audition notice - MEG JO BETH AMY & LOUISA - Tier 5 Productions presented by Southwest Shakespeare Company - September 4 & 5

A Tier5 production presented by Southwest Shakespeare Company

James Cougar Canfield, Hilary Kelman, & Roxane Smyer, producers;

Ariel Francoeur, director; Devised and written by Tier5’s ensemble

Casting non-equity actors for performances of meg jo beth amy & louisa at Taliesin West and Madison Center for the Arts.

From the team behind the award winning, Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII, comes their newest production meg jo beth amy & louisa. Inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, but…This is Not Your Marmee’s Little Women! After successful runs in New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., Tier5 is thrilled to bring this show to Arizona and to find its newest cast members.

Auditions will be at Historic Irving at 155 North Center St in Mesa, AZ 85201. It is an ADA
compliant building.

Auditions will be by appointment on Wed Sep 4 and Thu Sep 5 from 6:30-10:30pm. Actors will be asked to read sides.

Callbacks will be held on September 7, 2019 from 10am-3pm.

To sign up for an appointment, please go to: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050944aca82caafa7-auditions

In the comments, please include the character(s) you are interested in. We will reply with sides, further information to help you prepare for your audition, and an audition form to fill out.

Compensation

Pay: $300 stipend.

Roles

ALL ROLES require both comedic and dramatic chops. We’re really looking for actors who come to play.  Be prepared to show your ability to make big, bold choices. We’re searching for individuals who have great timing, pay attention to detail, and retain direction/choreography well. Many actors will play multiple characters, and we want to see how well you can move from one to the next! The show bounces from heightened and outlandish to realism. Flexibility is key! All roles require light singing and dancing, but don’t hesitate to audition if you don’t consider yourself a “musical theatre person”. All actors must be 18+.

Marmee (Mrs. March)/Mrs. Alcott/Aunt March (female-identifying characters, ~40s but open to younger if the right fit) She is a doer. With an absent husband and four girls (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) to raise in 19^th century America, Marmee’s got her plate full. Her exterior may read “cool as a cucumber” but looks can be…you know. For Aunt March, come ready to explore her dark side. What a monster!

Laurie (Theodore Laurence) (male-identifying character, 20s-30s) Laurie longs to be a member of the March family. Hmm, be alone with grandfather? Or play across the street in a house full of rambunctious girls? He and Jo form an unconventional best friendship. Born into wealth and opportunity, he rebels against the future his grandfather sees for him. Should we trust him to steer for himself? He doesn’t always read signs well…

John F. Brooke (male-identifying character, 25-40) Tutor, perfect gentleman, sister stealer. Sure sure, he’s super nice…whatever. (Laurie’s tutor and Meg’s suitor. Jo isn’t excited by the prospect of her sister being taken away.) This actor will also play a handful of smaller characters and needs to bring a real sense of play to the table.

Meg March/Anna Alcott (female-identifying characters, 20s-30s) This actor doubles as Louisa’s real-life sister, Anna Alcott, who was the inspiration for the character Meg March. The eldest Miss March is a guiding hand to her younger sisters. She is aware of an underlying vanity in herself. She’s torn between longing to reclaim the life of luxury she experienced as a child and finding satisfaction in the reduced means her family now possesses. She’s in an awful hurry to be treated like a grownup, but can she even make a proper jelly?

Jo March (female-identifying character, 20s-30s) Writer, sister, daughter, friend, niece…but is she doing any of it right? Why can’t girls run and adventure like boys? So many ideas and not enough time with a quill in hand. Jo is the second oldest of the March girls and possesses an energy she struggles to “properly” channel.

Friedrich Bhaer/Father (Mr. March)/Jenny Snow One actor plays all three characters (male & female-identifying characters, 30s-40s). Bhaer is a German immigrant and former professor who tutors to provide his limited means. He is not the stuff of girls’ dreams but possesses an intellectual charm. Father is off fighting for the North in the Civil War and missing his family every day. He is a transcendentalist. Jenny Snow is Amy’s arch nemesis but believes herself to be the nicest girl in the world.

Lady/Lily Almy (female-identifying characters, 20s-30s) Lady is a figure that continually pops up in Louisa’s life. She sees her at parties, the general store, on the street, within the characters she writes. Louisa is continually drawn in by her and cannot seem to shake her. Lily Almy is a Regina George queen bee. She reigns supreme over her underlings and has the attitude to prove it.

We will not be auditioning for Louisa May Alcott, Amy March/May Alcott, Beth March/Lizzie Alcott, or Thomas Niles.

Synopsis:

Assigned with the super boring task of writing a morality tale for girls, Louisa May Alcott turns to figures and stories from her life for inspiration. The lines between fact and fiction begin to blur as her novel comes to life before her and things get a little weird. Louisa must confront her characters, family, and a demanding public. Life may be the best inspiration, but what if you are afraid to learn who you are?

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations:

Looking to start rehearsals right at the beginning of January 2020. Actor availability may play some role in scheduling.

-Tech for the Madison Center for the Arts (Phoenix, AZ) performances is Jan 28, 2020.

-The student matinee performances at the Madison are 10am Jan 29 and 30, 2020.

-Tech for Taliesin West performances (Scottsdale, AZ) is January 23, 2020.

-Taliesin West performances are Jan 24 (7:30pm), 25 (7:30pm), 26 (6pm), 31 (7:30pm) and Feb 1 (7:30pm) and 2 (6pm), 2020.

★Performers of all races, ethnicities, and gender identities are encouraged to submit. ★

We also welcome actors of all abilities but want to provide you with the following information:

Auditions and rehearsals are scheduled to be located at the Fitch Family Life Center which has a lift and an ADA compliant restroom.

Two performances will be at the Madison Center for the Arts which is ADA compliant.

Performances at Taliesin West are in the Music Pavilion which is accessed by ramps that are 26 inches wide with slopes ranging from 21 to 27 degrees. Some of the pathways are gravel. There is an accessible restroom on site but is not directly off of the stage and would need pre planning for mid show use. The producers would discuss and plan as much accommodation as possible.

If you have any questions regarding accessibility or want to discuss accommodations for your audition, please do not hesitate to contact us. (tier5auditions@gmail.com)