Auditions for Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare, Last Act Theatre Company, August 20

Received directly from

Audition notice for

Last Act Theatre Company’s production of Titus Andronicus

The Last Act Theatre Company is audtitioning on August 20 and 21 for all roles for its upcoming production of Titus Andronicus . LATco. encourages actors of all age ranges and ethnicities to audition. Rehearsals begin September 6^th and the show runs October 20^th-30^th.

NOTE: This production deals with mature subject matter, including violence and rape, and will involve some intense fight choreography.

Roles:

Titus Andronicus – Roman general beloved by the people for his noble sacrifices over many years. His strict adherence to tradition leads him to make a series of unfortunate choices, spawning a cycle of revenge that makes up the action of the play. As the tragic protagonist of the play, Titus is both victim and perpetrator.

Marcus Andronicus – Titus’s brother and stalwart companion throughout the play. He is the voice of reason and stoicism amidst a whirlwind of violence and madness.

Lucius – Titus’s last surviving son. Over the course of the play he betrays his father, is exiled from Rome, raises a Goth army, and returns to pick up the pieces of a fractured nation.

Aaron – A Moor (Elizabethan term for a person of north or west African descent), and Tamora’s lover. His evil machinations spur much of the action of the play, but his cruelty is tempered by flashes of humanity, such as the affection he shows for his newborn son.

Tamora – Queen of the Goths, and then Queen of Rome after Saturninus weds her. She thus obtains the power to take revenge on Titus for executing her son Alarbus.

Lavinia – Titus’ only daughter. She is betrothed to Bassianus, but is coveted by Saturninus, as well as by Chiron and Demetrius who will eventually rape and disfigure her, leaving her mute and without hands.

Note: This role involves a scene of sexual assault. No nudity is required, and the actual rape does not take place onstage, but the actress should be prepared to tackle the intense subject matter. See contact info below for questions regarding the role.

Saturninus – The eldest son of the late emperor who inherits the throne by receiving the endorsement of Rome’s beloved general, Titus. He is an impetuous ruler, quickly taking the queen of Rome’s enemies as his bride and allowing her free reign to terrorize the Andronici.

Bassianus – The second son of the late emperor, and the ruler Rome should have had, if not for Titus’s endorsement of his brother, Saturninus. He sparks the wrath of both men by fleeing the palace with Lavinia, to whom he is betrothed.

Chiron and Demetrius – The ruthless sons of Tamora, who mercilessly rape and mutilate Lavinia.

Note: These roles involve a scene of sexual assault. No nudity is required, and the actual rape does not take place onstage, but the actors should be prepared to tackle the intense subject matter. See contact info below for questions regarding the roles.

Aemilius – A noble Roman and loyal servant to the throne. The actor playing this role will also play Alarbus and several other small roles.

Martius and Quintus – Two of Titus’s sons falsely accused for the murder of Bassianus. The actors playing these parts will also play several other small roles.

Mutius – One of Titus’s sons, killed by his father when he defends Bassianus’s right to Lavinia. The actor playing this part will also play several other small roles.

Nurse – A servant of the queen who bravely, and foolishly, brings Aaron his and Tamora’s illegitimate son. The actor playing this role will also play several other small roles.

Auditions will be held Saturday, August 20^th from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday August 21^st from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at Manos de Cristo: 4911 Harmon Avenue, Austin, TX 78751. Callbacks will be held on Wednesday, August 24^th from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the same location.

Please submit a headshot and resume. You may submit an electronic headshot and resume in lieu of bringing a hard copy to the audition. Auditioners will be supplied with sides by email in advance of the audition. Please arrive at the beginning of the audition time and be prepared to stay for the duration. If you are not able to arrive until later, or if you cannot make any of these audition dates, please let us know the time when you will be arriving or of another way we may be able to accommodate you. Additional info about The Last Act Theatre Company can be found at lastacttheater.com

To Schedule Audition, Contact: Sara Billeaux – sbilleaux@gmail.com

Arts Reporting: The Bard of Winedale by Kurt Wilson, Roundtop Register

Background on Shakespeare in Winedale with an interview of program director Dr. James Loehlin and program coordinator Liz Fisher, republished by permission from

The Bard of Winedale

by Kurt Wilson

Four decades ago, two events added immeasurably to the cultural riches of Fayette County. James Dick held a classical music concert in Round Top (please see our previous issue) that was the genesis of Festival Hill, and Dr. James Ayres founded Shakespeare at Winedale. Both of these projects were encouraged and supported by Miss Ima Hogg. The similarity does not end there. Like Festival Hill, Shakespeare at Winedale has flourished and expanded its mission well beyond its beginnings. In addition to furnishing University of Texas students a chance to learn about Shakespeare through performing some of his plays before an audience, the program now runs Camp Shakespeare, a two week program wherein ten to sixteen year olds get to perform scenes from the plays for their fellows and, finally, for an audience. The emphasis for the children, as with the college-aged students, is on the learning process, not the polishing of a performance. The program, which is part of the College of Liberal Arts, also provides classroom visits and workshops for schoolchildren from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Under the direction of its founder, Shakespeare at Winedale also provides classroom teachers with professional development to enhance their language arts instruction. There is an emphasis on reaching students from lower-income communities.

