By Bryony Lavery
Directed by: Nigel Semaj
Proscenium Theatre
We are looking for dancers and actors who consider themselves strong dancers and movers to audition for the following bolded roles in Slime by Byrony Lavery:
DUMBO she/her Dance major, ASL-trained signer. Elective mute.
BARB she/her animal language post-graduate[spec.northern marine mammals]
OLA she/her animal language post-graduate[spec.northern sea birds] Activist.
COCO she/her animal behaviour major
FREZZLE he/him animal language post graduate[Spec,Dolphins]
EV he/him Business & IT studies
GOD he/him Dance major , minoring in animal movement
MOVEMENT ENSEMBLE
There will be a movement ensemble of three. These performers will play various animals, as well as other non-human elements as needed.
About the play:
Welcome to the Third Annual Slime Crisis Conference! Seven grad students, all fluent in animal languages, linguistics, and culture, join delegates of almost every species to save life on earth from a toxic slime. As they debate and translate for dolphins, seabirds, and polar bears, they ask, "Who is coming to save us?" The answer might surprise you…
About the movement:
Slime will use a combination of contemporary, modern, and inventive movement. There will be pieces that will utilize traditional contemporary and modern dance and others will be pure invented movement that is dance adjacent to portray animals, water, air, and other non-human aspects of the world. The movement ensemble will be the primary performers dancing.
Content Disclosure:
This play includes American Sign Language, invented language, profanity, puppetry, heavy physical and vocal demand, and movement. This play portrays apocalyptic scenarios and circumstances and talks of death. It also includes kissing and embracing. Please note the play references a stylized rape in the last few scenes. This will be cut in our production.
Who can audition?
Any UMBC student registered for Spring 2024 is welcome to audition.
What’s the Commitment?
After casting, actors and understudies will enroll for THTR 390 (3 credits.) Rehearsals meet M-F, 6:30 - 10:00 pm, with extended hours during tech, dress rehearsal and performance weeks.
Rehearsal Schedule: Monday – Friday, 6:30 - 10:00 pm
First Rehearsal: Monday, January 29, 2024
Tech Week Begins: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Performances: April 4, 5, 11 (brush up), 12, 13 at 8:00pm
April 6, 14 at 2:00pm
Strike: Monday, April 15 through Tuesday, April 16
Audition Policy
Everyone who auditions, regardless of major or track, agrees to "play as cast." This means by auditioning you are committing to accepting any role or understudy assignment, and are available for the rehearsal and production schedule.
How to audition?
Please go here to fill out your Audition form then Disclosure form. Once those forms are completed, you will be directed to the General Auditions Sign Up sheet.
General Auditions
Wednesday, December 6, from 7:00 - 10:00 pm, Dance Cube
Please prepare one 90-second non-realism text (big, bold characters in high-stakes situation), written between 1970 and now. If interested and do not have a monologue please prepare the following text from the play:
GOD
day two
weird red and purple sunrise….
one or more might photograph this weird sunrise…
I'm in with the fish….
he is with a…
There's this beautiful bump-head parrotfish
From the Palmyra Atoll
I get in the presentation tank with her…
She's
A little tremulous
come a long way
out of her comfort zone
all
Trembles and skitters….
I mirror her
I'm like
I'm fish I'm shoal I protect until she settles
I listen
look into her
her eye
read
She says
"We are not blamers
We are fish
We understand that you must eat us
We eat each other other species vegetation
It is how"
then
She's whoosh down to the bottom of the aquarium
Where she thinks it’s safe
So I'm whoosh down with her
And she’s shimmering with….
"But Land Creatures
You
Sending
Dangerous
Coming
larger
From your us
Into our us"
And now she's as deep as she can get she's on the aquarium floor
And she's pulsing with colour like she's an engine
"This slime here
from You
You put shit in our us
Our cleaning fish have been cleaning but cannot clean all your shit"
Then she does this immense leap
Up from the bottom and she's into the air
And she's communicating
fiercely
"You are helping Slime to kill us
Read the script for Slime thoroughly. The script is available for check-out in the Theatre Office (PAHB 322).
Callbacks
Thursday, December 7, from 7:00 - 10:00 pm, Dance Cube
Any materials needed for the callbacks will be made available in advance and/or at the callbacks. Callbacks will involve movement. Students should wear clothes best suitable for movement.
Actors will be notified after the general auditions as to when they should arrive at the callback. However, all students should be prepared to attend the callbacks in the meantime; directors are not obliged to accommodate conflicts.
— — — — — — —
President: Andrew Opincar (He/Him)
Vice President: Morgan Decker (She/Her)
Treasurer: Trent Longest (He/Him)
Secretary: M Kidwell (They/Them)
Public Relations Officer: Kim Alston-Akers (She/They)
Human Relations Officer: Ann Davies (She/They) HR Form
Production Manager: Chris Hutton (He/Him)
Club Advisor: Suzanne Braunshweig sbraun@umbc.edu