Pull Tight Players Announce Auditions For TAMING OF THE SHREW 11/23

Taming Of The Shrew auditions to be held Sunday, November 22 and Monday, November 23 at 6:30pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on W. Main Street in downtown Franklin.
MAIN ROLES:

Katherine 25 - 30
The "shrew" of the play's title, Katherine, or Kate, is the daughter of Baptista Minola, with whom she lives in Padua. She is sharp-tongued, quick-tempered, and prone to violence, particularly against anyone who tries to marry her. Her hostility toward suitors particularly distresses her father. But her anger and rudeness disguise her deep-seated sense of insecurity and her jealousy toward her sister, Bianca. She does not resist her suitor Petruchio forever, though, and she eventually subjugates herself to him, despite her previous repudiation of marriage.

Petruchio 30 - 35
Petruchio is a gentleman from Verona. Loud, boisterous, eccentric, quick-witted, and frequently drunk, he has come to Padua "to wive and thrive." He wishes for nothing more than a woman with an enormous dowry, and he finds Kate to be the perfect fit. Disregarding everyone who warns him of her shrewishness, he eventually succeeds not only in wooing Katherine, but in silencing her tongue and temper with his own.

Bianca 18 - 22
The younger daughter of Baptista. The lovely Bianca proves herself the opposite of her sister, Kate, at the beginning of the play: she is soft-spoken, sweet, and unassuming. Thus, she operates as Kate's principal female foil. Because of her large dowry and her mild behavior, several men vie for her hand. Baptista, however, will not let her marry until Kate is wed.

Baptista 45 - 60
Minola Baptista is one of the wealthiest men in Padua, and his daughters become the prey of many suitors due to the substantial dowries he can offer. He is good-natured, if a bit superficial. His absentmindedness increases when Kate shows her obstinate nature. Thus, at the opening of the play, he is already desperate to find her a suitor, having decided that she must marry before Bianca does.

Lucentio 22 - 30
A young student from Pisa, the good-natured and intrepid Lucentio comes to Padua to study at the city's renowned university, but he is immediately sidetracked when he falls in love with Bianca at first sight. By disguising himself as a classics instructor named Cambio, he convinces Gremio to offer him to Baptista as a tutor for Bianca. He wins her love, but his impersonation gets him into trouble when his father, Vincentio, visits Padua.

Tranio 22 - 30
Lucentio's servant. Tranio accompanies Lucentio from Pisa. Wry and comical, he plays an important part in his master's charade--he assumes Lucentio's identity and bargains with Baptista for Bianca's hand.

Gremio and Hortensio 45 - 60
Two gentlemen of Padua. Gremio and Hortensio are Bianca's suitors at the beginning of the play. Though they are rivals, these older men also become friends during their mutual frustration with and rejection by Bianca. Hortensio directs Petruchio to Kate and then dresses up as a music instructor to court Bianca. He and Gremio are both thwarted in their efforts by Lucentio. Hortensio ends up marrying a widow.

Grumio 30 - 40
Petruchio's servant and the fool of the play--a source of much comic relief.

Biondello 22 - 30
Lucentio's second servant, who assists his master and Tranio in carrying out their plot.

SUPPORTING ROLES:

Curtis
Chief Servant in Petruchio's country house

Nathaniel, Philip, Joseph, Nicholas
other servants of Petruchio

Vincentio
Lucentio's father

A widow

A pedant (teacher)

A tailor

A haberdasher

There are also several mute roles for servants, officers, guests and attendants. So if you really desire to be onstage but don't want to learn lines, here's your chance!

Auditions will consist of reading from the script. No accents are required. A detailed list of the available roles and age ranges are available on the Pull-Tight website at http://www.pull-tight.com/. For more information, please contact the director, Iain Macpherson by phone at (home)794-8518, (cell)308-5091, or by email at imacpherson@comcast.net

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