Auditions
Update as of May 7, 2020
Thank you for your patience as we continue work closely with the Actors’ Equity Association and government health officials while preparing for our 2020 – 2021 season.
At this time, our Equity Principal Auditions have closed. We would like to thank those who submitted materials; we are excited to see your talent and advocacy for the arts as we sort through submissions. We hope to hold in-person callbacks in the nearby future and will be in contact with those whom we wish to see.
We are accepting auditions for local Young Artists through Friday, May 15, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Asolo Rep is inviting local young performers to submit a video audition for our upcoming productions of Billy Elliot, Our Town, and Knoxville!
Video Auditions should be up to 3 minutes in length, including slating (your name and what pieces you’ll be performing), acting performance, singing, and answering the About You question.
Young artists are able to select their own monologue, scene, or song to feature in their audition, or you can access the provided materials by using the link in the submission form. Our About You question is “What are you obsessed with this week?” Some examples range from “I’m obsessed with this new show on Disney+!” to “I’m thinking about a family member who is sick.”
If you are an Young Artist, please use this link to submit your headshot, resume, and taped audition:
Should you have any questions at this time, please contact [email protected]
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Mertz Theatre (LORT B):
BILLY ELLIOT
Music by Elton John
Book and Lyrics by Lee Hall
Directed and Choreographed by Josh Rhodes
First Rehearsal: 10/06/2020
First Preview: 11/11/2020
Closing: 01/2/2021
[BILLY ELLIOT]: Male, 10-13, a boy who stumbles upon a ballet class and develops a passion for dance. To him, dance is a way to feel whole and free himself from the problems of life. He finds himself stuck between appeasing family and chasing his newfound love. (E3-C5)
[DAD]: Male, 35-45, Billy’s stoic father. A widowed miner struggling with maintaining a household in lieu of a work strike, he is still deeply scarred by the death of his wife. Billy’s dancing initially sends him into a rage but he learns to support his son. (A2-Eb4)
[DEBBIE WILKINSON]: Female, 9-12, the ballet teacher’s daughter. A bit stand-offish and argumentative, her childhood crush on Billy leads her to constantly discourage him.
[GRANDMA]: Female, 60-75, Billy’s eccentric grandmother. She is forgetful and a little aloof. Despite her inattention, she harbors a bitter resentment towards her dead abusive husband but has found solace through dance. (F#3-F#4)
[MICHAEL]: Male, 10-13, Billy’s careless and fun-loving best friend. He lives in the realm of expressing oneself, going so far as to commonly dress in women’s clothing. (A#3-B4)
[MRS. WILKINSON]: Female, 40-50, the local ballet teacher who eventually becomes Billy’s mentor. Hardened and mouthy, she actually has capacity for caring when she sees promise in Billy. Believes in the power of personal expression through dance. (Gb3-Bb5)
[TONY]: Male, 18-25, Billy’s brother. A lazy but passionate miner. Hotheaded and scrappy with seemingly no regard of respect for his father, although he shares his disapproval of dance. (D3-F4)
THREE MUSKETEERS
By Ken Ludwig
Adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas
Directed by Peter Amster
First Rehearsal: 12/01/2020
First Preview: 01/13/2021
Closing: 03/13/2021
[D’ARTAGNAN]: Male, 18-25, a skilled young swordsman hoping to serve the King and Queen of France as a Musketeer. He is youth, courage, and hope. Trained as a swordsman by his father, D’Artagnan is confident in his skills and upholding his honor.
[ATHOS]: Male, 20s-40s. Athos is gravely intelligent, full of shadows, with the courage of a lion, and more dangerous than the others. While a valiant and involved member of the Musketeers, he has a hidden past following him into his present life.
[PORTHOS]: Male, 20s-30s, Bacchus bought to life, but with a good heart. Porthos is extremely vain and quite a dandy, but since he is one of the three greatest swordsmen in all of France, he can afford to be.
[ARAMIS]: Male, 20s-30s, strikingly handsome and has genuine hopes for a future in the church. Two things, however, stand in his way: he has a hot temper, which can flare at any moment, and he loves to be around beautiful women.
