PHOENIXPLAYERS Spring Awakening

Transcription

1 AUDITION INFORMATION Audition Bookings: PHOENIXPLAYERS Spring Awakening To book your audition, or for any enquiries, or call Nathan on Auditions: Auditions will be held Saturday 13 August, Sunday 14 August and Monday 15 August, although Monday night may be used for call backs if required. Depending in the outcome of the auditions, an additional call back period may be required. The audition venue will be confirmed when you make your booking. Age Limit: Auditionees must be 15 years or older at the time of the audition. Please be advised that most of the characters in Spring Awakening are teenagers. Auditionees should consider their ability to convincingly depict a stage age of As such we would anticipate that actors over the age of 21 who audition for teenage roles are less likely to be cast. Please consider this before auditioning to avoid disappointment but do not let it discourage you if you still want to audition. Audition Panel You will be auditioning for the Directors, Kelly Roberts and Grant Pegg, and Musical Director, Matt Webster. There will be a representative from the Phoenix Players Committee in the audition room. A repetiteur may also be present. REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES Rehearsals Rehearsal will commence Sunday 21 August, 10am-4pm. The regular rehearsal times are, Monday 7:00pm - 10:30pm, Ginninderra Labor Club, Lhotsky Street, Charnwood Thursday 7:00pm - 10:30pm, Cook Community Hub, Cook Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Cook Community Hub, Cook

2 Production week and performance dates Cast will be required for every rehearsal during Production week and all performances. Production week Sunday 6 November, times TBC Monday 7 November, 6pm call to the theatre Tuesday 8 November, 6pm call to the theatre Wednesday 9 November, 6pm call to the theatre Thursday 10 November, 6pm call to the theatre Performances Friday 11 November, 8pm (opening night) Saturday 12 November, 8pm Wednesday 16 November, 8pm Thursday 17 November, 8pm Friday 18 November, 8pm Saturday 19 November, 2pm Saturday 19 November, 8pm Wednesday 23 November, 8pm Thursday 24 November, 8pm Friday 25 November, 8pm Saturday 26 November, 2pm Saturday 26 November, 8pm (closing night) Please consider your availability for rehearsals and the performance season prior to auditioning. We place great value on your time, so every effort will be made to only call you for the rehearsals that you are needed for. AUDITION FORMAT You will be allocated a 10 minute audition slot. The audition will consist of a vocal assessment and a script reading (see below). Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the start of your scheduled audition to ensure you have completed your relevant paperwork. A photograph will be taken of you prior to your audition. In addition the audition panel may record aspects of the audition for further consideration. All photographs or recordings will only be used for consideration by the panel in the casting of the show and will be destroyed thereafter. 1. Vocal Assessment Contemporary song (own choice) All auditionees will be required to sing a contemporary song that demonstrates your vocal range and ability. This should be a song that you know well. A song in the style of the show (e.g. rock

3 genre) is preferred. If you are able to self-accompany your song with an instrument (e.g. piano/guitar) you are strongly encouraged to do so. Otherwise please bring sheet music for the audition pianist, a backing track or your own accompanist. If using a backing track there should be no vocals on the track. Please do not sing unaccompanied. Please be aware that each audition is time limited and therefore we may ask you to stop before finishing your song this has nothing to do with the quality of your audition or abilities. Song excerpt from the show Auditionees should be familiar with one of the Spring Awakening song excerpts included in the audition pack that will be ed to you on confirmation of your audition time. There are two choices each for male and female voices. We encourage you to select the excerpt you feel best demonstrates your ability and character preference. We have chosen these excerpts to help you demonstrate the required vocal range and offer opportunities for you to show us your abilities with characterisation. We do not expect you to produce a performance standard piece with this excerpt and you are welcome to hold the music. Please do not panic if you can t remember a word or get a note wrong. We are focused on what you can do with the character. 2. Script reading You may be asked to read an excerpt from the show. Script excerpts will be ed to you on confirmation of your audition time. We encourage you to be familiar with at least one of the provided scripts but do not expect you to know them off by heart or produce a performance standard piece. You are most welcome to hold the script whilst reading. In this section of the audition the panel may give you some instructions to re-perform the excerpt in a different way. The excerpts have been chosen to help you demonstrate your acting range and ability. Not all characters will be included in the excerpts. If your preferred character is not included it is suggested that you choose the excerpt that best aligns to the character you wish to portray. The audition panel may ask you to cold read another script for another character at the audition. (NB Spring Awakening is not a dance-heavy show therefore there will be no specific dance component of the audition. However there is the requirement for movement and this may be assessed). IMPORTANT POINTS Wear comfortable clothing, and appropriate footwear for movement Bring a bottle of water Please complete all the necessary forms before arriving at the audition Please be mindful of the fact that this show has a very small cast, with no chorus. As such, there will likely be a number of unsuccessful auditionees. If you are unsuccessful, please do

