For those of you who don't know me, my name is David Barnes, I am a senior Musical Theatre major, and I will be directing CLOSER for the second Basement slot of this season!
CLOSER follows the lives of four strangers, brought together by accident and fate, as they intertwine over the course of four and a half years. Through a series of snapshots, CLOSER takes a cold, hard look at modern love and betrayal. Set in London, the four characters go through a series of 'pass-the-lover scenes" where the quartet struggles with the many facets of love and the baggage that comes with it. Watch Alice, Anna, Dan, and Larry struggle to find the intimacy they crave, while still being incapable of getting closer.
ALICE:
A girl from the town. A waitress. A stripper. Some dance experience and/or flexibility would be ideal. 20's
DAN:
A man from the suburbs. A writer. 30's
LARRY:
A man from the city. A doctor. 30's-40's
ANNA:
A woman from the country. 30's
These characters are fully-fledged, emotional human beings, but they are also very versatile and can be approached from many different angles. I'm purposefully giving a sparse character description because I want to see what each of you can bring to the characters. Don't be right; be you.
Many of you are probably familiar with the play, either from acting class, the movie, or just reading it. It is an excellent work for actors, each part equally challenging and juicy. Due to its vignette set-up, each moment we see on stage isn't everyday life; it is the most heightened and climactic moments in this quartet's lives. This is an opportunity to delve into the true highs and lows of human emotion. I plan on having very little technical elements, letting the entire story be told by the actors and creative lighting- a la Brian Hill #comeseepiazza. The production will take place in the Acting for the Camera Studio and will be in the thrust.
We will be having auditions this Monday, January 11th, from 6:30-9 and callbacks directly after from approximately 9:00-11:00. Auditions will be housed in the Large Classroom. CLOSER auditions will be just down the hall from GRUESOME auditions so you will be able to run back and forth for auditions and/or callbacks.
Rehearsals begin Tuesday January 12th and performances are February 4th-6th.
The rehearsal schedule is tentatively Mondays- Fridays 7-11 and Saturdays 12-4. Once the production is cast, we may tweak the rehearsal schedule.
What to prepare: Please prepare a 1-2 minute dramatic monologue. There will be sides for callbacks. I will also ask you to show me your best British dialect. Please don't worry if you have no experience with dialects. We have an incredible dialect coach, Maddie Rouverol, who will work with the cast.
Attached below is the audition form as well as a copy of the script. I transcribed it myself so please notify me if there are embarrassing typos.
Please be aware that Closer conflicts with: Clybourne Park, Fortinbras, Dancing at Lughnasa, Map of Virtue, Big Fish, and Gruesome Playground Injuries
Reasons to audition:
- CLOSER is the 1998 Olivier Best New Play Winner #awards
- It's in the Acting for the Camera Studio so the spirit of Janet Maylie will bless you
- #thrust
- Dan Cantor told me to direct for Basement so...
- It's an incredible play and I plan on making the rehearsal room a safe and exhilarating playground for the actors to explore in
HERE IS THE DOODLE POLL TO SIGN UP FOR AUDITIONS. Please sign up for a time. However, if all the spots fill up or you don't sign up for some reason, please still come down and audition. You can still audition if you don't have a slot. We will fit everyone in.
I encourage you all to come out and audition. I believe this is a truly special piece of work and I look forward to embarking on this journey. Come learn and play with me!
Best,
David Barnes
