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Friday, September 22, 2017

CIRCLE PLAYERS TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR PLAY ABOUT ILL-FATED JOURNEY TO SOUTH POLE

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AUDITION NOTICE:

Circle Players and director Kirk White are pleased to announce auditions for the third production of our 2017-2018 season,

Terra NovaTerra Nova
by Ted Talley.

WHEN: Sunday, October 8, 4 pm – 6 pm; Wednesday, October 11, 7 pm – 9 pm; Callbacks by invitation only will be Sunday, October 15, 4 pm – 6 pm
WHERE:
Circle Players, 416 Victoria Avenue, Piscataway, NJ
Please direct any questions to circleplayersnj@gmail.com 


Performances run from January 12, 2018 through January 28, 2018.

Director Kirk White seeks 6 men and 1 woman, ages 30 – 60.  All roles are open. Detailed character descriptions appear below.

Auditioners will be asked to read sides from the script, which will be provided.

Interested actors must attend auditions to be considered. Video submissions will not be accepted.

Synopsis:

In the winter of 1911-1912, five Englishmen and five Norwegians raced each other to the bottom of the Earth. Only the five Norwegians returned.

This is the story of the Englishmen.

This is Terra Nova. 

A poetic fevered death dream by Academy Award-winning writer, Ted Tally, this incredible play tells the story of Robert Falcon Scott’s misguided and doomed expedition to the South Pole.  As the journey falls to pieces and his men begin to succumb to the unforgiving Antarctic landscape, we enter the mind of Scott (perhaps we’ve been here all along) and witness his inner demons, manifested in both his Norwegian rival and his wife, fighting to make peace with his shame and his guilt for leading four men to their deaths.

Seeking:

CAPTAIN ROBERT FALCON SCOTT (early 40’s) – Hero. Legend. Visionary. Tortured. Tragic. He’s the guy who had babies named after him and books written about him and his tragic flaw is probably a devotion to his own legend.  The play is his….most likely springing from his brain as he succumbs to the cold.  This is a classic tour de force role and it ain’t gonna be easy.  We see Scott at his lowest, desperate for absolution of his guilt and failure and then we see him at his best…his memories of what was and then, often in the same breath we see him at his lowest again because of what he willingly gave up for this “damned fool idealistic crusade”.  What does a man do, who has sacrificed everything for a vision, giving everything towards a goal, and then realize that he not only will fail...not only will die…but will have taken others with him?  What would such a man do to keep from falling apart.  To keep moving and keep inspiring others to move.  What mechanisms would need to be in place to enable him to not just lay down and die. 

ROALD AMUNDSEN (40’s—but could go older)— The real Amundsen beat Scott to the pole. Terra Nova’s Amundsen serves as the conduit to Scott’s memory and delusions, very often serving as a stand-in for Scott’s ego (although for heaven’s sake don’t play him as such!). He’s practical…no-nonsense….and takes a decidedly non-romantic approach to exploration. He’s the guy who said it’s better to shoot a sled dog and eat it while it’s still strong, than let it deteriorate, consuming valuable resources until it collapses.  He’s the absolute antithesis to Scott’s English ideal yet he wins the race and comes back alive.    From a thematic perspective, he’s also a dramatic device in the play, often pushing scenes along, clarifying characters’ intentions, building scenes and even carrying out the dead. In this aspect, he’s a wizard, he’s Puck from Midsummer and has a LOT of potential for creative theatricality.  However, his scenes must be played human.  Find the moments where HE learns from Scott. When does he doubt himself?

KATHLEEN SCOTT (early/mid 30’s)—another of Scott’s Memory/Dream companions.  If Amundsen is the EGO, Kathleen is the Heart…she appears at times when he is most desperate and lonely…once again, however, she must be played straight and human.   If you have a moment, do a quick wiki search for Kathleen Scott (aka The Baroness). She is an amazing character, worthy of her own play.  She’s an artist to her core.  She’s passionate and driven and doesn’t give a hoot for the trappings of celebrity or adventure culture but she does genuinely love Scott.  Find the moments where she HATES him (and herself) for this.

OFFICER EDGAR “TAFF” EVANS (mid-30’s)— The Dreamer. The Idealist.  He WANTS to be a hero. Quite possibly the most tragic of the expedition team. Evans is a big man…strong and dependable…. the one Scott knew he could count on to get things done. His strength and skill made him an asset to any journey and a no-brainer for this one.  And then he goes and gets himself injured and slowly disintegrates throughout the course of the play.  The Evans we meet is in constant and tremendous pain, weakening with every excruciating step he takes.   Fight like hell to hide that fact.

LIEUTENANT HENRY “BIRDIE” BOWERS (late 20’s)—the young one.  The spirited one.  If anyone was able to have fun here…it would be Birdie.  Maybe he just doesn’t get it. Maybe he’s faking it to boost morale. Maybe he’s lost his mind. But make no mistake, Birdie has an optimism and some genuine joie de vivre that would be infectious and delightful…. If not for…you know…   Make a decision with regards to Bower’s mask and find the moments where the mask slips.  Also…the real Birdie was short, redheaded and had an aquiline face.  One doesn’t have to be short redheaded or aquiline to be cast in this role…but if you happen to be short, redheaded and aquiline and come into audition, I’ll probably have you read for Birdie. 

DOCTOR EDWARD WILSON (late 30’s/early 40’s)—the stoic. The moral compass. The confidant. Wilson is the one they all look up to. He’s an ornithologist asides from being a surgeon; which makes his friendship with Bowers either ironic or really, really cute.  Nevertheless, he’s the one with dignity…the one that holds it all together.  Later in the play, when the chips are really down, he singularly takes the side of following his ethics, which puts him at odds with the rest of the party. He is a rock.  Find the moments where he shatters…how fast does he put the pieces back together?  

CAPTAIN LAWERENCE “TITUS” OATES (early 30’s)—The Soldier. The badass. The guy you want to have your back in a skirmish.  He’s Charles Bronson. He’s Clint Eastwood. He’s Chuck Norris.  He has a duty and he’s going to follow it. His morals are a warrior’s morals:  Follow orders. Do for the mission and get out of the way when you can do no more.  But what happens when a man of this fiber and character finds himself in a situation where death is a foregone conclusion….and others are not so willing to do what needs to be done?  What if the orders he’s receiving are to save people who ought to have the decency to die so that others may live?  What if HE is one of those people?