Auditions and Rehearsals

• Anyone can submit a one act or audition! (Tell your friends!)
  • It is best to have taken the Playwrighting Class at Moorpark College
• You do not need to be a theatre major to submit a one act or audition or be in a show.  
• After the submission deadline, the one acts will be chosen during finals week
• First time playwrights/directors are not allowed to direct their own material. They can direct another one act however
• Auditions will be the 1/27, 1/28, 1/29
• The main audition days are the first two days of auditions with callbacks on the last day of auditions.
• If you are unable to make the first two days of auditions, feel free to come the last day of auditions.
• If you can't make any of the audition days but would still like to be considered, please pick a side and email a self-tape to sfagan@vcccd.edu.
• Sides (a small section of the script actors are given before an audition for either a play, film or television show) will be posted on this website closer to the dates of auditions.
• Pick a side or two that interests you and bring it to the auditions.
• There will be a sign in sheet at the auditions.
• You do not have to stay for the whole duration of the audition time but you are free to stay and watch.
• You do not have to come right when the audition starts.
• If cast, you will enroll in the production class that is 3 units.
• The show runs from Wednesday April 23rd - Saturday May 3rd.
• Rehearsals will begin Monday, February 3rd
• Rehearsals will be MTWTH 3:30-6
• If you are a supporting character, you will not be called to all of those rehearsals but you are free to stay and watch

Echo by Dalana Green

Directed by Dalana Green

Assistant Director Faith Payuan

Play Synopsis

On a cold winter evening, a young couple decide to vacation in a cabin to get away from city life and family drama. Throughout the night, strange voices and hauntings begin to arise. But, it is not from your average ghost, but an Alexa?!? Echo is a thriller that brings challenges to this young couple who desperately try to escape the haunted cabin.

Character Breakdown

MELINDA: Early 20’s. Works as an intern for a law firm. She is the partner of Hayden. Is skeptical of the paranormal. Quick-witted and resourceful, but deep down is also sensitive. She wants to have her own opinions and thoughts in the relationship but sometimes feels she doesn’t.

HAYDEN: Early 20’s. An up-and-coming writer. They are the partner of Melinda. Believes in the paranormal but is frightened by it. A bit impulsive. Has the tendency to get defensive when confronted.

SPIRIT: No specific age. Dead. A restless spirit who haunts the cabin. Not much is known about them except that their mouth is sewn shut. Doesn’t have any spoken lines.

The Whispering Woods by Sophia Heirshberg

Directed by Sophia Heirshberg

Assistant director: Pershiyana Del Arian

Synopsis

Three friends, Adam, Lia, and Cami, sit around a campfire as Adam tells a spooky story about three other friends—Sam, Lucas, and Emma—who encounter mysterious whispers in the same woods. In the story, the whispers lead Sam, Lucas, and Emma to an abandoned cabin where they find a diary warning them about the whispers. They destroy the diary to escape the aggressive whispers and return to their campsite.

Character Descriptions

Human Characters

Adam: is the storyteller of the group. He has a knack for spinning tales that captivate his friends. With a calm demeanor and a love for the mysterious, Adam often leads the group on their adventures. He is resourceful and quick-thinking, always ready to face the unknown.

Lia: is adventurous and brave, often the first to volunteer for any challenge. She has a keen sense of curiosity and a strong will, which sometimes leads her into risky situations. Despite her bold exterior, she has a deep-seated fear of the supernatural, which she tries to hide from her friends.

Cami: is the skeptic of the group. She prefers logic and reason over ghost stories and myths. Her practical nature often balances out the group’s more adventurous tendencies. However, when faced with real danger, Cami’s loyalty and courage shine through, making her a dependable friend.

Puppets

Sam is the leader of the trio in Adam’s story. Confident and brave, Sam takes charge when the whispers begin. He is determined to uncover the truth behind the mysterious sounds, even if it means putting himself in danger.

Lucas is the cautious one among the three friends in the story. He is skeptical of the supernatural and prefers to stay safe. However, his loyalty to his friends pushes him to follow them into the unknown, despite his fears.

