Auditions

Information on this page was updated on 12 February 2010

Hedda Gabler


By Henrik Ibsen
Adapted by Andrew Upton

Directed by Doug Sanders

Produced by Judy Wood
Auditions:
Sunday March 14 (4:00 - 8:00 PM)
Monday March 15 (7:00 - 10:00 PM)

Call backs will be held Tuesday March 16 (7:00 PM).

For your convenience, notification of callbacks and casting is always posted on a voice answering machine.

These Auditions are by Appointment Only !
To make an audition appointment, send an e-mail to
judylwood@comcast.net

Or make at appointment by phone:
Call Judy Wood (617) 817-6345

Please include your name, telephone number and preferred audition date and time. You will receive an e-mail or phone call with a confirmation of the exact time.

Place:
Auditions and performances are held at Beatrice Herford's Vokes Theatre, 96 Boston Post Road (Route 20) Wayland, MA.

Directions

Prepare:
Two one-minute dramatic monologues (one classical, one contemporary). Monologues will also be available at the auditons.

For auditions, we will be looking for a command of higher language with the classical piece and a more relaxed, modern delivery with the contemporary piece. Although the sensibility and language are quite modern in this interpretation of Hedda, the underlying play is still classical.
Rehearsals:
About three to four evenings a week (Sunday - Thursday) depending on the availability and preferences of the cast.
Performances:
Every Thursday - Saturday evening May 6 - 22, 2010 at 8:00 PM (and Saturday matinees on May 15 & 22 at 2:00 PM).
About the play:

Ibsen’s classic gets a breathtaking update with Andrew Upton’s adaptation, a recent worldwide success that starred his wife, Cate Blanchett. All the elements of the "traditional" Hedda Gabler are still present: newlywed Hedda and her dry, academic husband have just returned from their honeymoon; Judge Brack and Aunt Julle are still circling around the couple, pursuing their own ends; and into this constrained sphere comes timid Thea, along with Lovborg, the wildly exciting modern intellectual.

But in this rewritten Hedda, the inexorable drama of this famous scenario is made newly fresh and immediate, crackling with energy and pulsing with contemporary rhythms. The resulting impact is both emotionally and intellectually jarring, revitalizing a problem play we thought we’d figured out long ago.

Read more about Hedda Gabler on the Vokes Players web page.

Cast of Characters
Hedda Gabler 20’s/30’s. A unique young woman. Born to the privileged class. Strong-willed. Unhappy. Looking to make an impact in the world. Emotional with a strong desire for action, although unsure of what to do. One of the great characters in 20th century theater.
Jorgen Tesman 20’s/30’s. Hedda’s new husband; An academic in antiquities. Mostly clueless when it comes to understanding what’s going on around him. Self-involved & often ridiculous in his provincial way.
Julle Tesman Jorgen’s Aunt. Raised Jorgen with her sister. Very protective of Jorgen - she continues to spoil him. Loyal to the status-quo.
Thea Elvsted 20’s/30’s. An old school "friend" of Hedda’s. An uncertain, slightly "recessive" person. Has finally found her personal value by helping Lovborg with his latest work.
Judge Brack An admirer of Hedda’s, a family friend of the Tesmans, and a high-level member of community. Well-connected. Savvy. Sociable, yet self-serving.
Ejlert Lovborg 20’s/30’s. A rebel genius. Self-destructive. The bad-boy academic trying to control his addictions. Whose love for Hedda is still undiminished.
Berte Tesman’s servant. Has been in the service of Jorgen’s aunt since Jorgen was a young boy. Loyal, capable, though not at her best around Hedda.