Barrow-Civic Theatre PO Box 1089, Franklin, PA 16323 814-437-3440 800-537-7769 barrowtheatre.com The Great Gatsby Audition Packet Auditions Sunday, January 15th at 6:00pm Monday, January 16th at 7:00pm in the Barrow-Civic Little Theatre Show Dates March 10, 11, 17, 18 at 7:30pm March 19 at 2:30pm March 16 School Shows at 9:00am and 12:15pm Director Bill Trimble Producer Jenn Fox The Barrow-Civic Theatre is committed to being a leader in the cultural growth, development and vitality of the region. Our vision is to provide expanding opportunities for quality programming and entertainment for a broad-based audience while maintaining financial stability.
Welcome to the auditions for Franklin Civic Operetta Association's production of The Great Gatsby This packet is designed to make the audition process as streamlined as possible for you, the actor. You must return your completed audition form (inside this packet) to the director at the auditions. General Information All auditions will take place at the Barrow-Civic Theatre in the Little Theatre. Enter through the side Alley door. Dates March 10, 11, 17, 18 at 7:30pm March 19 at 2:00pm March 16 School Shows at 9:00am and 12:15pm Director Bill Trimble Producer Jenn Fox Stage Manager Tish McClintock Audition Requirements All auditions are first-come, first-served on the dates and times specified. This packet is provided so that you may complete your paperwork prior to arrival. However, packets will also be available at the audition. 1. Youth under the age of 18 require the signature of a parent/guardian on the audition form. 2. Please return your completed Audition Form from this packet during auditions. 3. No parents will be allowed to observe the audition. 4. Dress comfortably. 5. Everyone who is auditioning will be asked to cold-read from the script. 6. Your picture may be taken as part of the audition process. This will be to facilitate casting, costume, and make-up requirements for the show. 7. You may be asked to stay longer after your audition if the director needs to speak to you.
Character Descriptions Jay Gatsby: A newly wealthy Midwesterner-turned-Easterner who orders his life around one desire: to be reunited with Daisy Buchanan, the love he lost five years earlier. His quest for the American dream leads him from poverty to wealth, into the arms of his beloved and, eventually, to death. Nick Carraway: The story's narrator. Nick rents the small house next to Gatsby's mansion in West Egg and, over the course of events, helps Gatsby reunite with Daisy (who happens to be Nick's cousin). Nick's Midwestern sensibility finds the East an unsettling place, and he becomes disillusioned with how wealthy socialites like the Buchanans lead their lives. Daisy Buchanan: Beautiful and mesmerizing, Daisy is the apex of sociability. Her privileged upbringing in Louisville has conditioned her to a particular lifestyle, which Tom, her husband, is able to provide her. She enraptures men, especially Gatsby, with her delicate nature and sultry voice. She is the object of Gatsby's desire, for good or ill, and represents women of an elite social class. Tom Buchanan: Daisy's hulking brute of a husband. Tom comes from an old, wealthy Chicago family and takes pride in his rough ways. He commands attention through his boisterous and outspoken (even racist) behavior. He leads a life of luxury in East Egg, playing polo, riding horses, and driving fast cars. He is proud of his affairs and has had many since his marriage. Myrtle Wilson is merely the woman of the moment for Tom. Jordan Baker: Professional golfer of questionable integrity. Friend of Daisy's who, like Daisy, represents women of a particular class. Jordan is the young, single woman of wealth, admired by men wherever she goes. She dates Nick casually, but seems offended when he is the first man not to fall for her charms. Although she is savvy, she comes off as somewhat shallow in her approach to life. Myrtle Wilson: Married lover of Tom Buchanan. Myrtle serves as a representative of the lower class. Through her affair with Tom she gains entrée into the world of the elite, and the change in her personality is remarkable. She conducts a secret life with Tom, wherein she exhibits all the power and dominance she finds lacking in her everyday life. She eventually suffers a tragic end at the hands of her lover's wife. George Wilson: Myrtle's unassuming husband. He runs a garage and gas station in the valley of ashes and seems trapped by his position in life. Eventually, he finds out about his wife's double life and his response to it helps drive her to her death. Distraught at what happens, Wilson becomes Fitzgerald's way of expressing the despair prevalent in the seemingly trapped lower-middle class. Meyer Wolfshiem: Gatsby's business associate and link to organized crime. A professional gambler, Wolfshiem is attributed with fixing the 1919 World Series. Wolfshiem helped build Gatsby's fortune, although the wealth came through questionable means. Mrs. Michaelis: George Wilson's restaurateur neighbor who comforts Wilson after Myrtle is killed. Mr. McKee: Photographer friend of Tom Buchanan. Mrs. McKee: Friend of Tom Buchanan. Policeman Dancer (1) Dancer (2)
