Some information from Bob: Audition Notes Thank you for auditioning for the Four County Players production of Alan Ayckbourns Bedroom Farce. The auditions will be private with 2 or 3 people doing blind readings from the script. Bedroom Farce is a domestic comedy that examines different kinds of relationships between married couples using the device of humor. Most of the comedy in Ayckbourns plays arises from seemingly normal characters being placed in comical situations. It is important to note that the situations are (generally) not funny to the characters themselves, only (hopefully, if we do our jobs properly) to the audience, who, because they know the situation and the characters, can often anticipate what is about to happen. In short, when in doubt, play it straight! This is a true ensemble show - every character is well-defined and equally important to the plot. With the exception of Earnest and Delia, all of the roles involve some level of physical activity/running around, pratfalls, staged fighting, etc. that is typical of most farces. If you have any significant physical limitations, its important that I know about them now so that they can be factored into the blocking. Here are some very brief sketches of the characters/couples. Earnest and Delia: The most elderly couple; parents of Trevor. They have been married a long time and they communicate the way couples do who have been married a long time. Earnest might give the impression of being dim-witted but he is definitely not...he just doesnt pay attention to Delia much of the time, as hes more focused on things that matter to him (in this case, the gutters and a leaky roof). Delia has been a wife/mother for her entire life. She has a playful side, and their marriage still has a spark. This couple is the most British of the four. Malcolm and Kate: A fun-loving, playful couple. They are just starting out in their new house, and its probably either a starter home or a move up to a new flat. Malcolm is a practical joker, very upbeat, positive, likable-hes the life of the party. Kate is nurturing, fun-loving, supportive, and open-she wants others to be comfortable. They are very much in love and their marriage is fresh and exciting. Nick and Jan: Jan used to be Trevors girlfriend, but dropped him for Nick. Nick is a successful businessman who is laid up in bed for the entire show, having just thrown out his back. He uses this as an opportunity to order Jan around and generally complain and be belligerent. Jans marriage to Nick is fine and comfortable, but, to some small extent, she misses the wildness, chaos, and passion of her relationship with Trevor. She has limited patience in dealing with Nicks self-pitying behavior. Shes nosy and somewhat manipulative. Trevor and Susannah: Trevor is one of the most self-obsessed characters written for the stage. He never intends to harm others, but chaos constantly surrounds him. His most common line in the play is sorry. He pays little attention to people around him, and his conversations are more monologues than dialogues. Susannah is a complete, psychological mess; a head-case. Her relationship with Trevor is in shambles, and she brings the maelstrom with her constantly. She is the product of extensive counseling, no doubt having tried all of the various fad approaches to personal fulfillment. These characters are the catalysts for most of the plays humor. Although their behavior is often outrageous, they both need to be likable and at least partially sympathetic characters. British accents: This play is very British and I hope to use British accents in the production. That being said, I would rather that you NOT use them in your audition reading. Ive found that focusing on accents can distract actors from playing the scene, and Im more interested in how you play the situation and interact with your fellow actors than in your ability to do an accent. We may spend a minute or so trying a British accent at the end of your audition. Thanks for auditioning for Bedroom Farce, and most importantly, have fun! Bob Davis, Director
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:43:48 +0000
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