Reckless Theatre is announcing auditions for its Summer flagship show, 1984. Directed by Tom Kelley and Anne Veal, this show will have 7 performances. In order to audition, you must commit to the following dates:
Friday, July 28th (2 performances)
Saturday, July 29th (2 performances)
Friday, August 4th (2 performances)
Saturday, August 5th (final performance)
Who can audition?
- Students who have studied at Reckless within the last 3 months or those already enrolled in upcoming classes
- Students who have completed Master Class at any point
- Company members
**THERE ARE MANY DETAILS BELOW. PLEASE READ IN FULL!!**
1984 - Orwell’s novel raced to #1 on Amazon and sold out multiple printings since 45 was elected. Re-reading it now (or encountering it for the first time) can be a disturbingly familiar experience. The Ministry of Truth seems like the womb Sean Spicer and “alternative facts” were born from. Putin and Assad are the real-world reflections of the novel’s Eurasia and Eastasia, flipping in a moment from the president’s friends to his enemies. Sabers are rattled, hatred is stoked, ignorance is applauded. We can see our worst fears about the current American experience reflected in Oceania and Big Brother.
Our goal is to create a piece of theatre through improvisation and theatrical exploration that exists in and is inspired by the world of Orwell’s 1984. It will distill and abstract elements of the novel to create something new, something that feels familiar to fans of the book but isn’t strictly bound to its narrative.
Because of the approach to this piece, there will be a smaller core cast with a greater time commitment to rehearsal, as well as an ensemble who will rehearse less often, but still be an integral part of the experience. We are looking for performers willing to commit - people excited to analyze, dissect, experiment, explore, and create together.
For these auditions, we would like you to perform a 1-2 minute character or theatrical piece inspired by some part of 1984.
What does this mean?
- A character piece would essentially be a monologue inspired by someone in the book. This can be a character we hear from at length or one merely referenced. Winston and Julia will not necessarily be the central characters of this show - we would prefer to see you bring your own perspective and nuance to other characters, regardless of their prominence in the original narrative.
- A theatrical piece would be more akin to a brief moment from a one-person show. Create something using the visual, aural, and emotional tools of theatre to bring life to some element of the book. Show us your creativity as well as your performance chops.
What you choose to create can be silent, it can use words, it can use guitars, it can use popsicle sticks, it can use a soundtrack, etc. We want to see your unique take on dealing with the characters, themes and concepts of 1984. We will not be featuring the current president in this piece, though his presence will be impossible to avoid, we fear. We do ask that you find ways to create work that does not include him at the center.
You will audition in groups of 5. After everyone’s piece, you will be led through some improv and devised work as a group. We want to see how you work within an ensemble as well as what you bring in as an individual.
Auditions will take place Wednesday, May 10th 8-11pm (3929 Studios) and Saturday, May 13th 2-5pm (Simple Studios). Rehearsals will begin Monday, June 5th. Please come to auditions with your June/July availability handy. Sign up for your 30 minute audition slot here.
We look forward to having you share your work with us! Let’s make great things.
WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
