AUDITIONS - Theater Thesis Festival 2022

Theatre Thesis Festival AUDITIONS
January 24th, 7-10pm
ON ZOOM

Sign up Deadline this Sunday!

The 2022 Theatre Thesis Festival will showcase the work of our Senior Theatre Majors. There will be six creative projects presented as well as a showcase of design work. Roles are available in five of the six creative projects, and descriptions of the works are listed below.

**Content warnings are also outlined where appropriate, and full scripts for each piece are available by request. Email Chelsea Bushnell at chelseabushnell@lclark.edu.

The Lewis & Clark Theatre Department production program is dedicated to nurturing a diverse and inclusive artistic and scholarly community. The selection of plays for our season productions include new works, as well as notable contemporary, modern, and classical plays. The Department is committed to choosing material that represents the diversity of our community. Students are encouraged to participate in the program, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, socio-economic status, or ability. All plays we produce are open to all members of the Lewis & Clark community and we practice a nontraditional, identity-concious casting policy, which takes into consideration the role of race, ethnicity, gender and class in the stories that we tell.

What to Prepare

Fill out the AUDITION SIGN UP by Sunday, January 23rd, 2pm. You will receive a confirmation along with an appointment time and a zoom link by Sunday, January 23rd, evening.

Choose ONE side (listed below) to prepare for your zoom audition. You do not have to be memorized, but make bold choices and have fun!  For a pdf of sides please email chelseabushnell@lclark.edu

If you would like to be considered for the musical or devised piece with music, please also PREPARE A SONG as outlined in the sides.

All lead artists will be present for your audition, and you will be considered for ALL ROLES in the festival unless you specify otherwise. Each lead artist will also hold individual call-backs.

Questions? Reach out to Rebecca Lingafelter at rlingafelter@lclark.edu

Production Descriptions

Landslide

Lead artists: Ezri Reyes and Victoria Winn

A devised piece grounded by the story of Orpheus and Eurydice using modern love songs and movement/dance, exploring the question “Can I handle the seasons of my life?” (Fleetwood Mac).

Content Warnings/Considerations: This is a movement heavy piece especially during the development process. Rehearsals will be a physical process that may be physically demanding at times and will be around 10-15 hrs a week. Because we are devising, the content is currently unknown, but the process begins with a period of generation during which the performers create the material of the show. We do know that we will be communicating themes of love and grief through embodiment and personal investigation. This may cause a certain level of emotional discomfort, but we hope to foster an environment in which these emotions can be channeled into the creative process in a way that will help instigate growth as both performers and people and promote balance in your own personal practice.

SIDE:

Music: Present a love song that is special to you and sing it as if you were singing to your loved one. About a minute long.

Text:

His priestess mother first began the slaughter.
She hurled herself at him. Pentheus tore off
his headband, untying it from his head,
so wretched Agave would recognize him,
so she wouldn’t kill him. Touching her cheek,
he cried out, “It’s me, mother, Pentheus,
your child. You gave birth to me at home,
in Echion’s house. Pity me, mother—
don’t kill your child because I’ve made mistakes.”

But Agave was foaming at the mouth,
eyes rolling in their sockets, her mind not set
on what she ought to think—she didn’t listen—
she was possessed, in a Bacchic frenzy.

-Euripides, Bacchae, trans. Ian Johnston

Pumpkin’s Surprise

Lead Artist: Niels Truman

A new play written by Niels Truman and Directed by Haley Wildhirt.

Recent college grads Andrew and Laney are having Laney’s partner Pumpkin over for dinner. But when Pumpkin arrives, revealing themselves to be Andrew’s best friend from high school and bringing along a mysterious guest, the dinner party turns into a wild night of accusations and unleashed resentment. Queer actors are particularly encouraged to audition.

Characters:

• • • Andrew – A young gay writer working in a mall
    • Laney – A young lesbian musician working at IKEA
    • Pumpkin – Laney’s partner and Andrew’s best friend from high school; non-binary and queer
    • Mike – Pumpkin’s friend; “gay and homophobic”

Content Warning: Sexual material; graphic language; discussion of mental illness, abuse, bullying, and harassment; alcohol consumption.

