Auditions start Monday for campus play ‘Tartuffe’

Sam Benavidez,
Arts & Life and Social Media Editor
September 25, 2014

The Theater and Dance Department on Monday will be holding auditions for the upcoming productions in the fall quarter.

Through the end of this week and early Monday, students interested in auditioning for parts in the fall play, entitled Tartuffe, are encouraged to pick up sides from Catherine Cyr’s office in Robinson Hall, room 220.

“The students are picking up small selections from the play to work on before their audition,” said Sierra Dee, instructional support assistant. “It gives them a chance to study the lines and prepare for the audition.”

After they pick up their script students will have the weekend to go over, memorize, and fine-tune before auditions begin on Monday.

This is an open audition. “Students do not need prior experience to audition,” said Dee. “We accept all majors, all experience levels, everyone.”

Auditions are generally short, between five and ten minutes per person, but that depends on each student’s script and what the director asks of them.

“Sometimes the director will give the actor a note and ask them to do it again,” said Dee, “Sometimes they come in, they audition and they leave.”

The first production of the fall quarter is Tartuffe, a comedy play written by French playwright Moliere and performed originally in 1664.

The play is being adapted by the CSUEB Theatre and Dance Department and will be directed by Marc Jacobs, who has previously directed musicals at CSUEB such as Bat Boy and Avenue Q.

“We have our auditions for our winter musical ‘In the Heights’ on Oct. 7th, as well as our Dance Department auditions on Oct. 2nd,” said Dee. “There is also a class that is putting on a production that is non-audition. Basically if you sign up for the class, you will receive some part in the show.”

Auditions being held on Monday are strictly for this production only, and will be held at 7 p.m. in the University Theatre.

CSUEB’s adaptation of Tartuffe opens on Friday, Nov. 14, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 23.