Audition info for The Great White Hope at Weathervane

Auditions for a very important 20th century play. This one has ensemble roles for students 12 and up:

Auditions by APPOINTMENT

for Howard Sackler's Classic

THE GREAT WHITE HOPE

SUNDAY, NOV. 8, 3 – 5 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10, 7 – 9 p.m.

Weathervane Playhouse

AKRON

Call 330-826-2626 for an appointment

Run Dates: April 1 – April 18, 2010

Dir. Terrence Spivey

Prepare:
Be familiar with the script.

(You may present a monologue.)


Cast Requirements:
(See character breakdown below)
15 Women ages 20s – 50s
20 Men ages 20s – 50s
10 Boys ages 12 – 16
5 Girls ages 12 20- 16

Set in the early 1900s, The Great White Hope is loosely based on the life of African American boxer Jack Johnson, renamed Jack Jefferson in the story. After becoming the first Negro heavyweight champion of the world in 1908, the play follows his tumultuous career and explores the nature of racism and racial conflict in American society. In collaboration with Weathervane Playhouse, Karamu House Theater and Ensemble Theatre comes one of the most dynamic plays ever written for the American stage. The Great White Hope won the Pulitzer Prize, Tony and Drama Desk Award for Best Drama. Once it closes at Karamu, the production and some of the cast moves to Weathervane Playhouse.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Time: Before and During World War l
Place: Parchman, Ohio, San Francisco, Nevada, Chicago, London, Paris, Berlin, Budapest and Havana

JACK JEFFERSON: African American Ma le, Early to late 30’s. Based on boxer Jack Johnson, who became the first black heavyweight champion in 1908 from Galveston, Texas and was nicknamed “Galveston Giant.” He is larger than life, keen, confident and “bragadocious. Lives life to the fullest. He feels he is his own man and not ab out proving anything to any race-including his own. Note:
All actors auditioning for this role should wear a tank top underneath your dress shirt. Be prepared to move around and shadowbox.

ELEANOR BACHMAN: Caucasian Female, late 20s-Early 30s. A loving, defiant Desdemona to Jack Jefferson’s twentieth century Othello.

TICK: African American Male, Late 50s. He is Jack’s no nonsense trainer.

BRADY: Caucasian Male, Late 30s- Early 40’s. A heavyweight champion living in Parchman, Ohio.

GOLDIE: Caucasian Male, Early to late 40s, Jack’s Jewish manager.

SMITTY: Caucasian Male, 40s-50s, famous sports writer.

CAP’N DAN: Caucasian Male, late 50s, Brady’s manager, a champion of earlier days.

CLARA: African American Female, 30s. One of Jack’s longtime lovers from Detroit who thinks she is his common law wife. She is sexy and very sassy.

CAMERON: Caucasian Male, 40 s-50s. Chicago District Attorney.

MR. DIXON: Caucasian Male, 30’s-50’s. A Federal Marshall

MRS. BACHMAN: Caucasian Female, 40’s -50’s. Ellie’s Mother

MRS. JEFFERSON: African American female 50s-60s. Jack’s mother. Faithful to the church and supports her son.

EL JEFE: 40’s-50’s.

MEXICAN BOY: Young boy to teen

SCIPIO: African American Male, 30s. Very colorful character who is imbedded within the culture of his people. He is a thorn in Jack’s side about setting an example for his race.

ENSEMBLE: Additional supporting roles are available for more than thirty African American and Caucasian male and female actors of all ages, 20 who will perform multiple roles in the play; Pop Weaver, Promoters, Reporters, Deacons, Boxing Handlers, Trainers, Photographers, Weigh-In, Bettor, Roller, Civic Marchers, Church Sisters, Policemen (American/German), Deputies, Detectives, Pastors, Government Agent, Fight Fans, Jugglers etc.

About the Director

Terrence Spivey has won numerous accolades and received local and national acclaim since arriving as Artistic Director at the historical Karamu House in October 2003 after residing for eighteen years in New York City. His directing credits includes the critically acclaimed “bee-luther-hatchee,” “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow Is enuf,” “Dream on Monkey Mountain,” “Permanent Collection,” “Bourbon at the Border,” “The Fire Inside: The Story and Poetry of Nikki Giovanni.” “The Blacks: A Clown Show” and “A House With No Walls” just to name a few.

He has been featured in local media, Ebony magazine, profiled in Back Stage, Artist and Influence, TCG’S American Theatre February 2009 issue and was elected as a 2009 member of the prestigious National Theatre Conference, joining members such as Robert Falls (Goodman Theatre), Lou Bellamy (Penumbra Theatre) Ed Stern (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Woodie King (New Federal Theatre) , James Bundy ( Yale School of Drama) and many more. Spivey serves on the board of trustees at Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) and Ohio Alliance for Arts and Education (OAAE) based in Columbus. He looks forward to this exciting collaboration.

He is a theatre graduate of Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

1301 Weathervane Lane
(In the Valley off Merriman Rd)
Akron, OH 44313
www.weathervaneplayhouse.com