Audition Notice: “Buzz Band” at the Institution Theater

[karenjanedewitt]

Enter the world of musicians on the cusp – of stardom, of reaching the next level, of bottoming out, of personal disaster. This improvised narrative journey follows characters as they realize how high the stakes are when they strive for fame – or infamy – in the music industry.

About the show:
Buzz Band takes place in the pre-internet era -- a time when the recording industry was at its peak. Stakes are high, agents are on the prowl, deals are being made, and everything is on the line. We will explore how these stakes affect relationships among band members, industry people (i.e. critics, booking agents, venue owners, record executives), romantic partners, family members, fans, and more.

Directors: Karen Jane DeWitt and Nicole Beckley

Rehearsals:
At the Institution Theater
Thursdays in March and April 7-10PM
No rehearsal Thursday, March 12 -- rehearsal will instead be held at 1PM on Saturday, March 14
Tech rehearsal: May 7

Performances:
Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 at 8PM
Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at 8PM
Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23 at 8PM

Audition:
At the Institution Theater
Saturday, February 21, 10AM until 1PM
Players will audition in groups in 30-minute slots.
To audition, please fill out this form: http://goo.gl/forms/lAI4XhxnyO
Questions/comments? Email karenjanedewitt@gmail.com

About the audition:
We are looking for collaborative players with strong narrative skills who love to play grounded, multi-faceted characters. We are also looking for strong musical improvisers – especially those who can sing and/or play instruments. If you play an instrument, please bring it with you to the audition and know that you might be asked to play it. You must have reliable access to a working instrument to be a part of the show.

***Important things to keep in mind***
*We expect to fill this cast with as many singers and instrumentalists as possible, but we are open to casting some non-musicians if it feels right.
*We expect to cast musicians of many different skill levels and we do not expect each person to be a virtuoso on their instrument.
*It is also important to keep an open mind, as you might be playing alongside others with differing skill levels.
*It is the responsibility of each cast member to obtain reliable access to their instrument (if, for instance, it is borrowed), to keep it in working order, and to bring it to each rehearsal.
*Please do not audition for this show if you know you will miss more than one rehearsal.
*Doing these things will ensure that we are ready to jam and create the best band of improvisors we possibly can in the limited rehearsal time we have.

Recommended reading/viewing:
“Scar Tissue” by Anthony Kiedis and Larry Sloman
“Just Kids” by Patti Smith
“Crazy Heart”
“Almost Famous”

LET’S ROCK!

[Nicole Beckley]

Audition sign-ups are now closed. Thanks to everyone who signed up! If you have not yet received your audition time, please let us know.

[karenjanedewitt]

It's time to announce the official cast of Buzz Band!

As you can imagine, this was an extremely difficult process. We had some 30 people audition and the talent we saw was really extraordinary. So many elements came into play for making final decisions (for example: availability, experience, musical ability, instruments played, etc.), and it was very hard to narrow this down. We really appreciate your time and effort, and are so excited to see how many tremendous improvisers there are in the Austin improv community.

Please join us in congratulating the cast of Buzz Band:

Manuel Duran
Mary Henderson
Andrew Johnston
Jordan Maxwell
Dave Ronn
Luis Salinas
Megan Sherrod
Megan Simon
Sarah Swofford
Chad Wellington
J.R. Zambrano


For those not cast, the good news is that there are lots of opportunities coming up for both students and veteran players. Auditions for "You Can't Stay Here," directed by the wonderful Brad Hawkins, are coming up very soon:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PZ_oWi ... rm?c=0&w=1

Thank you all again for coming out early in the morning and so willingly collaborating with other players and with us. It was truly wonderful to experience.

If you have any questions, comments, or wish to discuss the process of any decisions, we are happy to talk. All we ask is that you wait for at least two days before contacting us. These email addresses are the best way to reach us.

All the best,
Karen and Nicole