Our Town Audition Packet All submissions must be made by Friday, September 12. ALL the items listed below are necessary to complete the Audition Packet. IF YOUR PACKET IS NOT COMPLETE, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO AUDITION. Audition Registration Procedures Complete these 3 online submission links by September 12. Sign up for an Audition Time to receive an audition number Write this number down! You will need it to complete the forms below. Students: Read the Student Participation Contract & Audition Form and submit confirmation Provide photo (labeled with your name and audition number) to the SAO VPA Box Optional: Provide a performance resume to the SAO VPA Box Parents: Read the Conflict Calendar, Registration Fees and Family Participation Contract and submit confirmation Submit Fees payment to the SAO VPA Box Fees due with Audition Packet Participation Fee: $70 This helps to cover performance rights, lights, sets, sound, programs. Costume Box Fee: $25 If you have one from a previous production, fee does not apply. You may also choose to build your own following the provided diagram. Optional expenses Parent Volunteer Fee $200 All parents are required to work 20 hours on the show. If you know you are not able to work, and prefer to purchase your hours, combine this amount with your participation fee check. Otherwise we look forward to serving with you! Projected additional costs: Costume Rental Fee: $75 100 We will make every effort to keep rental costs low. In addition each student will need to purchase shoes and foundations (neutral undergarments) that they will keep. Concessions Donations: 2 dozen baked goods & a case of soda/water Tickets: $5/person Tech Week Dinner (optional) 4 @ approximately $10 each Projected Gains: New friends & great fun! Confidence in front of a crowd! A chance to create memories that will last forever!
Audition Information The following pages contain information for you to keep: HS Drama Audition Policies Audition Timeline & Process Our Town Character Descriptions Costume Box Instructions Parent Participation Tasks Description Please bring the following with you when you audition: A one minute audition monologue. Dramatic or touching monologue preferred. You can also do a 1 minute memorized monologue from the play as your audition. The play can be found at this link: http://nehshomework.wikispaces.com/file/view/our+town.pdf If you wish to watch the play, there is a Masterpiece Theatre televised version of the play with Paul Newman on Netflix. It would be better to see the recorded play than the movie version. High School Drama Audition Policies Auditions are open to all current TKA full time, part time, and PSP students in 9th 12th grades. You may not audition if you are on academic probation at the time of auditions. Please note: If students are put on academic probation during the rehearsal process, the administration may pull them from the production. Our Town will rehearse within a condensed time frame. Students who are playing a TKA Fall or Winter sport between September 22 and November 22 may not audition for the show. Participation fees are due at the time of auditions. If you need a scholarship for the participation fee or other expenses, please request a Financial Aid form from Mrs. Irwin, Rhonda.Irwin@tka.org. Students who drop out of Our Town after being cast will forfeit their participation fee and cannot audition for the High School Musical. Student availability is considered during the casting process. Please list every known conflict on the Audition form and Family Participation Contract.
Audition Timeline & Process General Auditions Wednesday, September 17, 3:15 6:00 p.m. Sign up for an audition time and number in advance, using the link on the first page of this packet. On the day of auditions, you will check in in classroom S 2. You will be given further instructions at that time. You can bring homework to do while you are waiting. Once you have auditioned, you are free to leave. You will be contacted via student email later in the evening if you are needed for a callback. Callbacks Thursday, September 18, 2:30 5:00 p.m. (Theatre) Not everyone will be asked to come to callbacks. Some people will be cast based on how they perform at the initial audition. Additionally, students may be cast in the show without a callback, especially if a secondary role is requested. We anticipate everyone will be cast, unless conflicts with rehearsal time is prohibitive. Cast List The Cast List will be posted on www.tka.org as late as 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21. Cast list may possibly be posted earlier. Rehearsals Rehearsals will be Monday through Friday after school until 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. on most days. Students will only be called to rehearsal when they are needed. Students in Secondary Characters will not be called as often as students cast in Main Characters. A detailed rehearsal calendar will be distributed at the Parent Meeting. Tech Week Tech Week is Friday, November 14, through Thursday, November 20. Rehearsal times may dismiss as late as 10 p.m. on these dates. Performances Performances dates are: Friday, November 21, 3:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 22, 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. First Week Rehearsals: The First entire week of rehearsal is for All Cast: Monday, September 22, 3:10 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 23, 2:30 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 24, 3:10 5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 25, 2:30 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 26, 2:30 4:30 p.m. Monday, September 29, 3:10 5:30 p.m. Mandatory Parent Meeting: Monday, September 29, 6:00 p.m. in the Theatre. The Parent Meeting is an important time to orient parents (especially new drama families) to the production process. Rehearsal calendars distributed at this meeting. Our Town Character Descriptions
