The Bay Players of Duxbury are pleased to announce auditions for SEMINAR, by Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck, creator and writer of NBC's Smash.
SEMINAR tells the story of four aspiring young novelists who sign up for private writing classes with Leonard, an international literary figure. Under his recklessly brilliant and unorthodox instruction, some thrive and others flounder, alliances are made and broken, sex is used as a weapon, and hearts are unmoored. Witty, acerbic, and unflinching, SEMINAR serves as an enriching study into the psyche of creatives and just how much of themselves they must sacrifice to their art.
Auditions will be held at the First Parish Church, 842 Tremont Street, Duxbury, MA, on Wednesday, September 8th, at 7PM, and Thursday, September 9th, at 7PM. If necessary, callbacks may be scheduled at the auditionees availability. Entrance to performance hall/audition room is found at the back of the building.
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Auditions will consist of readings from the script. Actors can request to see audition sides in advance by emailing the production team at seminar.bayplayers@gmail.com. Let us know the character(s) you would like to read for and what night you are planning to attend.
Preparing a 1-minute modern dramatic or comedic monologue is welcomed, but not required. Plan to arrive with enough time to complete your audition form; please bring your headshot and theatrical resume if you have them. If you have any other questions, please reach out to the production team at seminar.bayplayers@gmail.com.
Rehearsals will be 3 times a week, based upon cast availability. All rehearsals and performances will take place at the First Parish Church, 842 Tremont Street, Duxbury, MA.
PERFORMANCE DATES:
Friday, November 5th, 8 PM
Saturday, November 6th, 8 PM
Sunday, November 7th, Matinee
Friday, November 12th, 8 PM
Saturday, November 13th, 8 PM
There may be a TBD matinee performance the second weekend, either on Saturday, November 13th or Sunday, November 14th.
Actors of all genders, ethnicities, and physical abilities are encouraged to audition.
PLEASE NOTE: Script includes some profanity, kissing, and implied nudity.
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CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
KATE - (Female-identifying, 20s - early 30s) The child of affluent old money New Yorkers, Kate is defensive and neurotic. Self-aware and self-conscious of her privilege, she's constantly worried that people won't take her seriously as a writer because she's an entitled rich girl. She's been working on the same short story for years, ever since she received (faint) praise for it at college.
MARTIN - (Male-identifying, 20s - early 30s) Middle-class, definitely not privileged, and has a chip on his shoulder because of that. So emotionally invested in and protective of his own writing that he's terrified to show it to anyone. Uses his acerbic wit as his defense and, not surprisingly, is very sensitive. Thus far, he's failing both professionally and financially, but he's (rightly) convinced that he's a talented writer who deserves to make it in the world.
LEONARD - (Male-identifying, 40s-50s) Charismatic, fierce, brilliant, complicated, celebrity writer, editor, and teacher. Brutally honest to the point of borderline verbal abuse. He genuinely wants to help his students improve as writers, but does not care about their feelings in the slightest. Bitter and detached due to not being as respected in the writing community as he (rightly) believes he should be, he's contemptuous of almost everything around him, yet he can't help but get excited about real, honest writing.
DOUGLAS - (Male-identifying, 20s - early 30s) The most successful of the four students and, not coincidentally, best connected. He can actually write, but is constantly accused of name dropping. Frequently goes on writers' retreats to top notch writing colonies, which he mostly gets into because of his last name. He comes off as insufferably pretentious at times, but he doesn't mean to be that way - it's just all he's ever known.
IZZY - (Female-identifying, 20s - early 30s) Strong, sexy, opportunistic, and confident. Simultaneously the least book smart and the most savvy of the four students. Deemed a good writer from the beginning, she freely admits to not being as emotionally attached to her writing as any of the other characters. She views it as a pragmatic means to achieve her desired ends, namely money, fame, and respect.
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COVID-19 PROTOCOLS:
The venue and The Bay Players will require that everyone involved comply with all current (and future) state and locally mandated COVID-19 requirements regarding social distancing, masks, and vaccines.
Performances will comply with all state and locally mandated COVID-19 protocols, such as capacity limits, distancing, and mask wearing.
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Directed by James Koonce
www.bayplayers.org
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