Fall 2019 Auditions
In Fall 2019, Swarthmore’s Department of Theater will be mounting two productions:
ABOUT CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE
Set against a backdrop of violence and injustice brought on by political upheaval, Bertolt Brecht’s 1944 masterpiece is an epic play with music and is considered one of the 20th Century’s greatest works. Performed by a raucous ensemble of actors playing multiple roles, Caucasian Chalk Circle uses comedy, drama, music, and high theatricality to tell the story of a peasant girl who rescues a nobly born baby in a chaotic, post-war landscape. At its core, the play questions what drives our ideas of right and wrong in desperate times.
Caucasian Chalk Circle will be produced as part of the Theater Department Course “Production Ensemble” (THEA 22), which is designed to provide students the opportunity to work with professional theater artists in the creation of a fully-designed and rendered production. Students cast in the show will be asked to enroll in THEA 22.
ROLES AVAILABLE:
We are looking for 4-6 additional performers. Role assignments are a little unusual for this project. Students who are cast will join the ensemble, and the exact roles will be set after the first two weeks of classes.
ABOUT FUCKING A
Fucking A is a radical co-opting of the Brechtian Play-with-Music format. An “other-worldly play” taking place under a hyper-masculine military dictatorship, the action is centered around abortionist Hester Smith’s desperate attempts to regain her son and thereby her identity as a mother after his false imprisonment as a child 30 years ago. Featuring a constructed language, a sock puppeteer, plenty of blood and an imminent political message, Fucking A is very much a play for 2019.
The play is being produced through Senior Company 2019, a department-supported, student-run laboratory which gives Seniors in the Theater Department the opportunity to explore and produce a full-length production on their own. Non-Seniors are often cast in the roles the base company can’t fill, so don’t worry! Students cast in the show will receive one THEA credit as discussed with faculty advisor .
ROLES AVAILABLE:
(1) White, Male-Identifying person to play the role of The Mayor/The Scribe/The Guard (triple-casted). The time commitment will be roughly 3 hours per week.
(1 ) Male-Identifying Person of Color to play the role of Monster/Jailbait. The time commitment will be roughly 5-6 hours per week.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AUDITIONING
If you’re interested in auditioning for one or both of these productions:
1) SIGN UP:
Please go to this spreadsheet, and sign up for an audition slot. Walk-up auditions are possible, but those who have signed-up will have first priority.
2) PREP FOR YOUR AUDITION:
For the audition, we’ll ask you to do two things:
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Perform a monologue provided for you. Once you’ve signed up for an audition slot, please go to this link and choose one (1) monologue to prepare and perform in your audition.
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Sing a song -- Please choose 30 seconds to 1 minute of any song of your choosing to sing a capella in the audition (and we really mean it, any song...Mary Had A Little Lamb, Church Song, a pop song, whatever you’d like)
3) CALLBACKS:
Select students will be invited to a Callback Session. Callbacks for Fucking A will be in the evening of Tuesday, Sept 3th. Callbacks for Caucasian Chalk Circle will be in the evening on Wednesday, Sept 4th.
4) NOTIFICATIONS:
Callbacks will be emailed late on Monday, Sept 2nd. Casting will be announced no later than late Wednesday Sept 4th.
5) TAKE A LOOK AT THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE:
A) IF YOU ARE CAST IN CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE:
-All cast performers are required to sign up for THEA 22 and be available for all rehearsals, which occur on:
Sundays 12-6pm
Wednesdays, 7:00-10:00pm
Thursday 4:15-10:15pm (with 1 hour dinner break)
-Cast members will also need to be available for all technical rehearsals:
Friday, Nov 1 – 6-10pm
Saturday, Nov 2 – 10am-10pm
Sunday, Nov 3 – 10am-10pm
Monday, Nov 4 – 6-10pm
Tuesday, Nov 5 – 6-10pm
Wednesday, Nov 6 – 6-10pm
Thursday, Nov 7 – 6-10pm
Sunday, Nov 10, 4-10pm (for Strike)
-Performances will be on:
Friday, Nov 8, 8pm
Saturday, Nov 9, 2 and 8pm
Sunday, Nov 10, 2pm
-After Nov 12th, your scheduled work for this class will be complete. There are no additional class meetings (though there will be one reflection paper due).
B) IF YOU ARE CAST IN FUCKING A:
-Please see above in “Roles Available” expected weekly commitment. Rehearsals will take place: Mon, Tues, Thu and Fri, 7-10 in the Frear
-Additionally, actors are expected to be available for all technical rehearsals:
Sunday, Dec 1, 10am-10pm
Monday, Dec 2, 6-11pm
Tuesday, Dec 3, 6-11pm
Wednesday, Dec 4, 6-11pm
Thursday, Dec 5, 6-11pm
-Performance will be:
Friday, Dec 6, 8pm
Saturday, Dec 7, 2 and 8pm
Sunday, Dec 8, 2pm
6) Got any questions?
Please direct any questions about Caucasian Chalk Circle to: Professor Alex Torra, atorra1@swarthmore.edu.
Please direct any questions about Fucking A to Collin Spangler, cspangl1@swarthmore.edu
