Albany Civic Theater is excited to hold open auditions for Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Written by Edward Albee
Directed by Sarah Roth
Performances: July 18, 19, 20(m), 24, 25, 26
Open auditions for Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will be held at Albany Civic Theater on Monday, May 12th and Tuesday, May 13th. Callbacks will be held by invitation-only on Wednesday, May 14th. Doors open around 6:15 PM, auditions start at 7 PM sharp and end between 9-9:30 PM.
Plan to arrive a few minutes early to fill out an audition form. Please write clearly, especially your contact information. Headshots and acting resumes are not required, but always appreciated. Bring a full list of your conflicts from May 15th-July 27th to provide the directors (weekday nights and weekends included).
What to prepare/expect:
Auditioners will read sides (or excerpts from the script) during auditions. There's no need to prepare a monologue before. Auditioners are encouraged to do their own research on the characters, content, and meanings behind the show.
About the show:
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a play by Edward Albee that explores the complex and dysfunctional relationship between a middle-aged couple, George and Martha. They invite a younger couple, Nick and Honey, over for drinks, and as the night progresses, the interactions between the characters reveal deep-seated resentments, secrets, and illusions, leading to emotional and psychological turmoil. The play delves into themes of illusion versus reality, the breakdown of communication, and the destructive nature of societal expectations.
Content warning: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? contains intense and explicit language, as well as themes of emotional manipulation, verbal abuse, and psychological distress. The play explores complex, often disturbing aspects of relationships, including marital conflict, disillusionment, and deep personal trauma. Viewers should be prepared for heavy emotional content and challenging interactions between characters.
Cast of characters:
• George (Middle-aged, professor of history): George is intelligent, self-deprecating, and often cynical. He is deeply disillusioned with his life, and the play shows how his sharp wit and sarcastic humor hide his inner pain and insecurity. George feels trapped in a stagnant marriage with Martha, and he has deep resentments regarding his lack of success in academia and his unfulfilled ambitions.
• Martha (Middle-aged, daughter of the college president): Martha is loud, brash, and often cruel, using her sharp tongue to hide her vulnerability and dissatisfaction with her life. She is trapped in an unhappy marriage with George and seeks attention, affirmation, and validation, often through destructive means. Her actions are motivated by deep emotional wounds, particularly the failure to live up to the grand expectations she had for herself and her marriage.
• Nick (Young, ambitious college professor): Nick is outwardly charming, attractive, and ambitious. He is a newcomer to the college where George teaches, and his main goal seems to be to climb the academic ladder. He comes across as somewhat naïve and innocent, but he also carries an air of smug confidence. His youth and inexperience contrast sharply with the more cynical George.
• Honey (Nick’s wife, young, nervous, and insecure): Honey is sweet, naive, and insecure. She lacks confidence and is easily manipulated. Throughout the play, Honey’s fragility becomes more apparent as the tension between the couples grows. Her reactions are often passive, and she seems to be overwhelmed by the manipulative games played by the others.
To learn more about the director and show, please visit
https://albanycivic.org/shows/virginia-woolf/
You may also like the following events from Albany Civic Theater:
Also check out other
Arts events in Albany,
Theatre events in Albany.
