Auditions for Dancing at Lughnasa - Hubbard Hall Theater Company

Be part of the return of Live Locally Sourced Theater at Hubbard Hall





Announcing Open Auditions



for Hubbard Hall Theater Company’s April Production of



DANCING AT LUGHNASA



By Brian Friel



Directed by Erin Nicole Harrington



Choreographed by Darcy May







Audition Dates and Location



January 28 & 29, 6:00 PM–8:00 PM



Hubbard Hall, 25 E Main St., Cambridge, NY







Synopsis



This extraordinary play is the story of five unmarried sisters eking out their lives in a small village in Ireland in 1936. We meet them at the time of the festival of Lughnasa, which celebrates the pagan god of the harvest with drunken revelry and dancing. Their spare existence is interrupted by brief, colorful bursts of music from the radio, their only link to the romance and hope of the world at large. The action of the play is told through the memory of the illegitimate son of one of the sisters as he remembers the five women who raised him: his mother and four maiden aunts. He is only seven in 1936, the year his elderly uncle, a priest, returns after serving for twenty-five years as a missionary in a Ugandan leper colony. For the young boy, two other disturbances occur that summer. The sisters acquire their first radio, whose music transforms them from correct Catholic women to shrieking, stomping banshees in their own kitchen. And he meets his father for the first time, a charming Welsh drifter who strolls up the lane and sweeps his mother away in an elegant dance across the fields. From these small events spring the cracks that destroy the foundation of the family forever. Widely regarded as Brian Friel's masterpiece, this haunting play is Friel's tribute to the spirit and valor of the past.





Audition Information



Preparation:



Fill out the audition form at HERE: https://hubbardhall.org/get-involved/auditon-form/ in advance or bring a photo and résumé to the audition and complete the form on-site.

Accessibility:



Actors with developmental disabilities (including Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, autism, etc.) are strongly encouraged to audition for the role of Rose. Sides from the script will be sent upon submission of the audition form and will also be available at the audition. Documents can be provided in Word format for easy enlargement, and large-print copies will be available at auditions.

Video Auditions:



If unable to attend in person, video auditions are welcome. Select the "Video Audition" option when completing the audition form for instructions.

Accent Guidance:



Characters speak with a rural Irish accent, except for Gerry, who has a Welsh accent. A dialogue coach will assist with the production, but if you’re comfortable, please attempt the appropriate accent during your audition.





Rehearsal Schedule



Rehearsals begin Monday, February 17, and will be held Monday through Thursday evenings. Tech week starts Monday, March 30.







Performance Dates



Performances: April 4–6 and April 11–13



Showtimes: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 2:00 PM



Location: Hubbard Hall, 25 E Main St., Cambridge, NY







Character Breakdown



Note: All age ranges are approximate and intended as a general guideline. Roles are open to all ethnicities and gender identities.



MICHAEL (M, 30s–50s): Narrator; plays himself as a seven-year-old boy. Large monologues; unseen by other characters in dialogue as a child.

KATE (F, 40s–50s): Matriarch, stern and devout. The family’s sole wage earner, with a hidden passion.

MAGGIE (F, late 30s–40s): A maternal figure with a sharp sense of humor. Some casual singing.

AGNES (F, mid 30s–40s): Quiet and contemplative, secretly in love with Gerry. Protector of her sister Rose.

ROSE (F, mid 20s–30s): A sister with a developmental disability, vulnerable but determined. Actors with developmental disabilities are encouraged to audition.

CHRISTINA (Chris) (F, 20s–30s): The youngest sister, Michael’s mother. Struggles with life and has periods of over-optimism.

GERRY EVANS (M, late 20s–40s): Michael’s father, a charming, joyful drifter. Some casual singing.

JACK (M, 50+): The sisters’ elder brother, a missionary priest returned from Uganda. Large monologues; experiences malaria episodes.



https://hubbardhall.org/get-involved/auditon-form/