Near West Theatre announces AUDITIONS for SPRING AWAKENING Summer Teen & Young Adult Cast (Ages 16-25) May 14, 15 & 16, 2018 Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Come one of these evenings. Plan to stay for the entire time specified. See list of roles below! Spring Awakening July 27, 28 & August 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11 & 12, 2018 Rehearsals begin Sunday, June 3, 2018 AUDITION SITE: Near West Theatre (6702 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102) If you are unable to audition on the dates listed above, or you have questions, call our office at 216-961-9750, Mon.-Fri. 11am-4pm or EMAIL info@nearwesttheatre.org<mailto:info@nearwesttheatre.org> ABOUT THE AUDITION: This is a group audition in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. No experience or preparation required. Dress for movement. Please plan to stay for the entire time specified, and arrive 15 minutes before audition time to register. Anyone arriving after the starting time will not audition that day. At Near West Theatre we encourage everyone to audition. People of all experience levels, races, ethnicities, neighborhoods, sizes, gender identities and backgrounds are needed. We use theater to build community and relationships. We're a great place to express yourself and make friends. Come try us! Bring a friend! ABOUT THE SHOW Growing up is a BITCH. For teenage students in 19th century Germany, it's a fight just to be heard, let alone get any answers! Parents and teachers alike dismiss their questions, fears and anxieties. With only the guidance of their peers, teens Moritz, Wendla, Melchior and Ilsa struggle to navigate religion, morality, sexuality, and coming-of-age angst with heart wrenching - and sometimes deadly - results. Over 100 years later, young people still fight for reliable mentors to hear and support them, and without that guidance, teens, young adults, and even children can enter dark worlds of depression, sexual recklessness, and suicide. Spring Awakening highlights the agelessness of this experience and demands REAL ANSWERS and REAL ACTION. This is head banging, book slamming, body stopping theatre... shockingly honest and alarmingly fresh. Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's brilliant rock score and searingly emotional book bring this story to vibrant life with illuminating poignancy and passion. Based on Frank Wedekind's groundbreaking and controversial 1890's play (once banned in Germany), the evocative Spring Awakening boasts eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. Book & Lyrics by Steven Sater, Music By Duncan Sheik, Based on the play by Frank Wedekind CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS Wendla A sweet, but naive young girl who is trapped in her family's unwillingness to teach her about the adult world, but with every passing day, she grows bolder and more curious about the her body. Both vulnerable and a willing participant in her evolution. Melchior A smart, headstrong boy who refuses to bow down to society's rules. An atheist and radical student. Struggles with his intense feelings for Wendla and his awakening sexual urges. Moritz Melchior's intense and nervous best friend. He has an overwhelming confusion relating to sexual feelings, which seems comedic at first, but quickly develops into a serious issue for him. The system has failed him. Highly sensitive and aware of his inability to fit into the system. Feels like a failure. One of the childhood four: Wendla, Melchior, Moritz and Ilse. Ilse A misguided young girl who runs away from an abusive home to live in an artists' colony. Kind and resilient while also broken and stuck in a cycle of abuse. There is a strong emotional connection between Ilse and Moritz; perhaps in another life they could have been happy together. Martha A schoolgirl who faces constant physical abuse from her father. She harbors a secret crush towards Moritz. Hanschen A rather narcissistic schoolmate of Melchior's. He is comfortable with his own sexuality and uses his looks and intelligence to captivate Ernst. Like Melchior, he also appears to be very intelligent, but uses his knowledge in favor of the system. Ernst A schoolmate of Melchior's. Naive and easily manipulated, which allows him to fall in love with Hanschen. Thea A confrontational school girl and Wendla's best friend. Outwardly believes the adults but secretly questions the blind faith demanded of her. Does not want to rock the boat. Anna A kind school girl and Martha's best friend. She is more aware of injustice than the other girls. Georg A clumsy schoolmate of Melchoir's. He is overcome with his feelings for his piano teacher. Otto A classmate of Melchior's. He struggles with feelings he considers inappropriate. The Ensemble Seeking a larger than normal cast for this musical. The full company will remain on the stage the majority of the show. Adult Woman (Audition by invitation only) Plays a variety of rigid adult roles. Characters include: FRAU BERGMAN, Wendla's mother; FRAULEIN KNUPPELDICK; FRAULEIN GROSSEBUSTENHALTER; FRAU GABOR, Melchior's mother; and FRAU BESSELL, Martha's mother. Adult Man (Audition by invitation only) Plays a variety of rigid adult roles. Characters include: HERR SONNENSTITCH, the boys' teacher; HEADMASTER KNOCHENBRUCH; HERR NEUMANN, Ilse's father; HERR RILOW, Hanschen's father; HERR STEIFEL, Moritz's father; FATHER KAULBACH; DOCTOR VON BRAUSEPULVER; HERR GABOR, Melchior's father; and SCHMIDT.