Announcing auditions for Swamp Meadow Community Theatre’s Summer Production of E.B White’s Charlotte’s Web, adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette.
After learning that Wilbur, a plucky piglet, will soon be sent to the butcher’s block, a grammatically gifted arachnid named Charlotte weaves a cunning plan to save his bacon.
Auditions will be held Friday, June 11th and Saturday June 12th. Auditionees may sign up for one, 30 minute audition slot by going here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d49a4a92ea7fec61-charlottes
Auditions will be held online using Zoom. Please make sure that you have enough space to perform and be at least 10’ from your camera. Once you have signed up for a slot, we will email you a Zoom link and an information sheet that you must fill out.
Please arrive in the Zoom waiting room 15 minutes before your audition. We will let you in once it is your time.
Auditionees must be 18 years old or older and must be fully vaccinated by the time in person rehearsals begin (Rehearsals will be conducted over Zoom until all actors are fully vaccinated). Please prepare a 2 minute memorized monologue from anything of your choosing (Movies, theater, TV Shows). Monologues must be text spoken by a single character (no dialogue), they cannot be lyrics from a song, and cannot contain adult language of any kind. Be prepared to cold read from the script as well (Sides will be given beforehand upon request.) Actors should be advised to dress comfortable as they may be asked to perform physically, (ie. act like barnyard animals)
Rehearsals will start the week of June 14th and will be 3 times a week. Specific rehearsal days will depend on the casts’ schedule. Once cast, actors are expected to list all conflicting vacation/sick days with the director as soon as they can. Actors are expected to be present when they are called to rehearsal. Failure to do either will result in removal from the play. Rehearsals will take place primarily over Zoom and at outdoor locations.
Show dates are scheduled for August 14th and 15th at an outdoor venue. Strict Covid-19 guidelines will be followed and the safety of our actors, audience and crew will be our # 1 priority.
If you have any conflicts, questions or would like to submit a video audition, please email director Tyler H Vigeant at productions@swampmeadow.org
Please be advised we will be choosing 6 actors and the characters will be multi-casted. The identifying genders are intended for the specific character and not the expected actor. Please state if you play an instrument at the audition.The character descriptions are below.
ACTOR 1:
- WILBUR (Male Identifying) A rambunctious, good natured pig. As the runt of his litter, Wilbur stresses about the butcher’s block. He is very emotional and kind.
ACTOR 2:
- CHARLOTTE (Female Identifying) A beautiful spider who befriends Wilbur. She cunningly spins a plan to save Wilbur’s life.
- MRS.ARABLE (Female Identifying) Fern’s Mother. A kind Midwestern woman.
- BABY SPIDER : One of Charlotte’s children. Itty, bitty and very new to the world.
ACTOR 3:
- FERN (Female Identifying) A young girl who adopts Wilbur when he’s a piglet, and later visits him. She is the only human in the story capable of understanding animal conversation. Spunky and young, she is a little rambunctious but has a great heart.
- GOOSE (Female Identifying) A silly barnyard animal. She and her partner, the Gander, hatch 3 Goslings in the show and are somewhat welcoming and friendly to Wilbur. Quite oblivious to most things.
- SPECTATOR (Female Identifying) An audience member at the fair. Very excitable and moves in a group.
- JUDGE (Female Identifying) – The Blue Ribbon judge at the county fair. Has a large personality to contrast witht the actor’s other characters.
ACTOR 4:
- ARABLE (Male Identifying) Fern’s father and Wilbur’s original owner. Very blunt, he originally wants to kill Wilbur before Fern stops him. A very loud, sweaty man.
- TEMPLETON (Male Identifying) A rat who helps Charlotte and Wilbur only when offered food. He serves as a somewhat caustic, self-serving comic relief.
- LURVEY (Male Identifying) Homer’s hired hand on his farm. An idiot in every sense of the word.
ACTOR 5:
- HOMER (Male Identifying) Fern’s Uncle and the owner of the farm the animals live on. Just as sweaty and loud as his brother, Arable, but with a tinge more dumb.
- SHEEP (Male Identifying) A prim and proper bully who teases Wilbur relentlessly.
- SPECTATOR (Male Identifying) – An audience member at the fair. Very excitable and moves in a group.
- JUDGE (Male Identifying) – The Blue Ribbon judge at the county fair. Has a large personality to contrast with the actor’s other characters.
- AVERY (Male Identifying) Fern’s Brother. Has the same spunk as Fern, but a bit more cruel. Think Huck Finn.
ACTOR 6:
- NARRATOR (Male Identifying) The humble Narrator of the play. A Howard Hill type mixed with the postman from Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
- GANDER (Male Identifying) A silly barnyard animal. He and his partner, the Goose, hatch 3 Goslings in the show and are somewhat welcoming and friendly to Wilbur. Quite oblivious to most things.
- REPORTER (Male Identifying) A Newspaper Man with a thick accent
- UNCLE THE PIG (Male Identifying) A big, mean Pig who is up for the same award as Wilbur.
- PRESIDENT OF THE FAIR (Male Identifying) – Runs the County Fair that Wilbur is set to be Judged at. Has the same mannerisms as a certain Fried Chicken man.