No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre (Samuel French acting version for the show)
AUDITIONS MONDAY OCTOBER 1ST in CSTAC LAB OR MAINSTAGE 6:30 PM
CALLBACKS TUESDAY OCTOBER 2nd in CSTAC LAB OR MAINSTAGE 6:30 PM
CAST BREAKDOWN
VINCENT CRADEAU: A writer, journalist, married, or was. Pacifist, or coward, or idealist. He needs to know. Any age. He was executed by his fellow citizens for his refusal to fight, for running away, but he was just standing by his principals, against any war, or was he just a coward? He needs to know. Needs to be left alone to sort through his thoughts. It’s crucial for him to know! In life he was an idealist, crude, boorish, intelligent, heroic? A despicable husband. Treated her like crap. Treated those who might truly care like dirt. He’s not unlikeable, if you don’t look too deep.
INEZ SERRANO: A secretary. She’s not married. She likes women. She says. She needs to see other people suffer for her to exist at all. She tormented a wife against her husband. The husband got hit by a trolly car and died. Inez got the wife (Florence) to herself. Florence turned on the gas in the middle of the night and crawled back in bed with Inez. They both died. Inez cannot give in. Inez is afraid to look inside herself. She is a spider. She needs to trap both Cradeau and Estelle in her web. It’s who she is.
ESTELLE DELAUNAY: A young wife. Rich, spoiled? pretty, she knows men like her. She needs to have men like her. She was an orphan who had no money and married an old friend of her father who did have money. Found real love in a man her age, but money won out. Threw her lover’s baby off the balcony in front of him. She told him she didn’t want a child. He killed himself. Oh well. Estelle died of pneumonia. Needs a man to love and adore her. Any man. Desperate for a mirror!
ALL THREE EARLY ON CAN STILL “SEE” WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD THEY LEFT BEHIND. A WORLD THAT SLOWLY DARKENS TO THEM, UNTIL IT FINALLY DISAPPEARS.
A BOY, or a GIRL, or a PERSON: Works there, wherever there is. So does his Uncle, her Uncle, but in another floor. Youngish, maybe. Has had this job for a while evidently, but doesn’t provide a lot of answers. Kind of like an old fashioned Bell Hop, maybe, but what kind of hotel is this??? Seems to have a sense of humor about things. Open to be creative character. Oh yes… his eyelids have atrophied. Look it up.
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Welcome to hell. Or is it? It’s definitely the period right after World War II. The references are to Nazi occupied France (Paris) and the French resistance or freedom fighters. It’s all about Sartre’s philosophy but don’t fret that for the audition. They are not three loveable characters, but we should enjoy and be intrigued. Safely in our seats in the audience.
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WHAT I WANT FOR THE AUDITION: I’ll work people in small groups, or alone, or pairs. If you have a ONE MINUTE MONOLGUE MOMENT FROM ANY WHERE YOU WANT IN THE PLAY you can do it for me, otherwise I’ll get you to read something. SELL YOURSELF. CONVINCE ME. EARN A CALLBACK ON TUESDAY. Monologue isn’t necessary. There are only 4 roles. At least be familiar with them and the play to give yourself a shot.
CALLBACKS WILL BE TUESDAY. SAME TIME. FIRST REHERSAL/READING IS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3RD AND WE GO FROM THERE (REMEMBER THERE IS FALL BREAK AND VTA IN OCTOBER ) SO WE DON’T HAVE TONS OF TIME BEFORE OPENING NIGHT, NOVEMBER 7TH. Also, if you have a lot of conflicts with rehearsals (at night) between auditions and opening that’s not good. It’s a 90 minute play, three main characters who are always on stage and NO EXITS!
Bruce Speas, Director
Aaron Burstein, Stage Manager