AUDITIONS: One-Act Festival

AUDITION NOTICE

Student One-Act Festival

Saturday, October 14^th, 2023 – 9am-11:30am

UW-Green Bay Theatre and Dance welcomes ALL current UWGB students to participate in all aspects of production work. Theatre & Dance majors and minors are expected to work on at least one production each semester to further the techniques and methods being taught in their coursework.

The One-Act Festival is comprised of 8 short pieces: 4 new works by UW-Green Bay students, 3 published works, and one dance piece.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Directed by UW-Green Bay Students

First Rehearsal: Early November (varied by show)

Tech Rehearsals: Saturday, December 2^nd and Sunday, December 3^rd (required attendance); Dress rehearsals Monday, December 4^th and Tuesday, December 5^th (also required). Exact times TBA.

Public Performances: December 6-9 at 7:30pm

CASTING INFORMATION

It is our intention that participation by students will be limited to 2 plays in any capacity (ex. Acting in 2 pieces, acting in one and doing tech for another, etc.). Should the personnel pool not meet the production demands, individuals may be asked to participate in more than 2 plays.

Extra audition and intimacy disclosure forms will be available the morning of auditions, but to expedite the process, please fill both out in advance:

Intimacy Disclosure Form OAF

AUDITION FORM – OAF

 

AVAILABLE ROLES

Play #1: Blue Ribbon Baby by Alyssa Rettke, Directed by Ally Swigert

• CASTING:
  • Ezra McCoy: Born 1980, Male
  • Dr. Brandt: Doctor, No specific gender
  • Felicity Kaminski: Born 1980, Female, always dressed monochromatically in blue
  • Linda Kaminski: Adoptive mother of Felicity
• CONTENT NOTES: depicts acts of violence and other emotionally intense moments. An intimacy coordinator will be called in to help with these moments.
• SYNOPSIS: Set in Rural Nebraska, in the year 1999. The play follows Ezra as he undergoes therapy to extract his memories in order to discover the truth behind what happened to his childhood friend Felicity.

Play #2: When the Angels Weep for My Soul by Grace Bedell, Directed by Jenny Witt

• CASTING: 4 female identifying characters
• INTIMACY NOTE: performance of realistic, simulated violence
• CONTENT WARNING: sexual assault, psychological abuse, and domestic violence.
• SYNOPSIS: An experimental and poetic dive into the darker sides of the feminine experience. This intimate and flowery language-based play examines a variety of potential “inner dialogues” from the perspective of women and trauma survivors. It is our hope that the work will lead audiences to consider the impacts of the patriarchy in our society. We also hope the piece provides viewers with an opportunity to tune into the natural energies that connect us all.

Play #3: The Stranger in My Place by Rose Witthuhn, Directed by Alexandra Smith

• CASTING: Two characters portrayed as opposites of each other, gender blind.
• SYNOPSIS: Jesse wakes up to find Jessie cleaning the apartment and preparing food. Jesse cannot remember anything before waking up. Apparently, Jessie is Jesse’s live-in housekeeper and caretaker, and they are having guests over very soon so everything must be perfect. Over time Jesse begins to question Jessie more and more, until a moment when Jesse “accidentally” rips the paper on the wall revealing a beautiful pattern behind it. The resulting conversation reveals who Jessie truly is, forcing Jesse to make a choice about Jessie’s importance.

Play #4: Headspace by Jacob Puestow, Directed by Rose Witthuhn

• CASTING:
  • Aaron: male, straight, high-functioning autistic, jazz composer, single, friends with Ivi, roommates with Rhett, 23
  • Miranda: female, straight, neurotypical, talk show host, married, 37
  • Ivi: nonbinary, bisexual, attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder, marine biologist, friends with Aaron, dating, 22
  • Rhett: male, straight, neurotypical, private fitness instructor, roommates with Aaron, 25
• INTIMACY NOTE: One platonic hug
• CONTENT WARNING: Strong language. Persons who are sensitive to light and/or sound may potentially be overstimulated.

