NOW. HERE. THIS.
By Hunter Bell, Susan Blackwell, Jeff Bowen
Directed by Emily Ferrin
Music Direction by Jim Martinez
Open Auditions: Audition Video Submissions Due by Friday, August 14th, 2020 @ 11:59 PM PST. Callbacks: Sunday, August 16th, 2020 at 6:00 PM PST via Zoom.
Rehearsal Timeframe: Example: August 24th – October 31
Performances: November 14, 2020 via video streaming
The Majestic Theatre (a division of the City of Corvallis Parks and Recreation department) is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a safe place for actors of all backgrounds to explore their craft. We are particularly eager to work with artists of color and other artists from marginalized communities. All auditions are free and open to the public. This audition is for an amateur, volunteer production. The Majestic Theatre staff and volunteers do not discriminate on the basis of age, national origin, race, gender, ethnic background, disability, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation.
SHOW SYNOPSIS
The show follows the evolution and adventures of four friends in a natural history museum as they journey through time--from the present day museum, to the past, and back again. Inspired by various exhibits (bees, reptiles, early man, ancient civilizations and outer space), the foursome shares their stories about friendship, hoarding, hiding, laughing, living, dying and middle school in an attempt to step directly into that elusive "present moment": the Now. Here. This. For more context on this great show, check out this video link.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
All characters reminisce about going to middle school/high school in the 80's so we'd like for them to appear to be 40ish-50ish years old, however, they do not have a specific race or ethnic background; we're excited to see a diverse pool of actors audition for all roles. The four main characters need to be strong singers with the ability to harmonize, who are motivated to learn much of the material on their own to reduce in-person rehearsals. Acting skills should include honesty and excellent comedic timing.
Man 1
Vocal Range: (Bari-tenor, B to G#)
Character Age: 40-50 years old
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male presenting
Ability / Movement Notes: Ability to do different voices is needed. (Especially Ed Grimley, Kermit the Frog, Homer Simpson, Pee Wee Herman and Madeline Kahn. Bonus points if you don't have to look up who they are :)
Man 2
Vocal Range: (Tenor, C to A)
Character Age: 40-50 years old
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity Any
Desired Actor Gender: Male presenting
Ability / Movement Notes: N/A
Woman 1
Vocal Range: (Alto, F to C)
Character Age: 40-50 years old
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female presenting
Ability / Movement Notes: N/A
Woman 2
Vocal Range: (Alto, F to D)
Character Age: 40-50 years old
Character Race: Any
Character Ethnicity Any
Desired Actor Gender: Female presenting
Ability / Movement Notes: N/A
SUPPORTING CAST PLAYING MULTIPLE ROLES: 1 to 3 adults
Some may be voice-overs only. Museum tour guides/acting teacher /priest. Good British dialect is needed for one tour guide
Age: 18 and up
Desired Actor Gender: Any
Race: Any
Ethnicity: Any
Ability/Movement: No singing required for these roles.
PREPARATION NOTES
Please record a video of yourself singing 32 bars of a memorized song from a musical. It should be in the correct key for your voice. It is recommended that your music selection be a piece that is similar in style to the show and possibly show your ability to "act" the song. You may use live, pre-recorded, or online piano accompaniment. No a cappella singing please. Follow this link below to complete the audition form and submit your video by 11:59 PM on August 14th, 2020. Videos submitted after the deadline will not be considered. You do NOT need to prepare a monologue or read the non-singing role paragraphs if you are auditioning for a singing role.
If auditioning for a non-singing role, please record a video of yourself reading/performing both of the following:
Museum Tour Guide - (In the style of a PBS-esque documentary in a British dialect if possible)
“The Universe. Over 150 billion trillion miles wide, approximately 13 billion years old. It’s mysteries have captivated man since the dawn of time. But how do we begin to unravel these mysteries? The universe is so vast, so ancient, our own existence can seem insignificant in comparison. Yet by viewing these billions of years as a series of moments- the big bang- the formation of our sun- the impact of a meteor- perhaps we can begin to appreciate our moment in time.”
Priest -
“Peace be with you. I’d like to share something I recently read. Some of you may have heard of the Trappist Monk Thomas Merton. Merton said to keep in mind these three words: Now. Here. H-E-R-E. This…..Now. Not the past or the future…. Here. Exactly where you are.... This. Whatever it is you’re doing….Merton believed that if you can get to the intersection of these three things...then there is nothing to fear. You will be free to truly appreciate your life.”
Callbacks are on Sunday, August 16th, 2020 at 6:00 PM PST. If you receive a call back you’ll be notified via e-mail on the evening of Saturday, August 15th, 2020 before midnight. In that e-mail you’ll be provided with the Zoom Video Conferencing details for Sunday along with attached cold readings from the show and a tentative rehearsal schedule.
Link to audition form: