Lord of the Flies Info Packet

William Golding’s
Lord
Flies
of
the
Adapted for the stage
by Nigel Williams
Auditions begin July 11, 2016
Rehearsals begin July 19, 2016
Performances September 2-16, 2016
About “Lord of the Flies”
William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island is
a modern classic. At first it seems as though it is all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes
furious and life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic and death. As ordinary standards of behavior
collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket and homework and
adventure stories—and another world is revealed beneath, primitive and terrible. Labeled a parable, an
allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the
Flies has established itself as a true classic.
As with last year's ARTshare production, Lord of the Flies will again be directed by C. Luke Soucy, currently a
Theatre Certificate student at Princeton University. A Blue Water alumnus himself, Soucy has previously
directed This Is Our Youth, Assassins, and Make 'Em Laugh for Blue Water, also contributing as Associate
Director to Oklahoma! and State Fair. Lord of the Flies will feature an immersive rehearsal process. We ask that
cast members be willing to participate in discussions of the book, its themes, and their personal insights.
BWTC will be presenting Lord of the Flies at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis from September 2
through September 16 as part of the Southern’s ARTshare program, of which BWTC is a founding member.
Auditions & Casting
The characters in the original novel were all boys, roughly of middle school age. While we are interested
staying true to that makeup in the actors that we cast, we also are interested to see what people of both
genders and a wider variety of ages can bring to the table.
With that said, auditions for BWTC’s production of Lord of the Flies are open to all actors (male or female)
who will be in grades 5 through 9 during the upcoming 2016-2017 school year. We are looking to cast
approximately 12 actors in the production.
Auditions for Lord of the Flies will take place on:
Monday, July 11 from 5:00-8:00
Tuesday, July 12 from 5:00-8:00
Actors who wish to audition should prepare the monologue that is included later on in this info packet. The
monologue does not need to be memorized. Actors wishing to audition must sign up for a ten-minute
interview on their chosen audition night. You can can sign up by following this link:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4aacac2fa64-auditions1
Note that the above link is also referenced on the “Auditions” page of our web site
(www.bluewatertheatre.com), and you may find it easier to simply click on it there as opposed to typing it
in off of this sheet of paper.
Callbacks (if necessary) will take place on:
Thursday, July 14 from 4:30-6:30
A list of actors required at callbacks will be posted on the “Audition” page of the BWTC web site by noon on
Wednesday, July 13. Please note that the presence or absence of an actors’ name on that callback list does
NOT indicate whether or not they have been cast in the show.
Audition interviews will take place in BWTC’s Wayzata studio (1250 East Wayzata Boulevard), which is
located in the lower level of the Wayzata Home Center.
The final cast list for Lord of the Flies will be posted on the BWTC web site by noon on Sunday, July 17.
Content Advisory
This is a dark show. There is no getting around that. While we intend for the production to fall solidly under
a “PG-13” rating, it is important for parents and actors to be aware that some of the themes of the show are
quite distressing and heavy, and may not be suitable for all actors. Parents are encouraged to familiarize
themselves with the original novel (if they haven’t read it already) and the 1963 film adaptation. Note that
the 1963 film is unrated, but is listed on various parenting web sites as being appropriate for ages 12 and up.
There was a 1990 film adaptation, which is perhaps better known than the 1963 film. However, we do not
recommend parents reference that work for these purposes, as the film took the dark elements of the story a
step further than either the original novel or the 1963 film, and ended up being rated R.
If you have any questions about content prior to auditions, please contact Charlie Leonard
([email protected]).
Rehearsal Schedule
Preliminary rehearsals for Lord of the Flies will begin on Tuesday, July 19. The cast will gather from 5:00-8:00
on July 19, July 26 August 2, and August 4. Regular rehearsals will begin on Monday, August 8, and will
run daily (Monday through Friday) the weeks of August 8-12, August 15-19, and August 22-26.
All preliminary and regular rehearsals for Lord of the Flies will take place at BWTC’s Wayzata studio
We have four days of tech rehearsal at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. Those four tech rehearsal days
are: Monday, August 29; Tuesday, August 30; Wednesday, August 31; and Thursday, September 1. At this
time, we are asking cast members to clear their schedules for those days, as we do not have exact rehearsal
hours set. That will be partially determined by the Southern’s schedule, and the other organizations in the
ARTshare program that we are sharing the space with. For now, just be available. More specific information
will be provided to cast members as we approach that very important week.
Attendance Expectations
As part of this info packet, you are asked to fill out a rehearsal conflict sheet. While we certainly are looking
for actors with essentially full availability during the rehearsal process, we also recognize that some
compromises will need to be made on both of our parts in order to put this cast together.
Please fill out the rehearsal conflict sheet with all known conflicts. Please include anything (even if it’s just
speculative at this point: i.e. “we might out of town on Friday, August 12 for a long weekend at our cabin”).
That helps us plan rehearsal scheduling and casting.
Performance Schedule
We are producing Lord of the Flies as part of the Southern Theater’s ARTshare program. One of the exciting
things about that is that we will perform eleven times between our opening on September 2 and our closing
on September 16. Those performances are at the following days and times:
Friday, September 2 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, September 3 @ 2:00pm
Saturday, September 3 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, September 4 @ 2:00pm
—> On Thursday, September 8, we will have a “pick-up” rehearsal at BWTC from 7:00-9:30pm
Saturday, September 10 @ 2:00pm
Saturday, September 10 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, September 11 @ 2:00pm
Tuesday, September 13 @ 7:30pm
Wednesday, September 14 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, September 15 @ 7:30pm
Friday, September 16 @ 7:30pm
The Southern Theater is located at 1420 S. Washington Avenue in Minneapolis.
