AUDITION NOTICE for COIN & GHOST’S GENDER-FLIPPED
“TWO GENTLEMEN* OF VERONA”
[February 7th and 9th, 2018. To request an audition slot, please email [email protected].]
“Two Gents” follows the story of Valentine and Proteus — two “gentlemen” who fall in love with the same woman. As Valentine leaves Verona to travel to Milan, Proteus remains behind to woo his first love, Julia. But matters soon get complicated as Valentine falls in love with a young woman named Sylvia, and Proteus (while on a visit to Milan), falls in love with her as well. Betrayal and deception poison the romance and affection in Shakespeare’s comedic tale of love and fidelity between bros and hoes.
Our Spring production, a gender-flipped take on the classic, will eschew the theme of winsome romance, choosing instead to explore the dynamics of power and privilege embedded within the play.
In a moment when many of the titans of art and entertainment are being hoisted by their own sexual petards, our version will confront the roles of power, privilege, sex, and gender in modern society. Co-directed by Artistic Director Zach Davidson and Managing Director Marguerite French, C&G’s “Two Gents” tackles one of The Bard’s many “problem plays” in a subversive, timely light.
Performances will run March 16th-April 8th.
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AUDITION INFO:
FOR THE AUDITIONS, we are asking you to prepare two things:
-A one-minute Shakespearian monologue from a differently-gendered character than you, and…
-One minute of ANYTHING YOU LIKE. This can be a monologue, a song, dance, story, rubik’s cube solution, tuba solo, magic trick, cocktail recipe, or whatever else you want to share with us. Like all of our projects, “Two Gents” will be a wild, weird, imaginative, collaboratively-built project, and we want to see what you choose to bring in. Now — whether that’s a special skill, a passion, or simply a moment of whimsy — that’s up to you.
*** There will also be a physical component to the audition, so please wear clothes you feel comfortable moving in. ***
Auditions and Callbacks will be late afternoon/early evening on Wednesday, February 7th and Friday, February 9th. To request an audition slot (or to formally file any questions or concerns), please email [email protected]. We look forward to meeting you and seeing your work!
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CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
PROTEUS
Proteus is a young lover, Valentine’s best friend and one of the titular “Gentleman”. Extremely changeable and lacking self-control, he begins the play madly in love with Julia — but upon visiting Milan, he quickly falls in love with Silvia, and attempts to steal her away from Valentine and Thurio.
VALENTINE
Young, witty, and impossibly loyal, Valentine is Proteus’ best friend and the other Gentleman of Verona. He initially thinks love foolish, but when he meets Sylvia, he is immediately smitten. When the Duke discovers his plans to elope with Sylvia, Valentine is banished to the forest, where he becomes King of the Outlaws.
DUKE/SPEED/EGLAMOUR
The Duke of Milan is Silvia’s father, who wishes to marry her off to a wealthy-but-undesirable suitor, Sir Thurio. Speed is Valentine’s clownish page and Launce’s friend. Sir Eglamour is a lord of both Verona and Milan, and is the trusted gentleman upon whom Silvia calls to help her escape from the Duke’s court.
JULIA/CRAB
Julia is Proteus’ beloved and mistress to the servant Lucetta. Deeply devoted, she disguises herself as a boy (“Sebastian”) in order to visit Proteus in Milan. Crab is Launce’s ill-behaved dog.
SYLVIA/LUCETTA
Sylvia is daughter of the Duke and beloved of Valentine. Clever, honest, and strong, she commiserates with “Sebastian” over the wrong that Proteus has done to Julia. Lucetta is Julia’s servant, who considers love from a practical point of view, and helps Julia disguise herself as a man.
LAUNCE/ANTONIO/THURIO
Launce is Proteus’ clownish servant, and master to a poorly-trained dog named Crab. His devotion to the dog knows no bounds. Anotnio is an esteemed lord of Verona and Proteus’ father. Sir Thurio is one of Sylvia’s suitors. He is very rich, but does not make for pleasant company.