Hoping to get involved with the performing arts this spring? Argus Arts has your back. With our guide to the whirlwind start-of-semester auditions, you’ll never miss another shot at callbacks. Below is a (non-comprehensive) overview of upcoming audition times for theater, dance, and music. The following descriptions are taken from Facebook events and OrgSync profiles. Break a leg!
THEATER
JOAN
Based on George Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan,” the play follows the story of Joan, from when she is first placed in charge of French troops to her trial and death. We will be building the play through composition work, using new text written by David Caruso. This will be a unique experience to rehearse with a working script and have the chance to truly create a new piece of theater.
The roles are:
– Joan of Arc
– 3-4 male-identifying actors who will play a number of other characters in Joan’s world. They will have the chance to develop a variety of both comedic and dramatic roles all of whom are critical in the telling of her story.
Performance Dates: April 14-16
Audition Dates: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 5-7 p.m. & Wednesday, Jan. 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Audition Locations: Theatre Studios East Room
What to Prepare: Tell a one- to two-minute story in which you play a number of parts!
Additional Notes: This production has a working script. If the idea of being part of a writing/re-working process while still being part of a full-scale production excites you, audition for this!
Callbacks: Wednesday, Jan. 27, 6-8 p.m.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/493194590868379/
If you have any questions, contact:
Director: Sofie Somoroff (ssomoroff@wesleyan.edu)
Stage Manager: Esme Stern (estern@wesleyan.edu)
Catch-22
Joseph Heller brings his classic satirical novel to life in his stage adaptation of Catch-22. Through the eyes of protagonist Yossarian, a bombardier stationed in Italy during WWII, the audience gets a laugh-out-loud look at the folly of war. Yossarian’s greatest obstacles are the wacky characters on his army base. They all call him “crazy,” but is he really? Through humor and heart,Catch-22 asks the audience to decide who’s sane on this insane army base. The show follows Yossarian’s fight to escape the system he is trapped in, one in which there is always a catch.
Performance Dates: March 31-April 2
Audition Dates: Wednesday, Jan. 27, 6-9 p.m.
Audition Locations: Theatre Studios Jones Room
What to Prepare: Nothing! Sides will be provided.
Additional Notes: There are lots of parts available so we need lots of actors (male and female identifying)!
Callbacks: Saturday, Jan. 30.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/903791976386574/
If you have any questions, contact:
Director: Hannah Levin (hlevin@wesleyan.edu)
Stage Manager: Kira Newmark (knewmark@wesleyan.edu)
The Importance of Being Earnest
For those of you unfamiliar with this play, The Importance of Being Earnest is largely considered Oscar Wilde’s best play. This farce satirizes upper middle class British culture in the 19th century with a plethora of puns, insults, mistaken identities, and of course, bunburries.
Now, you might be asking: how could this production be even more stupendous and queer? GREAT QUESTION. By gender-bending it, of course. This show will be entirely genderfucked—non-males playing male characters, and non-females playing female characters. If gender is something you fux with on a day-to-day basis, then lucky you! You’ll be able to decide for yourself which gender you’d like to portray. There are 4 female and 5 male roles, and we are looking for eight actors (one male role will be double-cast).
Performance Dates: May 5-7
Audition Dates: Saturday, Jan. 30, 3-5 p.m. & Sunday, Jan. 31, 3-5 p.m.
Audition Locations: Usdan Multipurpose Room
What to Prepare: A joke! Sides will be provided.
Callbacks: Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1703638659848546/
If you have any questions, contact:
Director: Johnny LaZebnik (jlazebnik@wesleyan.edu)
Stage Manager: Julia Berard (jberard@wesleyan.edu)
DANCE
ESQUE
This spring, we will be developing and hosting our large “queer” burlesque performance. This will be a show that may run for three or four nights during a week in April. This show may include performance art, dance numbers, skits, and comedy.
