My name is Beth Lipari and I am a Casting Director in Los Angeles, working along with my casting partners, Sarah Katzman and Lisa Beach, on a feature film called WILDFLOWER, featuring a strong, supporting part for a woman with IDD.
Based on a true story, it will bring to life a young woman’s journey as she navigates taking care of her parents, one of whom, her mother SHARON, is non-chromosally Intellectually or Developmentally disabled (IDD), and a father who suffered a traumatic brain injury in his youth. At the same time, the daughter, Bea, is seeking to find her own independent way in the world. It is a WONDERFUL script, to be directed by Matt Smukler, and Produced by Morning Moon Productions, Hunting Lane, and Limelight — all very well-respected in the industry. It will shoot in either New Mexico or Canada this Fall, and we anticipate we will need the actress who plays SHARON for approximately 6 weeks, with provisions of course to have her accompanied by her guardian/caregiver.
What we are looking for is a woman with IDD , who is not Down Syndrome, to play the very important role of SHARON, the mother. Between 34-48, the individual we hope to find can both capture the essence of the real-life Sharon, as well as have the capacity to memorize lines and act the part. We are open to auditioning women who have IDD and additional physical disabilities as well.
No acting experience is necessary, we are auditioning both actors and non-actors for this role.
Please take a look at the below link to the trailer for the documentary WILDFLOWER. This will give you a very good idea of who Sharon (real name Sheila) is, and what very special individual we would love to cast.
https://vimeo.com/user64588531/review/353899758/74307b642c
Wildflower – Trailer
Below is the more detailed description of Sharon, which was released to the known IDD acting community.
SHARON – Mid 30s to mid-40s, fearless, kind, and genuine, Sharon is a person with an intellectual disability. Happily married to a man who acquired a traumatic brain injury in his youth, she is the mother of a seventeen-year-old girl named Bea (short for Bambi – Sharon’s favorite cartoon character). Sharon approaches life with enthusiasm and steadfast determination. For the first ten years of her daughter’s life, they lived in a van in a trailer park but they worked hard and eventually moved into an apartment. Though her daughter is more of a parent to Sharon than the other way around, Sharon loves Bea deeply. She is not comfortable with affection but she is devoted to her family. Very funny she sometimes laughs at inappropriate things and often embarrasses Bea. However, Sharon is a fighter. She is determined to live the life she wants – even though everyone has told her she can’t…LEAD (3)
We are looking for is a woman with an intellectual disability (who does not have Down syndrome) between the ages of 34-48, to play the role of SHARON, the mother of our main character Bea. We are open to auditioning women who have IDD and who may also have other physical disabilities as well. -No acting experience is necessary.
Sarah, Beth, or I are available any time to discuss this further, we would welcome the opportunity to give you more details. Please hit REPLY ALL when you respond, we look forward to hearing from you.
Lisa Beach: 213-308-5999
Sarah Katzman :213-509-1646
Beth Lipari: 323-646-0307
