Fall Play Audition Informational Packet Fall 2011 It s a season of Shakespeare! This year, the fall productions will be Romeo and Juliet? and Shakespeare s Shorts. You ll find everything you need to know about the productions and the audition process in this packet. See Ms. Robinson in the drama office if you have any questions! The Shows Romeo and Juliet is a full- length Shakespearean tragedy about two teenagers who fall in love, despite their families hatred toward one another. The play will be cut down from its entire form, which runs about 2.5 hours. Ms. Robinson will direct this production and it will be presented in the CPA on October 13-15. Shakespeare s Shorts is a sixty- minute compilation of short scenes from Shakespeare s comedies woven together through an improvised storyline with three narrators. It s going to be a lot of fun! This production is directed by Mr. Kurasch and will be presented in the Drama Room on September 30 and October 1. Audition Information Auditions for the 2011 fall productions of Romeo and Juliet and Shakespeare s Shorts will be held after school on Wednesday, August 31 th and Thursday, September 1 st in the drama room (E110). Callbacks will be held Friday, September 2 nd. If all goes smoothly, the cast list will be posted online at www.gbntheatre.com sometime before noon on Sunday, September 4 th. Casting Needs For R&J, we re looking to cast between 20-30 students. Though many of the characters are young, there are also a number of mature roles, including the Nurse, the Friar, and Lord Capulet. There are more speaking roles for boys, but I m planning to include as many girls are possible in the ensemble. We need a good number of boys who are willing to sword- fight. There may be some double- casting, but I m not swearing on that. See the attached character list to familiarize yourself with the roles for which you will be auditioning. Casting for Shakespeare s Shorts will be a mixed ensemble of about 20 students. Audition Process and Material Preparation Shakespearean language is poetic and rhythmic therefore preparation for the audition is STRONGLY advised. The first thing you should do is read the play. Even if you ve watched the movie, read the play. It will give you an understanding and appreciation for the language and give you a leg up on others at auditions who are not as familiar with the entire piece. Then select the monologue that you would like to prepare for the audition. Attached here, you will find several monologues to choose from. Please choose one (1) comedic monologue AND one (1) dramatic monologue to prepare for auditions. You should know the following things about your selections:
1) What the words mean in plain English so you can deliver it naturally and believably 2) What the context is for the monologue (what is happening in the play at the time when the character delivers the monologue) 3) Who the character is and what he/she wants at this particular moment in the production If you re not sure about when/where this is taking place, get on the Internet and find out. There are countless resources on Shakespeare s plays. Memorization is not required, but you are MUCH more likely to get the part if you are memorized. It s hard enough to deliver the lines believably when you ve studied and prepared them; reading them cold is extremely difficult, even for professionals. Accents/costumes/props are not required; I m looking for honesty and potential rather than gimmick. Please remember to consider levels in your performance. If you re yelling at the top of your lungs right from the start, you have nowhere to go. Also, be careful not to rush through your piece. Too often, students rush when they re nervous and it comes off as recitation. Auditioning can be a lot of fun, so take your time and prepare fully. Callback materials will be available on the website shortly. Schedule and Commitment The rehearsal process for R&J takes place over six weeks, culminating with the performances on October 13-15. Students who observe the Jewish holidays will be excused from rehearsals on the Friday of tech weekend. Due to the unusual tech schedule, there will be a mandatory in- school field trip on Monday, October 10. Please go over the schedule posted online and make sure you are able to commit the time necessary to this production before auditioning. Then fill out the posted conflict sheet and return it to me before callbacks on Thursday, September 1, even if your name does not appear on a callback list. It is crucial that you are honest about any conflicts you have on this form; I can work around conflicts that I know about. I do not respond positively to surprise conflicts that come up because you were afraid to put them on the sheet. The no conflict time for this production is October 4-15, with the exception of observances of the Jewish holiday. The rehearsal process for Shakespeare s Shorts is more condensed, but holds to the same general guidelines. Due to Rosh Hashanah, there will be limited rehearsal on Wednesday, September 28 th and no performance on Thursday, September 29 th. One conflict sheet for both plays will suffice, but make sure that you remember that the no- conflict time for this production is from September 20- October 1. This means that during that time, you must work your other conflicts around the show. Up until then, Mr. K can schedule his rehearsals around your declared conflicts. As always, please be honest about your conflicts!
