by Clare Barron. Directed by Ellie Stones.
Performance dates and venue :
Evenings at 7.30pm : Wednesday 20 – Saturday 23 January and Tuesday 26 – Saturday 30 January
Matinées on Saturdays 23 and 30 October at 3pm
at the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
Audition dates and times :
Saturday 31 October from 2pm and Tuesday 3 November from 7pm at the Tower Theatre.
Possible recalls on Thursday 5 November from 7pm.
If you wish to audition, please contact the director Ellie Stones ([email protected]) to register your interest. Please share the role you are interested in auditioning for and the date you wish to audition on. Extracts will be shared ahead of the auditions to prepare. There will be no need to learn the pieces ahead of the audition.
Auditions are for Tower Theatre Company Members only.
Please note that you cannot audition for any show if you have not passed a company audition. If you would like to join the Company, please contact our membership/auditions secretary Stephen Brasher here for more information.
Movement
There will be movement and choreography exercises used during the auditions. You absolutely do not need to be a trained dancer- the willingness to commit to the movement is the most important thing. These movement auditions will be filmed to show other creatives – if you do not want to be filmed that’s absolutely fine, just do just let the team know on the day.
A Note On Casting
All the dancers are aged between 11 to 14 but can be played by anyone from 18 to 70 (we will only be auditioning actors aged 18 and over), and we would welcome a diverse range of ages, so if you’re drawn to a character, you should not feel like age or appearance is a limiting factor . Also note that genders of the characters are detailed in the script but if you are drawn to a character outside your own gender expression, please do audition for them.
Think of the actors’ older bodies haunting these 13-year-old characters. (We’re getting to see who they grow up to be!). And these 13-year-old characters are haunted by the spectres of what they will become. At times we should be palpably aware of the actors’ real ages and their distance from this moment in their lives.
About the Play
The girls (and boy) of Liverpool Dance Works are on a mission to take over the world. As they fight to become national champions, some will fall and some will fly. The only thing we know for sure: by the time the curtain falls, no one will be the same.
A finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Clare Barron’s Dance Nation pulls no punches in its examination of friendship, competition and self discovery. Through these young girls we experience the journey towards womanhood- and all of the terror and beauty along the way.
Dance Nation is an exciting and confronting production incorporating dance and movement in a tender and brutal coming of age story. We encourage everyone thinking about auditioning to be fearless, take risks and make bold choices. These are rich characters full of life so have fun with your interpretations!
Casting breakdown
Amina – AGE: 12/13 GENDER: Female Ethnicity: ANY Accent: General American
Amina is the star dancer – a complete overachiever who feels the weight of the world on her shoulders. We are looking for a confident dancer/mover who is comfortable with moments of solo dance. NOTE: This character portrays masturbation on stage but this will be done tastefully, representationally and always with the actor’s comfort as a first priority.
Zuzu – AGE: 13/14 GENDER: Female Ethnicity: ANY Accent: General American
Zuzu is always second best. She is always striving to be the best and is always falling short. Struggling under the pressures of her teacher and parents, Zuzu ultimately crumbles in a devastating way. We are looking for a confident dancer / mover. Note that Zuzu has some moments of solo dance.
Connie- AGE: 13/14 GENDER: Female Ethnicity: Indian/South Asian Accent: General American
Connie is genuinely talented but consistently overlooked – she believes she should play the role of Ghandi. Note that Connie is explicitly stated to be Indian American and experiences some mild discrimination from the other characters. Looking for a confident mover but does not have to be an overly skilled or technical dancer.
Luke- AGE: 12/13 GENDER: Male Ethnicity: Any Accent: General American
Luke is the only boy on the team and he is well aware of this. Treated as a black sheep in the group, Luke is coming to an age where he is beginning to question where he fits in this world. Looking for a confident mover, and does not have to be an overly skilled or technical dancer.
Maeve- AGE: 14 GENDER: Female Ethnicity: Any Accent: General American
The oldest and least talented dancer on the team, Maeve is slowly distancing herself from this world. A true dreamer at heart, she finds herself drifting between the worlds of fantasy and reality. Looking for a confident mover, and does not have to be an overly skilled or technical dancer.
Sofia- AGE: 12/13 GENDER: Female Ethnicity: Any Accent: General American
Sofia has got everything figured out, well, she thinks so at least. Seeing herself as the voice of reason, Sofia is not afraid to speak her mind and tell it how it is. Please note this character has an extended scene focused on getting her period for the first time. Looking for a confident mover, and does not have to be an overly skilled or technical dancer.
Ashlee- AGE: 13/14 GENDER: Female Ethnicity: Jewish Accent: General American
Ashlee is going to be the first female president of the United States. Both booksmart and streetsmart, she has a knowledge of how the world works that far exceeds her years. We are looking for a confident mover and does not have to be an overly skilled or technical dancer.
Vanessa/The Moms- AGE: 11 (Vanessa), 35-45 (Moms) GENDER: Female Ethnicity: Any Accent: General American
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ROLES OF VANESSA AND THE MOMS WILL BE PLAYED BY ONE ACTOR.
Vanessa is the wounded sailor. Taken out in the very first scene by a brutal injury, she represents the broken dreams of so many young dancers. Looking for a confident mover and does not have to be an overly skilled or technical dancer.
The Moms are everyone’s mother. Simultaneously looking for everything and seeing nothing – they have a limitless capacity for hope and worry.
Dance Teacher Pat- AGE: 30-50 GENDER: Male Ethnicity: Any Accent: General American
The epitome of every terrifying childhood teacher- think Abby Lee Miller with facial hair. The personification of each dancer’s anxiety and fear, Dance Teacher Pat is a ruthless dictator determined to lead his team to victory.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will run from Saturday 14 November and will be on Saturdays (2pm-6pm), Wednesdays (7pm-9.30pm), and Thursdays (7pm-9.30pm). Note that we have factored in time off over Christmas and the details of this will be decided based on cast availability.
All actors are expected to be available for the first rehearsal on Saturday 14 November for a full read through. Actors will be called depending on their scene following that.
All actors are expected for the Get-in all day on Sunday 17 January , Technical Rehearsal on Monday 18 January, Dress Rehearsal on Tuesday 19January, the entirety of the run, and for the Get-out after the final performance.
Movement and Choreography : Ruth Sullivan
Set Design: Angelika Michitsch
Costume Design : Carmen Otero Loira
Lighting Design: Andy Peregrine
Sound Design: Laurence Tuerk
Stage Manager: Gary O’Keefe