Upcoming Events:
Auditions!
April 17 - April 18
"Wicked Waltz: Boston Dip in Springfield 1871"
Casting Call for pre-recorded digital theater presentation to air on June 4-5.
The director is Dennis Thread, a Springfield native with a long career as a director, producer, and writer in professional theater, opera, dance, television, and film. Producer is Sarah Adams, Curator of Collections and Interpretation at Edwards Place. The production is a fund-raiser and outreach program of the Edwards Place/SAA.
What is the show about?
Think “Footloose” in Hoop Skirts. Or Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” meets the Marx Brothers. Adapted from a one-act screwball comedy from 1873, “The Boston Dip” explores societal reactions (positive and negative) to challenging and rapidly developing pop culture trends while focusing on a mid-19th Century family and community facing drastically divergent economic and cultural experiences and expectations, with an additional focus on women’s issues.
How Much of My Time Will Be Required? And Other Details.
Air dates: Friday June 4 and Saturday June 5. The performance will be pre-recorded and accessible online.
Rehearsals: Begin tentatively April 17. All held via Zoom (except see below). Flexible schedule determined by availability. Weekends and evenings. Approx. 5-7 rehearsals 2-3 hours for each cast member.
Possible Additional Video Session. Some cast members may be asked to do a video recording at Edwards Place, conducted according to established national film/video production health guidelines to ensure safety. Possible limited no-mask moments to be discussed but not required. This call approx. 2-3 hours.
Costumes. To be provided. Let us know if you have access to mid-19th C. costumes (ideally mid-1860s to mid-1870s).
Pay: There is no pay for this project.
CASTING POLICY
All roles are open to all. An intentionally inclusive casting approach will be followed, with a goal of casting actors of color, actors with disabilities, women, actors identifying as LGBTQIA+, recent immigrants and members of tribal nations, and all other members of any and all marginalized communities that are not well represented or misrepresented onstage in media. Accessibility accommodations will be made as needed. Casting will be conscious of the need to make intentional choices when casting members of the communities above – a list which is by no means exhaustive nor intended to be exclusionary in any way. Of course, those who may not fit this description are certainly welcome to audition as well.
Cast of Characters – All Roles Are Open
Moses Mulligrub. Once the proprietor of a fish-cart, now well-off thanks to land speculation. Tough and gruff and insecure, but ultimately a softy. Open to all.
Hannah Mulligrub. Married to Moses. Aspiring dance enthusiast. Born on a farm, stylish but trying a bit too hard. Kind-hearted but naïve. Open to all.
Ida Mulligrub. Moses and Hannah, eldest child. Of “marriageable age,” but independent and wary. Lives for the ballroom. Open to all.
Eva Mulligrub. Ida’s younger sister. Smart and sharp. Secretly bookish. Also dance-crazy. Open to all.
The Older Eva. (from 1924) Our narrator, recalling a wild incident from their youth. Wise to the ways of the world but at close to 70 still engaged and fun-loving. Open to all.
Monsieur Achilles Adonis. Dancing-Master. Perhaps foreign born, or otherwise, an important part of the social scene, though not “part of” the social set. Artistic but not a dreamer. Clever, scrappy survivor. Well-connected, with an eye on the main chance. Open to all.
Richard Dasher. A young accountant and budding businessperson. Known as a “fast”-- in other words, not to be trusted. Weakness is “the horses” (gambling). Ambitious and realistic. Open to all.
Lavender Kids. An Exquisite – fashionable. Refined in manners and taste (but learned it all from books of etiquette). Enthusiastic for the latest crazes – like Phrenology and “The Dip.” Not the brightest bulb on the marquee, but certainly very charming. Open to all.
Rev. William P. Rine. A foe to the dance and all things merry. Politically ambitious, but with personal flaws, Rine pretends to be a strong moral leader for the community. Open to all.
Ballroom Dancers or dancer/actors with some ballroom experience. We are looking for 2-4 ballroom dancers for a brief video segment to be shot at Edwards Place. Dance Couples would be great as it would be good to perform these without masks if possible. These performers could double with one or more of the characters above. A plus, if you are an historical reenactor and/or have access to mid-19th C costumes (ideally mid-1860s to mid-1870s). Open to all.
How to Audition.
You may either submit a video monologue to Dennis Thread at dthread@creativethread.com. Preferably comedic, preferably classical/non-contemporary but, most importantly, one that you feel presents yourself at your best. OK if this is not “off-book.”
You may schedule an audition at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D44ADA929A46-audition
We will send you sides and/or copy for a short reading. You won’t be asked to memorize these. If the times slotted are inconvenient, we schedule to suit your schedule.
Dennis Thread 212-864-2363 (note 212 area code) dthread@creativethread.com