Audition Notice: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Auditions
The Footlight Club is pleased to announce upcoming auditions for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang.
The Footlight Club is committed to creating a diverse theatre community that reflects Jamaica Plain and the Greater Boston area, and ensuring an equitable and inclusive culture by challenging inequity and oppressive systems both internally and externally.
Our theater is now fully accessible even to stage level which allows for even greater inclusion.
We hope to make this show a diverse and multicultural experience and welcome actors of all ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, genders, and body types.
Director: Michael Colford
Producer: Rebecca Glucklich
Performance Dates:
Friday, April 29th 8pm
Saturday, April 30th 8pm
Sunday, May 1 2pm
Friday, May 6 8pm
Saturday, May 7 8pm
Sunday, May 8 2pm
Friday, May 13 8pm
Saturday, May 14 8pm
Audition Details:
Audition Details: We will see people in one-hour segments. Sides will be emailed to you prior to the audition for preparation. Please be prepared to stay for the entire hour in which you sign up. Auditions will be held as follows at The Footlight Club, 7A Eliot St. Jamaica Plain, MA 02310
Tuesday, February 15, 6-8pm
Wednesday, February 16, 6-8pm
The Characters (we will only be auditioning for four characters and three understudies; the other two have already been cast.)
Rehearsal Schedule
▪ Rehearsals are tentatively scheduled to begin the week of February 22. The schedule will be determined by cast conflicts but will likely include one weekend afternoon and two weeknights. You may not be required to attend every rehearsal, depending upon your role.
▪ Everyone should expect to be called for rehearsal every night during tech week, including the night before opening. Tech week for VSMS will begin on Sunday, April 24.
▪ Brush-up rehearsals may be held at some point during the run.
▪ Strike is mandatory for all cast members and will be on Sunday, May 15.
Other Audition Information:
Bring a headshot and resume, if you have one!
Know your conflicts from February 24 through April 28 to list on the audition sheet. Please be
thorough. Some conflicts can be scheduled around if we know about them ahead of time.Each time slot will accommodate up to twelve (12) auditioners. Please arrive in enough time prior to your appointment time to be ready to begin the process promptly.
Missed appointments or late arrivals will only be accommodated as space and time allows.
Callbacks
Callbacks, if needed, will be held Wednesday, February 16th: 8:00 - 9:30pm
We will let those who audition on Tuesday know on Wednesday morning via e-mail if they are needed for callbacks. If you audition on Wednesday evening, we will let you know if we need you to stay.
It is entirely possible that we will cast some people without calling them back.
Final Notifications
We will email everyone with a final yes or no answer as soon as possible. We cannot issue final notifications until everyone who was offered a role has officially accepted. Thanks for your understanding and patience.
Request for Discretion Online / Social Networking
We ask those who are cast to please refrain from sharing the good news via email blast or social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter until everyone gets their final “yes” or “no.” Again, thanks for understanding.
Regarding Actor Health and Safety:
The health and safety of actors, production team, and patrons is The Footlight Club’s highest priority, and we aim to be transparent regarding our plans for Covid-19 safety during rehearsals and performances. As an entertainment venue, The Footlight Club will be following the City of Boston’s B Together policy and will require anyone entering the venue to show proof of vaccination.
Production staff will be masked during the audition process, and actors are asked to wear masks until their individual audition, at which time they are welcome to remove their masks. If actors are paired in a scene during callbacks, they are asked to remain masked.
We expect to perform Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike unmasked and without social distancing measures for actors. Masks will be required for the audience as per the City of Boston’s indoor mask mandate. Policies and procedures will be in place to ensure actor and production staff safety throughout the rehearsal and production period, including a slow “ramp up” to mask-less rehearsals, regular hand sanitizing, and efforts to maintain proper ventilation and airflow in our historic building. Additionally, understudies will be used during our rehearsal and performances (with guaranteed stage time!) to allow for the requirement that actors call out when feeling ill. All folks auditioning will be asked to read and agree to our policies. A copy of the document will be emailed to you before the audition.
Please email our producer Rebecca Glucklich with any questions: rglucklich@gmail.com
ABOUT THE SHOW
Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha.
The Characters (we will only be auditioning for four characters and three understudies; the other two have already been cast.)
**Please Note: This production will include casting of understudies.
Information about the understudy process and expectations will be e-mailed to you before the audition..
Vanya (fifties, male-identifying, the elder brother): Wry, retiring, frustrated, resigned fellow. The play is an ensemble piece, but the closest to a lead role is Vanya, who acts as the peacemaker in the family and has the most stage time. He also has a pages-long eruption of a monologue at the conclusion of the play. He is gay and lives with his adopted sister (‘together alone’) in the house of their childhood, having cared for their parents until they passed, supported financially by their sister. He never had to work and was complicit in letting his life slip by without making much of it at all.
Spike (late twenties/early thirties, any race, male-identifying, Masha’s companion) Chiseled, flippant, devil-may care boy toy. A preening millennial, Spike is a young actor who pays just enough attention to Masha to keep her satisfied. He does not seem to have any urgency for anything, despite the fact that he has little to show for his career thus far. But he’s got his looks, a captive audience, and believes the rest will be laid out all on a plate for him when the time comes. Spike does disrobe down to his underwear in the play, and maintains that status for several pages on stage.
Cassandra (any age, any race, female identifying, soothsaying housekeeper) Obtrusive, kooky, dramatic. A true wildcard, gem of a comedic role, Cassandra is aptly and unambiguously named: she is a psychic prognosticator that no one believes but speaks the truth (mostly). She is also the housekeeper and somewhat of a caregiver to Sonia and Vanya. Her sudden, wild pronouncements for the future offer a lot to play around with for the adventuresome actress.
Nina (female, 20s-30s; aspiring actress). Earnest, bouncy admirer. An accidental arrival on the scene, Nina is the neighbor’s niece who has dreams of becoming an actress and has the (mis)fortune to stumble into her idol Masha. Her appearance though provokes lust in Spike and, unsurprisingly, envy in Masha.
Understudy 1: Male-identifying; this actor will understudy Vanya, and will perform the role at two shows to be determined..
Understudy 2: Male-identifying; this actor will understudy Spike, and will perform the role at two shows to be determined.
Understudy 3: Female-identifying; this actor will perform the role of Cassandra at two shows to be determined. They will understudy Masha, Sonia, and Cassandra.