2007-2008 Show Auditions
Shows, Audition Dates and Forms
All auditions take place at 7 pm and take
place at 322 W. Ann Street unless otherwise
specified. They are open auditions. Please link to each show title to see
specific show information. Click on "Audition form" or "Participation
form" to send a form directly to the director of that show.
audition info
Note new audition date! Sunday, September 21 and Tuesday, September 23 for regular auditions; callbacks Wednesday, September 24. Auditions consist of cold readings from the script and movement games. Those auditioning for Max, Tito, and the Bellhop will be asked to sing 16 bars of an operatic-type song a capella. These characters do not require trained singing voices, but the actors should be able to carry a tune and sing loudly.
character descriptions
Max*
Assistant to Saunders. Late twenties-mid thirties. Max is earnest and hard-working, and is in love with Maggie.
Maggie
Max’s girlfriend & Saunders’ daughter. Mid twenties-early thirties. Maggie is smart & practical, but yearns for something “wonderful and romantic” before she settles down with Max.
Saunders
General Manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. Late forties-mid sixties. Saunders is brusque and authoritarian with a short fuse.
Tito Merelli*
A world-famous tenor, also known to his fans as “Il Stupendo.” Early forties-mid sixties. Tito is larger than life; full of grand gestures and grand appetites. He has an Italian accent.
Maria
Tito’s wife. Mid thirties-late forties. Maria is proud, excitable, and emotional. She speaks with an Italian accent.
Bellhop*
A bellhop. Early twenties-mid thirties. The bellhop is shrewd, opportunistic, and determined to audition for Tito.
Diana
The Cleveland Grand Opera’s lead soprano. Early thirties-late forties. Maria is sexy and forceful; she knows what she wants and how to get it.
Julia
Chairperson of the Opera Guild. Mid forties-early seventies. Julia is vivacious and charming and passionate about opera.
*These characters sing “opera.” The actors need only be able to sing loudly and carry a tune; operatic training is not required.
audition dates Open auditions: Saturday October 4, starting at 10am, Sunday October 5, starting at 6pm
Callbacks: Saturday October 11, starting at 10am
character descriptions
WOMEN:
SALLY DURANT PLUMMER: (late 40s – early 50s) Flighty, unstable, sweet, Sally is married to Buddy, but has loved and longed for Ben all her adult life. Numerous songs, including “Losing my Mind,” “In Buddy’s Eyes,” “Too Many Mornings,” among others.
PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE: (late 40s – early 50s) Elegant, schooled, polished and controlled, Phyllis is married to Ben. She long ago buried her naïve, “downtown” upbringing in order to fit into the urbane, “uptown” world of Ben, but the Follies reunion brings her face to face with the cost of that transformation. Several songs, including the solos “Could I Leave You?” and “Lucy and Jessie.”
CARLOTTA CAMPION: (late 40s – 50s) Seen-it-all aging movie actress, currently with a TV program of her own, she was once a Follies chorine. Solo “I’m Still Here.”
YOUNG SALLY: (19 – early 20s) Gay, bubbly, pert, a little silly, Young Sally is a Follies chorine and the ghost/memory of Sally. She is in love with Young Ben. Several songs, including “Love Will See Us Through” duet with Young Buddy.
YOUNG PHYLLIS: (19 – early 20s) Open, vulnerable, and eager to impress Young Ben, she is a Follies chorine and the ghost/memory of Phyllis. Several songs, including “You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow” duet with Young Ben.
STELLA DEEMS: (late 40s – 50s) Heavy-set onetime showgirl with a happy-go-lucky attitude. She is married to Max. Solo: “Who’s That Woman?”
HATTIE WALKER: (70s) Steely, tough singer and former Follies chorine. Solo: “Broadway Baby.”
SOLANGE LA FITTE: (60s) French, fashionable former Follies performer. Solo: “Ah, Paris!”
HEIDI SCHILLER: (80s) Queenly Soprano, was one of the greats. Her ringing soprano inspired the operetta kings to produce their lushest waltzes. Song: “One More Kiss.”
EMILY WHITMAN: (70s) cheerful and graceful, the wife and former dance partner of Theodore. Song: “Listen to the Rain on the Roof” duet with Theodore.
YOUNG VANESSA: (20s – 30s) A dancer, the intense ghost/memory of Vanessa. Also in ensemble.
YOUNG HEIDI SCHILLER: (20s – 30s) Lacy, lovely, angelic ghost/memory of Heidi, also in ensemble.
FRANCESCA: a young waitress, also in the ensemble.
ENSEMBLE SINGERS/DANCERS: There will be several young women needed for singing and dancing in the ensemble as the younger ghost/memories of various characters.
MEN:
BENJAMIN STONE: (late 40s – early 50s) Worldly, wealthy, suave, Ben is a former diplomat and current Wall Street tycoon. Although he has always been attracted to Sally and once had an affair with her, he does not love her. Numerous songs, including “The Road You Didn’t Take,” “Too Many Mornings,” and “Live, Laugh, Love.”
BUDDY PLUMMER: (late 40s – early 50s) Salesman, exhausted, middle-class. His love for his wife, Sally, has never been fully requited, and he has turned to other women for consolation. Several Songs, including “The Right Girl” and “The God Why Don’t You Love Me Blues.”
