Dorset Theatre Festival
CANCELLED
**Out of an abundance of caution, the producers have chosen to cancel this EPA audition for the safety of our members and everyone involved. These EPAs will not be rescheduled. They will be accepting video audition submissions in lieu of the EPAs. A separate notice for video submissions will be posted
with submission information.**
AUDITION DATES
Sat, Mar 21, 2020
9:00 am - 5:00 pm (EDT)
Lunch 12pm to 1pm
Sun, Mar 22, 2020
9:00 am - 5:00 pm (EDT)
Lunch 12pm to 1pm
APPOINTMENTS
Contact Will Rucker, Producing Director at casting@dorsettheatrefestival.org or by phone Tuesday-Friday 12pm-4pm at (802) 867-2223 ext. 100
CONTRACT
SPT $354 or $546 (rate effective through 6/7/2020)
SEEKING
Equity actors for the 2020 Season.
PREPARATION
Please bring a 1-3 minute monologue of your choice, contemporary or classical. Bring picture and resume.
LOCATION
Dorset Playhouse
104 Cheney Rd
Dorset, VT 05251-0519
Enter through Box Office Door
PERSONNEL
Expected to be in attendance: Dina Janis, Artistic Director, Will Rucker, Producing Director
OTHER
Pursuant to the terms of a concession made to this employer's agreement, the employer has agreed that any Equity member who attends this call will have an opportunity to be seen.
An Equity Monitor will not be provided. The producer will run all aspects of audition.
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 attend every audition.
Always bring your Equity Membership card to auditions.
BREAKDOWN
Main Stage Season
Performances are Wednesdays through Sundays with 5 to 6 performances per week.
THE 39 STEPS
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
From the book by John Buchan
From the movie by Alfred Hitchcock
Licensed by ITV Global Entertainment Limited
And an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon
Directed by Jess McLeod
First Rehearsal:Tuesday, June 9, 2020
First Tech: Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Preview: Thursday, June 25, 2020
Opening: Friday, June 26, 2020
Closing: Saturday, July 11, 2020
Richard Hannay – Male, 30-44, any ethnicity, upper-class Englishman; handsome, square-jawed leading man, who is quite aware of how attractive he is; back in London after a time abroad with enough money to keep him idle; he’s bored stiff; a chance meeting at a West End show with Annabella Schmidt, a beautiful European woman on the run from spies, leads to Richard being framed for her murder; he goes on the run, one step ahead of the police, to try to clear his name and stop a spy ring from taking government secrets out of the country. The actor playing this role will not play any other roles. English accent.
Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret – Female, 20-34, any ethnicity; one actress will play all three roles. PAMELA: the classic Hitchcock leading lady; beautiful, stylish, warm, intelligent, and feisty; she meets Richard by accident on a train as he is trying to escape from the police; unwillingly, she becomes caught up in his life and escape, sure he is a homicidal murderer until she eventually realizes he is telling the truth and falls in love with him as well; English accent. ANNABELLA SCHMIDT: a mysterious Russian beauty, à la Garbo, being pursued by spies; an agent in a life-or-death game of espionage that she unfortunately loses; she is murdered in Richard’s apartment before finishing her mission; Russian accent. MARGARET: a fresh and innocent Scottish farmwife, married to an older, cold, and abusive man, living in the middle of nowhere; thrilled when Richard stumbles across their farm; she helps him in any way she can, no matter the consequences; Scottish accent.
Clown 1 - any ethnicity, A superb comic character actor who will play many roles, male and female, with ages ranging from teens to sixties. Roles include but are not limited to: MR. MEMORY: a West End music hall performer, whose act consists of knowing the answer to any question asked; his involvement in the espionage plot does not become apparent until the end of the show; Cockney accent. CROFTER: a Scottish tenant farmer, married to Margaret; cold, suspicious, and a bully, he is abusive to his wife and betrays his promise to help Richard; Scottish accent. MRS. JORDAN: Professor Jordan’s wife; she is an upper-class Brit, seemingly warm and helpful; English accent. MR. McGARRIGLE: runs a country hotel with his wife; sweet if a bit dim; Scottish accent.
Clown 2 – Same as Clown 1. any ethnicity
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THIRST
By Ronán Noone
Directed by Theresa Rebeck
First Rehearsal: Tuesday, June 30, 2020
First Tech: Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Preview: Thursday, July 16, 2020
Opening: Friday, July 17, 2020
Closing: Saturday, August 1, 2020
Bridget Conroy (40’s,50’s) Caucasian female - The cook, and the First Girl, is in her cook’s uniform when we meet her. She is proud to be surviving in America, but you can’t say she is passionate about her job, and she understands she is slipping into spinsterhood here. She has accepted this with a stoic reluctance, but she can be fiery, hot-headed.
