A new performing arts group based in Donaldson is looking for people interested in all aspects of theater to take part in an upcoming project. MoonTree Studios and the inaugural group of MoonTree Players is updating Anton Chekov’s prophetic play, The Cherry Orchard. Auditions are scheduled Thursday, Feb. 27 from 3 until 9 p.m. EST at MoonTree Studios.
Call outs will include auditions for performers, writers, sound and light technicians, set and prop designers, costume and makeup artists and directors. Auditions will be scheduled in 25 minute increments with five minute breaks. Those interested in auditioning should call MoonTree Studios at 574-935-1712 for an appointment. Drop-ins will be welcome but should be prepared to wait for an available audition time.
Those who audition should bring a prepared soliloquy and also be prepared to read a passage from The Cherry Orchard. Designers, writers, technicians and others should bring a resume and, if applicable, a portfolio or examples of their work.
There are 10 major roles in The Cherry Orchard, as well as some extras with small speaking parts (even a tramp.) The roles up for audition include: Yermolay Lopakhin who is a male in his 30s, and plays a very active role. Leonid Gayev is a male in his early 50s who is a bit eccentric; this part could be played by someone who is 40 to 60 years old. Anya is a 17 year old, very sweet and feminine girl. Boris Simeoniv-Pischik is a 35+ shiftless male. Charlotte, a middle-aged female, is a bit eccentric. Peter Trofimov is a 30+ male; an idealist and intellectual. Firs, a male, is an ornery old traditionalist who is 87 years old. Simon Yephikodov is a young man 20-30 years old and a happy-go-lucky sort. Yasha is also a young man about the same age as Simon, but he has a sour disposition. The coy Dunyasha is a girl who’s 18-25 years of age.
The basic plot of The Cherry Orchard revolves around the members of a formerly wealthy family losing their estate and facing huge change in their lives and the world around them. Although Chekhov intended The Cherry Orchard as a comedy, and it does contain some elements of farce, the original director insisted on directing the play as a tragedy. Since the initial production, directors have had to contend with the dual nature of the play.
The Cherry Orchard will be performed as a dinner theater on Saturday, Sept. 20 at The Center at Donaldson. The performance will be part of MoonTree Festival 2014 at MoonTree Studios.
