Casting

The Casting is as follows. Each Group, A and B, will start with the first speech of Pelagea's. Everybody must learn it in English, EXCEPT those with another language. They must translate (or have help to translate) the speech into their first (or second) language and learn it in that language. This section is called Vlassovas of All Countries.

GROUP A
Scene 1 Vlasssovas of All Countries
Dean, Luisa, Charlene, Amir, Egle and Rebekah plus rest of Group in English.

Scene 2 The Police Raid.
(Starting Page 98 at the point below:)
Anton:I don't think your mother's very glad to see us here, eh, Pavel.
Pavel: It's so hard for her to see we have to do this so that she can buy her tea and pay the rent.
Pelagea: Talk about thick skinned! They're carrying on as if they hadn't noticed.
(Then cut to:)
Andrei 1: Police!
(Then continue all the way to the end of the scene. This is the casting:)
Andrei 1(Police!):Egle
Mother: Josie
Andrei rest of scene: Amir
Ivan: Claire
Masha: Luisa
Inspector: Dean
Policeman: Charlene
Pavel: Vineta
Anton: Natalie

Scene 3 The Swamp
Mother outside the Gates: Louise
Mother inside Gates: Sandra (taking over at 'Just what I told her P.104)
Gatekeeper: Claire
Ivan: Amir
First Worker: Charlene
Second Worker Luisa
Third Worker: Rebekah
Karpov: Claudia
Anton: Natalie
Another Worker: Dean
SONG of the Patches and the Coat. Ensemble.
Factory Guard: Vineta
Mother after Song: Egle
Karpov after Song: Rebekah

GROUP B
Vlassovas of all Countries
Nuria, Carlos, Tanya, Grace. Everybody else in English

Scene 6 b/c The Teacher's Kitchen and the Teacher's Schoolroom.
Woman: Grace
Mother (SONG in Praise of Communism, P.116 ) Abigail
Sostakovich: Carlos
Teacher in Kitchen: Tom
Mother in Kitchen: Hannah
Teacher in Classroom: Chris
Mother in Classroom: Azuraye
SONG: Learn your ABC. Ensemble
One of the Workers: Nuria

Scene 10 Pavel is Arrested and Shot.
Voice saying 'Comrade Vlassova, Your son has been shot': Carlos
SONG: Gabrede P.138. Ensemble.
Landlady 1 Kayleigh
Mother 1 Cat
Peasant Woman 1: Grace
Poor Woman 1: Jordan
(down to: P141. Peasant Woman: I've heard tell of that. Then the cast changes to:)
Landlady 2: Joleen
Mother 2 Tanya
Peasant Woman 2: Nuria
Poor Woman 2: Polly.

HEALTH WARNINGS:

Please start studying your roles from this point forward. Also begin to find costume for yourself and YOUR OWN PROPS. For example, Josie has to find the Dripping Pot, Louise and Sandra the goods they sell plus the wrapping paper. Start getting this stuff as early as possible. Not getting it early, bringing it to rehearsals and using it will be interpreted as lack of professionalism.

All costumes to be dark/neutral; scarves, caps, berets, belts boots, shirts etc AND BE READY TO BRING THEM IN WITH YOU AFTER THE EASTER BREAK.

WE WILL BE REHEARSING IN COSTUME FROM APRIL 4th.

Please be at rehearsals 15 minutes before the sceduled start times, in the appropriate clothing and footware so we can all begin on time. Unless otherwise announced, rehearsal calls are for the entire group. Individuals will be expected to do a physical and vocal warm-up before the class starts either alone or - if the Group prefers, as a Group - BEFORE THE REHEARSAL IS SCEDULED TO BEGIN.

MALE CHARACTERS WEAR TROUSERS, WOMEN CHARACTERS LONG SKIRTS ACCORDING TO YOUR ROLE, YOUR CLASS AND THE APPAREL FOR THE YEARS AROUND 1900.

Kindly do not wear any jewellry or make-up for rehearsal. Women tie and pin your hair back so that the whole face is revealed.

We will spend some time next week (March 14 to 18th) quickly deciding who - if anyone - will be playing a role across their own gender. Women playing any male roles to find ways to conceal their hair convincingly with hats etc.

We will perform in MG80, the audience facing towards the Door so that we can use it practically, if need be, for exits and entrances. There will be identical chairs down each side of the room, one for each actor, facing into the room.

There will be a tressle table. A working duplicator which we will have to find between us; any help on that will be very favourably looked upon (mark-wise).

Please bring a pencil and rubber to each rehearsal. You will be expected to write down, as soon as decided, all movement decisions, energy changes, beats and Gesti. There will be no stage manager on the Book. Failure to mark these down, study and practise them at home and be ready to present, develop and elaborate on them at the next rehearsal will be taken to be obstructive to the smooth running of rehearsals and detrimental to group endeavour. And penalised accordingly in your individual 'Process' marks.

We have 36 hours to rehearse both goups so let's make a deadline for ourselves of performance-ready by Friday April 22nd (week 9). This gives us only 6 hours of rehearsal for each of the six scenes, starting Monday.

Enjoy.