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<pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><font style="" face="Arial">Auditions for <font style="font-size: 16pt;" size="4">Approaching Simone <font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3">by Megan Terry</font></font><font style="font-size: 16pt;" size="4"><br></font></font>(Won the Obie Award for Best American Play, 1970)</span></pre><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3"><font style="" face="Arial">Performances will take place on Friday, July 29, Saturday, July 30, and Sunday July 31<br>at Hudson Vally Community College's Maureen Stapleton Theatre</font></font><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><br><br><font style="" face="Arial">The play is being produced as a Master's Thesis project and will be directed by Rosanne Raneri.</font><br><font style="" face="Arial"><br></font><font style="" face="Arial">Auditions will be held on Tuesday, May 31 and Wednesday June1, 7:00 - 10:00 pm</font><font style="" face="Arial"><br></font><font style="" face="Arial">at Maureen Stapleton Theatre, Siek Campus Center, Hudson Valley Community College<br>80 Vandenburgh Ave. (Route 4), Troy, NY, 12182.<br></font></span><pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><font style="" face="Arial">Auditioners will be asked to read from the script, sing four bars of any song a cappella, and to participate<br>in a simple improvisation involving movement. Prepared monologues are not required. <br><br>For more information please contact Rosanne at rosanneraneri@msn.com <br></font></span><a href="mailto:rosanneraneri@msn.com"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"></span></pre><pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><font style="" face="Arial"><u>Approaching Simone</u> tells the compelling story of philosopher and activist Simone Weil, who belied that<br>"attention is the rarest and purist form of generosity." The play chronicles Weil's unusual life, and emphasizes<br>the socio-political forces that shaped her outlook and the opposition her extreme determination and altruism<br>received. Weil dedicated herself to those who suffered and were oppressed, and sought to change<br>society's negligence and apathy. <br></font></span></pre><pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><font style="" face="Arial"><u>*Important note</u>: This provocative plays falls under the new realism category. It will combine elements of<br>conventional realism and non-realism. Actors will be asked to do some vocalizing and singing and to <br>occasionally move in unconventional or abstract ways. <br></font></span></pre><pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><font style="" face="Arial">Plot: Brilliant, sympathetic Simone Weil, living in France in the 1920s, 30s, and early 40s, feels a strong <br>desire to be of service and acts out against her family's wishes. She struggles with her family's disapproval, <br>and the onset of sever headaches. Weil becomes a teacher and promotes independence and bold thinking, <br>but is fired for her progressive methods and outlook. As she develops her intellectual awareness and<br>compassion, she begins to form the philosophy that leads to her eventual acclaim, but she battles her own<br>love self-esteem and the doubts of others. Her interactions with family members, friends, employers,<br>comrades, priests, and political officials reveal the complex personal negotiations that structure society and<br>reality. She becomes a factory worker, and goes to fight in Spain. After experiencing the war up close, she<br>becomes an activist and tries to persuade officials to let her be of service to soldiers on the front line during<br>World War II. </font></span><font style="" face="Arial"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3">Finally, Simone (age 34), in sympathy with those starving in France during the war, starves<br>herself to death. This ultimate activism inspires many questions about responsibility and the welfare of our<br>fellow human beings. </font></font><br><br><span style=""><u><font style="" face="Arial"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3">Available Roles for 4 Women, 3 men</font></font></u> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span> <br></pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><span style=""></span></span><pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><font style="" face="Arial">Simone: 20 - 35 years old, fiercely intelligent, direct, idealistic, sympathetic, sensitive, passionate, <br> an extreme activist, perhaps a bit innocent but old for her age<br></font></span></pre><font style="" face="Arial"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3">Carolina/Ensemble member: 20 - 45 years old, African-American, jazz-blues singer, bright, charismatic, <br> likable, flirtatious, gutsy<br></font></font><br><font style="" face="Arial"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3">Two Female Ensemble members: 20 - 50 years old. Each actor will play a variety of roles and will have the<br> opportunity to explore a range of characteristics and states of being. Roles that will be assigned<br> include Simone's mother, friend, student, doctor, comrade, school board member, worker, soldier.<br></font></font><br><pre><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"><span style=""><font style="" face="Arial">Three Male Ensemble members: 20 - 50 years old. Each actor will play a variety of roles and will have the <br> opportunity to explore a range of characteristics and state of being. Roles that will be assigned<br> include Simone's father, friend, mentor, priest, school board member, manager, official, soldier.<br></font> </span></span></pre><font style="" face="Arial"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3">*The Ensemble members are an essential, vital part of the play, and for this production are considered principle<br>roles. <br><br>Rehearsals will begin the first week of June. Dates and times will be arranged with actors, but rehearsals may <br>be scheduled on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 10:00 pm in <br>June, and on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings from 6:30 to 10:00 pm in July. There may <br>occasionally be rehearsals scheduled on Saturdays or Sundas during the day. </font></font> </body>
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