[CARDINAL RICHELIEU]: Male, 40s-50s. Cardinal Richelieu is a man of the church who wants power more than anything else. Although he works with the King, he despises the King’s Musketeers, especially Athos, Porthos, and Aramis as they like to play tricks on the Cardinal and his guards. Utilizing Rochefort and Milady as his puppets, Cardinal Richelieu seeks various ways in which the King and Queen can leave the throne of France, giving him the ruling power.
[TREVILLE / BASILLE]: Male, 50s. Treville is the most impatient man in all of Paris. The leader of the Musketeers, he serves the King and expects his men (especially Athos, Porthos, and Aramis) to mind Cardinal Richelieu and his men.
[ROCHEFORT / D’ARTAGNAN’S FATHER]: Male, 40s-50s. Rochefort is Cardinal Richelieu’s eyepatch wearing henchman. Following orders from the Cardinal, he despises and repeatedly fights D’Artagnan and the Musketeers. D’Artagnan’s Father is a former Musketeer who has trained both D’Artagnan and Sabine in sword combat, giving his children both skill and agency in their honor.
[KING LOUIS XIII / FOUQUET]: Male, 30s. King Louis XIII says some silly things at times and gets confused, but he’s trying hard to live up to his title. He is reliant upon Cardinal Richelieu’s guidance and, until shown otherwise, is unaware of the Cardinal’s ill intentions.
[DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM / FACHE]: Male, 30s. The Duke of Buckingham is an English Duke who is having an affair with Queen Anne. They eventually call it off, but he still supports and cares for her from across the English Channel. Fache is a stranger who is in support of the Cardinal and starts a brawl with the Musketeers.
[RAVANCHE / RUFFIAN]: Male, 20-30s. Ravanche is a guard for Cardinal Richelieu under Rochefort. A bully, he uses his physical strength as intimidation and power on those he assumes are weaker than he.
[STANLEY / INNKEEPER]: Male, 20s-30s. Stanley is a servant of the Duke of Buckingham who aides D’Artagnan on one of his missions. The Innkeeper is a man hired by the Cardinal and his men to poison the Musketeers on one of the adventures. However, he seems nervous and questionable of this act.
[SABINE]: Female, Early 20s to play late teens, D’Artagnan’s sister. She is full of wonder and mischief, ready to take on the world. A skilled swordswoman, Sabine is sent to Paris with her brother to attend a religious school, but wants nothing more than to avoid school and join her brother in protecting the King and Queen of France.
[MILADY]: Female, 30s-40s. Milady is the most dangerous and feared lady in Europe. Her cunning is legendary and she is stunningly beautiful. She never utters and ill-word. She disguises herself as a young woman named Sophie Delacroix as an attempt to fool D’Artagnan, Sabine, and the Musketeers.
[CONSTANCE BONACIEUX]: Female, 20s-30s. Constance is the beautiful handmaiden of Queen Anne. She is dependent upon others but determined and loyal. Constance meets D’Artagnan on the streets of Paris and the two fall in love.
[ADELE]: Female, 20s, Adele is a woman Porthos meets on the street and attempts to woo with his “fancy” silk cape.
[CECILE, D’ARTAGNAN’S MOTHER / OLD WOMAN]: Female, 40s-50s. Cecile, D’Artagnan’s mother is caring of her family, making a care package for her son to take as he ventures on to be a Musketeer. A nurturer, it is apparent that having an empty nest hurts her heart, but she is excited to see her children accomplish their goals in life. The Old Woman is a haggard woman who seeks the assistance of the Musketeers.
[QUEEN ANNE]: Females, 30s. Queen Anne of Austria is a handsome woman in her thirties, sweet-natured and intelligent. She cares for King Louis XIII, although she has an affair with the Duke of Buckingham.
[ELISE]: Female, 20s-30s. Beautiful, elegant, and young. Elise is a citizen of Paris who has the admiration of Aramis.
[MOTHER SUPERIOR / ABBESS]: Female, 40s-50s. Both Mother Superior and the Abbess are religious women who are strong in their faith. Mother Superior is the headmistress of the school which Sabine is to attend. She is strict and punctual, but softhearted and caring of her students. The Abbess is an old gossip who is quick to trust.
[SISTER AT SCHOOL]: Female, 20s-30s, a sister at Sabine’s religious school.