YOUNG BEN: (early 20s) Frustrated, not self-assured, he is the ghost/memory of Ben. He looks to the future and dreams of success and wealth. He has an affair with Young Sally but chooses to marry Young Phyllis. Sings “You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow” duet with Young Phyllis. May play in ensemble in other dance numbers.
YOUNG BUDDY: (early 20s) Youthful, simple, hopeful ghost/memory of Buddy. Sings “Love Will See Us Through” duet with Young Sally. May play in ensemble in other dance numbers.
ROSCOE: (50s – 70s) The man with the gorgeous tenor voice who used to introduce the Weissman Follies. Solo: “Beautiful Girls.”
VINCENT: (50s – 70s) Elderly tango dancer, he dances "Bolero D'Amour" with Vanessa.
THEODORE WHITMAN: (70s) Husband and former dance partner of Emily. Song: “Listen to the Rain on the Roof” duet with Emily.
MAJOR-DOMO: (20s – 40s) Head waiter, also member of the ensemble.
WILLY WHEELER: (50s – 70s) Former acrobat, now portly. Also a member of the ensemble.
KEVIN: A young, care-free waiter with a “nice face”. Also a member of the ensemble.
MALE PARTY GUESTS: (40s-60s) Ensemble singing
Studio Series
exit the king
by eugene ionesco
directed by david andrews
show dates: oct 10-18, 2008
a2ct studio space
Exit the King Audition Form
Exit the King Participation Form
Audition Dates and Times:
Friday, August 15, 2008 from 7 pm – 9 pm
Saturday, August 16, 2008, from 2 pm – 4 pm
Sunday, August 17, 2008 from 4 pm – 6 pm
Audition Location:
Ann Arbor Civic Theater Studio
322 W. Ann Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Audition Details: Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and related material selected by the director. Please bring a complete and accurate list of potential rehearsal conflicts, as we may be rehearsing this production at unusual times and/or in unusual venues. Cast members should expect to participate in set building, stage set-up, costume and prop acquisition, and strike.
Characters:
King Berenger the First – The King is nearing the end of his life. In fact, his life ends at the final curtain. This role requires an actor who can portray an age range of 60 years or above. Berenger is a Lear-esque role that reveals nearly every aspect of behavior common to the human condition. In addition, the actor in this role must be physically fit, as the King must fall and rise to his feet several times, and must climb stairs frequently during the show.
Queen Marguerite – Berenger’s first wife is a no-nonsense woman of middle-age or above who takes it upon herself to successfully complete the King’s demise. Her demeanor may seem harsh as she relentlessly moves the death ritual toward its conclusion, but as everyone else gradually falls away from Berenger, she is left alone to unburden the King in his final moments.
Queen Marie – Berenger’s second wife is a ‘trophy wife’ who urges her beloved King to hold back Death’s sickle as it descends. She is so empathetic to his desire to resist death, and so emotionally stricken at its approach, that her attempts to console him amount to little more than ineffectual defiance. She should be conspicuously younger than Marguerite.
The Doctor – The Doctor observes the decline of his* royal patient with little more than intellectual curiosity at its progression. In addition to being a man* of medicine, he* is also a combination of royal astrologer and royal executioner, and so has only the most desultory interest in the eventual outcome. The Doctor can be almost any (adult) age, though perhaps middle-age or above is preferable.
Juliette – Juliette is a combination maid, nurse and general dogsbody for the King, and is more concerned with her own duties than in the larger issues of the disappearance and decline of civilization. She often embodies an outside perspective that mirrors what one might expect from the audience. She could be played as either old or young – the target age is probably older than young and younger than old.
Guard – The Guard is sometimes narrator, sometimes commentator, sometimes Greek chorus – and even occasionally does a bit of ‘play-by-play.’ A good and genial sense of (low) humor is the most important quality for the actor playing this character. The guard is specified in the script as being relatively old; I intend to cast whoever is funniest, regardless of age.
* the Doctor is written for (and has generally been played by) a man, but I see no reason why gender-blind casting could not be used for this character.
Junior Theatre Series
audition dates: Mon, June 23 & Wed, June 25 from 4-6 pm; callbacks June 26 from 4-6pm
audition information:
Auditions consist of theater games and cold readings from the script. There are 18 roles for boys and girls in grades 4-12.
rehearsals: June 30th – July 27th 1-3 rehearsals a week/ 2 hours each
(preliminary rehearsals)
July 28th – August 20th 3-5 rehearsals a week/ 2-3 hours each
(intensive rehearsals)
rapunzel
audition dates:
Auditions are Monday, September 15 & Tuesday, September 16 from 4-6, with callbacks Wednesday, September 17 from 4-6pm. All auditions take place at A2CT’s rehearsal studio at 322 W. Ann St.
The classic fairy tale Rapunzel gets a makeover in this funny and enlightened adaptation by Karen Boettcher-Tate. This Rapunzel is in charge of her own destiny and is aided by a smart, rather than classically handsome, prince. There are roles for up to 25 young actors. Auditions consist of cold readings from the script and theater games. Junior Theatre is for young actors in GRADES 4-12.
Rehearsals will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6pm and Sundays from noon-3pm. Production dates are November 6-9, 2008, at WCC’s College Theater.
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