Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities
APPOINTMENTS
Visit https://arvadacenter.org/theatre/auditions for video submission guidelines.
CONTRACT
LORT Non-Rep Minimum - $717/wk
SEEKING
Experienced performers with strong acting abilities are needed. See breakdown.
INSTRUCTIONS
Please prepare 2 - two minute contrasting monologues to be submitted by video link (such as YouTube or Vimeo). A current headshot and résumé are required and a completed audition form. Visit https://arvadacenter.org/theatre/auditions for video submission guidelines and audition form.
Deadline: Sun, Apr 26, 2020
SUBMIT TO
ac_blackbox_auditions@arvadacenter.org.
PERSONNEL
The Woman in Black: Directed by Lynne Collins
A Flea in Her Ear: Directed by Lynne Collins
Animal Farm: Directed by Jessica Robblee
Mother of the Maid: Directed by Rick Barbour
OTHER DATES
Rehearsals for A Flea in Her Ear begin on 12/1/20. The production opens on 1/29/21, and runs through 5/23/21.
Rehearsals for Animal Farm begin on 12/8/20. The production opens on 2/19/21, and runs through 5/23/21.
Rehearsals for Mother of The Maid begin on 12/15/20. The production opens on 3/12/21 and runs through 5/23/21.
OTHER
Performances are Thursday through Saturday evenings with matinees on Wednesdays, Sundays, and some Saturdays for 5 - 6 shows per week. Some weekday student matinees may be added.
arvadacenter.org
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.
BREAKDOWN
The Woman in Black
Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the book by Susan Hill
Seeking: All Roles are cast.
A Flea in Her Ear
By Georges Feydeau, adapted by David Ives
Seeking:
VICTOR CHANDEBISE (Any ethnicity, male, 40-50) Victor is a somewhat reserved but very likeable man. He’s amiable enough but hasn’t much of a sense of humour. He is the classic placid, faithful, middle-aged comfortable husband who has lived the life of the bourgeois gentilhomme. His no-nonsense business savvy has provided a wealthy existence for him and his beautiful wife, but it’s a life without excitement. That is all about to change dramatically!
RAYMONDE CHANDEBISE (any ethnicity, female, 35-45) Elegant, charming, beautiful, scheming, jealous and not without her insecurities, Raymonde is everything a turn-of-the-century wife should be. Within the conservative confines of her home, Raymonde lives a tranquil and charmed life. But when she decides to mistrust her husband’s fidelity, this ‘flea in her ear’ drives her to take matters into her own hands, inciting utter chaos in her life!
DON CARLOS HOMENIDES DE HISTANGUA (any ethnicity, male, 40-50) The explosively fiery Spanish husband of Lucienne and a potential client of Chandebise’s insurance company, Histangua brings irrational and combustible meaning to the very idea of the hot-blooded, jealous Latin lover. Of the gamut of human emotions, he readily plays all of them with gusto, literally filling the stage every time he is on it!
LUCIENNE HOMENIDES DE HISTANGUA (any ethnicity, female, 35-45) Enchanting, charming and alluring she is also strong willed, fiery and mischievous. Raymonde’s oldest and dearest friend of Raymonde, Lucienne is her confidante and unintentionally her confederate in creating the chaos that invades her household. In the process, she inadvertently triggers the eruption that sends her impassioned husband scrambling for his pistols.
CAMILLE CHANDEBISE (any ethnicity, male, 20s) Camille lives in his Uncle Victor’s house and works as his secretary. Due to a rare speech disorder, he is only able to pronounce vowels – not consonants – that is until he uses a silver palate the doctor gives him. Good-hearted, good-natured, earnest and industrious, Camille is also adept at projecting an image of innocence and naiveté, an image that is exposed at a local hotel!
ANTOINETTE (any ethnicity, female, 25-35) The wife of the Chandebise household butler Etienne, Antoinette is the household cook. She is pert, saucy, sly, and every ounce a coquette – with everyone but her husband. The current object of her flirtatious attentions is Camille, and she seems determined not to let her marriage to Etienne disrupt her social life.
FERAILLON (any ethnicity, male, 40-55) The owner and manager of the Frisky Puss Hotel, he believes his hotel should be run with military precision and discipline. Indeed, he is a former sergeant-major; imposing, intimidating and humourless, he nevertheless has a warm spot in his heart for his troops – those who staff his disreputable hotel.
POCHE - A delightfully drunken and undisciplined ex-military bellman at the Frisky Puss Hotel, Poche is played by the same actor who plays Victor Chandebise.
FINACHE (any ethnicity, male, 45-60) The Chief medical examiner of Paris Life Insurance Company, Dr. Finache is an educated and witty man who is an old friend of the Chandebise family. While he is a medical doctor he also has some unconventional non-medical interests; he is one of the most dedicated rogues and libertines in Paris.
ROMAIN TOURNEL (any ethnicity, male, 35-45) Tournel is a charming and somewhat conceited business associate of Victor Chandebise. He fancies himself as quite a gigolo, but it’s clear that his pomade is too thick and his charm too thin.