Cast of Characters Ruling house of Verona Prince Escalus- ruling Prince of Verona Paris- kinsman of Escalus who wishes to marry Juliet. Mercutio- kinsman of Escalus, and a friend of Romeo. House of Capulet Capulet- the patriarch of the house of Capulet. Lady Capulet- the matriarch of the house of Capulet. Juliet Capulet- the daughter of the Capulets and is the play's female protagonist. Tybalt- cousin of Juliet, and the nephew of Lady Capulet. Nurse- Juliet's personal attendant and confidante. Peter- servant of the Capulet household who often accompanies the Nurse Sampson- servant of the Capulet household Gregory- servant of the Capulet household. House of Montague Montague- the patriarch of the house of Montague. Lady Montague- the matriarch of the house of Montague Romeo- the son of Montague and Lady Montague and the play's male protagonist. Benvolio- Romeo's cousin and best friend. Abram- servant of the Montague household Balthasar- servant of the Montague household. Other Characters Friar Laurence- a Franciscan friar, and Romeo's confidante. Chorus- reads the play s prologue Friar John- sent to deliver Friar Laurence's letter to Romeo. Apothecary- reluctantly sells Romeo poison *The chorus will include Capulets and guests who will appear at the masquerade ball and townspeople who witness or participate in the group scenes.
PART I: Dramatic Monologues (choose 1 to prepare and present at auditions) CHORUS Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows do with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, and the continuance of their parents' rage, which, but their children's end, nought could remove, is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. JULIET O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself. CAPULET God's bread! It makes me mad: Day, night, hour, tide, time, work, play, Alone, in company, still my care hath been To have her match'd: and having now provided A gentleman of noble parentage, proportion'd as one's thought would wish a man; And then to have a wretched puling fool to answer 'I'll not wed; I cannot love, I am too young; I pray you, pardon me.' But, as you will not wed, I'll pardon you: Graze where you will you shall not house with me: Thursday is near; lay hand on heart, advise: An you be mine, I'll give you to my friend; And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, For, by my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee ROMEO But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she: Be not her maid, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were! She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that? Her eye discourses; I will answer it. I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek! FRIAR LAURENCE Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken? young men's love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes. Jesu Maria, what a deal of brine hath wash'd thy sallow cheeks for Rosaline! How much salt water thrown away in waste, to season love, that of it doth not taste! The sun not yet thy sighs from heaven clears, thy old groans ring yet in my ancient ears; Lo, here upon thy cheek the stain doth sit of an old tear that is not wash'd off yet: If e'er thou wast thyself and these woes thine, thou and these woes were all for Rosaline: And art thou changed? Pronounce this sentence then, Women may fall, when there's no strength in men. LADY CAPULET What say you? Can you love the gentleman? This night you shall behold him at our feast; Read o'er the volume of young Paris' face, And find delight writ there with beauty's pen; Examine every married lineament, And see how one another lends content And what obscured in this fair volume lies Find written in the margent of his eyes. This precious book of love, this unbound lover, To beautify him, only lacks a cover: The fish lives in the sea, and 'tis much pride For fair without the fair within to hide: That book in many's eyes doth share the glory, That in gold clasps locks in the golden story; So shall you share all that he doth possess, By having him, making yourself no less.