4 not let this discourage you. Phoenix Players and the audition panel are very grateful for you deciding to audition and recognise the time, effort (and courage) it takes. Preparing for an audition is great experience even if you are unsuccessful. We will provide you the opportunity to give your best at the audition whatever the circumstances however please avoid giving excuses if you are unwell. We know what we are looking for and are confident we will see it whether you are sick or not. Please consider the mental health and adult theme notices in this audition information prior to booking your audition What are Call Backs? After everyone has had a chance to audition, the panel will discuss proposed casting. It may be that for particular roles they are undecided and need to see an auditionee again. It may be necessary to ask some people to return to sing a song from the show, and read more lines. This is done when deciding between a number of equally suitable auditionees, or to see how well different people work together. You will be contacted if you are required for call backs, and told what songs you will be singing, and ed the music/readings. It would be a good idea to familiarise yourself with the songs from the show before the call backs. We will try to limit the call backs as much as possible so if you aren t called back it does not necessarily mean you have been unsuccessful. Depending in the outcome of the auditions, an additional call back period may be required. When and how will you find out if you are successful? The production team will notify you as soon as possible of the outcome of your audition whether you are successful or unsuccessful. Please ensure that the contact details you provide are correct. You may be notified of the outcome by or by telephone. Unfortunately, due to time constraints it is not possible to provide individual feedback to all auditionees. MENTAL HEALTH NOTICE Spring Awakening deals frankly and directly with important subjects such as sexuality, abortion, mental illness, suicide and grief. We consider these are normal aspects of real life which deserve to be depicted truthfully however we acknowledge some subjects may be triggering for some people. Please seriously, and honestly, consider your ability and comfort dealing with these issues before committing to your involvement in Spring Awakening. You might wish to discuss this with your family or healthcare professional prior to making the decision to audition.

5 ADULT THEME INFORMATION FOR AUDITIONEES AND GUARDIANS The issues faced by the characters in the show are experienced by many people today however we need to be sure that you and your legal guardians are aware of the material you will be performing and the discussions and issues you will face during the course of the rehearsals and performances. In particular, please note the following: The characters of Melchior and Wendla will be required to kiss and are also involved in a brief, simulated sex scene. This will not be gratuitous but is a necessary element of the show. Partial, tasteful nudity may also be required for this scene but this will be discussed with the individual actors involved. The character of Wendla becomes pregnant and has an abortion this is discussed however it is not specifically depicted. The character of Moritz experiences extreme anxiety and depression and commits suicide. The character of Melchior attempts suicide but is stopped by his friends. The characters of Hanschen and Ernst depict a homosexual couple and will be required to kiss. The characters of Martha and Isle are victims of physical and sexual abuse and discuss and sing about this several times. Hanschen and several other male characters depict a simulated masturbation scene without the requirement for nudity. Many characters sing about topics of a sexual nature. Some songs include coarse language. We have listed the above because we need for you to understand what you are auditioning for and we encourage all auditionees a read the full synopsis of the show The creation of these scenes and characters will be done in a safe and controlled manner and we are committed to treating the material with sensitivity. If you are under the age of 18, your legal guardians need to be aware of these factors and approve your potential involvement in the show. If you are interested in/offered one of these roles and have concerns about the above please discuss it with the production team before committing to the show.