Please note that while we obviously are looking for actors who are able to commit to the entire performance
schedule, we also recognize that (depending on the make-up of the kids who audition) we could end up in a
situation where a particular role may need to be double-cast in order to accommodate the performance
schedule. While that is not ideal, we are excited to have as many casting options as possible.
Production Fee
The production fee for an actor to take part in Lord of the Flies is $195.00, payable by check to Blue Water
Theatre Company. This fee covers (among other things) the show licensing, the purchase/rental of sets,
props & costumes, program/poster printing, and contributes to organizational facility & insurance costs,
and staffing.
Blue Water Theatre Company does everything reasonably possible to make sure that the costs of our
programs are not a barrier to actor participation. If your family’s financial situation is difficult, please
contact Charlie Leonard directly to discuss either a payment plan or to find out how to access some of the
scholarship dollars that we have available. We will work with you.
Questions
If you have any questions about Blue Water Theatre Company’s production of Lord of the Flies, or if you have
any questions about Blue Water in general, please contact:
Charlie Leonard
Executive & Artistic Director
[email protected]
(952) 855-9147
ACTOR INFORMATION SHEET
(please return at the time of your audition)
Name ___________________________________________________________________________ Date of Birth (MM/DD/YY) ______/______/______
School_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Age ______________
Cell Phone _________________________________________________ Grade (2016-2017 school year) ___________ T-Shirt Size (Adult) ___________
Street Address __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Student Email Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian #1 Name _____________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________
Parent/Guardian #1 Email _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian #2 Name _____________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________
Parent/Guardian #2 Email _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the space below, please describe your past performing experience (theatre, music, dance, etc). Use the back of this sheet if necessary:
Are there any roles/characters in the show that you are most interested in being considered for? If so, what are they?
Are you willing to accept any role in the show? If “no,” please explain further.
_____ YES _____ NO
************************************************************************************************************
PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE:
I have read through the entire Lord of the Flies production packet, and am fully aware of all that the production entails (auditions,
rehearsal schedule, performance dates, registration fee, deadlines, etc). I have also proofread my student's conflict sheet to make
sure everything is included. My son/daughter has my permission to take part in this production. In addition, I grant permission
to Blue Water to use photos that may include my son/daughter in any online and print marketing, including (but not limited to)
BWTC web sites, social media sites, and any press coverage of the production.
________________________________________________________________________________ (parent signature) _________________________ (date)
________________________________________________________________ (print parent/guardian name) ____________________________ (phone)
REHEARSAL CONFLICT SHEET
(please return at the time of your audition)
Name __________________________________________________________________________________________
Please list all known rehearsal conflicts clearly on the lines below. Include any event that would keep you from attending the
scheduled rehearsal on any given day.
Preliminary Rehearsals:
Tuesday, July 19 from 5:00-8:00 ______________________________________________________
Tuesday, July 26 from 5:00-8:00 ______________________________________________________
Tuesday, August 2 from 5:00-8:00 ____________________________________________________
Thursday, August 4 from 5:00-8:00 ___________________________________________________
Regular Rehearsals:
Monday, August 8 from 12:00-4:00 ___________________________________________________
Tuesday, August 9 from 12:00-4:00 ___________________________________________________
Wednesday, August 10 from 12:00-4:00 _______________________________________________
Thursday, August 11 from 12:00-4:00 _________________________________________________
Friday, August 12 from 12:00-4:00 ___________________________________________________
Monday, August 15 from 9:00-4:00 ___________________________________________________
Tuesday, August 16 from 9:00-4:00 ___________________________________________________
Wednesday, August 17 from 9:00-4:00 ________________________________________________
Thursday, August 18 from 9:00-4:00 __________________________________________________
Friday, August 19 from 9:00-4:00 ____________________________________________________
Monday, August 22 from 9:00-4:00 ___________________________________________________
Tuesday, August 23 from 9:00-4:00 ___________________________________________________
Wednesday, August 24 from 9:00-4:00 ________________________________________________
Thursday, August 25 from 9:00-4:00 __________________________________________________
Friday, August 26 from 9:00-4:00 ____________________________________________________
Dress/Tech Rehearsals (times TBA … please set aside the entire day for now):
Monday, August 29 ________________________________________________________________
Tuesday, August 30 ________________________________________________________________
Wednesday, August 31 _____________________________________________________________
Thursday, September 1 _____________________________________________________________
Performance Schedule:
Please reference the September 2 through September 16 performance schedule listed earlier
in the packet, and indicate below any performances that you would be unable to attend if we
were to cast you in the show.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Please familiarize yourself with the following monologue. You will present
this at your schedule audition interview. It does not need to be memorized.
I’m sorry.
(Deathly silence as the others watch.)
I’m sorry I took your glasses. I’m sorry I lost my temper. I’m sorry
I told them your name if it comes to that. I’m sorry. You were
right. If we hadn’t...if the fire hadn’t...if we’d have thought. Piggy’s
right. We all got carried away. We got stupid really. We must do
things prop’ly like he said. And this fire...now this fire is started
we must never let it out. There must always be someone here to
guard it and make sure it’s kept, so that if a ship comes and sees
us we’ll be rescued. Sam ‘n’ Eric can start here. And we’ll go
down to the beach. And build shelters.. We have to start now.
And be sensible. That’s what we have to do. And I say so. I’m
chief and I say so.