PART II: Comedic Monologues (choose 1 to prepare and present at auditions) MERCUTIO (from Romeo and Juliet) Nay, I'll conjure too. Romeo! humours! madman! passion! lover! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh: Speak but one rhyme, and I am satisfied; Cry but 'Ay me!' pronounce but 'love' and 'dove;' Speak to my gossip Venus one fair word, One nick-name for her purblind son and heir, Young Adam Cupid, he that shot so trim, When King Cophetua loved the beggar-maid! He heareth not, he stirreth not, he moveth not; The ape is dead, and I must conjure him. I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyes, By her high forehead and her scarlet lip, By her fine foot, straight leg and quivering thigh And the demesnes that there adjacent lie, That in thy likeness thou appear to us! NURSE (from Romeo and Juliet) Now, afore God, I am so vexed, that every part about me quivers. Scurvy knave! Pray you, sir, a word: and as I told you, my young lady bade me inquire you out; what she bade me say, I will keep to myself: but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behavior, as they say: for the gentlewoman is young; and, therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing. HERMIA (from A Midsummer Night s Dream) 'Puppet'! Why, so? Ay, that way goes the game! Now I perceive that she hath made compare Between our statures; she hath urg'd her height; And with her personage, her tall personage, Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with him. And are you grown so high in his esteem Because I am so dwarfish and so low? How low am I, thou painted maypole? Speak: How low am I? I am not yet so low But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes. PHEBE: (from As You Like It) I would not be thy executioner; I fly thee, for I would not injure thee. Thou thell'st me there is murder in mine eye: Now I do frown on thee with all my heart, And if mine eyes can would, now let them kill thee. Now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee. Scratch thee but with a pin, and there remains Some scar of it; but now mine yees, Which I have darted at thee, hurt thee not, Nor, I am sure, there is no force in eyes That can do hurt. FERDINAND (from Twelfth Night) Admired Miranda! Indeed the top of admiration, worth what's dearest to the world! Full many a lady I have eyed with best regard, and many a time Th' harmony of their tongues hath into bondage Brought my too dillegent ear. For several virtues Have I liked several women; never any With so full soul but some defect in her Did quarrel with the noblest grace she owed And put it to the foil. But you, O you, So perfect and so peerless, are created Of every creature's best. TRINCULO (from The Tempest) What have we here, a man or a fish? Dead or alive? A fish: he smells like a fish, a very ancient and fish-like smell, a king of - not of the newest - poor-john. A strange fish! Legged like a man and his fins like arms! Warm, o'my troth! I do now let loose my opinion, hold it no longer; this is no fish, but an islander that hath suffered by a thunderbolt. Alas, the storm is come again. My best way is to creep under him; there is no other shelter hereabout. Misery aquaints a man with strange bedfellows.
Romeo and Juliet Tentative Rehearsal Schedule Mon, 8.29 Audition Clinic 3:00-4:30 E110 Weds, 8/31 Auditions 3:00-6:00 p.m. E110 Thurs, 9/1 Auditions 3:00- TBA E110 Friday, 9/2 Callbacks 3:00-8:00 p.m. E110 Mon, 9/5 LABOR DAY- NO REHEARSAL Tues, 9/6 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Weds, 9/7 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Thurs, 9/8 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Fri, 9/9 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Mon, 9/12 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Tues, 9/13 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Weds, 9/14 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Thurs, 9/15 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Fri, 9/16 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Mon, 9/19 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Tues, 9/20 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Weds, 9/21 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Thurs, 9/22 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Fri, 9/23 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Mon, 9/26 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Tues, 9/27 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Weds, 