The mission of our group is to create and foster a safe and creative community for students of marginalized identities. We would like to create a network of students to be able to help elevate voices that may not be heard as often and encourage each other to express ourselves in dynamic ways so that the Wesleyan community can become a more inclusive and supportive space for all students.
Performance Dates: TBD
Audition Dates: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Audition Locations: Queer Resource Center
Additional Notes: This is an interest meeting (no auditions required).
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1044759652285084/
If you have any questions, contact:
Rémy Hatfield-Gardner (rhatfieldgar@wesleyan.edu)
Trouve Ivo (zbelok@wesleyan.edu)
Precision Dance Ensemble
Precision Dance Ensemble is looking for new members to join our company for the 2016 season! ENSEMBLE is the Precision Dance Company’s contemporary division, with some modern, ballet, and jazz thrown in for good measure. We choreograph and perform in an annual show each spring.
Performance Dates: TBD
Audition Dates: Thursday, Jan. 28, 9-10 p.m.
Audition Locations: Schoenberg Dance Studio (Pine Street Dance Studio)
Additional Notes: Please arrive 10 minutes early.
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1532147800417904/
If you have any questions, contact:
Eury German (egerman@wesleyan.edu)
Caroline Shadle (cshadle@wesleyan.edy)
Terpsichore
Hey! You! Do you love to dance? Have you never danced a day in your life? Can you do a cool backflip? Do you like to do the worm at parties? No matter what kind of dance experience (or inexperience) you may have, TERP is for you. It’s for everyone, actually! It’s the one show at Wesleyan where ANYONE can choreograph a piece and ANYONE can dance. Everyone who auditions gets in! It happens (and sells out at the box office) every semester, and this spring we want to see you there.
Performance Dates: April 9
Audition Dates: Sunday, Jan. 31, 2 p.m.
Audition Locations: World Music Hall
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/223559774651962/
If you have any questions, contact:
Sonya Levine (slevine@wesleyan.edu)
Emily Freedman (efreedman@wesleyan.edu)
MUSIC
Notably Sharp
Notably Sharp, Wesleyan’s best dressed a cappella group, is having spring semester auditions. All skill levels and voice parts are welcome!
Performance Dates: TBD
Audition Dates: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 8-10 p.m.
Audition Locations: Usdan 110
What to Prepare: One song (a verse and a chorus)
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1071370796228015/
If you have any questions, contact:
Maya McDonnell (msmcdonnell@wesleyan.edu)
Onomatopoeia
Come audition for Onomatopoeia, one of Wesleyan’s all female identifying a cappella groups! We sing all sorts of fun music from good ol’ folsky Crosby, Stills & Nash to Queen Bey.
Performance Dates: TBD
Audition Dates: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 6-8 p.m.
Audition Locations: Usdan 114
What to Prepare: A short song (or part of a song)
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1560505007605798/
Website: http://www.onomatopoeia.co.nr/
If you have any questions, contact:
Alexandra Fireman (afireman@wesleyan.edu)
The Mixolydians
Come audition for The Mixolydians, Wesleyan’s chamber choir a cappella group!
Performance Dates: TBD
Audition Dates: Thursday, Jan. 28, 6-8 p.m. & Friday, Jan. 29, 4-6 p.m.
Audition Locations: Usdan 114
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/323591511097950/
Website: http://themixolydians.blogspot.com/
What to Prepare: A short song (and come ready to do a little bit of sight reading)
If you have any questions, contact:
Alexandra Fireman (afireman@wesleyan.edu)
Daniel Maseda (dmaseda@wesleyan.edu)
Slender James
Come audition for our totally rad all-male a cappella group and assuage your fears of the carse pe na na!
Performance Dates: TBD
Audition Dates: Wednesday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m.
Audition Locations: Usdan 136
What to Prepare: A verse and a chorus
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1730597773853019/
If you have any questions, contact:
Ryden Nelson (jrnelson@wesleyan.edu)
Emerson Obus (eobus@wesleyan.edu)