6 ABOUT THE SHOW (from Hal Leonard) Winner of 8 TONY Awards, including Best Musical, Spring Awakening celebrates the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, poignancy, and passion that you will never forget. Adapted from Frank Wedekind's 1891 expressionist play about the trials, tears, and exhilaration of the teen years, it has been hailed as the "Best Musical of the Year" by the New York Times, New York Post, Star Ledger, Journal News, New York Observer, and USA Today. Spring Awakening takes its inspiration from one of literature's most controversial masterpieces - a work so daring in its depiction of teenage self-discovery, it was banned from the stage and not performed in its complete form in English for nearly 100 years. It's Germany, A world where the grown-ups hold all the cards. The beautiful young Wendla explores the mysteries of her body, and wonders aloud where babies come from, till Mama tells her to shut it, and put on a proper dress. Elsewhere, the brilliant and fearless young Melchior interrupts a mind-numbing Latin drill to defend his buddy Moritz - a boy so traumatised by puberty he can't concentrate on anything. Not that the Headmaster cares. He strikes them both and tells them to turn in their lesson. One afternoon - in a private place in the woods - Melchior and Wendla meet by accident, and soon find within themselves a desire unlike anything they've ever felt. As they fumble their way into one another's arms, Moritz flounders and soon fails out of school. When even his one adult friend, Melchior's mother, ignores his plea for help, he is left so distraught he can't hear the promise of life offered by his outcast friend Ilse. Naturally, the Headmasters waste no time in pinning the "crime" of Moritz's suicide on Melchior and expel him. And soon Mama learns her little Wendla is pregnant. Now the young lovers must struggle against all odds to build a world together for their child. CHARACTERS ANNA: A German schoolgirl and Martha's best friend. Has a difficult time understanding Martha's trials. A3 - C5. ERNST: A schoolmate of Melchior's. Naive, easily manipulated. Unsure. C3 - A4 Baritenor. GEORG: A schoolmate of Melchior's who is overcome with his feelings for his piano teacher. D3 - D5 Tenor Georg needs to be able to sing up to a D5 in falsetto. The bulk of his range is between. Ab2 - A4. HANSCHEN: A schoolmate of Melchior's who is comfortable with his own sexuality and uses his looks and intelligence to manipulate another student. C3 - A4 Baritenor. ILSE: Martha's sister, who shares her dark secret and has run away from home to live in an artists' colony. Moritz's last hope. G3 - E5. MARTHA: A schoolgirl with a life-changing secret. G3 - E5.

7 MELCHIOR: A smart, headstrong boy who refuses to bow down to society's rules. Charismatic. An atheist. Struggles with his intense feelings for Wendla. G2 - G4 MORITZ: A tormented and troubled student who desperately tries to please his father, but always seems to disappoint him. Has haunting dreams. Melchior's best friend. B2 - A4 Tenor. OTTO: A classmate of Melchior's who struggles with feelings he considers inappropriate. C3 - B4 Baritenor. THEA: Wendla's best friend. A schoolgirl who tries to stay innocent and pure. A3 - E5. WENDLA: Innocent, but with every passing day, she grows more curious about the world around her. Both vulnerable and a willing participant in her evolution. G3 - E5. ADULT MAN: Multiple roles, including HERR STIEFL (Mortiz's father), HERR GABOR (Melchior's Father), and HERR SONNENSTITCH (the boy's teacher) (NB: This is mainly an acting role but some singing is required) ADULT WOMAN: Multiple roles, including FANNY (Melchior's mother), FRAU BERGMAN (Wendla's mother), and the teacher (NB: This is mainly an acting role but some singing is required). (NB There are no chorus roles in Spring Awakening)