HEAD OVER HEELS

Venue: Fairchild Theatre
Director/Choreographer: Brad Willcuts
Music Director: Dave Wendelberger
Rehearsal Dates: January 10 – February 17
Performance Dates: February 18 – 27
Synopsis: A jukebox musical featuring the songs of The Go-Go’s and based on Philip Sidney’s The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, Head Over Heels is the story of what happens when the royal court of Arcadia is threatened by the mystical Oracle of Delphi with the loss of its “Beat,” the divine power that ensures the kingdom’s prosperity. King Basilius, whose own title is at stake, forces the members of the royal family and court on a journey to the woods in an attempt to escape the Oracle’s seemingly unavoidable prophecies. Through a plot containing usurped kingship, unlikely lovers, and gender-fluid disguises, Head Over Heelspreaches unconditional love and acceptance of yourself and everyone you know, no matter their gender or sexual identity, and uses some of the greatest pop rock hits of the late 20th century.

Audition Requirements:

Please prepare a 32 bar (or about 60 seconds) contemporary pop or rock song. It does not have to be from a musical.  Put onus on confidence and showcasing your range and rock style!

HIT THE WALL

Venue: Arena Theatre
Director: Rob Roznowski
Rehearsal Dates: February 7 – March 17
Performance Dates: March 18 – 27
Synopsis: It’s the summer of ’69 and the death of music icon Judy Garland has emboldened her gay followers. A routine police raid on an underground Greenwich Village hotspot erupts into a full-scale riot, the impetus of the modern gay rights movement. That’s the well-known, oft-rehearsed myth of Stonewall, anyhow. Smash that myth against the vivid theatrical imagination of playwright Ike Holter, add a howling live rock ‘n roll band, and you get the world premiere play, Hit the Wall. Remixing this historic confrontation reveals ten unlikely revolutionaries, caught in the turmoil and fighting to claim, “I was there.”

Audition Requirements: Post a recording of yourself using the Flipgrid link below. Read the side that most matches the character you are interested in. You may do more than one side if you like. https://flipgrid.com/f5227444

For character descriptions and sides, click here.

MONSIEUR D’ÉON IS A WOMAN

Venue: Pasant Theatre
Director: Deric McNish
Rehearsal Dates: March 14 – April 20
Performance Dates: April 21 – 24
Synopsis: Brownell’s biting political comedy is a sexy, swashbuckling romp that tells the true story of the extraordinary life and adventures of Charles d’Éon de Beaumont, a spy, soldier, intellectual, Freemason, and diplomat for the French courts of Louis XV and XVI. D’Éon was a member of the King’s secret society, the elite Dragoons, a Freemason, and reputedly one of the best swordsmen in France.  D’Éon lived 49 years as a man and 33 as a woman. The mystery of D’Éon’s gender was the subject of great debate (and wagers) in London and Paris. Ever the expert at espionage, D’Éon kept the mystery alive, and it persists today. With guest appearances by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Benjamin Franklin, King George III, the Marquis de Sade, and Madame de Pompadour, this play presents the heroic and tragic story of a person that never allowed themselves to be defined by a single gender. Content Warning: violence, sexuality, language.

Audition Requirements:
One monologue, no more than 60 seconds, dramatic or comedic, contemporary or classical
AND
One rehearsed lip-sync routine with movement (or dance), no more than 60 seconds. Think Drag Race’s “lip sync for your life.” Be fierce. Music will be played from your own device.

SPRING STOREFRONT – IF I HAD KNOWN

Venue: Studio 60
Director: Liz Gray
Rehearsal Dates: February 21 – April 4 (two weeks of tablework, prior to full rehearsals)
Performance Dates: April 5 – 9
Synopsis: This devised piece will draw inspiration from the works of Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson, Langston Hughes and other queer writers of the late 19^th century through the Harlem Renaissance. I have become fascinated with the life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson, her positionality, and efforts to combat racial and gender injustices. “If I Had Known,” resonates with our circumstances today, as we think back to March 2020 onward to 2022. There are instances in history where Alice and Langston Hughes crossed paths. Her diary details these moments with intrigue. In 1947 Langston Hughes, on one of his visits to my great-grandmother’s boarding house in Hot Springs Arkansas, signed and inscribed a copy of his “The Dream Keeper” to my mother, who was only months old. The impact of these two historical figures is rich. Their individual and collective representations of identity and activism are full of possibilities.

Audition Requirements:
I am looking for creative collaborators. Please prepare one of the texts provided by clicking here.
Have the piece memorized for the initial audition. You may be asked to engage in cold readings or improvisation during the callback. If you sing, dance, choreograph, play an instrument, or possess the skills of a visual artist, be encouraged to share this at your audition. Suggestions for ways of doing so are listed below. All actors should prepare their audition offering thoughtfully and creatively.

Suggestions for Preparation

• Acting: Spoken text as recitation, monologue, spoken word poetry
• Singing: Set the text to a melody that is familiar to you or create a melody of your own. This may be shared acapella or accompanied by a live acoustic instrument or track played from your phone.
• Dance: Based on text alone, explore the rhythm of the piece incorporating movement as you speak.
• Visual: Share a visual representation of the piece you have chosen. (Digital or hard copy.)

SODA POP SHOP 

Venue: Touring
Director: Dionne O’Dell
Rehearsal Dates: Fridays: February & March 2022 12-2 PM excluding spring break
Performance Dates: Fridays: March 25, April 1, 8, 15, & 22
Synopsis: SODA POP SHOP! is a 1950s style interactive musical that centers on the main character Jitterbug, who is a nervous and jittery bug.  He is uncomfortable with noise and chaos and is worried about attending the grand opening celebration of the shop.  Through music, calming exercises, focus and friendship, Jitterbug can enjoy the afternoon, and his friends learn about true acceptance and inclusion.  SODA POP SHOP will tour the Greater Lansing area special education classrooms in SS22.

Audition Requirements: We need vocalists. We will be sitting in with auditions for Head Over Heels.  There will be no callbacks.  We are re-casting roles of several seniors who graduated. Please prepare a 32 bar (or close to) contemporary pop or rock song. It does not have to be from a musical.  Put onus on confidence and showcasing your range. *Please note, we are still waiting on the MSU policy regarding working with youth during COVID-19.  Currently this is not allowed. We are hoping to tour in the spring but may not be able to. Since the MSU policy for spring may not be announced until December, we have decided to move ahead with auditions and hope for the best.

MEDIA PRODUCTION IMMERSION 2022

Script TBD by 10/25
Venue: Film
Director: Ryan Welsh
Rehearsal Dates: 3-5 Rehearsals during April 2022
Film Shoot Dates: May 7 – 13, 2022 (you will shoot for 5 consecutive days within this time frame)

Audition Requirements: Please submit a self-tape of a 1-minute contemporary monologue (dramatic or comedic). Submissions must be uploaded to Flipgrid by 5PM on Monday, November 15.  https://flipgrid.com/a297d59c  Callbacks will be held virtually, and you will be asked to self-tape a selected scene from the script with the character for which you are called back.