Arts March 6 is deadline for outdoor drama audition applications
| March 6 is deadline for outdoor drama audition applications |
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| Monday, February 11, 2008 | |
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Actors, singers, dancers and technicians are invited to audition for next summer’s outdoor historical dramas on March 15 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Stunt or combat professionals, pyrotechnicians, horseback riders and staff skilled in design, installation and maintenance of equipment – for sound, electronic vocal reinforcement, special effects and lighting – also will be chosen. Representatives of 10 theater companies that will stage 14 dramas will be on site in UNC’s Center for Dramatic Art to fill some 300 jobs, each lasting nine to 12 weeks through June, July and August. Auditions are open to anyone 18 years or older with theatre experience. Applications, with a $45 non-refundable fee, must be received by March 6. For an application, visit the institute’s Web site, http://www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor/ ; call (919) 962-1328; or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The nation’s largest single-site auditions for the dramas, including “The Lost Colony” in Manteo and “Tecumseh!” in Chillicothe, Ohio, are hosted annually on campus by the UNC Institute of Outdoor Drama, a public service arm of the University that aids outdoor dramas across the nation. The dramas are epic plays that combine dramatic history, music, dance and spectacle with large casts on expansive stages, said Rob Franklin Fox, institute director. And the experience is nothing to sneeze at. Derek Keeling, from TV’s reality hit “Grease: You’re the One That I Want,” and the legendary Andy Griffith both have performed in “The Lost Colony,” the longest running outdoor symphonic drama in America. William Ivey Long, a five-time Tony Award Winner, and Oscar winners Louise Fletcher, Denzel Washington and Goldie Hawn also have spent summers performing in outdoor historical dramas. “There is something so grand and episodic about watching a production outdoors under the stars,” Fox said. “The outdoor historical genre is a dramatic form of storytelling, an examination of recorded events that reinforces the value of preserving cultural, political and social history.” Candidates who act and sing will be given 90 seconds each for a monologue and song and may offer another selection at callback interviews. Actors and singers will have a minute each for a monologue or song. Dancers are led through warm-ups, combinations and routines featuring a variety of choreography. All auditions, call-backs and technical interviews will be completed on audition day. Companies, dramas and sites seeking personnel will be: • “Blue Jacket,” Xenia, Ohio; • “Horn in the West,” Boone, N.C.; • “The Lost Colony,” Manteo, N.C.; • Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo, N.C., which employs actors in historical dress and roles; • Snow Camp Historical Drama Society Inc., Snow Camp, N.C., casting four plays including “The Sword of Peace” and “Pathway to Freedom”; • “Tecumseh!” Chillicothe, Ohio; • “Texas Musical Drama,” Canyon, Texas; • Theatre West Virginia, of Beckley, casting four plays: “Honey in the Rock,” “Hatfields and McCoys,” “Cinderella” and “High School Musical”; • Ohio Outdoor Drama Association, New Philadelphia, Ohio, casting three plays including “Trumpet in the Land” and “White Savage”; and • “Unto These Hills,” Cherokee, N.C. Check-in for the auditions will be from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. in the lobby of the center, on Country Club Road. Those registered for the auditions will be invited to a forum the night before, on March 14, titled “The Inside Scoop On How to Get Hired.” Casting directors will discuss what makes a good audition. Among the panelists will be Joseph Haj, producing artistic director of PlayMakers Repertory Company, the professional theater group in residence at UNC. Admission is $15 on site or $10 if paid in advance with registration. The institute is the only advisory and research organization in the United States dedicated to the advancement of the outdoor drama movement. The institute is a resource for more than 100 outdoor theatres, as well as groups, government agencies, and individuals who wish to create new outdoor dramas or are seeking information on the field. Institute of Outdoor Drama Web site: http://www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor Note: For more media resources, including photos, visit http://www.unc.edu/depts/outdoor/media/media/index.media.html Fox can be reached at (919) 962-1328 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it News Services contact: LJ Toler, (919) 962-8589 |