THE FROG PRINCESS
An adaptation of a Russian folk tale by CATHY HOWARD
CAST OF CHARACTERS
NARRATOR . . . . . . . . . . . storyteller
QUEEN NATASHA . . . . . . . a great ruler
LADY IN WAITING . .attendant to the queen
COURT GENTLEMAN . . . . . . . . . another
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN .
OF THE KINGDOM . . . the queen's entourage
GUARD . . . . . . . in duty to the queen
BORIS . . . .. . . . . mighty and strong;
the eldest son
CASIMIR . . . . . . . clever with words;
the second son
SACHA . . . . . . . . . . inept but kind;
the youngest son
URSULA . . . . . . . . . warrior princess
VASSILISSA . . . . . . . . . daughter of a
rich nobleman
NATALIA . . . . . . . . the frog princess
COOK . . . . . . . likes to stir up things
TUTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . tries hard
EXTRAS . . . . . . the queen's attentants,
dancers, musicians,
jugglers, mimes, tumbers,
other entertainers
About Auditioning at the Athens Little Playhouse
Auditions will be held on Monday and Tuesday, September 13 & 14, 2010 for the traditional Russian folk tale, The Frog Princess. This is not the Disney version. In our story a Queen has found a grey hair and decides she should retire. She has three sons, each with a special talent. She can’t decide which one should be King so she decides to hold a contest. The son who can find the best wife will win. She tells them to go into the forest and shoot an arrow into the air. Wherever it lands, they will find their brides. It works for the first two sons, however, the third son finds a talking female frog. Being a man of honor he dutifully brings the frog home as his bride. Therein lies the fun and the enchantment!
Come prepared to do a cold reading from the script. If your child is too young to read well, have them come prepared to recite a nursery rhyme as loudly (without screaming) as they can. I want to see facial expression and animation (body movement). They need to sell the rhyme. Same goes for a cold reading. If you child is dyslexic or has another condition that doesn’t let them read well, but they can memorize and do the above requirements, have them memorize a monologue that is age appropriate. You can find these on the internet or you can go to our local bookstores to find monologues for young people. Please be honest with the director up front and let her know any special things about your child.
We do not schedule appointments for auditions. Come at 6:30 or as soon thereafter as you can. Be prepared to stay for a while. Your child will audition and may be asked to read with several people with several different parts. If your child needs assistance, you may be asked to go onstage with them to interpret the dialogue. It is important to see how actors play against each other.
Parents are required to be at auditions and fill out the audition forms and conflict calendars. Conflicts play a big part in casting. Too many conflicts on rehearsal days determine the size of the role or if the child is cast at all. Parents are required to volunteer for jobs and to attend the mandatory parent meeting that is held the Sunday after casting is announced.
We are also looking for young people who want to learn about the technical side of theater work. Our Technical Director will train your young person how to run a simple light and sound system. This opportunity is for boys and girls age 10 and up.
It doesn’t cost anything to audition, but there are fees are involved if your child is cast. We have two membership fees: $15 for individuals and $20 for Family. Production fee is $100 for the first child and $75 for each sibling. Sometimes we don’t get enough kids and will cast adults. Parents get first dibs and then we look to the community. They are also required to pay the fees. |