Both male and female actors are invited to audition for the ?Birth? play, which will be read during the celebrations of Labour Day.

The auditions are set to take place soon and interested parties can ring producer Sophia Cannonier on 236-0336 for appointments.

The Citizens for Better Birth in Bermuda are seeking seven female actresses and both male and female characters who will speak for shorter periods.

?The play is based on true accounts of giving birth in the United States as told to the author through a series of interviews with mothers,? said Mrs. Cannonier.

?All ages, genders and ethnicity?s are encouraged to participate.?

Mrs. Cannonier revealed details of the roles to be filled.

?Amanda is a 30 year-old stay at home mother of two,? she said.

?She is bi-racial and has a commanding figure and is tall and athletic. She?s mainstream but liberal,and very confident. Her voice is strong. Amanda had both her children without drugs in the hospital.?

Mrs. Cannonier explained that the character of Beth is a 35-year-old successful, high-powered computer systems manager. She?s friendly, confident and very straight forward. Beth had one child, born by planned caesarean-section.

?The role of Janet is of a 41-year-old lesbian who is a camerawoman of documentary films. She?s happy and very easy-going. She had one child with an epidural in the hospital.?

The other four characters are Jillian, Lisa, Sandy and Vanessa, added Mrs. Cannonier.

?Jillian is a 45 year-old stay at home mother of four. She is very funny and always manages to see the humour in life. As the mother of four, she has a mixed bag of birth experiences, starting with a failed attempt to give birth naturally and ending with a home birth.

?While Lisa on the other hand is a 37 year-old Black woman who works for an international women?s rights organisation. The character is angry, sarcastic and deeply sad about her birth experience. She had one child, born by caesarean.

?Another character is that of Sandy, who is a 33 year old freelance editor for an online magazine. She is very likeable, with a ?girl next door voice?. Sandy?s one child was born by caesarean.

?Vanessa is a Portuguese woman who runs her own small business. The 25 year-old is strong-willed, funny with a ?couldn?t care what anybody thinks about me? attitude.

?Her character had one child with an epidural in the hospital.?

For more information on the play visit www.birththeplay.com.