GRAND HORIZONS
By Bess Wohl
Directed by Celine Rosenthal
First Rehearsal: 12/02/2020
First Preview: 01/20/2021
Closing: 03/25/2021
[NANCY]: Female, 70-80, wife to Bill, mother to Ben and Brian. Retired librarian who wants a divorce with her husband after 50 years of marriage.
[BILL]: Male, 70-80, husband to Nancy, father to Ben and Brian. Bill is stiff, but trying to loosen up by taking a stand-up comedy class; however, it doesn’t seem to be making him any funnier.
[BEN]: Male, 30-40, husband to Jess, son of Nancy and Bill. Bossy, stereotypical firstborn. A successful lawyer, he believes that the divorce is a cry for attention rather than rooted in reality.
[BRIAN]: Male 30-40, son of Nancy and Bill. Whiny, overindulged. A high school theatre teacher who is trying to cast a 200-person production of The Crucible so that no one is left out.
[JESS]: Female, 30-40, wife to Ben, very pregnant. A therapist who wants to help Nancy and Bill work through the “rough patch” that brought them to a divorce.
[CARLA]: Female, 70-80, neighbor in retirement community who becomes Bill’s girlfriend. A free-spirit, the two meet at a stand-up comedy class.
[TOMMY]: Male, 30-40, Brian’s romantic fling. Tommy is flirty and seems genuinely interested in Brian’s job as a theatre teacher, although he isn’t in the arts himself. He gets frustrated quickly when Brian starts to unpack his parents’ recently announced divorce.
OUR TOWN
By Thorton Wilder
Directed by Michael Donald Edwards
First Rehearsal: 12/29/2020
First Preview: 02/10/2021
Closing: 03/27/2021
[STAGE MANAGER]: Male/Female, 40s-60s, the narrator of Our Town. Guides both the audience and the characters through. Kind, wise, and smooth-talking, the Stage Manager assumes a godlike position within the play. Takes on the roles of various town citizens throughout.
[DR. GIBBS]: Male, 30s-50s, fatigued and successful town doctor. He knows everyone in town and all of their families. In love with his wife and proud of his children.
[JOE CROWELL, Jr.]: Male, 10-13, a boy who delivers the newspapers to citizens of Grover's Corners.
[HOWIE NEWSOME]: Male, 30s, town milkman. Quiet but kind, he has a daily routine that he keeps to, both for his clients and for his horse.
[MRS. GIBBS]: Female, 30s-50s, a thin, serious, crisp woman. She is loving and caring towards her family, living a routine life as the wife to the town doctor. A romantic who dreams of one day visiting Paris, France.
[MRS. WEBB]: Female, 30s-50s, a no-nonsense woman who greatly loves her family. While she keeps her demeanor intact, she secretly worries about her children and their readiness for the real world.
[GEORGE GIBBS]: Male, 16-20, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs' son and Rebecca's brother. An upstanding young man of Grover's Corners. A talented high school baseball player, he wants to attend State Agricultural School when he graduates. Compassionate and romantic, he falls in love and marries his next-door neighbor, Emily Webb. Thoroughly desires to be the best person he can be for Emily.
[REBECCA GIBBS]: Female, 11-14. A proud but kind young girl. A strong sense of self, she is curious about the world and its relationship to other planets.
[WALLY WEBB]: Male, 11-14. A typical boy of the time; excited and upbeat about the world.
[EMILY WEBB]: Female, 16-20, Dr. and Mrs. Webb's daughter and Wally's sister. She is enthusiastic about life and its potential. An excellent student and loving daughter, she also falls in love and marries her schoolmate and next-door neighbor, George Gibbs.
[PROFESSOR WILLARD]: Male, 30s-50s, a local professor from the State University. He is knowledgeable of the town and its history.
[MR. WEBB]: Male, 30s-50s. The local newspaper editor and publisher, he is well educated and knowledgeable about city-wide occurrences.
[WOMAN IN THE BALCONY]: Female, 20s-60s. Asks a standard question about drinking and alcohol in the town to Mr. Webb.
[MAN IN THE AUDITORIUM]: Male, 20s-60s. A belligerent man who questions the actions of the town to Mr. Webb.
[LADY IN THE BOX]: Female, 20s-60s. Asks a question about the cultural life of the town to Mr. Webb.
