Fall of 2010

FOR THE DEFENSE

--a courtroom drama in three acts

In this play, the audience becomes the jury at the end of the play and decides whether the defendant is guilty or innocent (yes, the cast needs to learn two endings--fun!)

For those students who would like to consider trying out for this play, check out the cast list provided below.  Each character is listed, along with that character's number of lines:

CAST

Stenographer: A woman, 30's, proficient in the operation of a stenographic machine.  This character is in the entire play and has two spoken lines.

Miss Kaster: An intellectual young woman of 25. She works with Mr. Nash, the prosecuting attorney, as his assistant. She is in the entire play and has four spoken lines.

Miss Brent: A young woman of 25; she is the breathless, naive type. She works with the defense attorney, Mr. Holloway, as his assistant. She has 24 lines.

Bailiff: A pleasant man or woman, middle-aged, in a police uniform. This character has 27 lines.

Clerk: A man or woman of middle age. This character has 23 lines.

Alice Adair: A young woman in her late twenties; she is attractive, intelligent, and poised. She is a young reporter who is very interested in the case. She has 67 lines.

Gertrude Luckey: A woman of about 30; she is married to the racketeer, Sam Luckey. She has a rather vacuous manner and is over dressed. She has 26 lines.

Joseph Thurman: A man in his late 30's; he is a well-built, competent police officer. He has 53 lines.

Judge Walters: The judge is around 40, is quiet, but forceful, and is always in control of the courtroom. This character has 75 lines.

Otto Rieger: A man of about 40, short and wiry; he is shifty-eyed and looks untrustworthy. Otto works as a waiter at Mr. Luckey's night club. He has 70 lines.

Sam Luckey: A man in his late 30's; he is swarthy, stocky, and bull-necked. He is a big-time racketeer who wears flashy, expensive clothes. He has 174 lines.

Diana Parr: A young woman of 22, very attractive in a flashy, theatrical way. She is a hat-check girl who works at Mr. Luckey's club. She has 62 lines.

Mrs. Zimmer: A woman of middle age; she is uneducated, but with a native shrewdness and is quite opinionated. She is a witness who lives across the street from the crime. She has 81 lines.

Thomas Nash: A young man in his late 20's; he is tall, slender, and scholarly-looking. He is the prosecuting attorney. He has 229 lines.

Russell Holloway: A man of about 30. He is outgoing and affable, with a ready smile; he has a flamboyant, theatrical courtroom manner. He is the defense attorney. He has 325 lines.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

The play this year looks to be very entertaining, challenging for the actors, and a lot of fun. Last year the Fall Play had an exceptionally large cast. This year, the play has a more typical size cast: 15 members. This means that auditioning will become much more competitive this year, with the best 15 actors chosen. If you wish to increase your chances of being chosen, be sure to study the audition tips below:

Introduction to Auditioning

First of all, it's important to recognize that you can only do so much in your efforts to land a part. Casting for a play is a very complex process and there are many reasons why a director chooses one person over another in any given role. One of these, obviously, is acting ability; however, there are other reasons often just as important. One reason is that of appearance. Often a director has a certain image in mind for a character, and if you don't happen to fit that image, you more than likely won't get the part. There's nothing you can really do about that. Another reason is vocal quality, ability to project, facial expression, ability to project, to speak clearly, and even how well the director feels you might fit with other characters in the cast he/she is already considering. It's obvious that you cannot control the outcome of the audition; what you can do is be as prepared as possible and give it your best shot. Remember: no audition is wasted. Your efforts for this audition can be a learning experience for future auditions. Also, if you don't land a part this time for the stage, there are also openings for you to make a difference with other aspects of the play. God gave you talents—maybe at this point, your talents can be used other than on the stage.

Before the Audition

This year all those trying out for a part will be required to prepare a monologue to perform and also do a “cold reading” from the script. The monologue may be any monologue of your choosing 1-2 minutes long. This may be memorized or read, but most tryouts tend to do much better when it is memorized. A good place to find a monologue to perform is located at www.stageagent.com/shows/monologues. However, you may use any monologue of your choosing. A “cold reading” means that you will be given a script and told to read a specific passage from the script without being able to rehearse that part ahead of time.

Prepare yourself for the audition by rehearsing the monologue in front of someone until you feel comfortable with that passage. Also, practice cold readings by reading sections from books or scripts to work on pacing and smoothness. The more you prepare yourself, the more confident you will feel.

Avoid caffeine and sugar leading up to your audition as they tend to make you more nervous. Also, try to warm-up your body and vocal chords before your audition; you want the director to see you relaxed and confident.

Arriving at the Audition

Get there on time. Since punctuality is critical to the rehearsal process, you want to make a good impression.

If you are waiting to audition, read and reread any materials you have brought along. Practice quietly while waiting. This practice is essential for a good audition—it will help you feel comfortable and confident.

Remember that your audition begins the moment you step into the audition space. Be confident, pleasant and positive with everyone.

Tips for the Audition

Do as many practice readings of your monologue as possible prior to your audition. These practice readings will allow you to become familiar with the lines and to make acting choices about your character.

When it is your turn, be confident, take a nice, comfortable stance one th stage. Position yourself so that the audition team can see your face. Look happy to be there!

Make sure you project your voice and speak clearly. Take your time. When you do your monologue, live moment to moment. Be the character. It is very common for people who are nervous to speed up their speech. Remember to vary the pace, volume, inflection and tone as much as you can, but make sure the audition team can hear and understand you. Think about who you're talking to, and why you're talking to them. Focus on communicating the meaning of the lines. Enunciate and articulate! If you decide to include movement, keep it simple. Your goal is to communicate the meaning of the script. Movement should help us understand the character and what they're doing/feeling in this scene. (Avoid pacing and shuffling.)

Don't apologize if you mess up. Just keep going, and keep focused. Mistakes are common and expected in auditions; the director will be focused on whether you can maintain a confident and composed attitude throughout the audition process.

Two of the most important things you will want to show the director: confidence and enthusiasm!

After the Audition

If you get the part—great! Enjoy it, but don't despair if it's not the part you wanted. All parts help in the development of better acting skills.

If you don't get the part—don't give up on acting. It's not a rejection of you or your acting ability, only an affirmation of someone else. Volunteer to help out with other aspects of the play.

 If you have any other questions, talk to Mr. Schut.  Break a leg! 

Fall of 2009

GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS: THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

and

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

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