THE OLD MEZZO – OPEN Auditions by Appointment
WAM Theatre (Lenox, MA) Special Appearance, Level 1, 250$/weekly, pending approval
Artistic Director: Kristen van Ginhoven
Writer: Susan Dworkin (World Premiere)
1st reh: 09/18. Runs: 10/12-10/28. Housing possible if needed. No transportation provided. Rehearsals will take place in Lee, MA. Performances are in Pittsfield, MA
OPEN Auditions by Appointment
Monday, August 13, 2012 at Spice Dragon/Upstairs
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM 297 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
For an appointment, contact Kristen at
info@wamtheatre.com or at 518-243-9627 between 10am-4pm M-F.
Equity and non-Equity actors without appointments will be seen as time permits.
Script and Sides information will be emailed to those auditioning. A reader will be provided at auditions.
Please bring picture/resume, stapled together to audition.
*Those auditioning for the students must be able to sing well enough to sing a few short selections from the opera repertoire during the play. Do not need to be opera singers by any means, but must be able to act the part well.
Seeking:
Sally/Pow
20-30s. Sally is among the oldest of Alyssa’s students. A soprano. She is sharp, experienced and critical. The actress who plays Sally also plays Pow (Pauletta Kripalova-Canti), Alyssa’s ambitious childhood best friend and an internationally acclaimed conductor.
Joe/Johannes:
20-30s. Joe is among Alyssa’s newest students. A tenor. He masks his insecurity with displays of power and charm. The actor who plays Joe also plays Johannes, Alyssa’s father, an aristocrat and a choir conductor of the highest esteem.
Marcy/Marcelle
20-30s. Marcy has been one of Alyssa’s students for awhile. An alto. She is enthusiastic, lighthearted and passionate about boys and music. The actress who plays Marcy also plays Marcelle, Alyssa’s mother, a peasant who has a weakness for musicians and food.
The following roles have been cast. Those auditioning may be considered for possible replacements if needed.
Billy/Louie/Captain Billy
20-30s CAST
Billy has been one of Alyssa’s students for awhile. A baritone. He is relaxed, easy going, casual and endearing. The actor who plays Billy also plays Louie, a piano tuner with whom Marcelle falls in love. Louie sings a song in the play. The actor also plays Captain Billy, an American music student who is a soldier in the war, with whom Alyssa falls in love in the play. In an ideal world, the actor playing Billy has some experience playing the piano.
Alyssa
(50-70′s): CAST
Alyssa is the old mezzo of the title. She is an internationally acclaimed opera star from Europe. The actress must be able to play as being between 60-70 in present day. Alyssa also plays herself at the ages of 11-22 in scenes in which she goes back to her past. She still carries herself with a regal, diva air. She is someone who was raised to be an apolitical entertainer, a diva, naive and egotistical. When suddenly faced with a sophisticated terrorist regime she must make decisions that alter the course of her life. She no longer sings and when she does, for a brief moment at the end of the play, it is with a small but still operatically delivered voice.
Videos
