WHEATON DRAMA ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR QUARTET
BY RONALD HARWOOD
Director, Toria Hollyn, announces upcoming auditions for the inspiring, heart-filled and funny play QUARTET to be held at Playhouse 111, 111 N. Hale Street in Wheaton, IL 60187.
This show is cast with seniors about senior opera artists. Please consider that we are looking for opera singers that may pass for 70+ years. Singing is not done in this production, however, you will be expected to learn to lip-sync a recording. All interested in auditioning should prepare using the sides from the script. We will be looking for this to be performed with British accents. Therefore, we will want to hear accents at the auditions.
Description of the Play: Retired opera singers Cecily, Reggie, and Wilfred reside in a retirement home for musicians in Kent, England. Each year, on the tenth of October, the residents perform in a concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday. Jean, a Grande Dame of opera and ex-wife of Reggie, arrives at the home and disturbs their balance. The touching and poignant comedy explores these aging former stars as they come to terms with physical and mental deterioration and maintaining relevance.
Auditions
Saturday, January 9, 2016, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 10, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
If needed, callbacks will be Tuesday, January 12, 2016, at 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Alternate Wednesday, January 13, 2016, 7-10pm (snow date)
Performance dates are: March 18th – April 3rd on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The Featured Performers Are:
Wilfred Bond (baritone): An easy-going artistic sort with a bawdy sense of humor. He hides behind comedy to avoid the reality of growing old. Full of teasing and taunting but fiercely protective of his former colleagues.
Reginald Paget (tenor): A dapper and dignified gentleman who takes pride in his appearance. He is an intellectual writing his biography and searching for the meaning of art. Very bitter, he has never gotten over Jean walking out of their marriage.
Cecily Robson (mezzo): Kind soul suffering the very early stages of dementia, forgetting things as well as mixing up her memories with reality. Buxom but innocent-appearing. She has a real fear of being sent away to a home that caters to dementia. She is the driving force of positiveness and often provides the comic relief.
Jean Horton (soprano): “The Grande Dame” of opera feels the sting of her fall from grace to end her days in a charity home. The demanding former diva is selfish, has no filter, and lacks empathy. Now frail and scared, her refusal to participate in the Verdi celebration forces her to come to terms with her past.
Audition Requirements:
The audition sides will be provided by sending your e-mail request.
The sides used are the following:
Page 8 Wilf’s first line – Page 11 Wilf’s line: bloody foreigners
Page 17 Reggie’s monologue
Page 18 Wilf’s monologues
Page 24 Cissy’s monologue
Page 38 Jean’s first line – Page 41 end of scene
Page 46 Jean’s entrance – Page 49 Cissy’s line: I expect she’s missing sunnier climes.
Page 52 Jean’s monologue
Please prepare one verse and chorus of an aria, art song, or musical theatre selection to lip sync at auditions. Please bring your CD or mp3 player track with vocals and music; we will provide equipment with which to play the CD. However, no singing is required for auditions or performances.
We will be looking for this to be performed with British accents. Therefore, we will want to hear them at the auditions.
Audition Headshots: A photographer will be available to take your head shot at the audition if you do not have one. Questions can be addressed to – quartet.wdi@gmail.com