Play #5: The Actor’s Nightmare by Christopher Durang, Directed by Alax Stylinson

• CASTING: 2m, 3f
• CONTENT NOTES: Potential for onstage costume changes without nudity (George); Kissing and slapping in the style of a soap opera (George, Sarah, Ellen)
• SYNOPSIS: Having casually wandered onstage, George is informed that one of the actors, Eddie, has been in an auto accident and he must replace him immediately. No one is sure of what play is being performed but George finds himself in the middle of a scene from Private Lives, surrounded by such luminaries as Sarah Siddons, Dame Ellen Terry and Henry Irving. As he fumbles through one missed cue after another the other actors shift to Hamlet, then a play by Samuel Beckett, and then a climactic scene from what might well be A Man for All Seasons. Yet, in the closing moments of the play, he rises to the occasion and finally says the right lines, where he is suddenly met with his imminent doom.

Play #6: 90 Days by Elizabeth Meriwether, Directed by Kenny Thompson

• CASTING: 1m, 1f
• CONTENT NOTES: explicit language, moaning by 1 character
• SYNOPSIS: Elliot is in rehab for drug addiction. When his girlfriend Abby calls to check in on him, their chat wanders from half-truth to miscommunication, with some awkward phone seduction mixed in. This short and funny staged phone call shows the first tentative steps towards fixing a relationship, starting with tater tots and a failed excuse for a teapot.

Play #7: Supernova by Bianca Sams, Directed by Audrey Soberg

• CASTING:
  • Lou Anne: 14-year-old girl on the autism spectrum
  • Mary: Mother of Lou Anne
• SYNOPSIS: Bianca Sams Supernova takes place in Lou Anne’s tree house whilst a party hosted by her mother Mary goes on inside their house. While the party is for her she is uninterested. Lou Anne seeks escape as she grasps with the doom of her upcoming treatment for cancer. Due to her special interest she looks to the stars and sees the parallels between them and her. Like her the stars are fragile and destined to die. Mary only wants to celebrate her daughter’s life, surround her with people who love her, and show her not all is lost. She can still shine and she might shine even brighter in the future.
• CONTENT NOTE: Play contains the flashing of a flashlight by Lou Anne, she portrays her emotions and focus this way. This might be triggering to some viewers.

Dance Piece: “Prey” – Choregraphed by Audrey Soberg

**AUDITIONS FOR THIS PIECE WILL BE HELD SEPERATELY (see below for details)**

Thursday, October 12^th 2-4pm in TH132 (Dance Studio). Please contact Choreographer Audrey Soberg (sobead20@uwgb.edu) directly if you are unable to attend the scheduled audition time.

• CASTING: 5 dancers, 1 specifically depicting an abuser
• SYNOPSIS: Prey is a dance piece about influence. The influence of community, an abuser, and an abused are the main focuses of this piece. Throughout the piece we will see an abused woman describe her plight and slowly bring the community on her side against her abuser. Yet while everyone is focused on her and the pain she went through, the abuser picks off another victim and the cycle still continues.
• CONTENT NOTE: This piece contains depiction of abuse and might be triggering to some viewers.

AUDITION SCHEDULE

October 14 – Jean Weidner Theatre

9:00am – Auditions start – all auditions will be in front of all directors. Cold-reading material will be available, but a prepared monologue may be used if so desired. Memorization is not expected or required. Please plan to arrive early if possible to check in and turn in all required paperwork.

10:00am – Callbacks Round One Begins – Supernova and Actors Nightmare (Studio One); When Angels Weep for My Soul and Stranger in My Place (JWT)

10:45am – Callbacks Round Two Begins – Headspace and 90 Days (JWT), Blue Ribbon Baby (Studio One)

11:30am – Auditions end

YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN ATTENDANCE FROM 9am THROUGH 11:30am.

If you are interested in auditioning but are unable to attend the scheduled audition, please submit a video audition to Production Manager Sera Shearer (shearers@uwgb.edu) no later that 9am on Saturday, October 14^th. Video auditions should include a one-minute monologue of the performer’s choice. Electronic audition and intimacy forms may also be submitted via email.

It is our intention to post a complete cast and crew list on the Theatre Hall callboard by Monday, October 16^th. ALL members of the One Act Festival company will be expected to contribute to the offstage needs of the productions. If you have questions or concerns, or would like more information about available Design/Crew positions, please contact Sera Shearer. A Crew Interest Form can also be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlxP33Zsp8_ZtenKtMrkVO_p3D_CRgcKZOt-QS01DQuPuOsQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Students participating in Theatre and Dance productions are required to register for Theatre 336 – Production Practicum: Performance for 1 credit hour.

Please contact Sera Shearer (shearers@uwgb.edu) with any questions or concerns regarding auditions.