Auditions

Rhinoceros auditions are scheduled for Feb. 9 & 10, 6:30-10:30 p.m. in BCA Room 413, with callbacks scheduled for Feb. 11 & 12, 6:30-10:30 p.m. 

Signup genius link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080B4AA5A92AABFE3-61136362-rhinoceros#/

Director’s Description

Daily life in a French village is unexpectedly interrupted when a rhinoceros barrels through, trampling pets and crushing the social order. As the villagers spout off about the pachyderm's number of horns and racial origin, one beast becomes two, two become ten, and soon everyone succumbs to the allure of rhinoceritis: animal energy, brute force, and mindlessness. In this absurd satire of the human condition, will the kind-hearted Daisy and slovenly boozer Berenger remain steadfast in their commitment to humanist values – or succumb to the animal inside?

Ionesco’s comedic masterpiece Rhinoceros is a response to the rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe; its commentary on mindless mass movements and empty platitudinal language holds equal weight today. Our production will feature heightened text, elements of Theatre of the Absurd and magical realism, and a mix of live foley sounds and a movement chorus. Actors who want to be big, bold, and brash are a must; actors who want to get destructive and make a mess are a plus!

Character Breakdown

• Berenger: Drifting, aimless, lazy, drunk…an Everybody, and an unlikely hero.
• Jean/Rhino: Chic, educated, and terribly well-cultured. A trend-setter of sorts. Berenger’s best friend and greatest critic.
• Daisy/Rhino: Kind-hearted, steadfast, and ready to break the rules for the right reasons. Berenger’s love interest.
• Dudard/Rhino: Righteous, thoughtful, ambitious. Most likely to be promoted in the office. In love with Daisy. Berenger’s colleague.
• Botard/Rhino: Zealously communist and ready to call the union at the drop of a hat. Trusts no one. Berenger’s colleague.
• Mr. Papillon/Rhino: The condescending, skeezy office manager and a real stickler.
• Mrs. Boeuf/Rhino: On the verge of a breakdown, until she’s on the verge of ecstasy. Wife of Mr. Boeuf, who has mysteriously disappeared.
• Old Gentleman/Rhino: A smarmy old codger with a penchant for women and intellectual debate.
• Logician/Rhino: A stuffy pedant who wants to get to the answer - or at least get to the right question.
• Housewife/Rhino: Charming, petty, and certainly a town gossip. Would do anything for her cat.
• Grocer/Rhino: A shrewd business man. You want it, he’s got it.
• Grocer’s Wife/Rhino: Ambitious, petty, and also financially shrewd.
• Waitress/Rhino: Not taking anyone’s crap at work today. Will serve you a double on the house to spite the boss.
• Cafe Proprietor/Rhino: A penny-pincher who will butter up anyone who enters their establishment. Not about to stop business for ridiculous reasons like rhinos or dead cats.
• Firefighter/Rhino: Would be happy to save the day if only they could get up the stairs.
• Lead Foley Artist/Rhino: leader of the live sound effects team. Will be visible and physically engaged as someone in the world of the play. Looking for someone with curiosity and a willingness to take big creative risks!
• And Lots of Rhino Heads… : Expandable movement and foley chorus.

What to Prepare

• 1-2 minute monologue, in a style appropriate to the theatrical era. Please no Shakespeare or hyper-contemporary monologues. Suggested playwright options: Ionesco, Suzan-Lori Parks, Friedrich Durrenmatt, Tom Stoppard, Susan Glaspell, Edward Albee, August Wilson, Tennessee Williams, Anton Chekhov, Sophie Treadwell, Henrik Ibsen, Bertolt Brecht, etc. If you’re unsure, reach out to the director at [email protected].
• Auditioners will be guided through a short group movement audition as well. Please be dressed to move!

Location:

• Auditions will be in 413
• Callbacks will be in the Rand and 413

The Department of Theater is committed to racial, cultural and individual diversity.
Casting for all department-sponsored productions is open to any student, staff, or faculty member of the Five College Consortium, any member of the community, or any invited guest artist regardless of race, ethnic origin, ability, sexual orientation or gender identification.
Equal-opportunity casting is encouraged.

All Theater majors are welcomed and strongly encouraged to audition. The Department chooses plays each year with the intention of offering roles to as many majors as possible, but casting of any individual theater major student is not guaranteed.

Company members must audition to be considered for a role. The only exception is if a role is pre-cast and announced prior to auditions. This may be the case for guest artists, faculty and for roles requiring special skills.

You are expected to sign up for a given audition appointment, and to arrive at the audition site 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled time. Performers who arrive after their scheduled time may not be permitted to audition.

After open auditions have been completed, the stage manager will post call back announcements. If you are called back, you are expected to respond via email to acknowledge attendance at the call back.

Auditioning for multiple shows:
Our experience has shown that having cast members in shows with overlapping rehearsal and/or performance schedules is complicated and disruptive to both shows. 

Cast members are still welcome to be in multiple shows whose rehearsal schedules do not overlap; please check with stage managers or production staff if you have questions about scheduling.

Please note: This does NOT mean that actors cannot audition for all the shows — just that they will have to consider their options and limitations wisely. Casting decisions will result in the production's exclusive service of the actor when rehearsal/performance periods overlap.