Intimacy Statement: This show includes staged intimacy for all four characters. Laney and Pumpkin have a staged make-out, both standing and lying on a couch. Andrew and Mike have a moment of upper-thigh grabbing (Andrew placing his hand on Mike’s knee, and Mike moving it up his thigh) and a staged make-out on a couch. We (the playwright and the director) want anyone auditioning for these roles to know what they’re signing up for if they are offered the part, but we are also more than willing to adjust the intimacy in the show to fit the actors’ comfort levels. Physical intimacy will also be conditional on the pandemic-related restrictions in place at the time of performance.

SIDE:

ANDREW

You know, I always looked forward to my early twenties? I thought it was gonna be hands down the best part of my life. But now that I’m here, I’m miserable. And not, like, miserable in a romantic, grandiose, writerly way. Just—miserable.

(pause)

Maybe Laney was right. I’m narcissistic. I’m mean. But I—I just feel, I know, something is happening, with Pumpkin, something Laney can’t see. I’ve known Pumpkin a long time. They’re capable of a lot.

(pause)

Laney won’t listen to me, though. She fucking hates me, these days. She’s probably shit-talking me to Pumpkin right now. Isn’t that weird? When you know a person is talking about you at that moment, but you have no idea what they’re saying, and you never will? Or even when you just know that someone’s thinking about you. It makes me angry. I hate being trapped inside my stupid head. Like, right now, you’re thinking about me, in some capacity, because I’m talking to you, but I’ll never know what it is that you’re thinking. I hate it.

(pause)

I don’t even know why I’m talking to you.

(pause)

Whatever. You are a good listener, I guess. Or, rather, you’re a terrible listener—you’re good at being a vessel into which I can pour words.

(pause)

Laney’s also a terrible listener. And she’s definitely not a vessel. She thinks all my problems are fake. In college, we were so close—like, sometimes it felt like we shared a brain. But now, it feels like all we do is fight. I try to make things better, but everything I do backfires. I love her. But why do I have to live with her?

This Is My Something

Lead Artist: Rocco Weyer

A new play by Rocco Weyer, Directed by Robert Rodriguez.

Art, a detached stand-up comic, has bought out a black-box theater and converted it into a comedy club. On the first night of his newly opened club, he decides to perform despite receiving some terrible news. The set kicks off successfully, until the Angel of Death comes to stop the show.

Characters

• • • Art- A comic.
    • Parca- The Angel of Death.
    • Beth- Art’s sister.
    • Friend- (A minor character) Art’s assistant.

Note from the Lead Artist

For the person playing Parca, it is important to know this is a significant role with a lot of dialogue. Keep that in mind as it pertains to your schedule and availability. Initially, there was a larger emphasis on the stand-up portion of the play, where the director and I had planned on going to comedy shows and open mics to polish the text used in the show. However, the dandy emergence of Omicron has made me rethink this approach. So, as a team, we will be meeting virtually during our quarantine to discuss, generate, and refine material as part of our rehearsal process.

Requirements

• • • A desire to have fun.
    • A sense of humor.
    • The ability to say words.
    • Some passion, if you’d like.

SIDE:

PARCA

You want to know our God? Deadlines. That is God. Pray to whoever you like, but at the end of the day, the only thing we obey are our due dates. And they are merciful. Miss a flight, an assignment, tax day, you’ll probably be fine. Things have gotten easier in that way. But it still it adds up. Miss enough of those, and you’ll start getting closer to who God is. Miss a meal, you’ll go hungry. Miss a harvest, you’ll starve. I’m not exempt from deadlines either, Art. Except I don’t get much leniency. Not at all. If I don’t meet the deadlines, Death comes for me, fuckface. And I can’t fight that situation, can I? So, goodbye to me is a goodbye to everyone. Snap, poof, whatever you like.

Angel of Death?

More like,
the
the
PR rep
for life.

You’re welcome for living.

I have a list. It’s a job, and so I work.

But you, you don’t work, you just cower in your comedy. Running away from the people who need you. Look at this place. Looked like a nice theatre.

Now just a monument to your comfort.

So in conclusion,
whatever happens,
you’ll still just
fade away
alongside the rest of your material.
And this whole thing
will have been nothing
but a sad,
laughless
Joke.