Recently the Round Top Register met with Dr. James Loehlin, Director, and Liz Fisher, Program Coordinator, for Shakespeare at Winedale to ask them some of the questions that might occur to readers of this magazine.

RTR: Dr. Loehlin, when did you take over from Dr. Ayres as the director of the summer program at Winedale?

JL: My first summer was 2001, so this past summer was my tenth anniversary. Dr. Ayres ran it for the first thirty years, and I have run it for the last ten, but he is still very involved in Camp Shakespeare. He is teaching at UT this semester. Even though he is retired from UT, he comes back from time to time to teach a course.

RTR: Liz, did you start as a student in the program?

LF: I was a student in Dr. Loehlin’s first class in 2001and then came back to do another summer in 2003. I worked with our outreach program for a bit after I graduated and then became the program’s coordinator in the fall of 2008.

RTR: You perform in a barn. Was the barn already on site when you began?

JL: The barn was already there. It was part of the original property purchased by Miss Ima Hogg, renovated, and donated to the university in the 1960s. I believe the original interior structure of the barn goes back to the late Nineteenth Century. It has had significant additions and renovations since then, including many things that happened since Shakespeare at Winedale started forty years ago when Professor James Ayres began taking his students out there to perform. When he started, it was certainly a spare structure with just the hayloft, a dirt floor, and no stage. He made a number of changes to the barn over the years to make it somewhat more of a theatrical space and more along the lines of an Elizabethan theatre, but I think the original structure of the barn gives the suggestion of an Elizabethan playhouse. That was one of the reasons Doc and Miss Ima had the idea of doing Shakespeare in that space.

Read more at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . . .

Zach Theatre Auditions for Spring Awakening, June 25

Posted at the classified announcements at NowPlayingAustin.com:

ZACH Theatre announces auditions for Spring Awakening on June 25, 2011 in the ZACH Portable Rehearsal Studios located at 1510 Toomey Road. Callbacks are slated for June 29 and 30, 2011.

Michael Baron, the Artistic Director at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, will be directing this Tony Award winning musical. The Musical Director will be Allen Robertson. Rehearsals begin on August, 22, 2011. The first performance is on September 24, 2011 with performances Tuesdays through Sundays. The final performance is on November 13, 2011.

Please be prepared to sing 16 to 32 bars of a song from Spring Awakening for the character for which you wish to audition. Please bring additional sheet music for a song in a similar style to Spring Awakening.

Actors will be seen by appointment only. When e-mailing to make your appointment, please specify the character(s) for which you would like to be considered.

Click to view character descriptions and show synopsis at AustinLiveTheatre.com

Upcoming: Troilus and Cressida, Young Shakespeare at the Curtain Theatre, June 23 - July 3

Found on-line:

Young Shakespeare

presents

Troilus and Cressida

June 23 - July 3

Curtain Theatre, 7400 Coldwater Canyon (click for map)

Linda Nenno directs Shakespeare's take on the Trojan War. After an intensive month-long program, young people perform at The Curtain Theater (Austin’s own Elizabethan replica theater space), June 23—July 3, 2011, . Students work on all aspects of theater, including acting, crew and production.

Auditions for Summer Teen Shakespeare: Troilus and Cressida with Austin Shakespeare

Received directly:

Auditions for Summer's Young Shakespeare to take place March 26 & April 9

Students ages 12 - 19 are encouraged to audition for Young Shakespeare, our program for teens. Now in its third year, Young Shakespeare will allow students to audition, rehearse and perform in a professionally directed and staged production of Shakespeare'sTroilus and Cressida at The Curtain Theatre, Austin's replica of an Elizabethan theatre. Auditions are March 26 & April 9, 10 am - noon at the Carriage House on the campus of St. Edward's University.

Students must schedule an audition by contacting youngshakespeare@austinshakespeare.org. Rehearsals begin late May and are evenings and weekends. Performance dates are June 23 - July 3.