Brunswick Little Theatre Audition Announcement
Red Velvet
By Lolita Chakrabarti
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
Directed by Ken Greenman
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Dates (no appointment necessary):
● Audition:
o August 17 from 1-4pm
o August 18 from 6-8pm
o August 19 – callback or first cast meeting, 6-8pm
o Please bring a resume and a list of conflict dates
● Performances:
o October 9-12, 17-19, 24-26, 2025
o Show Times: 12, 19, 25 & 26 @ 3PM. All others 7:30PM
Location: Brunswick Little Theatre (BLT), 8068 River Road SE, Southport
All roles are open except Ira Aldridge, which was cast in May.
Anticipate rehearsals three nights per week (M, T, Th), beginning August 19.
Additional rehearsals may be added, depending on need and availability. Not
everyone will be called for every rehearsal.
Please prepare a list of any known conflicts to assist in finalizing a schedule. You
may assume weekday rehearsals will be restricted to evenings, and there will be
no rehearsal on September 1.
Synopsis:
Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, 1833. Edmund Kean, the greatest actor of his
generation, has collapsed on stage while playing Othello. A young black American
actor has been asked to take over the role. A black man has never starred on a
major London stage—not even as Othello—until tonight.
An imagined version of true events, RED VELVET transports audiences to the
turbulent backstage world of London’s Theatre Royal in Covent Garden to tell the
little-known story of Ira Aldridge. As British Parliament debates the abolition of
slavery, Aldridge prepares to make his entrance as Othello. His groundbreaking
performance upends centuries of British stage tradition and changes the lives of
everyone involved.
The audience is enamored but the critics are not amused and the Theatre Royal is
temporarily shut down. Despite this, Aldridge went on to build a stellar career
with an impeccable reputation throughout Europe, but he never returned to a
London stage again.
Here are two videos (each under 5 minutes) discussing the play, the historical
context, and its lead character:
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Characters:
• CASIMIR - White male, 20’s, Polish stage-hand. Inexperienced, low status
and likes Halina.
• HALINA WOZNIAK - White female, 20’s. Polish journalist. Bright,
ambitious, frustrated with her life.
• TERENCE - White male, 50’s, English. Ira Aldridge’s valet and dresser.
Loyal, hard working.
• IRA ALDRIDGE (already cast) - Black male, 20’s, American, actor.
Ambitious, keen, passionate and optimistic. Also plays a later stage of life,
60’s, grand, impatient, ferocious and unwell. Possibly played by two actors.
• CONNIE - Jamaican female, any age, experienced, servant. Older than her
years and the voice of truth.
• BETTY LOVELL - White female, 20’s, English, actress. Self-concerned, not
clever but pleasant.
• HENRY FORESTER - White male, 20’s, English actor. Political, self-
interested, ambitious and earnest.
• BERNARD WARDE - White male, 50’s, English, actor. Old school, a bit lazy,
opinionated and insecure.
• CHARLES KEAN - White male, 30’;s. English, actor (son of Edmund Kean).
Grand but without the talent to support it. Suffers from being Edmund's son.
• ELLEN TREE - White female, late 20’s, English, a leading actress. Talented,
motivated, classical but progressive.
Also check out other Arts events in Southport, Theatre events in Southport, Meetups in Southport.
