Spotlighters Theatre announces Auditions for . . . .
A DELICATE BALANCE by Edward Albee
directed by Fuzz Roark
AUDITION DATES
Tue & Wed Mar 19 & 20, 2013 at 7pm
Spotlighters Theare - 817 Saint Paul Street - Baltimore, MD 2120
Questions:
Fuzz@spotlighters.org
Perf Dates: May 24 - June 30, 2013
Fri & Sat - 8pm, Sun - 2pm
AUDITION INFO:
- Prepare an under 2 min dramatic monologue for all roles.
- Actors auditioning for Claire, should also prepare an under 2 min
comedic monologue.
- Be prepared to read sides and maybe asked to remain to read with other actors.
- NO appointments needed, first come, first read.
- Non-Union / Non-Paid
REHEARSAL SCHEDULE:
Final schedule once casting is completed.
Tentative Schedule:
Mon - Thur, 7p - 10p Apr 2 - May 2
Mon - Thur, 7p - 11p May 6 - May 23 (Tech Weeks)
Plot Summary:
Agnes and Tobias live a relatively peaceful upper class life. Their
fragile peace is disrupted when two old friends arrive unexpectedly
due to some unexplained terror. All hell breaks loose when the 36yr
old daughter of Agnes and Tobias, Julia, arrives. Her fourth marriage
has just failed. The delicate balance between sanity and madness is
lost for all.
Character Breakdown
Agnes: (female, 50's) She is woman in her fifties, well off, and
married to Tobias. She is also the mother of Julia and the sister of
Claire. Agnes believes herself to be the fulcrum of the family,
keeping everyone in balance. She often maintains this balance, or
order, by not confronting issues, not taking a stand, and not
processing emotions. She tries to keep the peace by not dealing with
anything that might upset it.
Tobias (male, 50's) Tobias is Agnes’s husband and the father of Julia.
He is a well-to-do, retired businessman. Although he is tolerant of
people around him, he, like his wife, tends to avoid emotional topics.
His tolerance toward his sister-in-law Claire is shown in his
nonjudgmental attitude toward her drinking. Although he encourages her
to return to Alcoholics Anonymous at one point in the play, he does
not berate her for drinking. In some ways, he even encourages it or at
least does not discourage it. There are a few subtle insinuations that
Claire and Tobias might have at one time had an affair, but this is
initially only alluded to by script directions that have Claire open
her arms to Tobias in a “casual invitation”. Later in the play, Agnes
asks Tobias (when he cannot sleep) if he went to Claire.
Claire: (female: 40's) Claire is Agnes’s younger sister. She claims
that she is not an alcoholic but rather a willful drinker. Of all the
characters in the play, whether it is due to the alcohol or not,
Claire has the loosest tongue. She speaks her mind and is the least
affected by social politeness. Claire lives with Agnes and Tobias and
appears to have no means of support except for them. Her main role in
life seems to be to annoy and embarrass her sister. She is everything
that Agnes dislikes.
Edna (female, 50's) Edna is Harry’s wife. It is not clear if she is
really Agnes’s friend or if she and Agnes know one another only
because their husbands are friends. Edna arrives one day at the door
of Agnes and Tobias’s home. She takes it for granted that they will
let her and Harry stay there for however long it takes them to get
over their unnamed fear.
Harry (male, 50's) Harry is Edna’s husband and Tobias’s best friend.
At one point in the past, Harry and Tobias, coincidently, had an
extramarital affair with the same young woman. Besides both having
been businessmen and meeting at the same club, it is unclear what else
Harry and Tobias have in common except that they have known one
another for a long time and neither sleeps with his wife. Harry is
something of a reflection of Tobias, but he is even more reserved.
Julia (female, mid 30's) Julia is the thirty-six-year-old daughter of
Agnes and Tobias. Three times divorced, she has just recently left her
fourth husband and has returned home. Her father calls her a whiner,
and her mother has little time for her. Her parents welcome her,
although they make it clear that they wish she would establish an
independent life of her own. Julia is the catalyst of the play.
Videos
