Wednesday January 28th & Saturday January 31st
Auditions will take place at the Arden Theatre on Wednesday, 28th January 7pm and Saturda,y 31st January at 2pm.
The auditions are entirely open, and there is scope for male and female actors of any age, including young actors, to be included.
You can come to either session, but you only need to come once. It will help if everyone arrives promptly for the start of each session. How long the session will last will depend on how many people come. If you want to be in the play but will be late for the auditions or would like to arrange to audition at another time, please let the director know.
There is a lot of information in the audition pack. If you have time to read it thoroughly, it may help you and me decide which part/parts is/are best for you. However, don’t worry if you don’t have time: just roll up for the auditions, and we’ll go from there.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a play with a huge number of parts, and historically has been performed by between 10 and 80 actors. I will decide how many actors to use through the audition process.
The leading roles are: Grusha, Azdak, Simon and the Singer/Narrator.
The audition process will prioritise allocating the 12 largest parts (with over 20 speeches). The lead role (Grusha) will not be doubled. All other roles have potential for doubling, and I expect most actors will at least double.
Anyone who auditions but is not allocated one of these roles will have an opportunity to be in the ensemble and to explore with me what roles they will take. Depending on how many people audition, I expect to be able to offer everybody something, and to be able to be flexible about how many of the five acts people taking smaller parts would like to be in.
I would also like to involve any singers and instrumentalists who would like to be in the production. How I use people who would like to sing or play an instrument will depend on who comes forward to do this, and how I decide the role of the Singer will be played when I have allocated this part.
LEADING ROLES
Grusha (F) young servant, plays 18-mid 20s (180 speeches) (in 4 acts)
The heroine, who takes responsibility for a baby not her own; also in love with Simon
Azdak (M) plays 35 or older (128 speeches) (in 2 acts)
The unpredictable town clerk who through a bizarre set of circumstances becomes the judge who decides the fate of the baby Grusha looks after. As he is only in two acts there are possibilities for doubling this part with others.
Singer (M/F) – played any age (45 speeches or passages of song) (in all 5 acts).
This is a narrator/storyteller’s part which can be played either literally as a singer or as a speaking narrator, depending on who auditions, their capabilities and interests; probably won’t be doubled with anything else because the Singer appears in every act.
Simon (M) young soldier, plays early 20s (60 speeches) (in 3 acts)
An inexperienced young soldier in love with Grusha; probably will be doubled with
smaller roles.
OTHER PARTS WITH 20 SPEECHES OR MORE
Fat Prince (M)– play middle-aged or older (22 speeches) (in 2 acts)
An unpleasant self-seeking aristocrat; probably will be doubled with smaller roles
Governor’s wife (F) plays 30s (33 speeches) (in 3 acts)
An unpleasant vain entitled woman; probably will be doubled with smaller roles
Adjutant (or Aide-de-Camp) (M) any age (20 speeches) (in 1 act)
Indicated as being a young army officer, but could be played older; will be doubled with a smaller role
Cook (F) plays any age (21 speeches) (in 2 acts)
A sympathetic woman who tries to help Grusha on two occasions; will be doubled with smaller roles
Younger Lady (F) plays 20s (21 speeches) (in 1 act)
A snobbish young woman who meets Grusha at an inn with her mother and treats her badly; will be doubled with smaller roles
Lavrenti (M) plays late 20s-30 (33 speeches) (in 1 act)
Grusha’s brother; she turns to him for help, which he attempts to provide in a pragmatic way; will be doubled with smaller roles
Jessup (or Yussup) (M) plays 40s but could be older or younger (22 speeches) (in
1 act)
An unpleasant man Grusha is tricked into marrying; will be doubled with smaller roles
Mother (or Mother-in-Law)– Jessup’s mother (F) plays 60s (25 speeches) (in 1 act)
An unpleasant woman who wants to exploit Grusha in her relationship with her son; will be doubled with smaller roles
First Soldier (M) plays 25-40 (23 speeches) (in Act 4)
This role will probably be doubled with some other soldiers’ parts.
ENSEMBLE
Male and female actors of any age are invited to audition for one or more of the many smaller roles.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the director, John Moss: jmoss020@aol.com or message 07748 325901.