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Dickens Christmas Fair 2008 September Missive #1 (Auditions)
(sent September 11th, 2008)

Hello everyone and welcome to the missives for the 30th illustrious season of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair!

Join us for a Victorian Christmas Card Come to Life!

Grand Opening Friday November 28th
Saturdays and Sundays November 29th through December 21st
In the San Francisco Cow Palace Exhibition Halls

The holiday event for the perceptive, perspicacious reveler!
The favored festivities of the magnanimous multitudes!
The delightful destination of sagacious savants and frolicsome families!

As with previous years, I (Cat Taylor) will not only be sending you these informative missives, but also directing entertainment. That version of me can be reached at cat@redbarnproductions.org. Robert Young will once again be coordinating the theme characters, "special performance" groups and generally overseeing the acting at the fair, as well as portraying the illustrious Mr. Charles Dickens.

The performer information on the website has been updated at http://dickensfair.com/performerinfo.htm, please pass this link along to new folks who would like to know more.

More auditions will be announced in a forthcoming missive.

Please email your questions to the individual posters of the notices below, rather than hitting "reply". Thanks.

In This Missive:
Workshops
We're Looking for a Webmaster
Previous Years Dickens Press Video on YouTube
Top Renaissance Faire?
Audible.com 50% Off Sale on "Classics"
Victorian London Amazon Research List
Siamsa Auditions
Legion Fantastique Auditions for "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"
Book Character Auditions - Friday October 10th


Workshops
Workshops will once again be held on November 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th from 10:00AM to 5:00PM at Sunset Ridge Elementary School in Pacifica.  As always, there will be a mandatory meeting at 10:00AM on the first day of workshops. This meeting is always a lot of fun and a little crazy; announcements are made, staff, directors and workshop leaders are introduced, and there is general amusement had by all.

The address is 340 Inverness Drive, Pacifica, CA 94044 and it's right at the top of the hill before you go down the big hill into Pacifica, don't go down the hill or you've missed it, just like I did the first time. Their website seems to be down at the moment, but if you need directions, you can use http://maps.google.com/

More workshop information will be announced in a forthcoming missive.


We're Looking for a Webmaster
RBP is looking for a skilled volunteer (or partial volunteer) to build a brand new up-to-date website for the Dickens Fair. Anyone interested should contact Kevin Patterson at kevin@redbarnproductions.org.  We would like to get it done prior to November.


Previous Years Dickens Press Video on YouTube
I have put some clips of press coverage from previous years up on YouTube. Please visit and rate well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9N0PKXvZow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVZRpQm4df0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz_51WfiUjY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPNKJatLchE


Top Renaissance Faire?
Interestingly, we made The Travel Advocate's list of "Five Renaissance Faires You Don’t Want to Miss" at http://www.travel-advocate.com/2008/05/08/five-renaissance-faires-you-dont-want-to-miss/


Audible.com 50% Off Sale on "Classics"
Audible.com is having a 50% off sale on audiobook "classics" which include a number of Dickens books. I haven't heard them but if you don't have time to read, they may be something to check out.


Victorian London Amazon Research List
Kathy Kingman posted the following list of good research books at Amazon.com
http://home.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/R2FSM8P4D575RX
This list is full of good research materials to read if you want to develop a more realistic idea of what Victorian London was really like. It include books on etiquette, housekeeping and biographies on Victorian life in general.


Siamsa Auditions
Siamsa le Cheile (“Music and Dance Without a Net”) is auditioning for a few new folks to join our cadre of collegial, convivial, dedicated bi-Celtic musicians and dancers.  Requirements: familiarity with and love of traditional Scottish and/or Irish music and dance forms and culture, willingness & dedication  to learn what you don’t already know, strong team-player spirit and flexibility/sense of humor to perform with precision and grace under pressure. Must also commit to one weekend per month rehearsals in the off season and performing at renaissance and modern venues as well as Dickens. For more information, see our website: http://siamsa.net. To set up an audition, contact us at info@siamsa.net


Legion Fantastique Auditions for "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"
We are in desperate need of three actors (male and/or female) who can project and can move about on a stage (the show is high-energy). Actors who are interested, must be willing to devote to two daily performances of the show on the Sugar Plum Playhouse stage. Performers in 20K will have full Legion backstage benefits.

Auditions are being held Wednesday, Sept. 17th
Email me at: legionfantastique@gmail.com if you are interested!
Thank you,
Peter


Book Character Auditions - Friday October 10th
The book character groups are ensemble casts that pride themselves on showcasing the vast panoply of Dickens' brilliantly wrought characters. The characters are big, bold and quirky. Audience interaction is our raison d'etre and our lives are one big theatrical banquet of scenery chewing throughout the day. We need energy, commitment, fearlessness and willingness to be part of an ensemble. We are interested in casting as many of these characters as possible, which range across all ages, classes and emotional quirks. We encourage interested parties to read one of the books, or at least view one of the superb adaptations currently available to get a clearer picture of these characters. 

We are specifically looking for the following characters, although we are willing to cast other characters.  If there is a character in a Dickens book or adaptation that you want to play, or simply find appealing, prepare a brief piece to read, and act, for the audition team.  It will give us a clearer idea of your capabilities and the type of character you want to play.

A Christmas Carol
Bob Cratchitt - Father of the brood and clerk to Mr. Scrooge
Mrs. Cratchitt - Mother of the brood
Martha Cratchitt-oldest of the Cratchitt kids

Oliver Twist
Oliver: Oliver Twist is an unlucky young man who makes it good in the end.  He is a true innocent and all around stand up boy to whom fate plays crewel tricks.  An avid young man is needed for this roll...  as the namesake of the book he is involved in a great many scenes.  But us White Chapel folk are a cheerful lot, despite our questionable morality, and a fun day is to be had amongst the toil of acting.

