Auditions for the "shadow cast" program are extended for males only, and open to students entering the 9th grade through university level; they will be held — by appointment only — at the Willard Metal Shop Theater in Berkeley Wedensday, May 9th and Monday, May 14th.

To sign up for an audition time, please email us at: info@ymtcberkeley.org In your email clearly state your prefered day and time. (We will be asking people to come in 30 minute increments between7:00 and 9:00pm.)

Also, please provide us with your name, school, grade in the fall, your email and phone, as well as your parents' name(s), email and phone if you are under 18 and living at home.

In your email, also let us know which role(s) you will be auditioning for. We reccommend you choose one or two at most. The characters are listed below with brief descriptions and voice type for each. We strongly recommend you study these carefully, especially if you don't know the show.

There is no need for you to choose your own song or monolgue for this audition.  When we email you back with your audition appointment time, we will also give you information about what music we would like you to prepare for the preliminary audition.

And finally, please download and print out this audition form. You will need to fill out, and bring with you to your audition. If you are under 18 and living with your parents, you will need your parents signature on the form in order to audition.

More about the Program and the Production

Tuition for the Program is $400. There will be a small amount of tuition assistance available, which you may request if you are cast in the program.

Rehearsals for Assassins will begin on Monday, Aug 13th and will be held in the evenings during the week (6-10pm most likely) as well as on Saturday and Sunday during the day. All rehearsals will be held at the Shotgun rehearsal space in Emeryville.

The shadow cast will be required to attend as many as 3-4 of the principals' rehearsals a week.

In addition to those rehearsals, where they will be mostly watching and taking notes, the shadow cast will have at least one rehearsal of their own (Monday nights-- and possibly one after school time) where they will be on their feet, working through the material and getting hands on training and preparation for their role. The frequency of principal rehearsals that the shadow cast need attend will likely increase the closer we get to opening. Tech rehearsals and performances will be held at the Ashby Stage in Berkeley.

Once the show opens, understudies will be required to commit to being accessible-- available by phone, and within a 30 minute distance from the Ashby Stage-- anytime there is a dress rehearsal or performance of Assassins.

Assassins previews will begin previews on September 26th, and opens on October 6th. The show will run for six weeks, five shows a week. Show times are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 5pm until November 11th. (the last two Sundays, Nov 4th and 11th will be at 2pm.)

Roles

Balladeer / Lee Harvey Oswald:
folk tenor, B-flat to high A-flat (very difficult singing role with lots of solos) Male - Modern Era-- early to mid-20's. Someone who can play both open, confident, and idealistic - a folk storyteller (Balladeer), and can then switch to insecure, moody, elusive, and dark (Oswald).

John Wilkes Booth:
lyric baritone, low F to F (important solos, must be comfortable in low and high registers) Southern, 19th Century (Civil War Era) Male-- late 20's to mid-30's. Charismatic, charming, intense. Able to turn the charm to danger on a dime. Good with language (both spoken and sung).

Giuseppe Zangara:
lyric tenor, G to high A (very difficult solo song) Italian Male Immigrant - circa 1920's-1930's. He is is swarthy, intense, passionate, and in pain (literally).

Sam Byck:
baritone, G to F (a lot of acting, a few solos and a lot of singing in ensemble numbers) Middle-aged, New York, Jewish Male. Intense, comedic, and yet able to reveal his soft spots and Achilles' heel.

Charles J. Guiteau:
high baritone / tenor, C to high G (lots of solos and member of the Gun Song quartet) 19th Century Gentleman - post Civil War-- 30's-40's. The eternal optimist. Hearty believer in the power of the American Dream - and yet dangerous - unpredictable. Need an actor who is comfortable with movement and dance (his solo song contains a cakewalk).

Squeaky Fromme:
soprano or mezzo soprano, A to high A (must sing soprano in ensemble numbers) 1960s-1970s era female-- mid-20's. Physically slight. Very much part of the counter-culture movement. Can switch on a dime from scary robot-speak (she was indoctrinated into a cult, after all) to being super sharp and smart. There's something sad, sweet, and broken about her - and yet, of course, still dangerous

Sara Jane Moore:
mezzo soprano, low G to E-flat (lots of solos and member of the Gun Song quartet) 1970s era, middle-aged housewife. Very much written as the comic relief. Written as scattered and bumbling. Though there is absolutely hidden depths there - a sense of real loss. And she is, of course, dangerous.

John Hinckley Jr.:
baritone, B-flat to F (not a lot of solo singing, but will sing with ensemble a lot) 1970-80s era, 20-something male. Intense(!), withdrawn, loner-type. Able to connect to others - and the outside world - in song/music.

Leon Czolgosz:
bass-baritone / bass, low F to E-flat (solos and lowest part of the Gun Song quartet) Turn of the 20th Century Male, Polish, raised by immigrants (though First Generation American). Quiet, intense, potential leader - though, due to his impoverished background, was never given that opportunity and so... he turns his potential elsewhere.

Proprietor:
bass-baritone, low G-flat to F (only one song, but the entire opening number!) Contemporary Male - a carny - a salesman - the desire to make the sale overrides everything. Confident, slick, dangerous.