Auditions for Shadowbox at Stage West Playhouse
Stage West Playhouse, under the direction of Lil Barcaski, is holding auditions for the play Shadowbox. Please note these are unpaid roles.
Audition Schedule:
- Dates:
- Saturday, June 29 at 1:00 PM
- Sunday, June 30 at 6:00 PM
- Location: Stage West Playhouse – 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd, Spring Hill, FL, United States, Florida
- Callbacks (if needed): Monday, July 1 at 7:00 PM
Show Dates: September 6-8, 2024
About the Play: Shadowbox, written by Michael Cristofer, explores the poignant journey of three characters, Joe, Brian, and Felicity – each facing terminal cancer in a hospice setting. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they share the common experience of grappling with their imminent mortality. The narrative unfolds through their interactions with an unseen Interviewer and their struggles with family and personal relationships.
This emotionally charged and critically acclaimed play won both the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1977.
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Joe, Brian, and Felicity come from different walks of life, different parts of the country, and are in different stages of accepting the things they have in common: they are all dying of cancer, and they are all living out their final days, in company with friends and family, in homey hospice cottages on the green and pleasant grounds of a large California hospital. They are observed, studied, and counseled by an invisible Interviewer as they talk candidly about their emotional and physical struggles, and face interpersonal challenges: Joe’s wife Maggie, in denial about her husband’s impending death, refuses to go inside his cottage; artistic Brian, busy trying to write and paint enough for twelve lifetimes, must mediate between his ex-wife Beverly and his boyfriend Mark; and Felicity, confused and in pain, refuses to die until she gets a visit from her daughter Claire — a daughter who has been dead for years. Michael Cristofer’s sensitive, emotionally devastating, ground-breaking play exploring the end of life experience won both a Tony Award for Best Play and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1977.
Available Roles for Shadowbox Auditions
Interviewer (Featured Role)
- Age: Preferably 40+
- Gender: Any
- Description: Typically played offstage, but in this adaptation, will be both on and off stage, acting as a counselor. Interacts primarily with the patients (Joe, Brian, Felicity) and sometimes with their caretakers. Generally empathetic but can appear detached and clinical. Present throughout the play in a substantial, featured role.
Joe (Lead Role)
- Age: 40s-50s
- Gender: Male
- Description: A strong yet gentle family man from the Northeast. Close to his son, Steve, and deeply concerned about his wife Maggie’s acceptance of his terminal illness. Focuses his emotions on his family rather than his illness. No visible signs of infirmity.
Maggie (Lead Role)
- Age: 40s-50s
- Gender: Female
- Description: A loving wife and mother from the Northeast, balancing humor and warmth with a no-nonsense demeanor. Struggles with accepting Joe’s terminal condition and has not informed their son of the severity. Conflicted between normalcy and reality.
Mark (Lead Role)
- Age: 30s-40s
- Gender: Male
- Description: Brian’s attractive caretaker and lover, who copes by detaching emotionally. Faces conflict with Brian’s ex-wife, Beverly, who pushes him to confront his fears and be a more loving caretaker.
Beverly (Lead Role)
- Age: 40s-50s
- Gender: Female
- Description: Brian’s vibrant and witty ex-wife. Uses humor to mask her concern for Brian. Engages in conflict with Mark and humorous, lively interactions with Brian. Brings a lot of humor and life to the play.
Felicity (Lead/Featured Role)
- Age: 60s-70s
- Gender: Female
- Description: An elderly, earthy, and feisty woman in a wheelchair, dealing with blindness and severe illness. Alternates between lucid acceptance and confused rambling, often challenging her daughter Agnes.
Agnes (Lead Role)
- Age: 40s-50s
- Gender: Female
- Description: Felicity’s restrained and devoted daughter. Frustrated by her mother’s behavior and burdened by a secret. Represents the challenges of caring for an ill parent with surprising passion.
Brian (Lead Role)
- Age: 40s-50s
- Gender: Male
- Description: A cerebral, literate man managing his terminal illness with reason and light humor. His emotions are kept in check until visited by his ex-wife Beverly, leading to conflict between her and his partner Mark. Displays no obvious illness until fainting near the play’s end; includes a dancing sequence with Beverly.
Steve (Featured Role)
- Age: Looks 14-16
- Gender: Male
- Description: Joe’s son, who plays the guitar. Experiences a mix of excitement and perplexity during his visit to his father’s cottage, interacting with both parents.
Stage West Playhouse and Director Lil Barcaski are excited to announce auditions for Shadowbox.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the director at lil@virtualcreatives.com
8390 Forest Oaks Blvd, Spring Hill, FL, United States, Florida
http://stagewestplayhouse.org/