Auditions

Powderkeg Players is all about staging Theatre That Light’s a Fuse, so we’re set to pretty much blow this year up, by following up our bloody fantastic first season with a play that is sure to make your teeth ache…..

GOD OF CARNAGE
WRITTEN BY YASMINA REZA, TRANSLATED BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON

AUDITION, REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE VENUE:
Powderkeg Players Theatre, Dempster Park Hall, 82 Phoenix St, Sunshine North Instagram: @the_beast_powderkegplayers
Facebook: Powderkeg Players

AUDITIONS?       MAY 13TH & 15TH 2019 from 7pm
WHO?                  2 F (25-40yrs) 2 M (25-40yrs)
SEASON?             Oct 1Oth – 19th 2019

*NO CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN PRECAST

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Before the play begins, two 11-year-old children, Benjamin and Henry, get involved in an argument because Benjamin refuses to let Henry join his ‘gang’. Henry knocks out two of Benjamin’s teeth with a stick. That night, the parents of both children meet to discuss the matter. Henry’s father, Alan, is a lawyer who is never off his mobile phones. Henry’s mother, Annette is in “wealth management” (her husband’s wealth, to be precise), and consistently wears good shoes. Benjamin’s father, Michael, is a self-made wholesaler with an unwell mother. Michael’s wife, Veronica, is writing a book about Darfur. As the evening goes on, the meeting degenerates into the four getting into irrational arguments, and their discussion falls into the loaded topics of misogyny, racial prejudice and homophobia

FROM THE DIRECTOR:
This play has the essence of farce, but is grounded in an everyday, relatable, essentially mundane situation. Unlike the light-hearted entertainment we often see in farce, G.O.C offers a ‘keyhole – view’ into some of the most filthy, disgraceful human behaviours we are all capable of submitting to deep down.
At times of war, whether on the battlefield or in the lounge room at home, peace is not always an option…..

CHARACTERS:
ALAN RALEIGH, mid 20-late 30s MALE, Lead Role.
Married to Annette, middle class urbanite, a slimy attorney, smart but can be openly rude, uncaring and distracted, thinks women are limited, represents a pharmaceutical company that puts out harmful drugs.

ANNETTE RALEIGH, mid 20-late 30s FEMALE, Lead Role.
Married to Alan, has an 11 year-old son, middle class urbanite, a wealth manager, lacks confidence, looses control, has panic attacks and can be physically destructive, has raised a violent son.

MICHAEL NOVAK, mid 20-late 30s MALE, Lead Role..
Married to Veronica, middle class urbanite, a self-made plumbing wholesaler, has a somewhat blue collar behavior, occasionally uncouth in nature being a bit tough and blunt, tries to control but loses his temper and thinks child-raising is wasteful.

VERONICA NOVAK, mid 20-late 30s FEMALE, Lead Role.
Married to Michael, has an 11 year-old son and 9 year-old daughter, middle class urbanite, art historian, bright, controlling, anal, judgmental with a false sense of civility, wants to instill shame in the others.

PRODUCTION INFO – MUST READ BEFORE BOOKING AN AUDITION
Please do consider all of the below dates (for the production & rehearsal periods) before signing up, to avoid any potential clashes with other productions you are involved in.

PERFORMANCE/PRODUCTION WEEK DATES:

• 6th – 12th October 2019 (production week, with performances between 10th – 12th inclusive) & 17th – 19th October 2019 (2nd week of performances)
• IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PRODUCTION DATES:
  Powderkeg generally runs 7 shows in total: 6 x 8pm shows with1 x matinee on the middle Saturday (making it a 2 x show day) – we may decide to add dates later, however you will have plenty of notice.
  If you are unable to commit 100% to any of the above dates, please consider this before you audition, as you will be required to be flexible / available for extra rehearsals during tech week (Oct 6th – 9th). For performance days, call time is strictly no less than 1 hour prior to a performance, no exceptions.

REHEARSALS:

• Scheduled to begin from July 21st, 2019 – please note: we will
  definitely not start anytime prior this date, although as it’s a little
  while off will re-confirm closer to the time
• 1 to 2 weeknights per week and 1 weekend afternoon, with a definite 3 rehearsal sessions per week as we get closer to performance
• Dates, days & times will be confirmed at the auditions so that any auditionees with unavailability’s can discuss with the director
  (Venue for all rehearsals will be as above, at the Powderkeg Players Theatre
• HOW TO BOOK AN AUDITION:
  Please use this trybooking link to select ONE audition timeslot, which will run for about an hour, during which time we will switch you round in different roles & groups of auditionees

IMPORTANT: It is essential that when booking your timeslot, you do make sure that if you are male, you chose a male slot, if you are female, chose a female slot

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE AUDITION PROCESS:
This play will require a cast capable of very strong ensemble work, with only 4 actors to fuel the action & energy, the natural performance chemistry between auditionees is one of the key things we want to see

Regardless of the part/s you get to read on the night, everyone will be considered equally & fairly for all relevant parts (so it would be wise to be familiar with both parts when the audition reads are provided). We may not require you for the full hour on the night, this will depend on how we’re going for time

WHAT TO BRING TO AUDITIONS: a printed copy of your performance CV & a headshot, both copies that you are happy for us to keep

Please contact the director with any questions you may have about characters, the play or otherwise, making sure to do so via his personal email only as detailed above & here: rew1985@gmail.com