[NEohioPAL] Auditions for "The Great White Hope"

[Jan Harcar]

Open Call Auditions for

THE GREAT WHITE HOPE

 



THE GREAT WHITE HOPE by Howard Sackler (Historical Drama)

Dir. Terrence Spivey

Run Dates:

*February 12 - March 7, 2010 (Karamu Jelliffe Theatre)

*April 1 - April 18, 2010 (Weathervane Playhouse, Akron, OH) 

 

Audition Dates:

 

Cleveland at Karamu Theatre

Tuesday and Wednesday, September 29 and 30 at 6:30 p.m.

2355 E 89th St.
Cleveland, OH 44106

www.karamu.com

 

Akron at Weathervane Playhouse

Sunday, October 4 at 3 p.m. and Monday, October 5 at 7 p.m.

1301 Weathervane Lane

(In the Valley off Merriman Rd)

Akron, OH  44313

www.weathervaneplayhouse.com

 

Prepare:

A contemporary, dramatic monologue

not longer than 2 minutes.

Be familiar with the script.

 

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 - 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 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.

 

In a 2000 news interview Molly Smith, Arena Stage's artistic director, noted that The Great White Hope is no less powerful in the 21st century than it was when the theater first took a chance on it. "I'm hearing things [from audiences] like 'Boy, this is a hard play to see, and yet it needs to be told now." -NEA

 

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

Time: Before and During World War ll

Place: Parchman, Ohio, San Francisco, Nevada, Chicago, London, Paris, Berlin, Budapest and Havana

 

JACK  JEFFERSON: African American Male, 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 about 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, 40s-50s. Chicago District Attorney.

 

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

 

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 etc.

 

*NOTE: There is a three month commitment to this production. After it ends at Karamu, the cast and set will import a week before the Weathervane Playhouse opening for reconstruction and rehearsals. An ensemble of performers from Cleveland and Akron will be part of this collaboration.

 

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. His directing credits include 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 was recently profiled in the February 2009 issue of American Theatre and was elected to the prestigious National Theatre Conference this year 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.

Janis Harcar
Director of Advancement
Weathervane Playhouse
330-836-2323 X16
www.weathervaneplayhouse.com
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