ADAPTED BY KAREN BOETTCHER-TATE The kingdom of Glump

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ADAPTED BY KAREN BOETTCHER-TATE
CAST: 7 MALE, 8 FEMALE, PLUS 4 ROLES
THAT CAN BE EITHER, OPTIONAL EXTRAS
SET: SIMPLE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR
SETS
RUN TIME: ABOUT 60 MINUTES
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The kingdom of Glump has been taxed to abstraction ever since their emperor became a
pampered clotheshorse with a lack of taste! Not only is he an egotistical hypochondriac, he has
three 'lovely' daughters who are quickly becoming chips off the old blockhead. The emperor and
his family are so busy mismatching their wardrobe, the rest of the kingdom is in
shambles. Enter two con artists who devise an ingenious plan for fleecing the emperor. Their
pitch: a magic cloth, which appears invisible to people unworthy of their position. Naturally,
everyone chooses to 'see' the magic cloth, until the innocent candor of a child 'reveals all.' The
emperor is shamed into reforming his leadership role in society, and his spoiled daughters learn
a valuable lesson in humility. Based on the tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
Audition(Readings:(
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Students!will!audition!in!small!groups!by!reading!from!segments!of!the!play’s!scenes.!!These!reading!
segments!are!referred!to!as!“sides”.!!The!audition!sides!are!included!below.!!The!sides!do!not!need!to!be!
memorized.!!Please!bring!a!copy!of!these!sides!if!you!will!not!be!reading!from!memory.!!You!will!most!
likely!be!asked!to!read!for!different!characters,!so!be!prepared!to!read!for!any!of!the!characters!for!your!
particular!gender.!
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Acting(notes:!Give!as!much!character!as!you!can!when!reading!these!lines.!!Know!what!the!characters!
WANT!in!each!scene.!!Remember!that!an!actor!TAKES!ACTION;!there!should!be!an!action!word,!or!verb,!
behind!every!line!delivered.!!When!you!read!a!line,!ask!yourself!what!action,!or!TACTIC,!is!the!actor!
taking!with!the!words.!!Some!tactic!words!you!might!use!include:!
!
Accuse
Adore
Allow
Annoy
Apologize
Approve
Argue with
Avoid
Bargain
Beg
Betray
Blame
Brag
Charm
Cheer up
Claim
Coddle
Comfort
Command
Conceal
Condemn
Confess
Confide
Confront
Confuse
Congratulate
Convince
Copy (Mimic)
Correct
Criticize
Dare
Deceive
Decide
Defend
Delay
Desire /Covet
Destroy
Detest
Dictate to
Discourage
Distract
Entrap
Excite
Exclude
Flatter
Fool
Forbid
Force
Frighten
Gloat
Help
Hide
Hope
Humiliate
Indulge
Inspire
Joke
Judge
Leave
Lecture
Lie
Love
Lull
Lure
Mimic
Mock
Model
Motivate
Mourn
Nag
Neglect
Negotiate
Obey
Object
Observe
Obstruct
Offend
Offer
Oppose
Order
Organize
Outwit
Overlook
Overhear
Owe
Pacify
Pamper
Pardon
Patronize
Perform
Persecute
Persuade
Pester
Pity
Placate
Play (a game)
Plead
Plot
Point out
Poke
Ponder
Pout
Praise
Preach
Predict
Promise
Provide for
Provoke
Pry
Quiet
Quit
Reassure
Reconsider
Reflect
Refuse
Rejoice
Relax
Release
Repair
Request
Resent
Resist
Respect
Retaliate
Retreat
Ridicule
Rip
Rule
Run away
Sabotage
Sacrifice
Save
Scare
Scoff at
Seduce
Seize
Sell
Send (for, away)
Serve
Shame
Share
Sidle
Signal
Smell
Sneak
Sneer at
Snub
Snuggle up to
Solve
Soothe
Spoil
Spy on
Startle
Stay
Steal
Stop
Submit
Summon
Surprise
Surrender to
Tame
Taunt
Teach
Tease
Tempt
Terrify
Thank
Threaten
Thwart
Tickle
Tolerate
Torture
Toy with
Trap
Trick
Trust
Up-Stage
Vent
Vie
Vow to
Warn
Watch
Welcome
Worry about
Yell at
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Once!you!know!what!a!character!wants!and!what!action(s)!the!character!is!taking,!look!for!places!in!the!
scene!where!the!character’s!emotions!are!being!affected.!!How!does!the!action!of!the!scene!make!your!
character!feel?!!Is!the!character!excited?!!Angry?!!Scared?!!Are!there!lines!or!actions!in!the!scene!that!
change!the!way!your!character!feels?!
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Some!other!suggestions!for!preparing!your!audition!include:!
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1. #Enunciate#and#speak#loudly!##The#lines#don’t#mean#anything#if#the#audience#can’t#hear#or#
understand#them.#
#
2. Use#inflection#(changing#the#pitch#of#your#voice)#and#dynamics#(the#volume#of#your#voice).###Correct#
use#of#inflection#and#dynamics#helps#the#audience#to#understand#the#character’s#mood#and#
emotions#and#makes#the#story#more#interesting#for#the#audience.###
#
3. Use#pauses#and#changes#in#rate#(how#quickly#or#slowly#you#say#the#lines).##Sometimes,#a#pause#or#
hesitation#can#be#more#meaningful#than#words.##Pauses#should#be#considered#whenever#the#
direction#of#a#scene#changes#or#stage#business#requires#taking#time#to#accomplish#something#
(SCENE#BEAT)#or#when#a#character’s#emotional#state#changes#(EMOTIONAL#BEAT).#
!
4. When#observing#punctuation#in#the#script,#decide#whether#a#pause#is#necessary#on#a#comma#or#a#
sentence#ending#(.#?#!).##If#your#character#is#speaking#two#sentences#in#a#row#that#both#use#the#same#
TACTIC#and#there#is#no#SCENE#or#EMOTIONAL#BEAT,#do#not#pause!##It#will#disrupt#the#flow#of#your#
TACTIC.#
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You(are(now(ready(to(begin(looking(at(your(sides.((Please(see(the(following(pages(to(start(
preparing(for(your(audition.((It(is(recommended(that(you(print(a(copy(of(the(sides(and(use(the(
margins(to(write(down(your(ideas((TACTICS,(SCENE(BEATS,(EMOTIONAL(BEATS,(etc.)
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