Auditions Announced for 'A View From The Bridge' at the Warner Theatre

WARNER THEATRE Nancy Marine Studio Theatre Production

Director – Les Ober

Production Stage Manager – Taryn Glasser

AUDITIONS:

Monday, January 20, 2014 at 7:00pm (by appointment)
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 7:00pm (by appointment)

All roles are open to audition. We are seeking nine men and three women for this production (2 principal male, 4 male supporting, 3 male cameo; 2 principal female, 1 female cameo). All auditioning will be expected to read from the script.

Rehearsals will be held on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings from 7:00pm to 10:00pm (Sunday evening rehearsals may start earlier than 7:00pm) beginning Sunday, January 26, 2014. After February 4, 2014 we will switch to a Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday rehearsal schedule.

PERFORMANCE DATES:

Saturday, April 5, 2014 at 8:00pm
Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 2:00pm
Friday, April 11, 2014 at 8:00pm
Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 8:00pm
Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 2:00pm

AUDITIONS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Please send an email to auditions@warnertheatre.org to schedule your appointment. An audition confirmation e-mail will be sent with full details on what will be expected at your audition. Audition appointments by e-mail are preferred, but if you do not have access to e-mail call the Warner Theatre Audition Line at 860-489-7180 ext.151. Please be specific as to the date you would like to schedule your appointment.

The Warner Stage Company is a community-based, regional theater company and does not offer stipends or housing for performers or crew.

ABOUT THE SHOW:
As told by the New York News. "… is a tragedy in the classic form and I think it is a modern classic…the central character is a long-shoreman who, though his mind is limited and he cannot find words for his thoughts, is an admirable man…When two of his wife's Italian cousins—submarines they are, in the waterfront argot—are smuggled into this country, he makes room for them in his home. Gratefully they move in among his wife, his children and the teen-age niece whom he has brought up and whom he has come to love, he thinks, as a daughter. And now the stage is set for tragedy. One of the illegal immigrants has a family in Italy for whom he is working; the other young, extraordinarily handsome, and exceedingly blonde, is single. He wants to become an American, and he falls in love with his benefactor's niece. If he marries the girl he will no longer have to hide from immigration officials. A monstrous change creeps up on the kind and loving uncle. He is violently opposed to this romance and is not intelligent enough to realize that this opposition is not motivated, as he thinks, by a dislike of the boy and a suspicion that he is too pretty to be a man, but by his own too intense love for his niece. Not even the wise and kindly neighborhood lawyer can persuade him to let the girl go. This is an intensely absorbing drama, sure of itself every step of the way. It makes no false moves, wastes no time and has the beauty that comes from directness and simplicity."

PLOT SUMMARY:
Spoiler Warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The main character in the story is Eddie Carbone, an Italian American longshoreman, who lives with his wife Beatrice and orphaned niece Catherine. His feelings for Catherine, however, develop from 'over-protective' into something more than filial as the play develops. These feelings are brought into perspective by the arrival from Italy of Beatrice's two cousins, Marco and Rodolfo. They have entered the country illegally, hoping to leave behind hunger and unemployment for a better life in America, and to help build a better life for those they've left behind. Rodolfo is young, good-looking and charming; Catherine instantly falls for him.

Predictably Eddie sets about pointing out all of Rodolfo's flaws and persistently complains that Rodolfo is "not right" (by which he means homosexual). He uses Rodolfo's effeminate qualities, such as dress-making, cooking and singing, to back up his argument.

In the end Catherine decides to marry Rodolfo and Eddie sees he has no choice but to confess to The Immigration Bureau that he is harboring two illegal immigrants. He takes this action regardless of his earlier assertion that "It's an honor" to give the men refuge. His betrayal of the two men causes Eddie to lose the respect of his neighbors, his friends and his family.

In the final pages of the play the sense of crisis climaxes with a fight between Eddie and Marco which results in Eddie’s death. Eddie brandishes a knife which goes against his ideals of honor. He attacks Marco but Marco turns the blade onto Eddie. This could be seen symbolically as a projection of Eddie's self-destructive tendencies, as his sense of self-worth and his honorable character finally reach the bottom of their downward spiral.

AVAILABLE ROLES:
Eddie Carbone:The hardworking, blue-collar lead of the play. Eddie is an Italian-American longshoreman (dockyard worker) who provides food on the table for his family, a roof over their heads, and an education for his adopted niece, Catherine. But underneath Eddie's average guy personality is a conflicted man whose love for his niece may be deeper than just paternal. He calls the Immigration Bureau to inform on Rodolfo and Marco, which produces dire consequences. Killed by his own knife at Marco's hands when trying to attack him, he dies in Beatrice's arms at the end of the play.Age range 38-52

Catherine Carbone:The sweet, naive young girl and female lead of the play. Catherine is a stenographer fresh out of high school and relatively new to the world. She develops an attraction to her cousin, Rodolfo, which is the complication that sets in action the story of the play. Age range 16-18

Beatrice Carbone: Eddie's put-upon spouse and aunt of Catherine. She serves ultimately as a champion of her niece and tries to protect her when she can. Beatrice is also aware of Eddie's real feelings for his niece, and strives to manipulate circumstances to remove Catherine from Eddie's grasp.Age range 37-50

Rodolpho: trice's cousin from Italy. He falls in love with Catherine. He tries unsuccessfully to prevent the fight between Eddie and Marco by making a truce. Age range 18-25

Marco: Rodolfo's older brother and a man of few words. Like Rodolfo, he came to America illegally, but not to be a citizen. His plan was to make money to support his family back home in Italy, which was still suffering post-war Europe's crippled economy. He is very grateful to be given a chance to prosper in America. Following his betrayal by Eddie, he kills Eddie (arguably in self-defense) in a fight over the breaking of an unspoken law about always being loyal to one's family. Age range 43-60

Alfieri:The narrator of the play and a family friend of the Carbone’s. Alfieri is the wise attorney who dispenses legal advice to Eddie. Essentially, Alfieri is the proxy, the representative of the Red Hook neighborhood, completely familiar with its turf and its inhabitants. He tries to warn Eddie about turning on his family. His function in the play can be compared to that of the Chorus in Greek theatre. Age range 35-50

Louis: Eddie's co-worker buddy, who like his other friend Mike, can't resist mocking Eddie for taking in his cousins, who seem to overshadow Eddie. Along with Mike, tries to prevent Eddie from fighting Marco.Age range 30-55

Mike: Another co-worker to Eddie, who travels in pairs with Louis. Ribs into Eddie for taking in his cousins for a source of humor between he and Louis. Along with Louis, tries to prevent Eddie from fighting Marco. Age range 30-55

Immigration Officer 1: A stern Manhattan immigration officer who takes Rodolfo and Marco away, after Eddie's anonymous phone call. Age range 30-50

Immigration Officer 2: The second officer working with the first officer, who helps him round up the illegal immigrants. Age range 30-50

Mr. Lipari: A neighbor and local butcher hiding an illegal immigrant family member away. Age range 40-60

Mrs. Lipari: Mr. Lipari's wife and relative of the illegal immigrant they are assisting in safe passage from Italy. Age range 38-58