Wilder Madness Casting Notice

Summary: When Melody ventures into a shadowy rural prison town to search for her missing mother, a clash with local secrets traps her in the perilous "woods to nowhere." To escape, she must confront supernatural threats, hunt a mysterious Beast, and unravel complex family betrayals before time runs out in this haunting horror/fantasy.

Production Details

Reading: October 25, 2026

Location: Washington, DC Area

Character Breakdowns

MELODY WILDER [Female Lead, 20s] Determined and intuitive. Melody is an urban woman confronting family secrets, betrayals, and supernatural threats. Despite warnings, she searches for her mother in a rural town and ends up trapped in the woods.

SHIFTLET WILDER [Male Supporting, 30s] Newly released after spending over a decade in the penitentiary. Shiftlet must navigate familial loyalty, secrets, and the weight of his past in a town that fears and judges him.

MATTIE WILDER [Female Supporting, 60s–70s] A secretive and formidable matriarch, and mother to Melody and Shiftlet. Her choices haunt and heal those around her. She finds herself and her place in "The Woods to Nowhere," and has romantic relationships with Oporah Spess and a male visitor.

APPLE SPESS [Female Supporting, 20s] Neurodivergent, highly intuitive, and fiercely intelligent. Apple has tethered Junkyard Jim's soul to herself. Like Melody, she feels stuck and desperate to escape the rural town while struggling with separation and aggression.

OPORAH SPESS [Female Supporting, 40s–50s] An isolated matriarch and widow who is suspiciously protective of her daughter, Apple, and quietly controls the local population. She is in a romantic relationship with Mattie Wilder and also has a romantic relationship with Shiftlet.

SHERIFF [Male Supporting, 40s–60s] A rigid lawman determined to maintain strict uniformity and control across his town.

JUNKYARD JIM [Male Supporting, 30s–40s] A formerly incarcerated man with developmental delays. He is trapped in a liminal, ghostly state—alive, yet spiritually tethered to Apple.

MR. LOVELY [Male Supporting, 50s–60s] A shopkeeper in a neighboring town who sells Oporah Spess' potato salad and lemonade. He is close friends with the Sheriff and involved in an affair with Apple. His daughter's mysterious disappearance leaves both towns unsettled.

NARRATOR [Any Gender, Any Age] An evocative and commanding storyteller who grounds the audience in the haunting atmosphere of the rural prison-town and "The Woods to Nowhere." Reads scene headings and stage directions with clarity, rhythm, and dramatic tension, seamlessly guiding the audience through the story's horror, fantasy, and surreal shifts.

Email Submission Instructions: Type the name of the ROLE you're submitting for in the subject line. Include a current photo of yourself, contact info, availability 10/18 - 10/25 in the body of the email, and a link to a short video of you responding to the pre-screening questions below. Email your submission to: unshushedfilmfestival@gmail.com 

Pre-Screening Questions

Please answer the following 3 brief pre-screening questions in the body of your submission email:

1. Identity & Topic Connection: How do your personal background, lived experiences, or identity inform your connection to the core themes of Wilder Madness (such as rural/prison-town dynamics, re-entry after incarceration, and complex family secrets)?

2. LGBTQ+ Themes & Representation: Wilder Madness features LGBTQ+ characters and relationships (including mature lesbian relationships). Are you comfortable working with and performing material that respectfully features LGBTQ+ themes and characters?

3. Inclusive Collaboration & Disability: The story includes neurodivergent characters and characters with developmental delays, and our production values an inclusive creative space for artists of all abilities. What is your experience or comfort level collaborating in an environment that centers neurodivergence, disability representation, and accessibility?

This casting call is for a staged reading taking place during the 2026 UnShushed! Film Festival. Actors will read a 20-page excerpt from Wilder Madness, a feature-length screenplay scheduled for production in 2027.