Audition – The Rage of the Stage Players

SCHEDULING AUDITIONS! The Rage of the Stage Players, now in our 23rd year, are accepting recorded auditions for our next WORLD PREMIERE dark fantasy stage play, “MOR DRED”—a gritty, graphic novel-style superhero production inspired by ARTHURIAN LEGEND! ___________________________________________________ “MOR DRED” SYNOPSIS: In a thriving modern city protected by a superpowered hero, the citizens feel safe, and the future looks optimistic and secure—that is, until a mysterious, compelling young man with an intoxicating charm and a flair for words surfaces and begins to “enlighten” all with whom he speaks with his hedonistic gospel, shattering their perceptions and making them question everything with an insatiable “Why?” “WHY do we have to follow THEIR laws? WHY do we have to live by some randomly established code of what THEY call ‘morals’? WHY can’t we kill our neighbor if we’re having a bad day? If the answer is, ‘society agreed to it’, what if they all suddenly didn’t? I didn’t conceive them. I didn’t agree to them. Did you? WHY? WHY? WHY?” Inspiring a new, cultish following which regards decadent self-gratification above all other things, he turns his sights to the city’s hero, its beacon of all that’s good and righteous, with the goal of “enlightening” him as well by convincing him to abandon his self-imposed restraint and luxuriate in all his powers could provide—if only he’d let them. And as the “good” people slowly begin to reveal their “secret identities” to the world—the people who they truly are when unrestrained—a menacing threat portending worse things to come begins to appear around the city—two words…“MOR DRED”. ___________________________________________________ ROLES (In no particular order): MORDRED (Male, 18 to mid-20s) – A dark, mysterious, pretty young man, who’s seductive, irresistible, and sexually indiscriminate—Luciferian—almost “Bowie-esque”. Simply put, people become addicted to him. He has a mellifluous, honeyed way of speaking and preaches the gospel of living a carnal life of hedonism—“If you want it, take it. If it feels good, do it.” He endeavors to free everyone from restraint, both legal and moral, in order for them to be their “true selves”, acting on their natural impulses. He always tells the truth because it’s uglier and so much more fun than lying, and he never actively interferes with events. He just “enlightens” those around him and then sits back to watch what comes of it. ARTHUR/ARCTURUS (Male, mid-20s to 30s – or appearing in their 30s) – A “Superman” archetype: tall, handsome, strong, and built (or with a willingness to work toward that physique). As Arcturus, the city’s defender, Arthur maintains order and protects the people, whom he believes are genuinely good. It isn’t until he’s summoned to prison to speak with a clandestine young stranger that his world and his perspective of it slowly begin to fracture and fall apart as the “genuinely good people” are the ones who are unmasked. GWEN (Female, mid-20s to 30s or appearing in their 30s) – Arthur’s girlfriend, the love of his life, and the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of it. Gwen is smart, sweet, and kind, but also susceptible to the same weaknesses as everyone else. LANCE (Male, mid-20s to 30s or appearing in their 30s) – Arthur’s closest friend, charming and handsome. Lance is the person upon whom Arthur can always rely, someone loyal to a fault. MERLIN (Male/Female, 50s and up) – A brilliant, wise scientist, and Arthur’s confidant and advisor. There’s nothing Arthur knows that Merlin doesn’t. The other way around, however… MAYOR STONE (Male/Female, 50s and up) – The city’s leader, who’s had a questionable political past steeped in scandal. FAY/MORGANA (Female, mid-20s to 30s or appearing in their 30s) – Another super-powered individual with abilities equal to but different from Arcturus—a villainess, driven to it by a tragic past. Fay is beautiful, Gothically seductive, and commanding, but also deeply disturbed. (She puts one in mind a bit of Bellatrix Lestrange.) She shares Mordred’s way of thinking and conspires with him in order to break Arcturus’ self-image by exposing his frailties—but for his own good, of course. (This is NOT an exhaustive list of roles as the play is still in its composition phase, more roles of varying sizes will be added—maybe even inspired by auditions.) ___________________________________________________ Rage has been long overdue to toss our black, purple-banded Victorian top hat into the arena of the comic book genre, but the time finally come! The working play script is still in the exciting development stage, so if you’re a performer (or aspiring performer) in the Pittsburgh area (18 or older), don’t be afraid to submit! The play will rehearse starting in mid-June in Pittsburgh’s “Hilltop” area (15210) with August production dates and venue specifics soon-to-be-announced. (Both rehearsals and the production will be in the Pittsburgh area.) ___________________________________________________ If you’re a daring actor interested in something truly different and challenging, originating a role in a brand-new fringe play, and working with a DIY guerrilla theatre company, please email us at casting@rageofthestage.com to request an audition form and information on how to submit an audition. You may also submit any questions to this email regarding performance or technical interest (set, makeup, costumes, etc.). The Rage of the Stage Players are a self-funded, not-for-profit organization and all positions are voluntary. ___________________________________________________ If a literary play based on Arthurian Legend and framed in the superhero genre piques your interest, don’t hesitate to reach out! ___________________________________________________ Interested in being a part of our ROTS Cast? Send your headshot & resume to: casting@rageofthestage.com and we’ll keep you in mind for our upcoming productions. Additionally, sign up for our audition newsletter by clicking here! Please note, all roles are non-paid, volunteer based.