- She could be beautiful but is afraid to admit it any more. It is obvious she is older than Cathleen, but it is her experience, years in America, and a life alert to any threat to her survival that has kept her on edge. This tension, along with the fact that she has decided to repress herself sexually, creates conflict in Bridget.
- She feels removed from her home, Ireland, but for reasons the play may answer, she has never been able to put down roots in America, and this displacement leaves her stranded at times, isolated even.
- She carries a visible weight. Anytime those feelings come through she makes up for it by replacing soft emotion with a sometimes tight-lipped dispassion. Yet she is still warm, sharp, playful and comic in her sarcasm. She enjoys that skill.
- She has picked up a penchant for “the drink” which, obviously affects her mood and informs her nature throughout the day. The guilty paradox of prayer and drinking is not unusual to an Irish soul, or a lonely soul, or any conflicted soul, be it male or female.
Cathleen Mullin (22) Caucasian female - The Second Girl. She is far from stupid and resents anyone talking down to her. Although she understands the duties of her low station, she begrudgingly plays the part of the ingratiating Irish charmer, complete with volubility and forthright dark humor.
- She is a proud, confident girl and considers her sojourn in America an adventure and not a permanent relocation. She is spirited and passionate and takes pleasure in being the only person in the household who carries no burden or, at least, it seems so. She despises the constant whining and desperation to make sense of each other that the Tyrones seem to display.
- She prefers to live in the moment and rarely invokes the past. She wants to learn everything and soak up the excitement of this new place, America, like a sponge. She casts a cold eye on Bridget’s moralizing and her awkward subservience to the Tyrones. Cathleen has seen enough of the Irish bending in front of someone. She never intends to bend. She will live her life on her= terms. All of this strut and confidence is based on the idea that she will return home someday soon, a rich girl, her head held high, and she doesn’t mind looking down on all those who never believed in her.
- She is ambitious, a dreamer, and a would be actress who loves playing a role or the chance to play one. Any chance she gets to show off or to declaim her lines she takes it. She enjoys the playful repartee with Jack and Bridget when the opportunity presents itself.
Jack Smythe (Similar in age to Bridget) Any ethnicity - The Chauffeur. He is a handsome American man with a face that has a lived-in look. A man who is aware of his own shortcomings as well as his virtues, he has had his fair share of disappointments, but he is finding his way back. He is learning to accept the struggle life presents. He has a strong personality and is a good counter to Bridget’s indignation. He deals with life as a challenge and not as a step towards submission. This is something he has come to realize only recently. And today he makes that clear. He is good-natured, and when his heart is captured he pursues and persists which gives his speech a sense of urgency. Still he is vividly aware of how fragile we are and how finite our time.
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HOWARDS END
Based on the novel by E.M. Forster
Adapted by Caroline Hewitt
Created by Autumn Dornfeld and Caroline Hewitt
Directed by Jackson Gay
First Rehearsal: Tuesday, July 21, 2020
First Tech: Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Preview: Thursday, August 6, 2020
Opening: Friday, August 7, 2020
Closing: Saturday, August 22, 2020
Actor 1 - CAST
Actor 2 - CAST
Actor 3 - Male; plays Henry Wilcox, Aunt Juley and sometimes Mrs. Wilcox. Any ethnicity.
HENRY WILCOX - (45-65), a man who has never had a moment of self-doubt in his life. “He was so sure that it was a very pleasant world.” Extremely practical and quite wealthy. Not unattractive, but not an obvious hero. Self-contained, stereotypically British. RP dialect, leaning towards fancy. AUNT JULEY MUNT- (50-60) Sister of the Schlegels’ mother who died giving birth to Tibby, lives in Swanage, by the sea. As kind as she can be within her busybody persona. Upper middle class. Aunt Juley definitely has moments of providing comic relief, but she should also be deeply human. RP dialect.
Actor 4 - Male; plays Leonard Bast, Paul Wilcox, Tibby, Doctor and sometimes Mrs. Wilcox. Any ethnicity. LEONARD BAST - (20s) He feels a yearning for the artistic, and takes joy in working to cultivate that side of himself. Honor bound to Jacky, an older prostitute he fell in love with and promised to marry. Someone you immediately want to take care of. There is a spark of the dashing poet in him. North country dialect. PAUL WILCOX- (23, later 27) Fresh out of University and full of ideas. Fancies himself a romantic but is much more like his father and brother than he might admit. Patriotic to a fault. RP dialect, leaning towards fancy. TIBBY SCHLEGEL- (ages from 17-21). Younger brother to the Schlegel sisters who would be very content to sit in a corner and read for the rest of his life. Has allergies and enjoys food. Despite his lack of desire to work at anything, ultimately he always does have his sisters’ backs. RP dialect. DOCTOR MANSBRIDGE- (40) Expert on “madness” hired by Henry Wilcox. Somewhat forbidding and scary, not at all interested in Margaret’s perspective about Helen.
