TARTUFFE Equity Principal Auditions - Westport Country Playhouse Auditions

TARTUFFE – Equity Principal Auditions

Westport Country Playhouse WCP Agreement $690/week minimum.

Author: Molière

Dir: David Kennedy

1st reh: 6/22/12 (rehearses in NYC with the exception of the 1st day, which is in Westport). Runs 7/17-8/5.

Equity Principal Auditions:

Monday, March 26, 2012 Actors' Equity Association Audition Center

9:30 AM – 5:30 PM 165 West 46th Street, 2nd Floor

Lunch from 1 – 2. New York City

Please prepare a monologue, preferably in verse, 2 minutes or less. Please bring a photo and resume, stapled back-to-back.

Seeking (all roles are available):

Theatre’s casting note: “Actors of all races and ethnicities are encouraged to audition for each role. All actors must have exceptional skill with verse and be adept at physical comedy.”

Orgon (male, 50s): The patriarch, blinded by a fervor for Tartuffe that’s almost a romantic obsession. He’s a man of deep feeling, moody—gentle and sensitive one moment, hotheaded and controlling the next—and stops at nothing to protect Tartuffe from his family’s scorn, forcing his will on them and lashing out with a nasty temper. Despite this, he’s naturally sympathetic.

Madame Pernelle (female, 60s - 70s): Orgon's mother, imposing, puritanical, full of righteous indignation, physically vigorous with an overbearing will. She uses her sharp temper and cruel disposition to bully anyone who disagrees with her. Not a very sympathetic person.

Elmire (female, 30s): Orgon's beautiful young wife, vivacious, charming, smart, and sensible, with a taste for fine clothes and good company, and a sincere love for her husband. She's a fierce advocate for her family and uses all her ingenuity to resist the corruption that has overtaken the household.

Cléante (male, 30s - 40s): Brother of Elmire, unflappable, a skilled debater and logician, in many ways the conscience of the household. Blessed with a nose for truth and a moderate disposition, he's capable of weathering the tempestuous moods of those around him. Forever relying on passionately reasonable arguments to disarm unreasonable people.

Damis (male, 20s): Orgon's handsome and athletic young son, a hothead, intolerant and impatient, he’s inherited his father's rash disposition and rampant egotism. He's also a loyal and devoted son, though he mostly refuses to listen to others, convinced he knows best.

Mariane (female, 20s): Orgon's pretty young daughter, in many ways the classic ingénue—sweet, innocent, a bit of a daddy's girl. She's trapped by an idea of ideal feminine behavior, so she meekly submits to the wishes of those around her. However, her gentle exterior masks a strong will, intense passion, and a capability for immense suffering.

Dorine (female, 20s - 30s): The classic servant role—whip smart, tart tongued, bluntly honest, mischievous, earthy, sexy—a character that audiences love for her fearlessness and irrepressible spirit. All she does is in the loyal service of her employers, even if she drives them crazy in the process.

Valère (male, 20s): Mariane's fiancé, a handsome, gracious, and cultured young man who loves her deeply. He can be stubborn and proud, but also humble and profoundly loyal to Orgon, risking his own life and liberty to protect him.

Tartuffe (male, 40s - 50s): A mysterious mix of opposites—a con artist and a believer, repulsive but sexy, completely transparent but totally opaque, rough-hewn but with aspirations to society, cynical but romantic, calculating but impulsive, cold-hearted but passionate. Above all, he's a master of improv, getting himself out of scrapes with reckless daring. He courts danger, and possesses a wild, animal energy and considerable appetites. When he's crossed, he’s as ruthless as can be.

Monsieur Loyal/As Cast (male, 50s - 60s): A bailiff, who comes to dispossess the family of their house, he has a gracious, if punctilious, manner. He efficiently and rather bloodlessly executes his duties, all the while heaping praise and flattery on his victims.

The Officer/As Cast (male, 20s - 40s): The physical embodiment of the King’s virtue, with a strong, confident and authoritative manner that verges on the authoritarian. He possesses strength that you're happy to have on your side, but that you wouldn't want turned against you.