After Auditions Cast Announcement The cast will be announced as soon as the production staff have reviewed and discussed each applicant. You will be contacted by phone. Casting will be dependent on the audition and the actors schedules. As the show evolves, rehearsals will start requiring all actors to be present. We anticipate a 6-week rehearsal schedule meeting 3 nights a week for the first 4 weeks and 4 nights a week for 2 weeks of tech. Rehearsals are expected to last 2 to 2.5 hours, although some rehearsals will go longer than scheduled. We ask for your understanding in this part of the creative process. We ask that all actors bring a pencil with them to mark blocking and choreography notes in their scripts. It is expected that all cast will be on time to their scheduled rehearsals. Do not be late. Tardiness disrupts the production. The cast will be responsible for notifying the director, music director, stage manager, or one of the producers if they will be late or absent. Headshots/Publicity Cast members will have their headshots placed in the display cases in front of the theater. Each cast member will be financially responsible for the cost of their headshot. No photos will be on display without approval from the director. There will be a photographer arranged for those who do not yet have a headshot on file with the theater. Each cast member is requested to help promote the production through your local organizations, schools, places of employment, or other civic duties. The production staff has additional opportunities to promote the production and will be looking for volunteers to help. If you have ideas, please let a member of the production staff know. Please, remember that although you may not agree with all of the decisions in the production of the show, you are expected to support the show and its production staff. We would like for this to be a positive experience for everyone. Cast Extras All cast and crew will have the opportunity to purchase memorabilia commemorating the production. This is not a required or mandatory purchase.
TURN IN AT AUDITIONS Number (Do not fill out) The Great Gatsby Audition Form Name Audition Date MALE FEMALE Date of Birth Age Height Pant Size Dress Size Shirt Size Complete Address Home Phone Email PHONE Cell Phone Preferred contact method? TEXT EMAIL Recent theater/dance/performing experience? Which role(s) are you most interested in? Would you accept any role? YES NO Are you interested in Tech if not Cast? YES NO Are you available for all show dates and times, including both school shows on March 16? YES NO Please indicate all scheduling conflicts, including dates and times. NO CONFLICTS FOR TECH WEEK: March 5-9 If you are cast in this production, do we have your permission to distribute your name and telephone number to the rest of the cast and crew as part of a contact list? YES NO THE PRODUCTION MANAGERS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EXCUSE ANY PARTICIPANT FROM THE PRODUCTION AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THEATER POLICY OR PRODUCTION GUIDELINES. By signing below, I understand that in auditioning for a part in this Franklin Civic Operetta Association (FCOA) production, being cast in the production is a personal commitment and I am prepared to participate actively in the production. I agree that I am volunteering my time; that FCOA may use my image and name for publicity purposes; and that I will not hold FCOA or Barrow-Civic Theatre liable for personal injury while participating in this production. If auditioner is a minor, the parent/ legal guardian must sign below. You are responsible for supplying his/her transportation within 10 minutes of the end of each rehearsal or performance. You are to notify the production staff, 24 hours in advance, if he/she cannot attend a scheduled rehearsal or performance.
Signature/Parent/Legal Guardian Printed Name Date