Please Note: Many of these characters can be cast as male or female, except for the Webb and Gibbs roles. Not all roles will need to be at all rehearsals after the first week. A detailed calendar will be handed out at the parent meeting specifying characters needed at each rehearsal. Main Characters Stage Manager A narrator, commentator, and guide through Grover s Corners, on stage most of the time. He/she joins in the action of the play periodically, as the reverend at the wedding, the soda shop owner, a local townsperson, etc., and speaks directly to Emily after her death. He/she has a large number of lines. Emily Webb main character; we follow her from a precocious young girl through her wedding to George Gibbs and her early death. George Gibbs main character; the boy next door, George is a very likable young man, a star baseball player, wants to be a farmer, and in love with Emily Webb, starts as an irresponsible teenager who matures over time and becomes a responsible husband, father and farmer. Frank Gibbs George s father, The hard working town physician, who goes out to tend to his patients at all hours. He is married to Julia and father to George and Rebecca. Julia (Hersey) Gibbs George s mother. She dreams of going to Paris, but doesn t get there. Dies later while visiting her daughter in Ohio. Charles Webb Emily s father, editor of the Grover s Corners Sentinel Myrtle Webb Emily s mother. Serious, crisp, pragmatic. Secondary Characters Joe and Si Crowell local paperboys. Joe s intelligence earns him a full scholarship to MIT where he graduates at the top of his class. Simon Stimson the choir director and church organist. He is still bitter and cynical beyond the grave. Seen a pack of troubles and drinks too much. Howie Newsome the milkman, a fixture of Grover s Corners. Rebecca Gibbs George s younger sister She is very spirited. Wally Webb Emily s younger brother. (11 12) Professor Willard a rather long winded lecturer Mrs. Louella Soames a gossipy townswoman and member of the choir Constable Bill Warren the policeman, works very hard to keep law and order in Grover s Corners Joe Stoddard the undertaker in charge of Emily Webb s funeral. Sam Craig a nephew of Mrs Gibbs who left town to seek his fortune. He came back after 12 years in Buffalo for Emily s funeral. Depending on the number of students interested, the following roles can be doubled. What does doubling mean? If you are cast in one of these roles, you will play one or two other roles. For example, if you are cast as Professor Willard, you will also be a choir member and play one of the dead men. Professor Willard Baseball Players 1 and 2 Dead Man 1 and 2 Dead Woman 1 and 2 Farmer McCarthy Woman in the Balcony Man in the Auditorium Lady in the Box Choir Singers Town folk at wedding and funeral
Every cast member will need to have his/her own costume rack and box. Please use these instructions to build your costume box, OR order one to be built on the Fees page. Ordered boxes will be delivered to the Theatre by the Tech Week Cue to Cue rehearsal.
Parent Participation Tasks Description Since the inception of The King s Academy Drama Department in 1992, we have relied primarily on parent volunteers to help us launch successful productions. Per the Family Participation Contract, every family is required to give a minimum of 20 volunteer hours. Families will split their hours between before show tasks and during show tasks. (Committee chairpersons should be able to serve 20 hours in their jobs alone.) Please also understand that some families will put in 100 s of hours, and 20 hours is just the bare minimum. Please read these task descriptions. Select two before show and two during show committees where you would like to serve. Before Show Tasks A before show task is one that requires the volunteer to perform a certain job prior to the performances to help prepare the production. Parent Volunteer Coordinators: Chairpersons: a) Before Show Tasks Coordinator b) During Show Tasks Coordinator c) New Families Coordinator This team of parents will coordinate all of the volunteers serving on the production. The Coordinators monitor all sign up links, verify with committee chairpersons volunteer hours needed, and check that all parents are fulfilling their 20 hours of participation time. The Volunteer Coordinators will also follow up with parents who have not fulfilled their hours. The New Families Coordinator will come alongside families new to Jr. High Drama to learn the ropes. Bio Photographer (Headshots) Chairperson: This person will take cast and crew headshots for bios and deliver them to the Cast Bio Chairperson. Cast Bios Chairperson: This person will be in charge of collecting cast bios from the cast and crew members, and the headshots from Cast Bio photographer. Working with the theme established by the Lobby Decoration Committee, these pictures and bios will then need to be printed for display in the lobby. Costumes Note: This is both a Before Show and During Show Task Chairperson: The Chairperson will work with the Director to determine the look for each character and will provide direction to volunteers parents as to costuming each actor. Costumes can be checked out from the TKA costume shop with the director. Co Chair: No costume experience necessary, but strong organizational and people skills. This person will help to track costs, fees, rentals, and costume logistics. Coordination: Contact person for an assigned group of characters to make sure everyone is on the right track. This person will be contacted when someone from their group has a costume question. Research/Buying: Researching and shopping for costumes on the internet or in thrift stores. Sewing: Separate from coordination. We are always looking for seamstresses to sew for scholarship students. You can also sew for hire but this will not count towards your 20 hours.