[SIMON STIMSON]: Male, 40s-50s, choir leader. He has a strong drinking problem and other personal issues that have been the gossip of Grover's Corners for quite some time. He is sour, bitter, and depressed.
[MRS. SOAMES]: Female, 30s-60s, a gossipy woman who sings in the church choir with Mrs. Webb and Mrs. Gibbs.
[CONSTABLE WARREN]: Male, 50s-70s, a local policeman. He keeps a close eye on the safety of the community. He knows every resident in Grover's Corners and has a kind relationship with the people.
[SI CROWELL]: Male, 11-13, Joe Crowell, Jr.'s younger brother. He becomes the new newspaper delivery boy following in his brother's footsteps.
[THREE BASEBALL PLAYERS]: Male, 20s, three members of George's high school baseball team that arrive at his wedding to "congratulate" George and Emily. They are rowdy and loud, catcalling and whistling and their friend from afar.
[SAM CRAIG]: Male, 30s-40s, cousin to Emily and Wally Webb. A former resident of Grover's Corners, he has been gone for approximately twelve years and is out of touch with the residents.
[JOE STODDARD]: Male, 40s-60s, the town undertaker. Solemn and somber, he is reminiscent of the lives of people as they relate to their deaths and what they left behind.
HOOD: A NEW MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by Lewis Flinn
Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Directed by Mark Brokaw
First Rehearsal: 3/2/21
First Preview: 4/9/21
Closing: 5/2/20
[ROBIN/ROBERT/YOUNG ROBERT] – Male, 20s-30s. Pop-rock bari-tenor. Any Ethnicity.
[MARIAN/YOUNG MARIAN]:Female, 20s-30s. Any Ethnicity.
[LADY ANNE/BUTCHER]: Female, 20s-30s. Any Ethnicity.
[LADY JANE ]: Male, 30s-40s. Any Ethnicity.
[SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM/COOPER]- Male, 30s-40s. Any Ethnicity.
[MEG/COOPER’S WIFE]: Female, 30s-40s. Any Ethnicity.
[MUCH/CRANK]: Female, 20s-30s. Any Ethnicity.
[ALAN A’DALE/BAKER] - Male, 20s-30s. Tenor, must play guitar. Any Ethnicity.
[LITTLE JOHN/CLAPPER-DUDGEON/VOICE OF PRINCE JOHN]: Male, 20s-30s. Bass Any Ethnicity.
[GAMBLE GOLD/EARL OF LOXLEY/ABRAHAM-MAN/ APPLE SELLER/VOICE OF
GEOFFREY]: Female, 20s-30s. Any Ethnicity.
[SCARLET/SMOTE/LADY & LORD BOXINGTON/VOICE OF BISHOP]: Female, 40s-50s. Any Ethnicity.
[FRIAR TUCK/EARL OF HUNTINGTON]: Male, 40s-50s. Any Ethnicity.
KNOXVILLE
Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Book adapted by Frank Galati
Director Frank Galati
First Rehearsal: 4/20/21
First Preview: 5/14/21
Closing: 6/6/21
[AUTHOR]: Male, 35-49, Lanky handsome country boy. Hard-drinking writer. Harvard man. Easy manner. Charismatic and a little brooding. A true poet and eloquent story-teller. Tremendous confidence. A keen sense of humor. Vocal range: Very strong “folk-style” baritone with a flexible top (B3 to E/F4)
[JAY FOLLET]: Male, 36, gentle and charismatic, extremely good-looking, family man with a law degree. His heavy drinking and repeated attempts to stay on the wagon are a sign of inner turbulence and restlessness. Deeply sensitive and tender but charged with energy and power, he is described as having a magnificent physique but he is modest and loving. Vocal range: Very strong baritone with a flexible top (G2 to E/F4)
[RUFUS FOLLET]: Male, 6-10, an only child. Extremely smart and particularly sensitive to language and music. He grows up to be the author, moved by the wonders of the world, delighted by the magic of words, and filled with love for his parents and family. He has all the energy and curiosity of most boys his age. Vocal range: Good singer (C4 to C5)
[MARY FOLLET]: Female, early 30s, a radiant and beautiful woman. A person of deep faith agitated and troubled by her husband’s agnosticism. She will face the most profound and heart-breaking crisis of her life. A loving and attentive wife as well as a patient and caring mother. Her emotions are close to the surface. She grows, learns and finally becomes a person of courage and sagacity. Vocal range: Very strong singer. Beautiful, dramatic, lyrical mezzo with both mix and some belt (G3 to D5)
