Auditions for ISU Theatre’s Corners Grove
By Kaela Mei-Shing Garvin
Director – Tiffany Johnson
Production Stage Manager – TBD
Assistant Stage Manager – TBD
Corners Grove description:
Corners Grove follows a group of young people from high school into adulthood as they deal with leaving home, falling in love, gender identity and the death of Whitney Houston. It’s a story about growing up and hometowns, friendship and drinking in parking lots. Real life happening on stage as we simultaneously deal with some of those things in “real life”.
Audition Details: All auditions will take place in 308 Carver
Monday August 30, 2021 – 6pm- 10pm
Tuesday August 31, 2021 – 6pm – 10pm
Sign up online by visiting Sign-Up Genius here. You will sign up for a 30-minute time slot, but you will be seen individually within that time period.
Callbacks (if necessary) will be Wednesday, September 1
What to prepare?
Please select one of the provided sides for your audition. These auditions will be cold reads, so you don’t have to memorize your selected sides however it would benefit you to be familiar with the dialogue. Access the full script here.
Side #1 – page 3-4 – stage manager
Side #2 – page 16 – 19 - Julia / Melissa
Side #3 – page 20 – 24 – Emily/George
Side #4 – page 24-29 – Emily/Wally
Side #5 – page 30 – 33 – Rebecca/Simon
Side #6 – page 65 – Joe Crowell-Ortiz
Production Details:
Rehearsals will begin around September 2 and will generally be Monday-Friday from 6:30 – 9:30pm. Performances are October 14-17 (Sunday will be a matinee performance).
Credit Availability:
2-3 Credits of Theatre 301x available.
Roles Available: (Please note: This play allows a wonderful opportunity to cast a very diverse group of performers. It is encouraged to explore the range of characters while deciding what role you would like to be considered for primarily).
STAGE MANAGER: aka the Stage Bitch. Young with an attitude. A romantic at heart. Ultimately has a great affection for the town.
WALLY/WHITNEY WEBB: Born 1990: 16 in 2008, 20 in 2011, 21 in 2012; Sibling to EMILY; friends with REBECCA; cousins with JULIA.; Wally has a supreme feeling of not fitting in Corners Grove. Would probably identify in 2019 as nonbinary but doesn’t have the words for it yet.
EMILY WEBB: Born in 1989, 18 in 2008, 22 on 4/2011. Sister to WALLY; Cousin to JULIA GIBBS; friendly with LOU, REGINA, and MELISSA; nominally friends with REBECCA; stuff with GEORGE; A whip-smart girl who wants the world at her feet. As Wally says of her, she has a certain “emotional idiocy masked by book intelligence.
GEORGE GIBB: 16 in April 2008, 20 in 2011, 21 in 2012; Brother to REBECCA; friends with HOWIE, JOE; stuff with EMILY; An all-American guy. Fancies himself a man. Genuinely loves Emily.
REBECCA GIBBS: 16 in April 2008, 20 in 2011, 21 in 2012. Sister to GEORGE; dated SIMON STIMSON; hooked up with HOWIE NEWSOME a few times; nominally friends with EMILY; best friends with WALLY. A hard partying girl with a big/delicate heart. Loves the Real Housewives and vodka.
JOE CROWELL-ORTIZ: Born 1990, 17 in July 2008, 21 in April 2011; Brother to SI, friends with REBECCA, HOWIE, and WALLY; A stand-up guy. Enlists in the military and is sent to Afghanistan.
HOWIE NEWSOME: Born December 1990, 16 in July 2008, 20 in April 2011; Friends with REBECCA, HOWIE, WALLY and GEORGE; Stoner. Works at Cold Stone. LOVES to talk about the weather. In an ideal world he’s be a meteorologist. His car is named Bessie.
JULIA GIBBS: Born 1987, 20in April 2008, 24 in April 2011, 25 in February 2012; Cousin to WALLY and EMILY, friends with MELISSA, LOU; dating, then married to LUKE. Foothill College Fall 2005-Spring 2007, then UC Davis 2007-2009. Met Luke 2006, summer. A sensible mild-mannered girl who would type everyone’s Sex in the City character upon meeting the. (She’s a Carrie. At least according to her.)
MELISSA CARTWRIGHT: Friends with JULIA, LOU, REGINA. Foothill College Fall 2005-Spring 2007, then UC Davis 2007-2009. Dated Stacy McAllister as well as an unseen “Zach” in the past. Is a great singer. Practical, a good friend. Stubborn.
LOU SOAMES: Born 1987. The town’s resident gossip. Her hair is full of secrets.
LUKE LORBERBAUM: Born 1985; Boyfriends with, then engaged to, then married to JULIA.
MANNY CROWELL-ORTIZ: Brother to JOE. Grew up in his shadow, probably.
SIMON STIMSON: Born 1989. Had a big loss in the past -probably a parent or sibling. Musically gifted, leads to community college choir. Has little patience for “mendacity”, despite dating Rebecca. Drinks too much.
STACY MCALLISTER: Local nerd. Attended Stanford. Dated MELISSA
WOMEN IN AUDITORIUM: Concerned with temperance
MAN IN AUDITORIUM: Concerned with justice
ANOTHER WOMAN IN AUDITORIUM: Concerned with culture and beauty.
SAM CRAIG: Simon Stimson’s cousin, left Corners Grove. Now a Boston Bro.
Questions?:
Contact Director Tiffany Johnson, tiffanyj@iastate.edu