May 10-12 in Newton North's Little Theatre
Director: Meghan Kenny
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS: Please prepare a 1-2 minute Shakespearean monologue (no sonnets, please). It may be a selection from Twelfth Night.Take risks; your performance does not need to fit withinthe context of the play it comes from. Make it your own. Choose a piece you really love. Commit to your decisions. Know the meaning of the words.
ON THE DAY OF YOUR AUDITION: Arrive a few minutes before your time slot with your forms already filled out.Check in and have your photo taken.Stretch, warm-up your voice, and do a few tongue twisters!
CALLBACKS: The callback list will be available at the callboards and online by Wednesday, February 29th.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
Orsino: A Duke is in love with his rich and powerful neighbor, Olivia. He struggles to gain Olivia's attention and later he falls in love with Viola, who is disguised as male.
Viola: A young woman who, after surviving a ship wreck, disguises herself as a page in order to survive. "He" gets a job as a page to Duke Orsino. When disguised as a male her name is Cesario.
Olivia: Having recently gone into mourning over the loss of her brother, this Countess ignores the advances of her neighbor, Duke Orsino, but falls in love with the disguised Viola, thinking he is a man.
Sebastian: Viola's Twin brother who, unbeknownst to Viola, survives the shipwreck.
Valentine: Attendant of Duke Orsino.
Curio: Attendant of Duke Orsino.
Sir Toby Belch: Olivia's Uncle.
Fabian: Olivia's servant.
Maria: Olivia's handmaiden.
Antonio: A sea captain and friend of Sebastian.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek: Suitor of Olivia.
Malvolio: Olivia's Steward who thinks she is in love with him.
Feste: The Clown and servant of Olivia.
Sea Captain: Viola's friend.
Lords & LadiesPriestsSailorsOfficersMusiciansAttendants
PLOT SUMMARY*
Orsino, the Duke of lllyria, is in love with his neighbour, the Countess Olivia. She has sworn to avoid men's company for seven years while she mourns the death of her brother, so she rejects Orsino. Nearby a group of sailors arrive on shore with a young woman, Viola, who has survived a shipwreck in a storm at sea. Viola mourns the loss of her twin brother but decides to dress as a boy to get work as a page to Duke Orsino. Despite his rejection Orsino sends his new page Cesario (Viola in disguise) to woo Olivia on his behalf. Viola goes unwillingly as she has already fallen in love at first sight with the duke. Olivia is attracted by the ëboyí and she sends her pompous steward, Malvolio, after him with a ring. Oliviaís uncle, Sir Toby Belch, her servant Maria, and Sir Tobyís friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who is also hoping to woo Olivia, and is being led on by Sir Toby, who is trying to fleece him of his money, all plot to expose the self-love of Malvolio. By means of a false letter they trick him into thinking his mistress Olivia loves him. Malvolio appears in yellow stockings and cross-garters, smiling as they have told him to in the letter. Unaware of the trick the Countess is horrified and has Malvolio shut up in the dark as a madman. Meanwhile Violaís twin brother, Sebastian, who has also survived the shipwreck, comes to Illyria. His sea-captain friend, Antonio, is a wanted man for piracy against Orsino. The resemblance between Cesario and Sebastian leads the jealous Sir Andrew to challenge Cesario to a duel. Antonio intervenes to defend Cesario whom he thinks is his friend Sebastian, and is arrested. Olivia has in the meantime met and become betrothed to Sebastian. Cesario is accused of deserting both Antonio and Olivia when the real Sebastian arrives to apologise for fighting Sir Toby. Seeing both twins together, all is revealed to Olivia. Orsinoís fool, Feste, brings a letter from Malvolio and on his release the conspirators confess to having written the false letter. Malvolio departs promising revenge. Maria and Sir Toby have married in celebration of the success of their device against the steward.The play ends as Orsino welcomes Olivia and Sebastian and, realising his own attraction to Cesario, he promises that once she is dressed as a woman again they, too, will be married.
***************
South Stage and Theatre Ink are proud to claim one of the longest running Shakespeare performance programs for high school students in the United States. South Stage and North's Theatre Ink have been collaborating to produce Shakespeare for 29 years, flying in the face of popular mythologies about "rivalry" between the two schools. In sports, maybe. On stage, definitely not. Few high school theatre programs prioritize Shakespeare every year; fewer still collaborate with a sister school, mixing casts and crews. Newton has been doing both for more than a quarter century.
South Stage initiated the collaboration with Shakespeare & Company and Newton North in the 1982-83 school year. Performing in both schools, working with a combined cast from North and South, Kevin Coleman, Education Director of Shakespeare & Company, launched Romeo and Juliet, the first in an unbroken line of Shakespeare collaborations which have challenged students, delighted audiences, generated friendships, brought North and South together in a common enterprise, and fostered interest in theatre across town. As a result, hundreds of Newton students have rehearsed and performed Shakespeare, worked with professional directors, made friends in both Newton high schools, discovered the power that lies in their voice, and explored the depth, power, and muscularity of Shakespeare's text. Literally thousands have witnessed this remarkable process from the audience.
As dozens of professional directors have shown us since 1983, "Shakespeare is the Olympics for actors." Shakespeare's text demands a combined physical, emotional, intellectual, and vocal commitment beyond that of modern plays or musicals. It is Shakespeare & Company's specific belief that combining disciplined, sustained voice work with Shakespeare does more than bring Shakespeare alive for students; it aims at bringing students alive to the human possibilities within themselves as they confront Shakespeare's text. As Kevin Coleman writes, "Adolescence is most like the Renaissance. We seldom repeat its intensity and extremity, its excitement and its pain. What better material, what better "script" to put into the hands of adolescents than Shakespeare? The accuracy with which he reveals our thoughts and feelings, our human nature, teaches who and what we are, and consequently what we may become. In the truest sense of the word, he educates."
