Sense and Sensibility Audition Info
Hello and thanks for seeking out this information for Sense and Sensibility Auditions.
Sense and Sensibility will take place in Circa One from Saturday 6th July to Saturday August 3rd. Preview is July 5th and Production week starts on June 30th. Rehearsals go from June 3rd.
Rehearsals will be in Wellington at Circa Theatre. It will be a co-op with some additional TACT funding to help with living costs during rehearsals. Explanation of the co-op structure to come.
The below link is a moodboard Penny used to apply to the Circa Council with. It has good information on the motivations for this project, especially with reference to Jane Austen herself.
Sense and Sensibility Moodboard
It will star 6 women playing 24 roles. 4 women will play 22 characters between them and Marianne and Elinor will only play themselves. It will be directed by Penny Ashton. Designed by Ian Harman. Soundscape by Gareth Farr. Produced by Gavin Rutherford. Publicised by Eleanor Strathern with directing mentorship from Lyndee-Jane Rutherford.
It will be physical, bright, bold, hilarious and moving, have a strong musicality and celebrate the wonderful proto-feminist intellect that was Jane Austen. It will have many devising moments so a strong background in improv/devising is welcomed. It’s feminist AF whilst still retaining the regency vibes.
It is the second season of the work. The first being at The Court Theatre in Christchurch in February 2023 where it sold well. Penny would like to say thanks to all those from that production who helped inspire her going forward, she wouldn’t have been ready to do so without them.
There are 5 parts available of Actor B, C, D, E and F. The descriptions of each character they play are here: Characters.
To follow are links to audition pieces for each Actor. Please record a self tape (Iphone etc.. is totally fine) of the one piece per actor that is to be learned and upload on the google drive link below by December 2nd. Feel free to add more of the parts that are to be read etc.. but do not send more than a few extra minutes of material on top of the learned piece. In person auditions will then proceed on December 9th at Circa for those selected for callbacks. Feel free to audition for more than one role.
All well to do English accents for the parts excepting the servants, who will have regional accents.
Audition Pieces Actor B Looking for women physically aged 45+
Audition Pieces Actor C Looking for Women aged early 20’s, Must have excellent Singing Voice. Piano player a bonus.
Audition Pieces Actor D Looking for Women aged early 20’s
Audition Pieces Actor E Looking for women aged 35+
Audition Pieces Actor F Looking for women aged 30+
Upload your videos to this Google Drive folder by December 2: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1q9d8wLAhtIkgB0Q9LPHy-UjSxKU6UwdM?q=owner:me%20parent:1q9d8wLAhtIkgB0Q9LPHy-UjSxKU6UwdM Then email your CV to penny@hotpink.co.nz. Please state your name at the beginning of the video.
Good luck! It is highly recommended to read the book and to watch either the BBC’s mini-series or the Emma Thomson penned movie to familiarise yourself with both the era, and specifically the vernacular and cadences.
Any questions please get in touch with Penny Ashton on penny@hotpink.co.nz and Gavin Rutherford on gavrutherford@gmail.com.
Image by Emma Brittenden and the Court Theatre design crew.