Assholes and Bagels at Bookclub

Lead Artist: Keshav Eldurkar

A new play by Keshav Eldurkar, directed by Evelyn Wohlbier. A narcissist, Alix, and a serial liar, Kate, have never quite gotten along with many people. This all changes when they meet and get to know each other at a series of book club meetings. They both learn to not only look past the other’s massive flaw, but also to embrace it and, eventually, fall in love with it and each other, because even flawed people, especially flawed people, deserve love.

Content Warning

Mention of drugs

Characters

• • • Alix - A narcissistic asshole
    • Kate - A pathological liar
    • Lana - Kate’s best friend, she’s real sweet

Notes from the Lead Artist

• • • Both Alix and Kate are in every scene
    • There is a heavy use of 4th wall breaking of a comical nature
    • There is still work to be done on the script and any help would be welcome and appreciated!
    • I love you!

SIDE:

ALIX MONOLOGUE

(ASIDE) Alright, so I’ve got some key points I could talk about. I think the guy goes on a road

trip to Little Rock with this girl, his…sister. Or cousin…I’ll say relative just to be sure.

(He flips through forward a few pages)

He crashes the car…She dies…No…She goes into a coma. (beat) Dumb.

(He looks at the audience)

To be fair, we were only supposed to read the first two chapters for today, but I thought I’d, uh, go the extra mile, you know what I mean? (beat) The thing is…I’m pretty good at a lot of things. I work at the Ross over on Barnes Street. Been there for four years and I’m pretty much the go-to dude on the sales floor now. I’m pretty fit (flexes), or at least people have told me I am. I don’t really pay much attention to that kind of stuff. And I’m really good in bed. Like….I’ve heard “mind-blowing”, “unreal”, even got a “ridonculous” one time. It was an older guy, a millennial, who apparently thought that was something we still say today. (beat) Still felt good though.

(He reminisces, then remembers his thought)

Well, I’m good in all those departments, but in terms of the…um…reading, writing, words side of thing, people say I’m a little less good. That stuff’s dumb as hell though. (chuckles) My boyfriend…or ex…, Taran, read an email I sent to work once and said it was like a third-grader asking for a raise.

(He laughs awkwardly)

But, it’s fine. It’s fine. We just didn’t end up working. He was a bit…rahhh. Y’know? “Stop eating so many gogurts, Alix. Find a better job, Alix. Get over yourself, Alix, you narcissistic asshole.”

(He scoffs)

What’s wrong with appreciating yourself anyway, as long as you do it at home under the covers, am I right? This dude gets it. A bit of spit and a free Saturday night, yeah? But for real, if you looked like this (gesture to himself), why wouldn’t you be into yourself? That’s why I got four mirrors

Really Rosie

Really Rosie: Starring the Nutshell Kids
Book by Maurice Sendak
Music by: Carole King

Directed by Patrick Lee
Choreographed and Assisted by: Sylvia Jane

SYNOPSIS: The show follows a typical summer day in the life of a group of several neighborhood friends, including Pierre, Alligator, Johnny, and Chicken Soup, Rosie and Kathy. Rosie, the self-proclaimed sassiest kid on her block of Brooklyn’s Avenue P, entertains everyone by directing and starring in a movie based on the exciting, dramatic, funny (and slightly exaggerated) story of her life.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

• • • ROSIE…Director, Producer, the star of her block. Age 10. (Sylvia Jane)
    • KATHY…Rosie’s only girl friend and her opposite in every way. Age 8.
    • JOHNNY…Bookish and shy. Age 7.
    • PIERRE…Negative, Violent and very loud. Age 7.
    • ALLIGATOR…Cute and desperate to please. Age 5.
    • CHICKEN SOUP…Loves to eat, perform, and most of all, loves Rosie. Age 8.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• • • This is a children’s musical! Most of the songs will be sung by Rosie, but everyone in the show will dance!
    • This show will be apart of the Thesis festival, but we will also have an extra showing for an audience of only children

AUDITION:

Please prepare 30 seconds of your favorite children’s nursery rhyme, musical theatre number or Carole King song. (Auditions will be held on zoom so please feel free to sing acapella or find music than you can audio share)