ON THE DAY OF YOUR AUDITION: Arrive a few minutes before your time slot with your forms already filled out.Check in and have your photo taken.Stretch, warm-up your voice, and do a few tongue twisters!
CALLBACKS: The callback list will be available at the callboards and online by Wednesday, February 29th.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
Orsino: A Duke is in love with his rich and powerful neighbor, Olivia. He struggles to gain Olivia's attention and later he falls in love with Viola, who is disguised as male.
Viola: A young woman who, after surviving a ship wreck, disguises herself as a page in order to survive. "He" gets a job as a page to Duke Orsino. When disguised as a male her name is Cesario.
Olivia: Having recently gone into mourning over the loss of her brother, this Countess ignores the advances of her neighbor, Duke Orsino, but falls in love with the disguised Viola, thinking he is a man.
Sebastian: Viola's Twin brother who, unbeknownst to Viola, survives the shipwreck.
Valentine: Attendant of Duke Orsino.
Curio: Attendant of Duke Orsino.
Sir Toby Belch: Olivia's Uncle.
Fabian: Olivia's servant.
Maria: Olivia's handmaiden.
Antonio: A sea captain and friend of Sebastian.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek: Suitor of Olivia.
Malvolio: Olivia's Steward who thinks she is in love with him.
Feste: The Clown and servant of Olivia.
Sea Captain: Viola's friend.
Lords & LadiesPriestsSailorsOfficersMusiciansAttendants
PLOT SUMMARY*
Orsino, the Duke of lllyria, is in love with his neighbour, the Countess Olivia. She has sworn to avoid men's company for seven years while she mourns the death of her brother, so she rejects Orsino. Nearby a group of sailors arrive on shore with a young woman, Viola, who has survived a shipwreck in a storm at sea. Viola mourns the loss of her twin brother but decides to dress as a boy to get work as a page to Duke Orsino. Despite his rejection Orsino sends his new page Cesario (Viola in disguise) to woo Olivia on his behalf. Viola goes unwillingly as she has already fallen in love at first sight with the duke. Olivia is attracted by the ëboyí and she sends her pompous steward, Malvolio, after him with a ring. Oliviaís uncle, Sir Toby Belch, her servant Maria, and Sir Tobyís friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who is also hoping to woo Olivia, and is being led on by Sir Toby, who is trying to fleece him of his money, all plot to expose the self-love of Malvolio. By means of a false letter they trick him into thinking his mistress Olivia loves him. Malvolio appears in yellow stockings and cross-garters, smiling as they have told him to in the letter. Unaware of the trick the Countess is horrified and has Malvolio shut up in the dark as a madman. Meanwhile Violaís twin brother, Sebastian, who has also survived the shipwreck, comes to Illyria. His sea-captain friend, Antonio, is a wanted man for piracy against Orsino. The resemblance between Cesario and Sebastian leads the jealous Sir Andrew to challenge Cesario to a duel. Antonio intervenes to defend Cesario whom he thinks is his friend Sebastian, and is arrested. Olivia has in the meantime met and become betrothed to Sebastian. Cesario is accused of deserting both Antonio and Olivia when the real Sebastian arrives to apologise for fighting Sir Toby. Seeing both twins together, all is revealed to Olivia. Orsinoís fool, Feste, brings a letter from Malvolio and on his release the conspirators confess to having written the false letter. Malvolio departs promising revenge. Maria and Sir Toby have married in celebration of the success of their device against the steward.The play ends as Orsino welcomes Olivia and Sebastian and, realising his own attraction to Cesario, he promises that once she is dressed as a woman again they, too, will be married.
***************
South Stage and Theatre Ink are proud to claim one of the longest running Shakespeare performance programs for high school students in the United States. South Stage and North's Theatre Ink have been collaborating to produce Shakespeare for 29 years, flying in the face of popular mythologies about "rivalry" between the two schools. In sports, maybe. On stage, definitely not. Few high school theatre programs prioritize Shakespeare every year; fewer still collaborate with a sister school, mixing casts and crews. Newton has been doing both for more than a quarter century.
South Stage initiated the collaboration with Shakespeare & Company and Newton North in the 1982-83 school year. Performing in both schools, working with a combined cast from North and South, Kevin Coleman, Education Director of Shakespeare & Company, launched Romeo and Juliet, the first in an unbroken line of Shakespeare collaborations which have challenged students, delighted audiences, generated friendships, brought North and South together in a common enterprise, and fostered interest in theatre across town. As a result, hundreds of Newton students have rehearsed and performed Shakespeare, worked with professional directors, made friends in both Newton high schools, discovered the power that lies in their voice, and explored the depth, power, and muscularity of Shakespeare's text. Literally thousands have witnessed this remarkable process from the audience.
As dozens of professional directors have shown us since 1983, "Shakespeare is the Olympics for actors." Shakespeare's text demands a combined physical, emotional, intellectual, and vocal commitment beyond that of modern plays or musicals. It is Shakespeare & Company's specific belief that combining disciplined, sustained voice work with Shakespeare does more than bring Shakespeare alive for students; it aims at bringing students alive to the human possibilities within themselves as they confront Shakespeare's text. As Kevin Coleman writes, "Adolescence is most like the Renaissance. We seldom repeat its intensity and extremity, its excitement and its pain. What better material, what better "script" to put into the hands of adolescents than Shakespeare? The accuracy with which he reveals our thoughts and feelings, our human nature, teaches who and what we are, and consequently what we may become. In the truest sense of the word, he educates."
