AUDITION for TTD (A New Play Based on Günter Grass's The Tin Drum)

The Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies presents the auditions for the student production TTD (A New Play Based on Gunter Grass's The Tin Drum). The play will have 3 runs on April 21, 22, 23 at the Helen Gardiner Playhouse as part of the CDTPS 22/23 season program.

We are seeking performers who are willing to explore and be playful. Interest in experimental theatre is a plus. Students outside the drama department are also welcomed.

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GROUP AUDITIONS DATES & LOCATIONS

Thursday Jan 26th, 14:00-15:00

or

Friday Jan 27th, 14:00-15:00

@Performance Studio (Main floor UC Union building, 79 St. George Street)

You only need to attend 1 audition. Please arrive on time.

REGISTRATION is not required to attend the audition, but we encourage you to register so that we know how many people will attend on which date.

After the group audition, the director will stay behind until 16:00 on both dates for INDIVIDUAL AUDITIONS and conversations.

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PLAY DESCRIPTION

TTD (A New Play Based on Gunter Grass’s The Tin Drum)

TTD is a combination of literary adaptation and documentary theatre. Loosely adapted from Nobel Prize-winning writer Gunter Grass’s novel The Tin Drum, TTD follows the German boy Oskar and his adventures in a city between Germany and Poland during World War Two.

Underneath Oskar's story in The Tin Drum, however, there exists an underlying storyline about contemporary social realities in the aftermath of the Global War on Terror from a Chinese perspective. This undercurrent, told in documentary episodes, will interrupt and dialogue with the story of The Tin Drum, or maybe completely irrelevant (at least seemingly so). Interweaving fiction with documentary, history with now, TTD problematizes the relations between security and terror, technology and freedom, capital and frontier, and "us" and "them."

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ROLES

This play is deliberately nonrepresentational and employs nontraditional casting. A character is male does not mean he must be performed by a male actor, and vice versa. The same applies to race and ethnicity. All roles are open to all regardless of background, gender, or physical appearance. What we are looking at is your convincibility, commitment, and the chemistry you form in relation to the rest of the cast.

Oskar (Lead. Played by a child mannequin, an actor and a voice actor)

Born 1924 in Danzig, Oskar is the child of a German father and a Polish mother in a petit bourgeoisie family. On their 3rd birthday, Oskar refuses to grow up, and remains so throughout World War Two. They loves playing their tin drum, which they turns into a sonic weapon.

[Actor] Any experience in puppetry, clown, dance, mime or other forms of physical theatre is a plus. The actor will perform with the child mannequin.

[Voice Actor] Unconventional voice type (such as women with low-pitch, men with high-pitch) or ability to make unusual voices is a plus. The voice actor will voice-over Oskar live during performances.

MAMA

Oskar’s Mother. Kashubian/Polish origin. Joined German citizenship upon marriage. Has an extramarital affair with her cousin DADA.

PAPA

Oskar’s father. German. Runs a grocery store after coming back from World War I. Becomes a casual Fascist.

DADA

Oskar’s uncle. Kashubian origin, Polish citizen. Works at Polish Post Office. Has an extramarital affair with MAMA.

Bebra

A world-famous showman who refused to grow up at the age of 10. Oskar’s tutor.

Experience in clown, dance, mime, and other forms of physical theatre is a plus for this role.

Ensemble

We need 3 actors to play diverse ensemble roles that include: petit bourgeoise in Danzig, a Jewish toy seller, a schoolmaster, a subway security guard, a Baker who’s good at poker, clerks at the Polish Post Office, the Police, an Inspector, a Persecutor and a Judge, some Marxist students, a Spokesman of the state, and some young delinquents.

OTHER CREATIVE ROLES WANTED:

Assistant Director

Sound Designer / Musical Director

Prop / Costume Master

Please come talk to us at the auditions, or introduce yourself by email at thetindrum.uoft@gmail.com.

In the email, please include your resume or a description of your past experiences.

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PAYMENT

All roles will receive compensations. Specific amount pending funding results.

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ON THE DAY OF THE AUDITION

You don’t need to prepare anything for the audition except clothes that make you feel comfortable and an open mind. Any material, if needed, will be provided upon the audition.

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CONTACT

If you are UNAVAILABLE for these dates or have any QUESTIONS, please email:

thetindrum.uoft@gmail.com

We are more than happy to arrange individual meetings with you.

Organized and created by: The Tin Drum Project, led by graduate students of CDTPS, UofT.