Open to all students in grades Students are only required to attend one audition session. Auditions will be held in the AAHS PAC.

Transcription

1 ALEXANDRIA AREA HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE DEPARTMENT SPRING MUSICAL 2016 Monty Python s SPAMALOT, by Idle and Du Prez ARTISTIC TEAM Jessica Chipman, Director Kayla Noble, Assistant Director Raymond Noble, Assistant Director Anna Peterson, Choreographer Jay Chipman, Set Designer Deb Long, Costume Designer AUDITION TIMES Open to all students in grades Students are only required to attend one audition session. Auditions will be held in the AAHS PAC. Thursday, January 7 6:00 9:00pm Saturday, January 9 1:00 4:00pm CALLBACKS (if needed) Saturday, January 10 1:00 4:00pm CREW If you are interested in being on crew only, please fill out the form on pages and return to Mrs. Chipman. PIT ORCHESTRA If you are interested in being in the pit orchestra only, please contact Raymond Noble at rjnoble89@gmail.com Monty Python s SPAMALOT A synopsis is available here: REHEARSAL SCHEDULE / DATES Rehearsal: February 15 April 21 Times: Weekdays (with the exception of Wednesdays), 6:00 9:00. Two or three Saturdays will be used during the rehearsal period. Not all cast members will be called for every rehearsal. Once the show is cast, you will be made aware of the specific rehearsals you will be asked to attend. The schedule will be given to you with plenty of time for you to make arrangements to be at rehearsal. Performances: April 22 24,

2 CREW TIMES Wednesdays, 3:30 5:30. SET CONSTRUCTION TIMES Saturdays, as needed. Cast and crew members can serve on construction crew, as well as non cast and crew members. Cast members will be called for at least one Saturday construction date. STAGE MANAGER We are seeking a dynamic, competent, knowledgeable individual to serve as our student stage manager. This is a student leadership role with a lot of responsibility. Interviews will be conducted for the stage manager. Please see the crew sheet for further information. AUDITION SPECIFICS Please bring the following to your audition: Yourself (wear moveable clothing) A pencil A bottle of water Your completed audition form (see below) Your audition will consist of three parts: 1. Vocal audition: this is a pre selected song (see below). We will sing through the song in a group and then you will sing individually. 2. Dance audition: this is a series of eight counts from the song Finland that will be taught to you by our choreographer at the audition. You will learn this in groups and then perform in groups. 3. Dialogue audition: there are pre selected audition sides (see below). You will have a few minutes to rehearse the side with someone at your audition, and then you will perform the scene together. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. Will you keep in all the jokes and other material in the script? No. The script provides alternate material for jokes that are not appropriate for our student actors and/or our audience. 2. How many students will you cast? This is always dependent upon our auditionees, but we hope to have a medium sized cast. 3. This show doesn t appear to have many roles for females. Should I still audition? Yes! Good news: the script allows for flexibility in casting and offers suggestions for more females to be cast. We hope to cast many females. 2

3 4. Will you cast one student only for the original Broadway tracks? For example, will one student play the roles of GALAHAD, PRINCE HERBERT S FATHER, and THE BLACK KNIGHT? This depends on the auditions and the manner in which the script is written. We will take this on a case by case basis. 5. Will we be using dialect in this show? If so, should I use dialect for my audition? Yes, we will be using both Standard British and Cockney dialects. Your audition is up to you. Be warned it would not be in your best interest to attempt a dialect and then bomb. However, if you feel confident in your dialect, go for it. Know that dialect is not required for your audition, but will be taught for the production. 6. What are the directors looking for? We re looking for students who are easy to work with who best suit the heart of the show. We are looking for students who are unafraid to take risks and win an audition. We hope that s you. CONTACT If you have questions, contact Jessica Chipman at , jchipman@alexandria.k12.mn.us, or jchipman@alexschools.org. Monty Python s SPAMALOT CHARACTERS KING (Late 30s 60s): The King of England who sets out on a quest to form the Knights of the Roundtable and find the Holy Grail. Great Humor. Baritone. SIR ROBIN (30s 40s): A Knight of the Roundtable. Ironically called Sir Robin the Brave, though he couldn t be more cowardly. Joins the Knights for the singing and dancing. Typically also plays GUARD 1 and BROTHER MAYNARD, a long winded monk. Baritone. SIR LANCELOT [Lance] (30s 40s): A knight of the Roundtable. He is fearless to a bloody fault but through a twist of fate, does discover his softer side. Must be strong with character voices and accents, as he typically also plays THE FRENCH TAUNTER, an arrogant, condescending, over the top Frenchman, the KNIGHT OF NI, an absurd, cartoonish leader of a peculiar group of Knights, and TIM THE ENCHANTER, a ghostly being with a Scottish accent. Baritone. PATSY (30s 40s): King Arthur s horse and servant. Underappreciated but always longing for King Arthur s approval. Good, funny, physical mover with some tap dancing. Also typically plays MAYOR, a jolly red faced man who advertises the merits of his home town and the drunken, useless GUARD 2. Baritone. SIR GALAHAD (30s): A Knight of the Roundtable. Begins as Dennis, a lower class mud gatherer who becomes Knighted and transforms into the dashing Sir Galahad. Also typically plays 3