Emma is sensitive and intuitive, often picking up on things that others miss. She is deeply affected by the whispers and feels a strong connection to the supernatural elements of the story. Her empathy and insight often guide the group through their challenges

The Stomach of Agamemnon by Alex Latham

Directed by Josh Brewer

Assistant director: Carter Garcia

Synopsis

Two men get swallowed by a whale while one tries to escape with all his might the other accepts his fate. they both come in regular men but the stomach of the whale makes them become people they would not recognize in the mirror.

Character Breakdown

Old man is an older man on the last few years of his life he fears he has not amounted to anything in his long life he had dreams of being a war hero he wants to conquer land and have power

Sick man is a man suffering from tuberculosis he has a red birthmark on his check he has accepted the fact he is going to die. He is sarcastic and becomes sinister towards the end

The Whale is a huge beast with a demanding presence a monster that only cares about its next meal and scary its victims in its stomach very menacing almost like Smaug from “Lord of the Rings.”

The poet fears the sea and what’s in it narrates the story though poetry and scared that they might be the next victim of the whale

• Anyone can audition! (Tell your friends!)
• You do not need to be a theatre major to audition or be in a show.  
• The main audition days are the first two days of auditions with callbacks on the last day of auditions.
• If you are unable to make the first two days of auditions, feel free to come the last day of auditions.
• If you can't make any of the audition days but would still like to be considered, please pick a side and email a self-tape to jloprieno@vcccd.edu.
• Sides (a small section of the script actors are given before an audition for either a play, film or television show) will be posted on this website closer to the dates of auditions.
• Pick a side or two that interests you and bring it to the auditions.
• There will be a sign in sheet at the auditions.
• You do not have to stay for the whole duration of the audition time but you are free to stay and watch.
• You do not have to come right when the audition starts.
• If cast, you will enroll in the production class that is 3 units.
• The show runs from Thursday, March 13th - Sunday, March 23rd.
• Rehearsals will begin Monday, January 13th
• Rehearsals will be M&W 6-9:15 and T&TH 3:30-5:45
• If you are a supporting character, you will not be called to all of those rehearsals but you are free to stay and watch

NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE SYNOPSIS "TWELFTH NIGHT"

In the kingdom of Illyria, a nobleman named Orsino lies around listening to music, pining away for the love of Lady Olivia. He cannot have her because she is in mourning for her dead brother and refuses to entertain any proposals of marriage. Meanwhile, off the coast, a storm has caused a terrible shipwreck. A young, aristocratic-born woman named Viola is swept onto the Illyrian shore. Finding herself alone in a strange land, she assumes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has been drowned in the wreck, and tries to figure out what sort of work she can do. A friendly sea captain tells her about Orsino’s courtship of Olivia, and Viola says that she wishes she could go to work in Olivia’s home. But since Lady Olivia refuses to talk with any strangers, Viola decides that she cannot look for work with her. Instead, she decides to disguise herself as a man, taking on the name of Cesario, and goes to work in the household of Duke Orsino.

Viola (disguised as Cesario) quickly becomes a favorite of Orsino, who makes Cesario his page. Viola finds herself falling in love with Orsino—a difficult love to pursue, as Orsino believes her to be a man. But when Orsino sends Cesario to deliver Orsino’s love messages to the disdainful Olivia, Olivia herself falls for the beautiful young Cesario, believing her to be a man. The love triangle is complete: Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Cesario—and everyone is miserable.

Meanwhile, we meet the other members of Olivia’s household: her rowdy drunkard of an uncle, Sir Toby; his foolish friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, who is trying in his hopeless way to court Olivia; Olivia’s witty and pretty waiting-gentlewoman, Maria; Feste, the clever clown of the house; and Malvolio, the dour, prudish steward of Olivia’s household. When Sir Toby and the others take offense at Malvolio’s constant efforts to spoil their fun, Maria engineers a practical joke to make Malvolio think that Olivia is in love with him. She forges a letter, supposedly from Olivia, addressed to her beloved (whose name is signified by the letters M.O.A.I.), telling him that if he wants to earn her favor, he should dress in yellow stockings and crossed garters, act haughtily, smile constantly, and refuse to explain himself to anyone. Malvolio finds the letter, assumes that it is addressed to him, and, filled with dreams of marrying Olivia and becoming noble himself, happily follows its commands. He behaves so strangely that Olivia comes to think that he is mad.

Meanwhile, Sebastian, who is still alive after all but believes his sister Viola to be dead, arrives in Illyria along with his friend and protector, Antonio. Antonio has cared for Sebastian since the shipwreck and is passionately (and perhaps sexually) attached to the young man—so much so that he follows him to Orsino’s domain, in spite of the fact that he and Orsino are old enemies.

Sir Andrew, observing Olivia’s attraction to Cesario (still Viola in disguise), challenges Cesario to a duel. Sir Toby, who sees the prospective duel as entertaining fun, eggs Sir Andrew on. However, when Sebastian—who looks just like the disguised Viola—appears on the scene, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby end up coming to blows with Sebastian, thinking that he is Cesario. Olivia enters amid the confusion. Encountering Sebastian and thinking that he is Cesario, she asks him to marry her. He is baffled, since he has never seen her before. He sees, however, that she is wealthy and beautiful, and he is therefore more than willing to go along with her. Meanwhile, Antonio has been arrested by Orsino’s officers and now begs Cesario for help, mistaking him for Sebastian. Viola denies knowing Antonio, and Antonio is dragged off, crying out that Sebastian has betrayed him. Suddenly, Viola has newfound hope that her brother may be alive.

Malvolio’s supposed madness has allowed the gleeful Maria, Toby, and the rest to lock Malvolio into a small, dark room for his treatment, and they torment him at will. Feste dresses up as "Sir Topas," a priest, and pretends to examine Malvolio, declaring him definitely insane in spite of his protests. However, Sir Toby begins to think better of the joke, and they allow Malvolio to send a letter to Olivia, in which he asks to be released.

Eventually, Viola (still disguised as Cesario) and Orsino make their way to Olivia’s house, where Olivia welcomes Cesario as her new husband, thinking him to be Sebastian, whom she has just married. Orsino is furious, but then Sebastian himself appears on the scene, and all is revealed. The siblings are joyfully reunited, and Orsino realizes that he loves Viola, now that he knows she is a woman, and asks her to marry him. We discover that Sir Toby and Maria have also been married privately. Finally, someone remembers Malvolio and lets him out of the dark room. The trick is revealed in full, and the embittered Malvolio storms off, leaving the happy couples to their celebration.

NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE "TWELFTH NIGHT"

Viola

A young woman of aristocratic birth, and the play’s protagonist. Washed up on the shore of Illyria when her ship is wrecked in a storm, Viola decides to make her own way in the world. She disguises herself as a young man, calling herself "Cesario," and becomes a page to Duke Orsino. She ends up falling in love with Orsino—even as Olivia, the woman Orsino is courting, falls in love with Cesario. Thus, Viola finds that her clever disguise has entrapped her: she cannot tell Orsino that she loves him, and she cannot tell Olivia why she, as Cesario, cannot love her. Her poignant plight is the central conflict in the play.

Orsino

A powerful nobleman in the country of Illyria. Orsino is lovesick for the beautiful Lady Olivia, but becomes more and more fond of his handsome new page boy, Cesario, who is actually a woman—Viola. Orsino is a vehicle through which the play explores the absurdity of love: a supreme egotist, Orsino mopes around complaining how heartsick he is over Olivia, when it is clear that he is chiefly in love with the idea of being in love and enjoys making a spectacle of himself. His attraction to the ostensibly male Cesario injects sexual ambiguity into his character.

Olivia

A wealthy, beautiful, and noble Illyrian lady, Olivia is courted by Orsino and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, but to each of them she insists that she is in mourning for her brother, who has recently died, and will not marry for seven years. She and Orsino are similar characters in that each seems to enjoy wallowing in his or her own misery. Viola’s arrival in the masculine guise of Cesario enables Olivia to break free of her self-indulgent melancholy. Olivia seems to have no difficulty transferring her affections from one love interest to the next, however, suggesting that her romantic feelings—like most emotions in the play—do not run deep.

Sebastian

Viola’s lost twin brother. When he arrives in Illyria, traveling with Antonio, his close friend and protector, Sebastian discovers that many people think that they know him. Furthermore, the beautiful Lady Olivia, whom he has never met, wants to marry him. Sebastian is not as well rounded a character as his sister. He seems to exist to take on the role that Viola fills while disguised as Cesario—namely, the mate for Olivia.

Malvolio

The straitlaced steward—or head servant—in the household of Lady Olivia. Malvolio is very efficient but also very self-righteous, and he has a poor opinion of drinking, singing, and fun. His priggishness and haughty attitude earn him the enmity of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria, who play a cruel trick on him, making him believe that Olivia is in love with him. In his fantasies about marrying his mistress, he reveals a powerful ambition to rise above his social class.

Feste

The clown, or fool, of Olivia’s household, Feste moves between Olivia’s and Orsino’s homes. He earns his living by making pointed jokes, singing old songs, being generally witty, and offering good advice cloaked under a layer of foolishness. In spite of being a professional fool, Feste often seems the wisest character in the play.

Sir Toby Belch

Olivia’s uncle. Olivia lets Sir Toby Belch live with her, but she does not approve of his rowdy behavior, practical jokes, heavy drinking, late-night carousing, or friends (specifically the idiotic Sir Andrew). Sir Toby also earns the ire of Malvolio. But Sir Toby has an ally, and eventually a mate, in Olivia’s sharp-witted waiting-gentlewoman, Maria. Together they bring about the triumph of chaotic spirit, which Sir Toby embodies, and the ruin of the controlling, self-righteous Malvolio.

Maria

Olivia’s clever, daring young waiting-gentlewoman. Maria is remarkably similar to her antagonist, Malvolio, who harbors aspirations of rising in the world through marriage. But Maria succeeds where Malvolio fails—perhaps because she is a woman, but, more likely, because she is more in tune than Malvolio with the anarchic, topsy-turvy spirit that animates the play.

Sir Andrew Aguecheek

A friend of Sir Toby’s. Sir Andrew Aguecheek attempts to court Olivia, but he doesn’t stand a chance. He thinks that he is witty, brave, young, and good at languages and dancing, but he is actually an idiot.

Antonio

A man who rescues Sebastian after his shipwreck. Antonio has become very fond of Sebastian, caring for him, accompanying him to Illyria, and furnishing him with money—all because of a love so strong that it seems to be romantic in nature. Antonio’s attraction to Sebastian, however, never bears fruit. Despite the ambiguous and shifting gender roles in the play, Twelfth Night remains a romantic comedy in which the characters are destined for marriage. In such a world, homoerotic attraction cannot be fulfilled.

The Captain

The captain of Viola and Sebastian’s sunken ship. After they reach land, the Captain assures Viola that Sebastian was still alive when they were separated. He also helps her establish a new life in Illyria by informing her about Orsino and Olivia as well as disguising her as Cesario.

Fabian

A servant of Olivia’s. Fabian often accompanies Sir Toby and Maria, and he enjoys partaking in their scheme to embarrass Malvolio. In the end, however, he is the first one to own up to their prank.

• If you are cast, you MUST be enrolled in the THA M10A, B, C or D class by 1/1/25 if you are to keep your role.  The CRNs are:
  • M10A: 32120
  • M10B: 32124
  • M10C: 32127
  • M10D: 32128 
• We will be having a READ THROUGH of the play on Tuesday 1/7/25 in PA-149 @ 6:00pm 
• COSTUME MEASUREMENTS: Expect and email from Haleh sometime over break to set an appointment.
• Sometime over the break, I will also be sending out a rehearsal schedule.  Please align it with your work schedule ASAP. 
• Someone will be in the shop Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.  Please go and pick up scripts or purchase the NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE version of “Twelfth Night.”  
• Please highlight your lines in the script and research any term or word that you are unfamiliar with as you go through the script
• There are several productions of "Twelfth Night" on the college Library Database through Digital Theatre + and Drama online.  Feel free to login to your portal and watch any (or ALL!) of these productions.
•  Thank you again for all of your time and interest in the show and I can’t wait to see all of you in the coming year.