Gallery Players announces auditions for upcoming AEA showcase (approval pending) production of Spring Awakening; Music by Duncan Sheik; Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater.
Director Nick Brennan; Producer Gallery Players; Music Director David Cronin; Choreographer Shiloh Goodin.
Rehearsals begin Sunday, April 14th, evenings and weekends. Performances May 18 through June 9: Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm (June 1 & 8) and 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. All auditions, rehearsals, and performances at the Gallery Players, 199 14th Street, Brooklyn. There is no pay.
Open call auditions for all characters will be on Saturday, March 30 from 12-5pm, Monday, April 1 from 7-10pm, and Tuesday, April 2 from 7-10pm. Sign-in will open half an hour before each audition and sign-in will close thirty minutes before the end of each audition. AEA priority. No submissions necessary for open calls; just show up. Callbacks will be on Saturday, April 6 from 12-5pm.
Spring Awakening is the 2007 Tony Award winning rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Based on the German play by Frank Wedekind, the musical tells the story of repressed teenagers in 1891 discovering the inner and outer turmoil of teenage sexuality. As they leave childhood behind, their most private and truthful thoughts are expressed through alternative rock and folk music.
The Gallery Players’ production will feature actors, some of whom may also serve as musicians in addition to the orchestra. Please pay close attention to the instruments listed for each character in the breakdown below and either bring it to play during your audition or list your skill level on your resume. There will be a keyboard provided. Remember, playing an instrument is not required to audition. Color and gender blind casting is also highly encouraged. All talents are welcome!
There might be brief moments of nudity in the production for the characters of Wendla and Melchior, if the actors are comfortable and willing. This will not be required for any actor.
Prepare a short rock, pop, or folk song that shows your unique personality or sing 16 bars from the show. Please, no traditional Broadway show tunes.
All of the teenage characters in the musical Spring Awakening should look 13-15 years old.
Because of the mature subject matter of the show, all actors auditioning must be at least 18 years old to be considered.
Character Breakdown:
(All instruments are suggestions, not requirements)
GIRLS
- Wendla Bergman (Pop Soprano, preferably plays electric/acoustic guitar) Age: 18+ A sweet, but naive young girl who is trapped in her family’s unwillingness to teach her about the adult world, but with every passing day, she grows bolder and more curious about her body. Both vulnerable and a willing participant in her evolution.
- Ilse Neumann (Pop Soprano/Belter, preferably plays electric/acoustic bass, keyboard) Age: 18+ Beautiful and mature looking. A misguided young girl who runs away from an abusive home to live in an artists’ colony. Kind and resilient while also broken and stuck in a cycle of abuse. There is a strong emotional connection between Ilse and Moritz; perhaps in another life they could have been happy together.
- Martha Bessell (Alto/Belter, preferably plays drums, electric guitar) Age: 18+ One of Wendla’s friends who is abused by her father, and she keeps the worst of the abuse to herself. She has a crush on Moritz, and is chastised by the other girls for it. Best friend of Anna and protective of her.
- Anna (Mezzo-Soprano, preferably plays cello) 18+ A kind school girl and Martha’s best friend. She is more aware of injustice than the other girls and recognizes that what happens to Wendla is wrong. Has a secret crush on Martha.
- Thea (Alto, preferably plays viola) 18+ A confrontational school girl and Wendla’s best friend. Outwardly believes the adults but secretly questions the blind faith demanded of her. Does not want to rock the boat. Mistrusts Hänschen.
- Ensemble/Girls Band (various voice parts, piano, guitar I, bass, drums, guitar II, violin, cello, viola, harmonium) There are 6 ensemble girls.
BOYS
- Melchior Gabor (Bari-Tenor preferably plays drums, guitar) 18+ A headstrong, smart and charismatic schoolboy. He knows much more than the others because of what he reads in books and is able to see the corruption in society. His radical points of view about most things are correct but misunderstood. He falls in love with Wendla.
- Moritz Stiefel (Tenor, preferably plays electric/acoustic guitar) 18+ Melchior’s intense and nervous best friend. He has an overwhelming confusion relating to sexual feelings, which seems comedic at first, but quickly develops into a serious issue for him. The system has failed him. Highly sensitive and aware of his inability to fit into the system. Feels like a failure. One of the childhood four: Wendla, Melchior, Moritz and Ilse.
- Hänschen Rilow (Tenor, preferably plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric bass, keyboard) 18+ A cunning and attractive schoolboy, who manipulates the other students, especially Ernst, whom he seduces. Like Melchior, he also appears to be very intelligent, but uses his knowledge in favor of the system.
- Ernst Röbel (Bari-Tenor, preferably plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar) 18+ A sweet and naive classmate. He is Hänschen’s love interest.
- Georg Zirschnitz (Tenor, preferably plays piano, keyboard) 18+ A hormonal schoolboy who lusts after his older, busty piano teacher.
- Otto Lämmermeier (Bari-Tenor, preferably plays cello, keyboard, harpsichord) 18+ Another schoolboy who has a disturbing dream about his mother.
- Ensemble/Boys Band (various voice parts, piano, guitar I, bass, drums, guitar II, violin, cello, viola, harmonium) There are 6 ensemble boys.
THE ADULTS
NOTE: Each adult plays multiple roles.
- Woman 1 (Mezzo-Soprano) 30+
Frau Bergman: Wendla’s mother
Fräulein Knuppeldick: an associate of Headmaster Knochenbruch
Frau Bessell: Martha’s mother
- Woman 2 (Mezzo-Soprano) 30+
Fräulein Grossebüstenhalter: Georg’s piano teacher
Fanny Gabor: Melchior’s mother
- Man 1 (Bari-Tenor, preferably plays acoustic guitar) 30+
Herr Sonnenstich: a schoolteacher
Herr Stiefel: Moritz’s father
Schmidt: the abortionist
Herr Neumann: Ilse’s Father
- Man 2 (Bari-Tenor) 30+
Headmaster Knochenbruch: the boys’ school headmaster