4 PRINCE HERBERT S FATHER, a wealthy, brutish Yorkshireman at odds with his sensitive son, and THE BLACK KNIGHT who is always ready to duel despite multiple injuries. Tenor. SIR BEDEVERE (20s 40s): a knight of the Roundtable. An inept scholar. Also typically plays DENNIS GALAHAD S MOTHER, shrill peasant woman, and CONCORDE, Sir Lancelot s horse. No solo singing. THE LADY OF THE LAKE (20s 30s): A diva. Strong, beautiful, possesses mystical powers. The leading lady of the show. Strong singing is essential, as she must be able to sing effortlessly in many styles and vocal registers. THE FOLLOWING ROLES ARE TYPICALLY PLAYED BY THE SAME ACTOR (20s 30s): Tenor singing and strong moving required. HISTORIAN, a tweedy academic. NOT DEAD FRED: a sickly little fellow who, despite others beliefs, claims he is not yet dead. FRENCH GUARD, the condemnatory French sidekick to the French Taunter. MINSTREL: in Sir Robin s band. PRINCE HERBERT, the hopeful and frilly prince who loves to sing and pines for his love atop a tower. ENSEMBLE MEMBERS WILL PLAY THE FOLLOWING ROLES: LAKER GIRLS, SIR NOT APPEARING, THE DANCING MONK, THE DANCING NUN, THE VOICE OF GOD, TWO FRENCH GUARDS, ROBIN S MINSTRELS, and SIR BORS. 4

5 1. HISTORIAN (Male or Female) England 932 A.D. A kingdom divided. To the West the Anglo Saxsons, to the East the French. Above nothing but Celts and some people from Scotland. In Gwynned, Powys, and DYfed plague. In the kingdoms of Wessex, Sussex, and Essex and Kent plague. In Mercia and the two Anglias plague: with a 50% chance of pestilence and famine coming out of the Northwest and twelve miles per hour. Legend tells of an extraordinary leader, who arose from the chaos, to unite a troubled kingdom... a man with a vision who gathered Knights together in a Holy Quest. This man was Arthur, King of the Britons. For this was England! 5

6 2., PATSY, LANCELOT, ROBIN (all male) ( rides in, pretending to ride an imaginary horse, followed by PATSY, his servant, banging two halves of a coconut together. They take a leap.) Steady. And over we go. (PATSY makes the appropriate coconut noise for each maneuver.) (CONT D) Well taken, Patsy. And canter. And trot. (They do.) And whoa there! Well done. Hello? ROBIN Hello?! Who goes there? What is it you want? I am looking for men. ROBIN I had a feeling. We have ridden the length and breadth of the land in search of knights to join me in my court at Camelot. ROBIN What, ridden on a horse? Yes! ROBIN You re using coconuts! What do you mean? ROBIN Well, this is a temperate zone. (LANCE appears at an opposite window.) 6

7 LANCE It could be carried by an African swallow. ROBIN Oh, yeah, an African swallow, maybe, but not a European swallow. That s my point. LANCE Oh, yeah, I agree with that.. Beautiful bird, the African swallow. Lovely plumage. ROBIN The plumage don t enter into it. And besides, African swallows are non migratory. Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court at Camelot? LANCE Wait a minute, supposing two swallows carried it together? (, despairing of any further sensible conversation, gallops off left with PATSY.) 7

8 3. (male), DENNIS GALAHAD (male), and DENNIS GALAHAD S MOTHER (male or female) Over! Old woman! DENNIS Man! Man, sorry. What knight lives in that castle over there? DENNIS I m twenty seven. What? DENNIS I m not old! Well, I can t just say man. DENNIS Well, you could say Dennis. Look I did say I was sorry about the old woman thing, but really from behind you do look like... MOTHER Dennis, there s a lot of good mud over there. Oh, how d ye do? How do you do, good lady. MOTHER I m Mrs. Galahad, widowed mother of Dennis, married to Nobby the Cretin, dropped dead last Tuesday, which does leave me sadly available. I am Arthur, King of the Britons. 8

9 MOTHER King of the who? The Britons. MOTHER Who are the Britons? Well, we all are. We are all the Britons and I am your king. MOTHER I didn t know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective. DENNIS You re fooling yourself. We re living in a dictatorship. A self perpetuating autocracy in which the working classes... MOTHER Oh there you go, bringing class into it again. DENNIS That s what it s all about. If only people would... Please, please good people. I am in haste. Who is your lord? 9

