Beowulf Alley Holds Auditions on 3/13 for A PIECE OF MY HEART

Beowulf Alley Theatre will hold open auditions for A Piece of My Heart by Shirley Lauro at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress), on March 13, 2010 from noon until 4:30 p.m. Whitney Morton will direct this poignant chronicle of the women of the Vietnam War.

The true stories of six courageous women sent to Vietnam and their struggle to make sense of a war that irrevocably changed them and a nation that shunned them. A work with the music and soul of a tumultuous era in our history, full of shattered expectations,
desperate encounters, and the anguish of the war zone.

A Piece of My Heart has earned The Susan Blackburn Prize (Finalist) as Best English Language Play by a Woman, The Barbara Deming Prize for Women Playwrights, and The Kittredge Foundation Award. The Vietnam Vets of America, Inc. has cited the work as "the most enduring play in the nation on Vietnam."

...Shirley Lauro's ... play A PIECE OF MY HEART, is a catharsis as well as a coup de theatre...There have been a number of plays dealing with Vietnam...but none with the direct, emotional impact of Ms. Lauro's work...(she) has turned first hand impressions into a disturbing drama that evokes empathy for survivors as victims. -The New York Times
The audition will consist of a cold reading from the script. No appointment is necessary. Sides will be available at the time of arrival.

Rehearsals begin the week of April 12. Technical rehearsals begin May 20. Performances are

Friday, May 28, 7:30 p.m. - Preview Performance, Saturday, May 29, 7:30 p.m. - Opening Night with Reception, May 30, 2010 1:30 p.m. - Dialogues with... Sunday, following the performance plus Thursdays-Saturdays, June 3 - 5, June 10 - 12, 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, June 6 and June 13, 1:30 p.m.

Character descriptions are:
MARTHA: 22, later 42, nurse. Strong, self-composed, aura of self-discipline, military bearing, comes from an army family. Strong face, American, almost pioneer in feeling.
MARYJO: 17, later 37, an entertainer in an all-girl band. Pretty, outgoing, bubbly personality. Texas accent. Sexy, a funny comedienne quality, but sad inside. Must be skillful singer. Guitar-playing ability also preferred. Please prepare a few bars of a song for this character to be sung acapella, with their own backup music on CD, or (ideally!) with their own guitar.
SISSY: 20, later 40, a nurse. Sweet, feminine, outgoing. Sense of fun, also sense of harmony and warmth to personality.

WHITNEY: 21, later 41, a Red Cross girl. Tall, slender, withdrawn, contained, very aristocratic in bearing. A Vassar graduate.

LEEANN: 20-40, a nurse. Asian or possibly Latina, from New York. Attractive, strong, tough, determined, with an urban, hip quality.
STEELE: 35-55, an enlisted intelligence specialist. African-American, extremely strong, military bearing. Very intelligent, outgoing, great sense of humor. A pragmatist, Southern.

THE AMERICAN MEN: 18-60, one man playing various roles. Tall, All-American sort, versatile actor.

Email Whitney Morton at whitney.morton@gmail.com with questions or for more information.

Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, a 501 (c)(3) organization, is committed to enriching the community and enhancing appreciation of the arts through the production of innovative, invigorating theatre and theatrical education with the highest standards for acting and production. Equal and fair treatment will be provided to all participants regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status and/or marital status. Founded on the basis of dialogues with local theatre artists who wanted a permanent home to practice their craft, its intimate 95-seat theatre provides a facility that meets professional standards where performing artists, educators, and technicians can present their skills. Because Beowulf Alley engages a talent and volunteer pool that calls Tucson "home" for its productions, the Theatre is committed to helping grow a new generation of Tucson talent with its programs including education for adults and youth, late night theatre to experiment with and gain experience, readers theatre for playwrights' unpublished works, lunchtime theatre to bring art to the workday and screenings of independent film artists. And true to its roots, the Theatre maintains ongoing dialogues with the community, including Dialogues with theatergoers after the first Sunday matinee performance of each of its main stage plays, at Readers' Theatre nights, and other presentations, providing an opportunity for theatergoers to discuss the plays with the director and artists. Writers who cover the Tucson arts scene say the Theatre provides its audiences with "the best total package"-plays, performances and productions that are high in artistic and technical quality. Beowulf Alley has received critical acclaim, including two Mac Awards and nin MAC nominations. The company has presented over 375 performances to Tucson audiences since 2002 and has served hundreds of theatre artists. The theater also provides performance and rehearsal space for other Tucson theater companies. For more information, log on to www.beowulfalley.org. Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the Tucson Pima Arts Council, the Janet S. Brunel Residuary Trust, and our business sponsors.