‘Radium Girls’ Director Offers Audition Tips

Auditions for Slidell Little Theatre’s production of the comedy/drama Radium Girls, will be held Sunday, January 19 and Monday, January 20 at 7 p.m. at the theatre.

The cast calls for 4 to 5 men and 5 women of varying ages, with some doubling of roles. Director Sara Pagones has left open the possibility of expanding the cast size depending on the number of people auditioning for the play.

All auditions are open to the public. Slidell Little Theatre is located at 2024 Nellie Drive in Slidell.

Based on a true story, Radium Girls traces a young woman’s battle with a large corporation after learning that  the radium paint she and her co-workers are using to make watches luminous are in fact making them deathly ill. Written with warmth and humor by D.W. Gregory, Radium Girls is a fast-moving, highly theatrical ensemble piece with more than 30 parts—friends, co-workers, lovers, relatives, attorneys, scientists, consumer advocates, and myriad interested bystanders. Called a "powerful" and "engrossing" drama by critics, Radium Girls offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science.

In advance of the auditions, Sara offered her Top 10 Audition Tips:

1.     Make eye contact with the person(s) you are reading with -- the director wants to see how you play off others.

2.     Don't block your face with the script. The director wants to see your face

3.     Avoid rocking back and forth on your feet -- it's distracting.. Stand still but comfortably with good posture.

4.     Don't worry about mispronouncing or stumbling on words in a cold reading -- your reading ability isn't what's being evaluated.

5.     Be open to the idea of taking a role different from the one you're seeking. Sometimes the director sees or hears something you don't.

6.     If you are feeling nervous, try to channel it as energy/adrenalin.

7.     Don't be afraid to ask a question about a character or scene during a cold reading.

8.     Be quiet and respectful of your fellow actors when they are auditioning.

9.     If you have rehearsal conflicts that you know about, be thorough in listing them.

10. Try to enjoy the experience.

  

More details about the play and characters can be found here or by emailing radium@slidelllittletheatre.org

The Northshore’s premier community theatre since 1963, Slidell Little Theatre is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and involving members of the community in high quality theatrical productions. SLT is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs.