Open Call, New Delhi: Performers for 'The Pillowman' by Martin McDonagh
Register for the auditions on the link bit.ly/kppillowmanform and send us your videos by Sunday 19th May, 2024 11:59pm at thepillowman@kaivalyaplays.org
About the Project:
Kaivalya Plays is inviting actors and performers based in and around Delhi NCR to audition for their new production The Pillowman, a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh, which dives into the ideas of trauma and how trauma translates into the writing of a writer. It also questions the ideas of censorship and where the line must be drawn. Read more about the play and the playwright here.
Kaivalya Plays' production of The Pillowman is directed by Raghav Seth and under license from Concord Theatricals. The production will premiere on 24th and 25th August 2024 in New Delhi.
The auditions are open to actors of any level of experience, including newcomers. The only requirement is that performers must be comfortable performing in English. All our performances are cast gender-blind, so performers can audition for any role that they'd like.
The primary cast will receive a compensation of INR 10,000 plus a share of ticket sales for the premiere run. This will cover the rehearsal period (Jun-Aug 2024) and the premiere (Aug 2024). There will also be understudies who will receive a travel allowance.
The rehearsal timings and location will be flexible depending on the availability of rehearsal space and other professional commitments of the creative team.
Audition Process
Stage 1 - Register for the auditions at bit.ly/kppillowmanform
Stage 2 - Record a video audition of any one of the three monologues provided below. Send these to us on thepillowman@kaivalyaplays.org by 11:59pm IST on Sunday 19th May 2024. Please only send us a YouTube / Vimeo / Google Drive link.
Stage 3 - Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a group workshop on Saturday 25th May. More details of the same will be communicated latest by Thursday 23rd May.
Results: The selected cast and understudies will be announced latest by Sunday 2nd June.
Monologues
Please choose and prepare any one of the following monologues. All our performances are cast gender-blind, so feel free to audition for any of the roles.
Monologue 1
Character: Katurian
“Once upon a time… there was a man, who did not look like normal men. He was about nine feet tall… And he was all made up of these fluffy pink pillows: His arms were pillows and his legs were pillows and his body was a pillow; his fingers were tiny little pillows, even his head was a pillow, a big round pillow. And on his head, he had two button eyes and a big smiley mouth which was always smiling, so you could always see his teeth, which were also pillows. Little white pillow. Well, the Pillowman had to look like this, he had to look, he had to look soft and safe, because of his job, because his job was a very sad and a very difficult one. Whenever a man or a lady was very sad because they’d had a dreadful and hard life and they just wanted to end it all, the Pillowman would go to them, and sit with them, and gently holf them, and he’d say, “Hold on a minute,” and time would slow strangely, and as time slowed, the Pillowman would go back in time to when that man or that lady was jus a little boy or a little girl, to when the life of horror they were to lead handn’t quite yet begun, and the Pillowman’s job was to get that child to kill themselves.”
Monologue 2
Character: Michal
“Oh. See with that one, the “Swear to me on your life you didn’t kill those three kids,” yeah, I was kind of playing a trick on you. Sorry, Katurian. I know it was wrong. Really. But it was very interesting. The little boy was just like you said it’d be. I chopped his toes off and he didn’t scream at all. He just sat there looking at them. He seemed very surprised. I suppose you would be at that age. His name was Aaron. He had a funny little hat on, kept going on about his mum. God, he bled a lot. You wouldn’t’ve thought there’d be that much blood in such a little boy. Then he stopped bleeding and went blue. Poor thing. I feel quite bad now, he seemed quite nice. “Can I go home to my mummy, now, please?” But the girl was a pain in the arse. Kept bawling her eyes out. And she wouldn’t eat them. She wouldn’t eat the applemen, and I’d spent ages making them. It’s really hard to get the razor blades inside. You don’t say how to make them in the story, do you? I checked. So, anyway, I had to force ‘em down her. It only took two. Not being mean, but at least that shut her up. (Pause.) It’s really hard to get out of your clothes, isn’t it, blood?”
Monologue 3
Character: Ariel / Tupolski
"Oh, really? Well, y’know, I’ll tell you what there is about me. There is an overwhelming, and there is an all-pervading, hatred…a hatred…of people like you. Of people who lay even the littlest finger…on children. I wake up with it. It wakes me up. It rides on the bus with me to work. It whispers to me, ‘They will not get away with it’. I come in early. I make sure all the bindings are clean and the electrodes are in the right order so we won’t…waste…time. I admit it, sometimes I use excessive force. And sometimes I use excessive force on an entirely innocent individual. But I’ll tell you this. If an entirely innocent individual leaves this room for the outside world, they’re not gonna contemplate even raising their voice to a little kid again, just in case I hear ‘em and drag ‘em in here for another load of excessive f**king force.
Here are some tips to help you prepare better for your audition:
For your video submission, focus on your performance and not the video quality. It does not need to be a fancy video, just a stable mobile camera with good lighting will do.
During the audition, clearly state your name and the monologue you will perform at the beginning.
Determine the setting and situation for each monologue. Visualize where you are, who you are addressing, and what actions you are performing during your speech, and show us. Speak clearly and don't rush through your monologues.
For the in-person audition, be punctual for your audition slot. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely. Dress appropriately for the audition but prioritize comfort. Bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during the audition process.
Lastly, remember to enjoy the audition process. Please also let us know ahead of time anything we can do to make the audition process more comfortable or accessible by writing to us on thepillowman@kaivalyaplays.org
We look forward to hearing from you!
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