Journal

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Associate Board Member of New Dawn Theater Company

I have been asked and accepted an Associate position on the New Dawn Theater Company board. I really like this group and like acting in this theater. I am thrilled that the board members think enough of me to consider me as a board member.

What does being a board member mean to me? It is an opportunity to help a theater grow in the community and as a business and as a source for the arts.

It does not mean is that this is my own personal playground. I do not want any special considerations at anytime. If any board member thought that way I would not accept. In fact if any member of the board thought that way I would stop having anything to do with New Dawn Theater.

The board is there to advance the needs of the theater, not the needs of the self.

Enough said.

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Audition Notice: Quills

Mixed Revues is holding open auditions for Quills on May 13 at 7:30 – 9pm, at 7 Stages Blackbox Theater. This is a non-equity, non-professional production. All performers will receive a small stipend. Performance dates are August 22 – 31.

Roles available:
Abbe de Coulmier (lead) – male,  age range mid 20s to 40. Race open. The curator of Charenton asylum, and caretaker to it’s most famous resident the Marquis de Sade.
Doctor Royer-Collard (major supporting) – Caucasian male, age range 40s – 60ish.
Chief physician of the asylum, appointed to restore order and his own special brand of discipline.
Madame Royer-Collard (supporting) – Caucasian female, age range 30 – 40ish. The
Doctor’s wife, a woman of strong appetites.

The roles of the Marquis, Madeleine, Monsieur Prouix, and Rene Pelagie are pre-cast. There are also a couple of non-speaking roles who will act as orderlies and backstage crew.

Quills will be directed by Katie Schaffer, co-directed by Mixed Revue’s artistic director Stephen Banks.

Please email info@mixedrevues.com or join the Mixed Revues Facebook page event to confirm your audition space. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. A one-minute contemporary dramatic monologue is optional.

Note: This play contains full nudity and strong language. No nudity is required for the above roles, but Coulmier’s and Madame Royer-Collard’s role include strong sexual content and Madame R-C does have one “suggestively” clad scene. Many actors will take this as a plus.

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Playing The Bad Guy Who Is The Protagonist

I recently auditioned for a character who is a bad guy and the protagonist of the play. The difficult bit about this is that you cannot play the bad guy as a bad guy. Yes there are times when the bad guy in the show is the one the audiences “love to hate”. The key word there is “hate”. The audiences dislike the bad guy and appreciate that the actor has played a buy guy that the audience loves to hate.

If the character you are creating is the protagonist and is a bad guy, the audience needs to love him. Not love to hate him. William H. Macy is playing a character who is, for arguments sake, a bad guy in Shameless. In an interview with Fresh Air, he said (or I think he said, or will believe he said) you must find a reason to be the hero through the misguided deeds. Find the reason why what you are doing is being the hero.

I don’t mean this to be “I kill people because I believe it is the right thing to do”. Audiences will not buy it. It needs to be something the audience can sympathize with, agree with, believe in. The audience must feel that there is hope of redemption. Otherwise the audience will not like the protagonist. They may love to hate him, but not like him. To be successful, the audience must love your character with all its flaws and misguided beliefs.

Barabbas is a thief and murderer. He does not do it to because he dislikes the Romans. He does it in the hopes that Israel will be freed from Roman tyranny. He hopes that his inspiration and leadership will help the Israelites free themselves from Roman rule. It may not the right path, but it is the path he has chosen.

Through the growing frustration and self doubt, can the audience believe that there is hope for this person. To have the self doubt, the protagonist must find that his path, although for a good cause, is the wrong path. He can still dislike the Romans. He can still try to inspire the Isrealites to freedom. Just not by thievery and murder.

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Audition Notice: Beer for Breakfast

ART Station Theatre, 5384 Manor Dr. Stone Mountain, GA is holding auditions for “Beer for Breakfast” by Sean Grennan on Monday, January 7, 2013 3:00 – 7:00 pm. Director David Thomas is seeking four actors (three men , one woman) for non-Equity and possible Equity Guest Artist roles.

TJ – Male, fifties, divorced, creative advertising agent;

Mark – Male, fifties, writer, unemployed;

Richard – Male, fifties, recovering from a stroke;

Jessie – Female, late-forties – early fifties, doctor.

Rehearsals begin: March 26, 2013. Runs April 18 – May 5, 2013.

For an appointment, please call (770) 469-1105 and ask for Jon (or extension 109). Please prepare two contrasting monologues of no more than two minutes each. Please bring a picture and resume, stapled together.

Beer for Breakfast is the story of four middle aged, former high-school buddies reunited for a “guys’ weekend” to recapture the good old days complete with old music and cheap beer. One’s divorced, one unemployed and one is recovering from a stroke…good times. But it’s all going well until the fourth guy doesn’t show up…but his wife does. Snowed in overnight, an epic struggle ensues: Everyone forgets to act their age in the contest of “Chick vs. Dudes.”

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Audition Notice: Baltimore Waltz

The Fern Theatre announces auditions for Baltimore Waltz by Paula Vogel Monday
December 10, with possible callbacks Dec 11. Audition location TBA (we will confirm
the location when scheduling the appointment), and audition times are 6-10pm by
appointment.

The show will run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Evenings March 8-23 (With one
Industry night Monday, March 11). A Stipend will be offered.

Rehearsals will begin February 17 and will be weekday evenings and weekend days.

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script; The roles available are:

Ann: (Woman) A woman with only a few months to live, throws caution to the wind.
(Spends most of the play in a slip, so the actor must be comfortable with that)
20s-40s

Carl: (Man) Ann’s brother, 20s-40s

Third Man: (Man or Woman) plays all other characters 20s-40s

Please send an email to auditions@theferntheatre.org to schedule an appointment and
we look forward to seeing you there!

Jessica Fern Hunt
Co-Artistic Director, The Fern Theatre Company