The Baldwin Wallace Theatre and Dance Department will be holding auditions in the next few months for the upcoming spring shows.
Anjanette Hall, the BA Acting and Directing program coordinator, said there will be general auditions for the spring plays that will take place on Oct. 28. Students should come prepared with two contrasting monologues, one classical and one contemporary, taking three minutes total.
There will be four shows that are directed by four different directors. Hall and Assistant Professor Christine McBurney, both directors of two different shows, already have a schedule in place for the auditions.
“We will hold callbacks that next night, on Monday,” said Hall. “Then the rest of the directors will be holding their callbacks after that.”
No prior acting or theatre experience is required for the auditions.
According to Libby Tofig, a Junior Theatre Directing student who is also a director for one of the spring plays, all students are welcome at the auditions regardless of their majors.
“The auditions are open to anyone,” said Tofig. “I think we’re just excited to see as many faces as possible.”
Gregory Daniels, the Dance Program Coordinator said all students can also audition for the musicals and dance concert. The dance concert has already had its round of auditions and has been cast. However, there will be a spring musical put on by Baldwin Wallace at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland.
With respect to the spring plays, not only are all majors able to audition, said Hall, but all roles are available.
“There’s nothing that’s been pre-cast and there’s nothing that says we have to cast this number of BFAs, this number of BAs,” she said. “It is completely fair game to anyone on campus.”
Since these auditions do not require prior theatre experience, some students will not know how to select a monologue that will best suit them. There are many ways a student can go about doing this.
“Skip the Google search and find people who are well-read, who know plays,” said Hall. “In my opinion, the best way to research and find pieces that are good for you is to first talk to people who are well read. That can be your professors, but it can also be students.”
Some students have read many plays and they may have ideas for monologues that fit certain people.
“I think that you can definitely schedule office hours and reach out to any of the faculty in the theatre department,” said Tofig. “Maybe reach out to some of the directors and see what general type of monologue that they are looking for. I know, I personally, can’t speak for any of the other directors, but if people were really, really lost with material, I would be happy to steer them in a direction.”
As with any shows, there will also be non-performing roles that will be an option for all students. Tofig said that students could help in the costume shop or the scene shop. There is no need to be present at auditions to obtain these roles, but rather students can contact the head of the costume shop and scene shop and let them know they are interested.
Gregory Daniels said the auditions for the spring musical put on by Baldwin Wallace and performed at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland will be on Dec. 2. He said to keep checking the callboard in Kleist Center for Art and Drama for more information about what will be required at these auditions.