Director Mike Boyna has added a second night of auditions for Wheaton Drama’s production of A Piece of My Heart, a drama about the role of women in the Vietnam War.
Auditions will run from 7–10 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 7-8, 2018. Callbacks are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 9. Read-through will be Thursday, Jan. 11.
The director seeks exceptional actors: five women of diverse ethnicity, and one man who will play dozens of roles. Please see character breakdowns below. (Auditions for MaryJo have been held, and that role has been cast.) The director is especially looking for African-American and Amer-Asian actresses, for the roles of Steele and LeeAnn, respectively.
All auditions, rehearsals (unless otherwise specified) and performances will take place at Playhouse 111, located at 111 N. Hale St., Wheaton, IL.
A Piece of My Heart is a powerful true drama about three nurses, a Red Cross volunteer, a USO entertainer, and an Army intelligence officer who bare their souls and share their experiences before, during and after their service in Vietnam. In addition to telling their own stories, all actors also appear as characters in the other women’s stories.
Audition details: Auditions will begin at 7 p.m.; 15-minute auditions slots are by appointment only. The women will deliver selected monologues; the man will perform scene readings, both of which will be provided once audition appointments are set. Monologues and scenes do not have to be memorized, but it would be helpful to both the actors and the director.
Note: Don’t get hung up on the stage ages shown; Martha, Sissy, Whitney and LeeAnn are all about the same age; Steele has to play a bit older, and MaryJo a bit younger.
To schedule an audition appointment for Jan. 7, please contact director Mike Boyna at [email protected]. Copies of the script are available upon request.
AVAILABLE ROLES:
Martha (22–42): Navy Nurse. Born in central Georgia. Strong, self-composed, aura of self-discipline, military bearing. Strong face, American, almost pioneer in feeling.
Sissy (20–40): Army Nurse. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania. Sweet, feminine, outgoing. Sense of fun. Also, a sense of harmony and warmth to her personality.
Whitney (21–41): Red Cross volunteer. Born in New England. Tall, slender, withdrawn, contained. Very aristocratic in bearing and quality. A Vassar graduate.
LeeAnn (20–40). Army Nurse. Born in New York. Great role for an Asian or Amerasian actress; she describes herself as half Italian and half Chinese. Attractive. Strong, tough, determined in nature. An urban, hip quality to her personality.
Steele (35–55). Intelligence Officer. Born in Jackson, Mississippi. Great role for an African-American actress. Extremely strong, military bearing. Very intelligent, outgoing, great sense of humor. A pragmatist.
All the American Men (18–60). ONE versatile actor plays a total of 28 parts: various military ranks; Gold Star father; talent agent; family member; TV announcer and much more. Physical and vocal flexibility are a plus.
NOTE: The actor playing Mary Jo (cast via November auditions) will attend callbacks to read with other actors.
SCHEDULING:
Rehearsals: 3-4x per week, except for weeks of Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 (no rehearsals; actors will have time to get off script and do background reading). All actors will not need to be at all rehearsals—until Tech Week (mandatory attendance): Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, March 18, 19 & 21 (off day Tuesday, March 20). Preview performance Thursday March 22.
Performances: March 23 – April 15. Thursday-Saturday performances at 8 p.m.; Sunday performances at 3 p.m. (No show on Easter Sunday, April 1.)
