Who: Theatre & Film UAF

Where: Lee H. Salisbury Theatre on UAF's main campus. (directions)

When: Saturday, August 28, 2021, 10:30am-2:00pm Performances: November 12-21, 2021

Theatre & Film UAF is pleased to announce open auditions for its Fall Mainstage production, The Misanthrope Adapted by Timothy Mooney - Based on the play by Molière - Directed by Michael Shaeffer.  

THE STORY: The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by the King's Players.
The play satirizes the hypocrisies of French aristocratic society, but it also engages a more serious tone when pointing out the flaws that afflict all humans. The play differs from other farces of the time by employing dynamic characters like Alceste and Célimène as opposed to the flat caricatures of traditional social satire. It also differs from most of Molière's other works by focusing more on character development and nuances than on plot progression. The play, though not a commercial success in its time, survives as Molière's best known work today.
Description by Wikipedia.

THE PLAYWRIGHT: French playwright Moliere wrote The Misanthrope in 1666. Tim Mooney adapted our English translation in 2000, when it enjoyed its premiere.

AUDITION INSTRUCTIONS: Actors are asked to sign up for a private monologueor reading 5 minute slot 10:30am-Noon.  If you're unable to get to campus to sign up for an individual slot; please contact Tom Robenolt at trobenolt@alaska.edu or 474-6590. Auditioners will then be called in a group to read with other actors from 12:30-2:00pm.
Please bring a completed copy of our Audition Information Form with you (you may download a copy here) -  blanks will be avaialable "at the door" if necessary.
If a thesperino can't make it that day and wants to email a video of their monologue, please contact the Director prior to August 28 via email at: michael.shaeffer@k12northstar.org.  He is also avaiable to answer questions via that same email.

Fairbanks community members and UAF students are encouraged to audition.

Actors should read the full script and audition sides which are available in digital form only, please contact Tom Robenolt at trobenolt@alaska.edu or 474-6590.

REHEARSALS: will depend on the availability of cast members, but Mike would initially like to have rehearsals on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 5pm to 8pm on weekdays and starting at 1 pm on Saturdays.  Times are flexible, and not all of the cast members will have to be at every rehearsal.  Rehearsals will become more rigorous, complex, and demanding of time as we approach opening night. 

PERFORMANCES: Friday November 12 & 19, Saturday November 13 & 20 and Sunday, November 21.

THE ROLES:
Actors of all ethnicities and gender identities are encouraged to audition. From the director: "Actors are encouraged to polish a monologue.  They do not have to be memorized.  It's likely that the speech they choose will be from one of the roles in which they are the most interested.  However, they may choose any monologue that floats their boat.  They don't have to limit themselves to a male role or a female role.  They will be asked to write down which roles in which they are interested or which role or roles they would accept."

Suggested readings / "sides" for cold readings are available here: Misanthrope Monologues and sides (2 mb pdf)

The characters in The Misanthrope are as follows:

Alceste
The title character, openly hates everyone, to an extreme that it’s comical.
He gets away with his insults because he is brilliant, rich, and well-connected.
He is attracted to Celimene, even though he hates many of her flaws, like the way she talks about people behind their backs, and her stubborn unwillingness to choose just one person to date.

Philinte is one of the few loyal friends Alceste claims.  He is also handsome, popular, and much more likeable because he is openly accepting of everyone, despite any faults they may have.

Oronte is not evil, but he is the play’s antagonist.  He is a friend of the king’s, so he’s well-connected, but he’s also a fool in love with Celimene who wants his awful love poem published and promoted by Alceste.

The marquesses (lawyers) Acaste and Clitandre are coworkers and best friends.  Each is also dating Celimene.

- - -

Celimene, recently widowed, is free to date anyone she chooses.   She is young, beautiful, independent, wealthy, smart, witty, but a bit of a hypocrite and loves to gossip behind people’s backs.  She is dating two lawyers just until after her estate is settled in court.  She enjoys hanging out with Oronte because he writes poems to flatter her, even if the poems are crap.  She is the most attracted to Alceste, but he is hung up on making things exclusive.

Eliante, Celimene’s cousin, is also lovely, smart, popular, and single.  She is gracious, kind, gentle, generous, and considerate.  She is also independently wealthy, but not as well-off as her cousin. She is attracted to Alceste, but she also thinks Philinte has got a lot to offer.

Arsinoe is an older friend of Celimene’s who loves to gossip.  She pretends to be reserved, but she’s actually quite the wild child.  Arsinoe thinks that she and Alceste could make quite the power couple.

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Roles that could be male or female or gender fluid

Basque, a personal attendant

DuBois, a personal attendant

A Guard

Members of Celimene’s social entourage