but secretly craving connection, Maya’s journey moves from societal withdrawal to cautious openness. Her time on the bench becomes a slow return to self-worth and the possibility of being seen without disappearing.

REED - Male, mid-30s, any ethnicity: A loner with a gentle soul and a haunted past. Reed spends time in the park seeking quiet and distance from his own grief. Thoughtful, intuitive, and dryly funny, he forms an unexpected connection with Maya that allows him to reckon with the memory of his sister and his own guilt.

CASEY - Female, 40s, any ethnicity: A tightly-wound but good-hearted professional dog walker, Casey is navigating guilt over a fractured relationship with her teenage daughter and finding it hard to admit how lost she feels. Through her encounters in the park, and especially with Jon, she begins to soften and regain perspective. She also finally discovers her own strength with her boss, Dani.

JON - Male, 40s, any ethnicity: A Methodist pastor with a calm presence and a dry wit. He’s endured the loss of a young son, and it’s softened rather than hardened him. He finds a potential loving connection with Casey, and provides much needed council to Reed.

DANI - Female, mid-30s, any ethnicity: A junior partner at a law firm. Smart, stylish, and emotionally exhausted, Dani is Theo’s partner, then ex-partner. She is both keenly aware of her own needs and oblivious to her casual cruelty. She ends the relationship to save herself from constantly holding it up alone, even in the face of a pregnancy.

THEO - Male, mid-30s, any ethnicity: A former theatre artist turned reluctant clown-for-hire. He’s creative, chaotic, and full of heart, but allergic to responsibility until life brings him up short. Theo is a study in arrested growth. His heartbreak over Dani is palpable, but his journey toward emotional honesty is steady.

​Audition sides and the FULL SCRIPT are available here.

PRE-CAST (NOT AUDITIONING FOR THESE TWO ROLES)

ESTHER (CAST) - Female, 70s: Elegant and dry-witted, Esther is Lou’s longtime companion and emotional equal. She carries sorrow with dignity, and sees through people with both kindness and clarity. Her grief when Lou dies is quiet but immense. In the final scene, she serves as a kind of spiritual anchor for the group.

LOU (CAST) - Male, 70s: Gruff, old-fashioned, and sharp-tongued, Lou is a curmudgeon who keeps strict “bench hours” with Esther, Lou guards tradition as a shield against change. His confrontation with Maya reveals both his vulnerability and his decency. His death is sudden, but he leaves behind earned devotion.

SYNOPSIS: Set entirely on one weathered park bench, STILL LIFE IN CENTRAL PARK is an ensemble drama told in nine vignettes. Each scene captures a different pairing or small group—ranging from a runaway teen and a solitary jogger, to lifelong companions debating mortality, to a jovial pastor tending quiet grief, to a clown on the cusp of reinvention. As characters come and go, their conversations reveal fragments of larger lives; loves found, losses survived, and choices that shape who they are becoming, together.