Hair & Make Up Note: This is both a Before Show and During Show Task Chairperson: The Chairperson will work with the Director to determine the look for each character and will provide direction to parents as to what supplies to buy and where to buy them. He or she will run the scheduled Hair and Make up Workshop for all Hair and Make up volunteers, students and parents. Co chair: Will work with the Chairperson and with a Student Assistant to develop the make up design of this show. Will assist the chairperson in training volunteers on how to set up the hair/make up room and then how to restore the room to its original state. He or she will also be involved in scheduling volunteers Volunteers: Volunteers must attend: Hair and Make up Workshop At least 1 of the 2 Full Dress Rehearsals 2 Performances Program Chairperson: Create an electronic version of the printed program and for photocopying. This person must be proficient with Word. Props: Chairperson: This person will establish needed props for the show based on the script and discussion with the director. They will find, buy/make/borrow, and transport all props needed for the show. They will be assisted by a student Props Assistant. Props are minimal in this show. Set Building Our Town is designed to be performed with a very minimal set. Crew work on this committee will be less than recent TKA productions. Chairperson: The Chairperson will work with the director to learn the vision and set needs of the show. Co Chair: Schedule volunteers, ensuring that we have a good number of workers at the shop each Saturday. Volunteers: Volunteers are involved in the building of sets and typically meet Saturdays at the Set Shop located at 89 Pioneer Way in Mountain View. They also assist in doing errands, purchasing materials, and transporting sets. T Shirts Chairperson: The t shirt chairperson will work with the student Graphic Designer to ensure a shirt design is created. The chairperson will coordinate orders, order the apparel, and distribute them when they arrive. Co Chair: Although the T Shirt Chairperson can really do the entire job by his or herself, the co chair can sign up to be in training for the next production. Note: this job will make up only a very few of your required hours.
During Show Tasks A during show task is one that requires the volunteer to perform a certain job during Tech Week and Performances while the students are performing. Backstage Crew Minimal for this show. Furniture is moved between the 3 acts, but there are no backdrops or heavy sets. Chairperson: Work with the Director to determine set changes, create a spreadsheet to explain set movement, coordinate and train backstage crew volunteers. Co Chair: preferably a parent of a 9th or 10th student in order to learn the role and possibly serve as chairperson in the future. Volunteers: Will move set pieces, large props, backdrops, and curtains as needed. Volunteers will work backstage all of these dates: Cue to Cue & Tech Rehearsal At least 1 of the 4 Dress Rehearsals 2 Performances Cast Grams Chairperson: Design, produce, and assemble Cast Grams and coordinated volunteers (possibly students) to sell them patrons during intermission. Cast Party Chairperson: The chairperson will find a location and choose the activities for the party and will distribute the information with a flyer. They will also arrange for refreshments either provided by parents, or collect money to purchase food, and organize a cleanup crew. Volunteers: Volunteers will help with party set up and cleanup. Concessions Chairperson: Coordinate the purchase of items for concessions as well as the drop off of parent donations. Coordinate volunteers to sell concessions at performances. Volunteers: Volunteers will also be responsible for buying Green Room snacks as directed by the Chairperson. Volunteers must work two performances. Green Room Chairperson: The chairperson will coordinate parents backstage help at each Tech Rehearsal and performance. The chairperson will also train the volunteers in how to set up the rooms each night and how to restore the classrooms to their original condition. Volunteers: Volunteers will be available to help students make quick costume changes, assist Hair and Make up volunteers, supervise students when not on stage, and supervise after show clean up. Volunteers will work all of these dates: Tech Rehearsal At least 1 of the 4 Dress Rehearsals 2 Performances Lobby Decoration Chairperson: This person will create the theme for lobby decoration and work with volunteers to decorate the lobby during Tech Week. Volunteers: These people will decorate the lobby for the shows.
Photo Collage Chairperson: This person will create a photo collage of the production using photos from the Photo Memories DVDs. Samples of past production collages are in the Drama Office. Production Photography: Chairperson: Take production photos during Tech Week full dress rehearsals for the Memories Photo DVD. This will include attending a full rehearsal to plan shots, taking photos during the dress rehearsals, and compiling a DVD of photos to be ordered at show time and delivered approximately 3 weeks later. Photographer will also post photos to the TKA Drama smugmug.com website. Volunteer: Photograph cast during the Tech Week full dress rehearsals for a compiled Memories Photo DVD. Duplicate and deliver Memories Photo DVDs. Tickets Chairperson: Rhonda Irwin Volunteers: Volunteers will work in the ticket booth during performances and will sell tickets to patrons. Volunteers must work a minimum of two shows. Tech Dinners Chairperson: The chairperson will work the Knight s Cafe to determine the menu for the Tech Dinner, create a dinner order form, and order the food. The chairperson will also coordinate volunteers to help at each meal. Volunteers: Volunteers will help set up, serve, and clean up the dinners for the Cast and Crew during Tech Week. Ushers Chairperson: The chairperson will coordinate parent volunteers to ensure the Theatre is ready for the show. The chairperson will also coordinate parent volunteers to ensure that we have enough parents to work at each show and will train these volunteer ushers. Volunteers: Volunteers will help to get the Theatre ready for show time. They will communicate with the director and house manager when doors are opened for patrons. They will distribute programs to patrons. They will sit near doors to help latecomers to their seats and monitor doors at intermission to be sure no food or drink is taken into the theatre. Finally, they will help clean up the Theatre after ushering a show. Volunteers must help label chairs and prepare Theatre during Tech Week and work two performances, one as Lobby Usher. Note: House Ushers do not buy tickets for their assigned show, have assigned seats and may watch the performance after closing the lobby at the show s beginning and after intermission. Lobby Usher stays in the Lobby for the entire show, does not buy a ticket or see the show.