The Clark State College Theatre Arts program will accept virtual auditions this month for the spring production of Silent Sky written by Lauren Gunderson.
The show – designed for an online performance - will be directed by Scott Stoney from the Human Race Theatre Company. Theresa Lauricella, professor of Theatre Arts at Clark State, will produce the show.
Silent Sky begins when Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s; she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love. The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.
Interested actors will be emailed a link to the Zoom audition callback after completing an online audition form. A headshot and resume are also requested. For the self-recording portion, actors should prepare a one-minute monologue from a contemporary play.
Lauricella said the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the performing arts for now, but when the risks of the pandemic are less, and people are able to gather again, there will be some of the most dynamic theatre experiences ever enjoyed.
Last fall the Clark State Theatre Arts program accomplished a successful virtual performance of She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms written by Qui Nguyen.
“As I mentioned to students in my courses, theatre has survived millennia,” said Lauricella. “Theatre roots date back before Thespis who in 504 BCE became the first actor. It has survived many societal conflicts: wars, famine, religious persecution, plagues. It has survived against other forms of entertainment: film, television and video gaming and even the more recent streaming media we have ready access to.”
To audition for Silent Sky actors are required to complete the following form by January 26: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbF_03ghc4UVMCAOGyfLx1TvqJqyl8gKZm8f6mJMMgCgCWzA/viewform
Auditions will be held virtually February 2 at 7 p.m. Virtual rehearsals will begin February 15.
Silent Sky will debut virtually with a live streaming performance on April 15 and an encore, recorded performance April 16.