Fagin: Fagin is a bad-un, and no doubt about it!  A avaricious old fence who runs a cadre of young thieves, he is the man who's greed nearly brings young Twist to ruin.  This role is acting and audience intensive, with a busy schedule, but very rewarding!  The ability to skeeve people out in a non-threatening way is a bonus.

Dodger: Dodger is a plucky young man with very light fingers.  He is the older brother that Oliver Twist wished he never had, and Fagin's protoge.  This is a scene and audience heavy roll, that requires a lot of in the streets action - with great glory comes great responsibility!

Bet: Bet is Nancy's best friend, a minor but important role in the Twist Saga.  There's a lot of free time during the day, so this role really needs a self starter - it's a great opportunity for gigging in the streets and playing with customers!

Charlie Bates: Charlie Bates is Dodger's best friend.  He is a lad who loves to laugh, especially at the wrong time!  This is a roll that requires a great deal of self-starter-dom, but has a lot of options for audience interaction and all around good times.

Monks: Monks is an all around bad guy, a genteel who is the boogy man's boogy who prefers the shadows.  He is the string puller of the puppet that is Fagin's gang, and the bitter half brother of Oliver Twist.  This is a roll for someone who likes to be the bad guy, and has no problems being icky all day long.


David Copperfield
David Copperfield - heroic young male ingenue (portrait of the author as a young man)
Uriah Heep - oily, unctuous villain
Betsy Trotwood - David's eccentric but sensible and good-hearted aunt
Dan Peggoty - rough, gruff, salt-of-the-earth friend to David

Great Expectations
Herbert Pocket - Pip's cheery friend and roommate.
Abel Magwich - Ex-felon. Pip's secret benefactor.
Molly - The extremely reserved, mysterious and slightly unnerving servant to Mr. Jaggers (she has a secret)
 
Our Mutual Friend
Nicodemas "Noddy" Boffin - The "golden dustman," jolly working class gentleman made rich by a stroke of good fortune.
Mrs Boffin - His kindly wife
Bradley Headstone - A tight-wound schoolmaster and would-be nemesis of Eugene Wrayburn.
Miss Georgiana Podsnap - Sweet but dim society girl, in the thrall of the Lammles
Miss Abbey Potterson - The educated, no-nonsense proprietress of the Six Jolly Fellowship Porters tavern  

Little Dorritt
Arthur Clennam - Long-suffering, poetically morose gentleman (early middle age - Mrs. Finching's former fiance).
Daniel Doyce - Indefatigable inventor and entrepreneur, the "Spirit of the Age" made manifest

Martin Chuzzlewitt (only casting English, NOT American)
Mercy "Merry" Pecksniff - The younger Miss Pecksniff, lively to the point of pertness, the "pretty one"
Charity "Cherry" Pecksniff -   The elder Miss Pecksniff, very proper on the surface, the "smart one"
Martin Chuzzlewit (the elder) - Rich and cantankerous old gentleman.
Mary -  The elder Mr. Chuzzlewitt's companion and nurse, poor but proud, restrained and  sensible
Martin Chuzzlewit (the younger) -  A vain, strong-willed, egotistical and ambitious young man, the elder Martin's contentious nephew
Mark Tapley - Relentlessly upbeat companion to young Martin
Tom Pinch - Martin's preternaturally cheery and optimistic (to the point of delusion!) friend, and dogsbody to the Pecksniffs 
Montague Teague (Tig Montague) - Boisterously flamboyant con man.
Mrs. Todger - Very proper, very nervous, very Dickensian landlady.


Auditioning for Dickens characters is like any other theatrical audition - it is best to come prepared.  When considering auditioning for any of these roles, please take the time to do some research on the character to determine both that it is a role that you would be able to play and something you would enjoy doing.   Being prepared also makes it easier for you to show yourself at your best and will make the process move more smoothly for all parties. 

Participation in the Dickens Fair book character cast requires the ability to make the time and energy commitment, and the willingness to work in an ensemble cast.  If you are cast, it is expected that your commitment to the cast will be your primary performing responsibility.  You will be expected to provide your own, Dickens approvable, costume.

Be aware that participating in the audition process does not guarantee you a part.  However, there are several other ways to participate in Dickens, including other acting ensembles and performance groups, Christmas Keepers or being a part of the front gate troupe.

Book character auditions will be held Friday October 10th starting at 6:00PM at a private home in San Francisco, you will be given the address when you sign up for a time for your auditions. The location is easily accessible by public transportation and there are no pets for those of you with allergies. No smoking, please.

The character parts listed above are open as of now, if you played one of them last year and would like to do so again, please contact your director.

If you would like to audition for one of these roles, please email Robert Young at robert@redbarnproductions.org with the following information:

1. Your full name, email address and phone number
2. The character(s) you would like to audition for. (Please prepare a bit of the dialogue for that character - see web resources above - and be prepared to improvise as that character.)
3. Your first, second and third choice of audition time on October 10th. The auditions will be scheduled at 15 minute intervals, please be patient as we sometimes get a bit behind when auditioning promising actors.
4. Optional: A brief note of any experience you would like us to know about. We will have applications and accept resumes (not required) at the auditions.

Here's a great page to learn more about the characters and the books:
http://www.fidnet.com/%7Edap1955/dickens/works.html
 

To sign up for the missives, please email missives@redbarnproductions.org, and request to be added to the missive list.


Link to Cat Taylor's Homepage