The Company, a new Community Theater group in Cincinnati, will be holding auditions for WAR OF THE WORLDS: The 1938 Radio Broadcast, Live on Stage.
Auditions will be Tuesday, February 3rd and Wednesday, February 4th, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM at The Hoffner Lodge in Northside (4120 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio, 45223).
Performances are March 6 & 7 inside the FT Thomas Women’s Club
If you have questions, you can contact Colin by email at colin@thecompanypresents.com or by phone at 513.549.6738. For more information on The Company, visit our website at http://www.thecompanypresents.com/.
PREPARATION:
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Resumes and head shots are not required, but welcome. As this is a radio drama, there will be little blocking, and actors will be reading from the script as part of the show. For this reason, there will be few rehearsals, and we will need a list of conflicts from each actor at the time of auditions. Our working rehearsal schedule will be: February 10, 17, 24, 26 and March 3 and 5 at 7:30 PM. Performances will be March 6 & 7 at the Village Players Theater inside the Fort Thomas Women’s Club.
If you would like to listen to the original broadcast, you can find it here: youtu.be/OzC3Fg_rRJM. You can take a look at the script here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/ufo/mars/wow.htm.
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Broadcast from New York’s Mercury Theatre in 1938, War of the Worlds: The Radio Play, based on the novel by H. G. Wells, had many terrified listeners convinced that an actual alien invasion of Earth was taking place. Adapted by Howard E. Koch, co-writer of Casablanca, this frightening tale of an extraterrestrial takeover will be brought to the stage by The Company to thrill and chill audiences.
Experience what it may have been like to sit in the studio as this iconic drama was broadcast. Listen as actors create a scene using only their voices, hear live sound effects, and allow your imagination to bring this classic science-fiction tale to life.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:
All characters are open to interpretation. All roles can be either gender, and any age. We’re looking for voices reminiscent of those characteristic of late 1930’s Radio, and actors who are up to the challenge of painting a picture using only their voices.
ANNOUNCER ONE — Radio newscaster, presenting an ordinary broadcast on what should be an ordinary day, before it is interrupted suddenly.
ANNOUNCER TWO — Radio newscaster, interrupting scheduled programming for a very important, and unbelievable, announcement.
ANNOUNCER THREE — Radio announcer, introducing a music program from New York City.
REPORTER CARL PHILLIPS — An in-the-field radio commentator, interviewing Professor Richard Pierson in Princeton, New Jersey.
PROFESSOR RICHARD PIERSON — A world famous Astronomer, interviewed by Phillips in his observatory. A very logical person, he is positive Mars is without intelligent life.
POLICEMAN — An officer assigned with guarding the edge of the crater formed in Grovers Mill, New Jersey.
MR. WILMUTH — Owner of the farm in Grovers Mill, where the first cylinder falls. He is excited to be questioned on the radio, but a little uncertain how to act.
GENERAL MONTGOMERY SMITH — New Jersey State Militia General, who has been tasked with placing much of the state under martial law. He speaks to the public briefly over the radio.
VICE-PRESIDENT HARRY MCDONALD — Vice-president in charge of operations of the broadcasting system, he proceeds to turn over operations of the facilities to the state militia.
CAPTAIN LANSING — Captain of the signal corps, assigned to the field headquarters of the state militia. He is the first to witness one of the “tripods” in motion.
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR — Member of the Presidential Cabinet, makes a special broadcast on the National Emergency from Washington DC.
OFFICER — Commanding officer of the 22nd Field Artillery, leading an attack on the Martian invaders.
GUNNER — Artillery gunner of the 22nd Field Artillery, part of an attack on the Martian invaders.
OBSERVER — Military observer of the 22nd Field Artillery, part of an attack on the Martian invaders.
COMMANDER VOGHT — Army Lieutenant, commander of eight bombers on a bombing run to attack a group of eight enemy tripods.
OPERATOR ONE — Operator at Bayonne, New Jersey, reporting first appearance of poison gas.
OPERATOR TWO — Operator at Langham Field.
OPERATOR THREE — Operator at Newark, New Jersey, reporting poison gas cloud.
OPERATOR FOUR — Operator searching for military units.
OPERATOR FIVE — Operator attempting make contact.
ANNOUNCER FOUR (ROOFTOP) — Radio newscaster, reporting from the roof of the Broadcasting Building in New York City, witness to the arrival of the tripods in the city.
STRANGER — A former member of the national guard, driven mad by his isolation in the decimated countryside. Meets Pierson, and attempts to convince him of a resistance plan.
The Company is excited to announce that our next show will be Saturday, June 29th, at Clifton Performance Theater!
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 