ETIENNE (any ethnicity, male, 30-35) The pompous, egocentric and arrogant household butler for the Chandebise household, Etienne is a much better butler than he is a husband.
OLYMPIA (any ethnicity, female, 40-55) A woman with a past, Olympia is the devoted and loving wife of Feraillon with whom she runs the Frisky Puss Hotel.
EUGENIE (any ethnicity, female, mid 20s) The smart, pert and cheeky young upstairs maid at the Frisky Puss Hotel.
BAPTISTE (any ethnicity, male, 50-70) A harmless sot, Baptiste is an employee as old as the hotel who serves as an unusual decoy at it, ensuring the privacy of hotel patrons by confusing any ill-timed police raids.
RUGBY (any ethnicity, male, 40-70) An odd upper-class Englishman who is both frustrated and confused. A Monty Python-esque addition to the mad world of the Frisky Puss Hotel.
Animal Farm
By George Orwell adapted by Nelson Bond
Seeking:
STORYTELLER/SNOWBALL/MR.WHYMPER (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- A person seeking escape in the faerie story of Animal Farm
- A brave, intelligent, vivacious, inspiring, activist Pig full of ideas and conviction
- A deliciously weaselly businessperson who acts as a trade liaison between human farms and Animal Farm
SQUEALER/HEN (any ethnicity/gender identity)
- A ridiculous, smart, persuasive spinmaster of a pig, quick on his feet and even quicker with his alternative facts
- An earnest Hen with backbone
NAPOLEON (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- A pig of few words and a reputation for getting his own way, has strength and some charm
BOXER (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- An enormous horse as strong as any two ordinary horses put together, not of first-rate intelligence, universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work, a kind, straightforward sort.
CLOVER (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- A motherly mare, who notices everything and cares deeply, questions things, a wise soul with the guts to see and tell the truth.
JONES/OLD MAJOR/DOG/FREDERICK (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- The farmer who's always been a hard master, used to be capable at running the farm, but has fallen on evil days. Drinks heavily. Self-centered, weak-willed, at times thoughtless, at times vicious.
- An elder pig nearing the end of his life, respected by all the animals, unflinching speaker of truth, he wants far better lives for all the animals, founder of the Movement.
- A trained attack dog loyal to Napoleon.
- An unfriendly neighbor farmer known for coldness and cruelty to animals
COW/MOSES/PILKINGTON/DOG (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- A hotheaded cow in support of the Rebellion, a fighter.
- A tame raven and a colorful, clever talker, Moses preaches of a mountain in the sky to which all animals go when they die, the animals hate him for not doing any work but most of them believe in the mysterious afterlife he tells them about.
- The hot-and-cold neighbor farmer, sometimes charming, sometimes oozing with disregard.
- A trained attack dog loyal to Napoleon.
BENJAMIN (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- A donkey who is the oldest animal on the farm, taciturn, ill-tempered. Unlike the others, Benjamin is not inspired by the Rebellion, his skepticism is unflagging, as is his devotion to Boxer. He cares for the animals, but rarely keeps company with hope.
MOLLIE/MURIEL (any ethnicity/gender identity):
- An irresistibly silly white mare who cares very much for ribbons in her mane and sugar for snacks, Rebellion and sacrifice are not quite in her wheelhouse
- A smart goat who fights for the Rebellion passionately, maybe even blindly
Mother of the Maid
By Jane Anderson
Seeking:
ISABELLE ARC – Joan’s mother--Cast
JOAN ARC – The Maid
JACQUES ARC – Joan’s father
PIERRE ARC – Joan’s big brother
FATHER GILBERT – The family priest
LADY OF THE COURT – A well-meaning woman of privilege
THE COURT SCRIBE – May be played by actor playing FATHER GILBERT
CHAMBERLAIN – May be played by actor playing FATHER GILBERT
A PRISON GUARD – May be played by actor playing PIERRE
MONIQUE – The LADY OF THE COURT’s Chambermaid
AUTHOR’S NOTES
This is not intended to be a history play. I beg you to not treat it that way. No classical acting please. Play it intimate and funny and messy and real. And no need to take the medieval setting too literally. Keep it simple but keep it tactile. This is a world that swings between dirt floors and tapestries, sheep dung and glass cups. Feel free to be impressionistic and fluid with the sets.
Note on the Arc’s dialogue: in order to distinguish the Arcs from their upper class and educated counterparts, I’ve written the Arc’s dialogue in my own version of Peasant Speak (in a British version, the actors can play with a range of English accents that express class difference). The Arcs talk in the shorthand of people who labor all day and don’t care to waste their breath on unnecessary words: “A lotta burrs in the wool. Takin’ me all day to clean it. Dunno what you lettin’ those sheep get into.” Their way of talking is direct and plain and if you follow the rhythm built into the dialogue it will fall into place.
Equity’s contracts prohibit discrimination. Equity is committed to diversity and encourages all its employers to engage in a policy of equal employment opportunity designed to promote a positive model of inclusion. As such, Equity encourages performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, to submit.
Videos
