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[PAST EVENT] Auditions for A New and Well-Ordered City

February 8, 2025
10am - 3pm
Location
Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) Memorial Hall, Room 163
601 Jamestown Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23185Map this location
Access & Features
  • Registration/RSVP
The poster for ANAWOC is a map inspired by Williamsburg with neon futuristic text.

AUDITION NOTICE

A New and Well-Ordered City, A Devised Performance by Bryan Schmidt and Ensemble

(Performances Apr. 24-27 in the Glenn Close Theatre)

Seeking 10-15 performers (Actors, Dancers, Musicians, Storytellers)

Auditions: Sat. February 8, 2025 10:00am-3:00pm in PBK 163

Callbacks: Sunday, February 9, 2025 from 12:00am-3:00pm in PBK 163

Audition Workshop (Optional): Wed. Feb. 5, 5:30-7:00pm, PBK 115

Casting: Actors are auditioning to be part of an ensemble who will not only perform, but also write and develop the show. Ensemble members can expect to play multiple roles and contribute to the larger creative process. Once the Ensemble is cast, roles will be created and distributed on a rolling basis as the show develops. Auditions are open to all students, regardless of experience level.

Critical Dates (Please read carefully and see the project overview below)

  • Creative sessions: Feb. 27, Mar. 3-6, 7-10pm: All are called, but there is flexibility for conflicts. Emphasis on scripting and character building.
  • General Rehearsal Schedule: Mar. 20-Apr. 17, MWR 7-10pm – Note: You will not be expected to come everyday; the rehearsal schedule will break down by scene once the script is written.
  • Tech and Dress Rehearsals: April 18-19 (TBA), Apr. 21-24, 6-10pm – Note: We plan to hold a long tech day Saturday, April 19 – exact hours TBA.
  • Performances: April 24 – 26, 7:30pm (6:30pm call), Sunday April 27, 2:00pm (1:00pm call)
  • Set Strike (immediately following final showing, Sunday Apr. 27 – all called)

AUDITION PREPARATION

You may choose EITHER audition option:

  1. Students may prepare a 1-2 minute monologue of their choosing, or prepare any spoken text inspired by the concept of “A New and Well-Ordered City”. This might mean reading a poem, telling a story, or creating any other form of text-based performance. In all cases, you should show some form of characterization. You may consider setting your performance to music, which can be played through your phone. (It is recommended, but not required, that the text be memorized)
  2. Physical performance: Choose an animal, and study that animal’s physicality and energy. Then, create a human character based on this animal. For your audition, we will ask you to slowly transform from animal to human. Once you’ve transformed, mime an action or series of actions that might take place in a city. Choose a piece of audio (e.g. music, a commercial, a story, etc.) to accompany your movement inspired by the concept of “A New and Well-Ordered City.” You should have this audio ready to be played by your phone.

NOTE: Auditions are designed to solicit a range of creative skills that reflect the challenges of devised theatre, including collaboration, textual storytelling, physical storytelling, and creative bravery. Students are encouraged to be bold, try something new, and reach beyond their comfort zone. We are looking for artists of all disciplines who are willing to use their unique skills and personal experiences to help build our city. Auditions are open to all, and we encourage those of any experience level (including those who have never participated in drama before!) to come out.

Audition Workshop – W Feb. 5, 5:30-7:00pm, PBK 163

For anyone interested in developing their audition or learning more about the production and process – especially anyone who has never auditioned for a W&M show – please consider attending this audition workshop for practice, feedback, and brainstorming.

Project Overview

What is A New and Well-Ordered City?

A New and Well-Ordered City is an original devised work –it will be written by the ensemble in the process of rehearsing. It tells the story of an intrepid city planner who dreams of building an urban paradise that runs like a well-oiled machine. Using a kind of magic, he conjures scenes from this utopian city into existence – only to watch them go haywire as they run up against the complexity of urban social life. Eventually, he’s voted out of office and drained of his powers… but what happens when a new regime takes over? This project asks for students to integrate their own unique talents as performers, writers, dancers, artists, and musicians, building upon one another to construct a living city on stage. Using a collaborative mode of making, we explore the tension between the well-ordered ideals of cities—the rules, regulations, and routines that make them go—and the unpredictable chaos of actual urban life. Performers interested in participating in A New and Well-Ordered City should anticipate being asked to imagine and script aspects of the story during the Creative Sessions in the first weeks of rehearsal. It is anticipated that actors will be asked to play multiple characters using textual and physical storytelling.

** What does “Devising” and “physical storytelling” look like? Consider checking out these clips to get an idea…

PERSONNEL

Director: Bryan Schmidt bwschmidt@wm.edu

Production Manager: Ni Li nli07@wm.edu

* Please contact Bryan Schmidt for information regarding the workshop /auditions. Please contact Ni Li for anything relating to scheduling.

Sponsored by: Department of Theatre & Performance

Contact

Bryan Schmidt