Auditions for RLT's Shakespeare Under the Stars Production of Twelfth Night March 6 & 7, 2006FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Auditions for Raleigh Little Theatre’s Shakespeare Under the Stars Production of Twelfth Night March 6 & 7, 2006 In Brief Raleigh Little Theatre will hold auditions for its outdoor Shakespeare Under the Stars production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on March 6 and 7, 2006, in the Cantey V. Sutton Theatre at Raleigh Little Theatre, 301 Pogue Street, Raleigh, 27607. Audition Dates: Monday & Tuesday, March 6 & 7, 2006 Audition Information If Shakespeare brings to mind impenetrable Elizabethan language, too many footnotes, intimidation and cold sweat, consider this: Shakespeare didn’t write for English lit professors. He wrote his plays for actors to perform, and much of the rehearsal process will be spent accessing the buried subliminal tricks Shakespeare uses to make actors look good. So come give Twelfth Night a shot. Experience the words of Shakespeare for yourself, the way they were meant to be experienced, out loud. In addition to reading from the script, each actor will be given the opportunity to deliver an optional 1-2 minute monologue from Shakespeare. Actors reading for the role of Feste will also be required to sing. Perusal copies of the script are available in the RLT business office starting February 1, 2006, for a 48-hour check-out. Please call 919.821.4579 to check on availability. About RLT’s Twelfth Night Twelfth Night in a nutshell: Orsino loves Olivia. Olivia loves Cesario. But Cesario is really Viola in disguise, and Viola loves Orsino. To explain: Viola and her twin brother Sebastian have been shipwrecked off the coast of Ilyria, each believing the other to have drowned. To protect herself in a strange land, Viola disguises herself as a boy and, using the name of Cesario, enters the service of Duke Orsino, who pines ostentatiously for the aloof lady Olivia, whose own attentions are taken up with a self-imposed seven-year (!) ritual of mourning for a dead brother. The Duke sends Cesario to woo Olivia on his behalf – a task complicated by the fact that Viola/Cesario has fallen in love with the Duke herself. However, Cesario performs “his” job too well: Olivia falls in love with the attractive “boy”. Meanwhile, the self-righteous Malvolio, Olivia's steward, disapproves of the other members of her household - her uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek and the jester Feste. Together with Maria, Olivia's waiting-woman, these three plot Malvolio's downfall in a compelling subplot that culminates in a hilarious garden scene where Malvolio finds a forged love letter from his employer, Olivia. Enter Sebastion, Viola’s twin brother and a carbon copy of “Cesario”, and the recipe for mistaken identity and confusion is complete, leading inevitably to a happy heap of marriages at the end. Character Descriptions Orsino: The duke of Ilyria, Orsino enthusiastically embraces the role of “melancholy lover”, while pursuing a surprisingly tepid third-party courtship of Olivia. Viola: A strong and resourceful young woman who dresses as a boy, Cesario. Viola’s quick wit and pluck make her one of Shakespeare’s most exciting and lovable heroines. Olivia: A countess in mourning for her deceased brother. The scene where she falls for Cesario is one of Shakespeare’s funniest and most delightfully written. Sebastian: Viola’s twin brother, he is a noble young man who shares many of his sister’s characteristics, including her warmth and wit. Should be fairly coordinated for the physical combat required. Malvolio: Olivia’s steward in charge of running her household. Malvolio disapproves of, well, almost everyone in the play. He secretly wishes to marry Olivia, and this wish becomes the key to his downfall. A terrific part for a good actor to sink his teeth into! Sir Toby Belch: Olivia’s uncle, who lives on her estate while sponging off of Sir Andrew. Sir Toby is a hard-drinking party animal whose thoughtless practical jokes drive many of the subplots in the play. Some singing ability would be helpful, along with enough agility to learn a basic sword fight. Sir Andrew Aguecheek: A clueless knight with an inherited income, and Sir Toby’s “friend”, who’s been convinced by Sir Toby that he stands a chance with Olivia. A superb opportunity for a good comic actor! Some singing ability would be helpful. Feste: A clown – that is, a professional entertainer who lives by his wits. Feste specializes in the comedy of insults – he has a knack for identifying character flaws, and is usually two steps ahead of everybody else. He has several wonderful songs, and must be a strong singer. Maria: An attendant of Olivia, whose cleverness and wit almost rivals Feste’s. She’s the one who comes up with the plot that finally levels Malvolio. Antonio: A sea captain and true friend of Sebastian, he is a wanted man in Ilyria for piracy, and so remains in hiding until he’s forced to help Sebastian. Fabian: A servant of Olivia, recruited to help with Sir Toby’s schemes. A Sea Captain: A friend of Viola, and the only person in Ilyria who knows Cesario’s true identity. Valentine: A gentleman attending Orsino. Curio: Another gentleman attending Orsino. Note: some of the parts will probably be played by the same actor/actress. About The Director Rod Rich has directed several plays for Raleigh Little Theatre, including Moliere’s A Physician In Spite of Himself, Forever Plaid, The Taffetas, Nunsense, The Real Inspector Hound, Catfish Moon, and I Hate Hamlet, which won two Canteys for Best Performance and the Cantey for Best Show. He also co-produces and directs for Actors Comedy Lab, where his work since 1996 has included Tuna Christmas, Gunshy, Stonewall Jackson’s House, Mere Mortals, Fools, As Bees in Honey Drown, The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged, The Underpants, and last winter’s Stones in His Pockets, which was recently listed as one of the Triangle’s 10 Best Productions by Robert McDowell. For Raleigh Ensemble Players, he has directed House of Blue Leaves, Luanne Hampton Laverty Oberlander, and co-directed All In The Timing. Rod also has almost thirty years of experience in video and animation, along with his wife Nancy. Their animation work has been seen nationally on Sesame Street and The Cartoon Network, as well as in exhibits at Walt Disney World. About Raleigh Little Theatre Raleigh Little Theatre is a professionally directed, community oriented, non-profit organization founded in 1936 whose purpose is to enrich, educate and entertain the community by providing a superior theatre experience. RLT produces over 11 productions annually attended by over 36,000 individuals and supported by the work of hundreds of volunteers. RLT is funded in part by community support, the City of Raleigh and the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. You are here: Home > Press Releases > Auditions for RLT's Shakespeare Under the Stars Production of Twelfth Night March 6 & 7, 2006 |