If you’re an aspiring actor or actress, in your early 20s (or could pass for that) and want to be directed by two-time Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson in a new play this spring, get your photo and resume together pronto.
Auditions for the premiere of Harrelson and Frankie Hyman’s play Bullet For Adolf begin February 11, but the cutoff for submissions is Monday (February 7) at 5 pm.
Harrelson says Toronto is his favourite North American city. He’s made many films here, twice appeared on the cover of NOW (writing his own piece here, and appearing a year earlier here) and mounted two productions of Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth back in 2003 and 2004.
It was hanging out with NOW’s Michael Hollett during last year’s TIFF (listen to the story here, at around 4:45) that he first spotted and fell in love with Hart House Theatre, where the show begins previews April 19 (opening night is April 21).
The semi-autobiographical Bullet For Adolf is loosely based on Harrelson and friend Hyman’s experiences working in construction during the summer of 1983 in Houston. It tackles race, gender and sexuality.
Apart from the open auditions, Harrelson and the producers – Marcello Cabezas (who starred in This Is Our Youth), Derrick Chua and Corey Ross – will also be combing the city’s acting schools looking for new talent. Keep in mind that the work’s a non-Equity, non-Actra and non-union show, though Equity apprentice performers are welcome to audition. It’s also non-paying. But with Harrelson’s name attached, it’ll be good exposure – and a definite learning experience.
You can get details about the audition here (five males, three females).
And try polishing those accents. A few roles call for a “standard American dialect,” while individual parts include a “Texas dialect,” “a US Midwestern dialect” and “English with a German accent.” Yet another role calls for “a white guy who talks black.” Shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Just watch the “ehs”, okay? There’s a specific note that reads, “no Canadian Accents please.”