9/28 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Thurs, 9/29 Rosh Hashana- NO REHEARSAL Fri, 9/30 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. CPA/Lobby Mon, 10/3 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. E110/CPA Tues, 10/4 Rehearsal 3:00-8:00 p.m. E110/CPA Weds, 10/5 Rehearsal 3:00-8:00 p.m. E110/CPA Thurs, 10/6 Rehearsal 3:00-8:00 p.m. E110/CPA Fri, 10/7 Yom Kippur- TECH ONLY 3:00-10:00 p.m. CPA Sat, 10/8 Flexible Tech Rehearsal 8:00am- 10:00 p.m. CPA Sun, 10/9 Tech Weekend Rehearsal 12:00-9:00 p.m. CPA Mon, 10/10 IN- SCHOOL FIELD TRIP/Dress 7:40-10:00 p.m. CPA Tues, 10/11 Dress Rehearsal 3:00-10:00 p.m. CPA Weds, 10/12 Photo/Final Dress 3:00-10:00 p.m. CPA Thurs, 10/13 GBN Student Matinee TBA; 7:30 performance CPA Friday, 10/14 Performance 5pm call; 7:30 performance CPA Saturday, 10/15 Performance 5pm call; 7:30 performance CPA
Romeo and Juliet Conflict Sheet For the dates listed below, please write down any conflicts that you foresee that would prevent you from coming to rehearsals. Please be honest; I can work around conflicts that are openly declared, but do not respond positively to surprise conflicts. Tues, 9/6 Weds, 9/7 Thurs, 9/8 Fri, 9/9 Mon, 9/12 Tues, 9/13 Weds, 9/14 Thurs, 9/15 Fri, 9/16 Mon, 9/19 Tues, 9/20 Weds, 9/21 Thurs, 9/22 Fri, 9/23 Mon, 9/26 Tues, 9/27 Weds, 9/28 Fri, 9/30 *The rehearsals scheduled between 10/1 and 10/13 are not listed here because they fall within the no conflict period. I have gone over the rehearsal schedule for Romeo and Juliet with my parents and acknowledge the time commitment required for this show. I have listed all conflicts that may interfere with my participation in the space above. If I am cast and I fail to uphold this commitment, I understand that I may be subject to consequences including diminished participation or possibly dismissal from the show. Print Student Name Student Signature Parent Signature Date Date
Shakespeare s Shorts Tentative Rehearsal Schedule Fall Showcase 2011 *All rehearsals are in E110 Weds, 8/31 Auditions 3:00-6:00 p.m. Thurs, 9/1 Auditions 3:00-6:00 p.m. Friday, 9/2 Callbacks 3:00- TBA Mon, 9/5 LABOR DAY- NO REHEARSAL Tues, 9/6 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Weds, 9/7 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Thurs, 9/8 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Fri, 9/9 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Mon, 9/12 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Tues, 9/13 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Weds, 9/14 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Thurs, 9/15 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Fri, 9/16 Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. *Sat, 9/17 Rehearsal 10:00-6:00 p.m. *Sun, 9/18 Rehearsal 12:00-6:00 p.m. Mon, 9/19 Rehearsal 3:00-7:00 p.m. Tues, 9/20 Rehearsal 3:00-7:00 p.m. Weds, 9/21 Rehearsal 3:00-7:00 p.m. Thurs, 9/22 Rehearsal 3:00-7:00 p.m. Fri, 9/23 Rehearsal 3:00-7:00 p.m. Sat, 9/24 Tech Weekend 10:00-7:00 p.m. Sun, 9/25 Tech Weekend 12:00-9:00 p.m. Mon, 9/26 Dress Rehearsal 3:00-10:00 p.m. Tues, 9/27 Dress Rehearsal 3:00-10:00 p.m. **Weds, 9/28 Dress Rehearsal 3:00-6:00 p.m. Thurs, 9/29 Rosh Hashana- NO REHEARSAL Fri, 9/30 Performance x2 3:00-10:00 p.m. ***Sat,10/1 Performance x2 + Strike 3:00-10:00 p.m. *TBD depends on progress of show **TBD depends on holidays ***TBD depends on how long strike takes
Shakespeare s Shorts Conflict Sheet For the dates listed below, please write down any conflicts that you foresee that would prevent you from coming to rehearsals. Please be honest; I can work around conflicts that are openly declared, but do not respond positively to surprise conflicts. Tues, 9/6 Weds, 9/7 Thurs, 9/8 Fri, 9/9 Mon, 9/12 Tues, 9/13 Weds, 9/14 Thurs, 9/15 Fri, 9/16 *Sat, 9/17 *Sun, 9/18 Mon, 9/19 Tues, 9/20 Weds, 9/21 Thurs, 9/22 Fri, 9/23 *The rehearsals scheduled between 9/24 and 10/1are not listed here because they fall within the no conflict period. I have gone over the rehearsal schedule for Shakespeare s Shorts with my parents and acknowledge the time commitment required for this show. I have listed all conflicts that may interfere with my participation in the space above. If I am cast and I fail to uphold this commitment, I understand that I may be subject to consequences including diminished participation or possibly dismissal from the show. Print Student Name Student Signature Parent Signature Date Date