Back Alley Productions invites you to audition for our upcoming production of Night of the Living Dead, set for Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Auditions will be held online using Zoom. A link to online auditions forms and the Zoom room can be found at www.BAPshows.com/auditions.
Performances will be held at the Mars Theatre, streaming live to an online audition. Performances are Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and 31 at 7:30 p.m. and midnight.
Based on the 1968 American horror film of the same name, Back Alley Productions is bringing George A. Romero's definitive zombie apocalypse to life. The story follows seven people trapped in a rural farm house in western Pennsylvania and details a night of survival.
“We had selected The Night of the Living Dead last year before the world turned upside down,” Director Christopher Smith said. “But the themes of the story are poignant for our time. It’s not just a mindless zombie flick. Romero was surprisingly introspective about society, ignorance, race relations, what isolation does to the psyche, the fear of the other, and how fear can keep you alive, but can also lead to some of the worst in humanity.”
Locked inside, and under constant assault from an enlarging group of cannibalistic undead ghouls, our survivors must do their best to last the night. As the stress of the monsters wears everyone to their mental breaking points they find that the true threat might be inside themselves.
CAST
- Ben…comparatively calm and resourceful, the only African American in the house and under heavy scrutiny by the white survivors
- Barbra… a young, terribly frightened woman who is nearly catatonic
- Johnny…Barbra's prankster brother who lands himself in trouble
- Harry Copper… a problematic, aggressive and ignorant man who clashes with Ben
- Karen Copper…Harry's wife, traumatized by the illness of their daughter
- Tom…A young man, easily persuaded, not sure who to trust
- Judy…A young woman, steady with Tom, compassionate and kind but foolish
The Night of the Living Dead is an adult production that contains adult themes including violence and gore and adult language.
COVID-19 DISCLAIMER
Because of the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19, Back Alley Productions has shut down the majority of its season. In order to continue providing entertainment to the community, Back Alley will be conducting ONLINE-ONLY shows with extensive COVID-19 guidelines for our performers.
Back Alley Productions is committed to creating the safest possible theatre experience for our performers or anyone entering the theatre. To that end, we have created a list of procedures to mitigate the risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19, including:
- Rehearsals will be conducted entirely online until 2 weeks prior to opening night, wherein performers will be allowed into the Mars theatre.
- Strict enforcement of mask-wearing and social distancing while in the theatre.
- We will be limiting the cast and crew of this production to 10 people.
- We will not be casting anyone who is considered an at-risk individual as defined by CDC guidelines, or who has immediate daily contact with someone who is at-risk.
- Preferential casting will be given to actors who are not working in public-facing jobs and who are in otherwise healthy condition.
Additional rules will be determined and amended as needed prior to in-theatre rehearsals.
Tips on nailing the audition:
There's a lot you can do to prep for an audition, but the keys are confidence and studying your character. Here's a few tips on how you can stand out:
THINK ABOUT THE CHARACTER that you're auditioning for: what is their background, their personality, their motivation and goals? Ask questions about who they are and how you can demonstrate these qualities in body language, inflection, and performance.
DRESS NICE, BUT COMFORTABLY: First impressions are important but make sure you aren't restricted.
STUDY THE MATERIAL in a quiet place, and really take the time to understand the material.
STUDY THE EMOTIONAL RANGE of the scene, and be prepared to show diversity. Don't oversimplify emotions. You can blend angry and happy, sad and optimistic. There's a lot of choices to make. Speaking of which...
MAKE CLEAR CHOICES: Know what you want to do and do it. If you're confused about what your character is doing it shows. The people who audition with a clear understanding of who they are and what they want tend to stand out.
BE CONFIDENT: We all get nervous before an audition, but Back Alley will do our best to make you comfortable during the audition process. Confidence is key to landing the role you want. We hope you'll be excited, not anxious, and your passion for theatre will make you break away from the crowd
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