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NATIVE GARDENS
By Karen Zacarias
Directed by Jade King Carroll
First Rehearsal: Tuesday, August 11, 2020
First Tech: Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Preview: Thursday, August 27, 2020
Opening: Friday, August 28, 2020
Closing: Saturday, September 5, 2020
Tania Del Valle – Latina or Hispanic Female, mid-20-30s; smart, likeable, positive, passionate, highly-energized, pregnant, PhD candidate and gardener, born and raised in New Mexico, and speaks little Spanish.
Pablo Del Valle – Latino or Hispanic Male, 25-40; smart, likeable, ambitious, savvy young attorney, Cuban, and fluent in Spanish and English.
Virginia Butley – Caucasian Female, 60-mid-70s; smart, likeable, assertive, direct, and a no-nonsense engineer.
Frank Butley – Caucasian Male, 60-mid-70s; smart, likeable, excitable, caring, detail-oriented federal employee and gardener.
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The Pipeline Series of Staged Readings
Performances on Tuesday, July 7, Sunday, July 26, and Tuesday, August 18
Pipeline #1: THE TRAVEL WRITER
By Daisy Foote
Directed by Evan Yionoulis
First Rehearsal: Thursday, July 2, 2020
Opening/Closing: Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Margaret London - A youthful 75.
Charlie London - A youthful 76.
Holly Barnes - A youthful 85.
Teddy London - Margaret and Charlie's 46-year-old son.
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Pipeline #2: MIDWIVES
By Chris Bohjalian
Directed by Lisa Rothe
First Rehearsal: Thursday, July 23, 2020
Opening/Closing: Sunday, July 26, 2020
Sibyl Danforth – Caucasian Female, 40-59; she has “caught” hundreds of babies during her long career as a midwife; a professional, she takes great pride in her work; no nonsense, tough, willing to follow her moral compass at all costs; fiercely compassionate, protective of her family and her patients; cut from the cloth of the free love movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s, she is ultimately a pacifist whose judgment and belief system are challenged.
Connie Danforth – Caucasian Female, able to play mid-teens; Sybil and Rand’s daughter; precocious, studious, inquisitive; she is supportive and intrigued by her Mother’s profession but does not have an interest in pursuing it herself; she is clever, loyal, willing to break the rules to help her family; may serve as the narrator for portions of the play.
Anne Austin – Caucasian Female, mid-20s; Sybil’s assistant; as with all of Sybil’s assistants, she becomes a part of the Danforth family; she is new to the practice and has participated in only a handful of home births; she is eager to learn and to prove herself; seemingly loyal, she is unable to stay calm under pressure and turns on Sybil; has everyone’s best interests at heart, but her inexperience often makes her unable to see the bigger picture.
Charlotte Fugett Bedford – African-American Female, 30-35; a preacher’s wife, she is pregnant and goes into labor under Sybil’s care; a devoted mother; she is eager to experience the birth of her second child comfortably at home; her relationship to her religion and God are important to her; she is isolated as one of the only black women in their rural Vermont town and her husband’s new congregation; Sybil is one of her only friends; she is kind hearted, physically slight and fragile.
Asa Bedford – African-American Male, 35-39; a preacher who has inherited a largely white congregation in a small Vermont town; insecure about the prospect of a home birth, and perhaps birth in general; he is meek and mild-mannered, a man of faith, a doting and loving husband and father.
Stephen Hastings – Caucasian Male, mid 30s; a lawyer; eloquent and precise; he is a consummate defense lawyer who is an expert at developing a sound argument; not afraid to get his hands dirty in the course of representing a client.
Bill Tanner - Caucasian, mid 40s; a lawyer; experienced, hard-working; he is talented at his profession; puts his job and his reputation above any moral scruples.
Rand Danforth – Caucasian Male, 45-49; Sybil’s husband and Connie’s father; extremely accepting and supportive of Sybil’s career; a bit of a goofball at times; when his wife’s life is thrown in disarray, he tries to remain strong and stalwart, but sometimes his concern comes through as anger or desperation; wary of the law and concerned that his wife is being given unfair treatment.
Judge Howard Dorset/Dr. Terry Tierney – Caucasian Male, mid-50s; JUDGE: a long-time judge; he is practical and fair; he is good friends with both lawyers involved in the case, but he easily puts aside personal relationships in favor of a fair ruling. DOCTOR: the chief medical examiner for the state of Vermont for 15 years; an expert witness for the prosecution; opinionated and proud of his medical expertise; he does not believe home births are a suitable option, an opinion held by many medical professionals at the time.
Pipeline #3: TO BE ANNOUNCED
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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 audition.
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