About: PROJECT SYNOPSIS – The friend of an attractive young embalmer discovers that the
funeral home owner (and mayor of a small town in rural New Mexico) has a sinister side hustle involving a drug cartel. (Think Breaking Bad meets Grey's Anatomy at a Mortuary)
Information: This project is working under a SAG-AFTRA Micro budget agreement.
PRODUCTION DATES – Tentatively May 6th-12th
PRODUCTION LOCATION – Must be LOCAL HIRE to Albuquerque New Mexico
TEAM MEMBER DETAILS – Candice Neu, Wendy Bustamante
COMPENSATION/RATE – Day rate $125/8 including agency commission
AUDITION DEADLINES – Tuesday, March 3rd 2026
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN(S) :
ERICA – (Late 20s, Female)
Chronically bored and clinically depressed, Erica is stuck—between jobs and crashing with her overbearing sister while her brother remains no-contact. She's quietly unraveling until she develops a morbid fascination with the death industry where her friend works, but it may end up having more than she ever expected to find.
KIM – (Late 20s, Female, Embalmer)
Childhood friend of Erica, with a bright, disarming smile and a razor-sharp dark sense of humor. A meticulous perfectionist who’s most at home with an aneurysm hook in hand. Chronically optimistic and bright-eyed, even in the macabre. Semi-happily married—but indulges in her subtle “work flirt” Austin.
AUSTIN – Male, 22–32 to play mortuary assistant with a quiet comfort around death until he starts seeing things he can't explain. Charming and flirtatious, he’s a habitual womanizer trapped in a marriage he resents. Beneath the bravado, he harbors a genuine, vulnerable infatuation with his co-worker, Kim.
Randall -- (Male, 35–65)
Wealthy, polished, and kind-faced with quiet authority. Divorced from a woman and now in a male throuple, he enjoys luxury and the company of younger men. The longtime mayor of a small town and owner of multiple funerary services, he runs a tight monopoly and takes pride in clean, respectable business—until pressure from a cartel threatens to compromise everything.
STELLA – (Female, 40s, Ghost)
Cheerful and charming, Stella lingers as a spirit, watching her husband’s path unfold after her death. Curious and lively, she discovers unexpected details of his personal life and playfully interacts with Austin when he comes to pick up the body.
BRISA – Female, 34-44, a new mom with strong opinions and a slight
superiority complex, mainly due to the fact that her siblings always seemed
lost when she felt found.
CARTEL BOSS – A male cartel boss, 28-38, with a bleak enough outlook on
life to be unbothered by death.
CARTEL MEMBER 1 – Male, 18-28, a newer member of the cartel that
admires his boss, but doesn’t always understand his musings.
Please send headshots and to Casting@katharsismedia.org as soon as possible if you are interested. (Make sure to include the role you are submitting for in the subject line.)