10 4. CONCORDE (male or female) and LANCELOT (Lance rides in with his page CONCORDE. He is a very flashy rider.) LANCE Here we go, Concorde. And side saddle. Well done. And backwards, lovely. Well taken. CONCORDE (getting hit with an arrow with a message attached) Thank you, Sir. Message for you, sir. LANCE (reading) To whoever finds this note, I have been imprisoned by my father, who wishes me to marry against my will. Please, please please come and rescue me. I am in the tall tower of Swamp Castle. At last! A erm..? CONCORDE Cry of distress, sir? LANCE A cry of distress! This could be the sign that leads us to the.. er.small shining drinking object...erm CONCORDE The Holy Grail, sir. LANCE Exactly. Well done, Concorde! You shall not have died in vain! CONCORDE I m not yet dead, sir. LANCE Oh, I see. CONCORDE Actually, I think I m all right to come with you LANCE No, no, no sweet Concorde! Deeds like this must be accomplished... CONCORDE Single handedly? LANCE Yes, I knew that one. 10

11 5. HERBERT, HERBERT S FATHER (both male) FATHER Stop! Stop all that singing. Listen, lad, one day all this will be yours! HERBERT What, the curtains? FATHER No, not the curtains! All that you can see! Stretched out over the hills and valleys of this land! This will be your kingdom! HERBERT But, Mother FATHER Father. HERBERT Father, I don t want any of that. I d rather FATHER Rather what?! HERBERT I d rather...just...sing! FATHER You re not doing a song while I m here. In twenty minutes you re getting married to a girl whose father owns the biggest tracts of open land in Britain. HERBERT But I don t want land. FATHER Listen, Alice. HERBERT Herbert. FATHER Herbert. We live in a bloody swamp. We need land. 11

12 6. (male), LADY OF THE LAKE (female), PATSY (male) LADY You re not alone, Arthur. Haven t you noticed? I ve been with you all the time. Who gave you teh sword, who made you King, who welcomed you to Camelot, who helped you off on your quest? (realizing) Patsy, I m not alone. PATSY No, sir. The Lady of the Lake has been with me all the time. LADY OF THE LAKE And so has Patsy. Ah, yes, but...patsy s family. LADY OF THE LAKE You see, Arthur dear, we re all here to help each other. Can you help me but on a Broadway show? LADY OF THE LAKE Yes. You re in a Broadway show. (Looks out at audience.) Oh, my. LADY OF THE LAKE You ve been in a Broadway show the whole time. Oh. Who knew? 12

13 ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE (PATSY) 13

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15 I M ALL ALONE () 15

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17 COME WITH ME (Lady of the Lake) 17

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19 FIND YOUR GRAIL (Lady of the Lake) 19

20 ALEXANDRIA AREA HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE DEPARTMENT AUDITION FORM Name: Grade: PLEASE LIST PARTS YOU WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN: Phone number: address: Parent names: Parent address(es): Age: Gender: Height: Hair color: Eye color: Are you willing to... Dye your hair? YES No Cut your hair? YES No Perform a stage kiss? YES NO X Signing by the x indicates you will accept any role offered to you. Are you available for callbacks, if needed? (Saturday, January 10 at 1:00pm) YES NO Please list any physical limitations the directors might need to know (medical conditions, etc.): What musical background do you have? (If you sing, what part do you sing? What instruments do you play?) What dance, gymnastics, or movement background do you have? Do you have any special talents, such as juggling, etc? Please list any and all previous acting experience (include show and role): 20

21 Please list any and all previous crew experience (include specific responsibility): Alexandria Area High School Theatre Department treats theatre as a team, and the crew is the foundation of the production. Our crews are important to the success of the production we love our crew members! Please number your TOP FOUR crew interests, with one meaning most interested (leave blank if you are not interested in crew): Stage manager: multitude of responsibilities, calls cues during run, director s right hand person Costume Crew: will pull, fit, find, and put together costumes Light Crew/Operator: sets, rotates, gels, focuses lighting equipment; operator programs and runs board Sound Crew/Operator: finds and mixes sound clips; operator programs and runs sound board Properties Crew: finds or creates all properties Projection Crew: : designs and implements projections for the show Publicity Crew: develops and distributes promotional materials including videos and posters Hair and Make up Crew: designs styles for each character; applies during run of show Construction Crew: works with set designer to build set; construction experience is helpful House crew: works to ready the theatre for production, sells tickets, hands out programs, ushers In order to be considered for a role in this production, please list ANY AND ALL recurring OR one time conflicts you have on weekdays from 6:00 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays. Also list where you work or any church or school related activities. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OUT. 21