[AUNT HANNAH LYNCH]: Female, 50s, bespectacled unmarried music teacher, her “personal tastes were almost as frugal as her needs.” She is droll and dead-pan, a woman who never needs to make a list when she goes shopping. She is calm, level-headed and accepting. Vocal range: Very strong singer. Mezzo (G3 to B5)
[ANDREW LYNCH]: Male, late 20s, actor/musician. A young artist, he lives with his parents and is devoted to his sister Mary. He is a proud young atheist who sees evidence of meaning in
beauty itself: the beauty of a human body, a spring evening or a butterfly. He is very fond of his nephew, Rufus, and becomes his mentor during the terrible crisis that befalls the family. Vocal range: Very strong singer. Tenor or Baritone (with flexible top) (A3 to F4)
[RALPH FOLETT]: Male, 30s, actor/musician. An alcoholic, undertaker, loud-mouth, he exhibits tremendous self-loathing and, though he is at times very funny, he is ultimately sad and pitiable. He lives near his parents because he feels if he is close at hand they will see how he loves them and win their approval and their respect. He has a deep streak of cruelty in him, is harsh and bossy to his wife and family, and when he’s drunk even blurts out that he’s glad his more admired and beloved brother is dead. Vocal range: Very good singer; flexible baritone or tenor.
[JOEL LYNCH]: Male, 60s, actor/musician. A Knoxville native, proud, educated, reads Shakespeare, and has a philosophical turn of mind. Like his son-in-law Jay he has no use for the smoke and mirrors of organized religion. He is formal, dignified, a little intimidating. He has a loving but difficult relationship with his wife. He is protective of his daughter and always ready to give her advice. Vocal range: Good singer. Baritone.
[CATHERINE LYNCH]: Female, 60s, actor/musician. A gracious and dignified woman who happens to be almost deaf and is very “dim-sighted.” She’s always “smiling fixedly.” She loves her daughter Mary deeply and, though she feels immense sympathy, does not offer any elaborate consolation or advice. She has a good memory and a sharp wit. As formidable as her husband may be to others for her he is a person to be tolerated. Vocal range: Good singer. Mezzo/alto.
[SALLY FOLLET]: Female, 30s, actor/musician. A raw-boned wife and mother, bullied and pushed around by her husband, Ralph. She laments not owning a black dress for the funeral even though she lives above a funeral parlor. A farm girl from the hills of Tennessee, she is awkward around her sister-in-law’s family and embarrassed by her husband’s bragging and boozing. Vocal range: Good singer. Soprano/mezzo soprano.
[JESSIE FOLLET]: Female, 60s, actor/musician. Jay and Ralph’s mother. She is stoic and darkly quiet at her son’s funeral. Her husband is dying and she is weary with care and exhausted from taking care of him in their farm house. There is eloquence and endurance in her silence. Vocal range: Good singer. Soprano/mezzo soprano.
[MAN AT THE SCENE/FATHER JACKSON]: Male, 40-60, singer and musician, plays both the witness to Jay’s deadly accident and an unctuous, balding, Catholic priest. Vocal range: Strong singer. Tenor or high baritone.
ABOUT ASOLO REP
Now in its 61st season, Asolo Repertory Theatre is recognized as one of the premier professional theatres in America and one of the largest in the Southeastern United States. One of the few select theatres in the nation that performs in true rotating repertory, Asolo Rep’s highly skilled acting company and extensive craftsmanship bring to life this unique performance method that gives audiences the opportunity to see multiple productions in the span of a few days. Asolo Rep presents up to 10 productions each season including contemporary and classic works and provocative musical theatre experiences. A theatre district in and of itself, Asolo Rep is committed to expanding its reach into the community, furthering its collaboration with the best theatre artists working in the industry today and cultivating new artists through its affiliation with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards and Managing Director Linda DiGabriele, Asolo Rep’s ambitious theatrical offerings and ground-breaking education and community programming engage audiences and ensure its lasting legacy for future generations. www.asolorep.org