We reached our goal…
ABET has a new floor!

ABET wishes to thank the generous patrons who donated
toward our Soft Shoe Project:

Three decades ago, Paula Vogel conceived a play about five “seasoned” hookers sitting on a bench near the Broadway and 72nd Street subway station. The result was THE OLDEST PROFESSION, a mix of a send-up of supply side economics before and after Ronald Reagan’s election and the power of food and music and friendship to help us through life. This play’s political implications are likely to feel up-to-date for people struggling with today’s tough job market, as Vogel’s Midtown Manhattan hookers are faced with younger, drug-addicted competitors.

Paula Vogel describes THE OLDEST PROFESSION as her only pattern play. This means a structure which moves a story forward through variations on a particular situation or experience — we have six scenes, each beginning on the park bench and updating us on the five shady ladies’ situation. Their enterprise not only continues to lose customers, but its own members. And so, the five become four, then three, then two until only one is left, and the park bench scene openings are book-ended with a song from the last departed in route to a facsimile of the New Orleans bordello where all five got their start.

You’ve heard footsteps echoing on our old stage.

Tap dancing sounds hollow.

By FEBRUARY 1 we need $1200 to fund the floor.

.
Be a $5 philanthropist and buy a third of a roll of tape to put down the floor. A $29.99 contribution will buy 1 square yard of the stage. $100 will cover half of the shipping costs.

All contribution are tax deductible.

“Fantastic! The performers should be on Broadway.” – J. Goodling

NICHOLAS BOUCHER and MICHAEL SMITHGALL performing in THE 39 STEPS | Photograph by SUSAN J ROCHE

By the way, if you happen to have any extra cash laying around and are wondering what to do with it, please remember ABET! It’s quite expensive doing what we do – around $4000 for a comedy or drama and $10,000 to $12,000 for musicals. We are always appreciative of any help in that area.

Hope to see you in January at The Oldest Profession!

THE OLDEST PROFESSION

by Paula Vogel

JAN 20, 21, 27, 28, *29, FEB 2, 3, 4 

COMEDY/DRAMA | As Ronald Reagan enters the White House, five aging practitioners of the oldest profession are faced with a diminishing clientele, increased competition for their niche market, and aching joints. With wit, compassion, and humor, they struggle to find and learn new tricks as they fight to stay in the Life.

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW…

directed by JUDY HULETT
musical direction by AARON MARSHALL 

AUDITION DATES | SAT, JANUARY 7 at 12PM 

Performances Dates | MARCH 23 – APRIL 7,  2012 
You can read more about this show HERE

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Please bring a picture and resume along with sheet music. Prefer broadway upbeat tune, Be prepared to dance. Dancers please bring tap shoes.

AVAILABLE ROLES

HARRY FETTERHOFF (M 50ish) A private detective

MEL TOTZKEY (M 50ish) A motion picture producer

VICTOR (M 50-60) A studio head

BODYGUARD (M 20-30) Burly type

GINGER DALTON (F 30-40) Fetterhoff’s secretary

ALSO NEED:  3 men and 3 women for singing/dancing chorus

The project began with seniors taking part in a twelve week program at the center to celebrate their lives and memories in a group. As part of that process they were visited by the Drama Dreamers and shared stories with them about their unique childhood memories. Then for the next ten weeks the children worked on dramatizing some of those stories as told to them during their visit.

November 19th and 20th the seniors who took part, along with their families and friends, attended performances of their stories as our honored guests.

Both parts of project were run by Aine Healy-Richardson who is passionate about story-telling in all generations and is currently running the Children’s Creative Drama Program at ABET.

READ MORE about this event in a terrific article on Jacksonville.com.

This project was made possible by a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Arts and Cultural Education Grant through the Jacksonville Cultural Council, to whom we are very grateful.

Lillian Hellman was one of the most famous American women writers of the 20th century. She was also the first woman to be admitted into the previously all-male club of American “dramatic literature”, primarily on the basis of two enormously successful plays from the 1930’s : THE CHILDREN’S HOUR (1934) and THE LITTLE FOXES (1939). THE CHILDREN’S HOUR was Hellman’s first play, making her a celebrity at the age of 29. Although it was an instant success, this success was met with a great deal of scandal. It is the story of two women running a school for girls whose lives are ruined by a malicious student spreading the lie that they are lovers. THE CHILDREN’S HOUR was banned in Boston and London for its suggestion of homosexuality; a 1936 version eliminated hints of lesbianism from the plot entirely, while key scenes were excised from a 1961 film adaptation starring Shirley MacLaine and Audrey Hepburn. The year it debuted, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR was considered too scandalous for the Pulitzer Prize, a decision that outraged the New York theatre critics into forming the Drama Critics’ Circle in protest. It was an immense hit, however, in the more sophisticated (and perhaps salacious) environs of New York and Paris, running on Broadway for almost two years.

Of THE CHILDREN’S HOUR, Hellman says: “I believe it’s essentially about the power of a lie. And it’s why this play is so relevant so many years later, because no matter who you are—a teenager, a 45-year-old man, a child—you can identify with the concept of an injustice being done”. She went on to say that it was “not really a play about lesbianism, but about a lie. The bigger the lie, the better, as always.”

When Hellman revived (and directed) THE CHILDREN’S HOUR in 1952, it was amidst the communist witch-hunts of the McCarthy era. The pertinence of a story about the effects of lying, rumors, and community paranoia was unmistakable, and the play was a popular success once again. Just a month later, Arthur Miller would produce his own parable about McCarthyism, THE CRUCIBLE. His play was considerably less popular at the time (it also didn’t comment implicitly on the persecution of homosexuals the way that The Children’s Hour did).

Our production follows on the heels of a recent London revival of the play, starring Kiera Knightley as Karen and Elisabeth Moss as Martha. “The relevance in terms of the gay community is obvious,” says Moss of Martha, who is held up as a seminal figure in gay literary history. “But the play tells a very important story for all of us. How making things up about people is a very dangerous thing to do.” When asked if there are parallels, between Martha and Karen (scrutinized and whispered about by a dozen staring schoolgirls every day) and starlets like Moss and Knightley (under similar daily scrutiny), she replied, “Yeah, being in the public eye I have had experience with that”. “In this day and age people seem to be allowed to just make s**t up.” “… people get away with it. And people’s lives are hurt by that”. Instead of schoolgirls watching there’s the gaze of TMZ, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and E!

Lillian Hellman’s play, particularly the first half, is often gripping. The world of schoolgirl bitching is well sketched. The show is also timely. Too often these days we hear of teachers being accused by pupils and of the authorities swinging into action and finding them guilty until proven innocent. Playwright Hellman was on to something. Hellman wants us to see how the pupil’s falsehood planted the seeds of mistrust not just in the parents but within its victims as well.

The Theatre Program at Jacksonville University is delighted to be partnering with The Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre on this production of THE CHILDREN’S HOUR. We believe that this is an excellent opportunity to showcase the talents of our performing arts students to the local theatre community. A special thank you to the ABET Board of Directors and to Celia Frank, it’s Artistic Director for welcoming us with open arms. We look forward to a continuing partnership with your organization.

Hi, my name is Andrew McCraney.

You probably know me as a lighting and sound man and sometime actor at the ABET theatre. What you probably don’t know about me is that I am a recently published author. My first book is titled POLAR BEARS, as in bipolar bears. This memior covers the ups and downs of living with the mental illness bipolar. It covers my life from the first symptoms at age 11 to age 42 at the book’s end.

It is available at the following website highpitchedhum.net for 10 dollars plus 70 cents tax. It can be paid for on paypal or if you would like an autographed copy please send a check or money order to the following address…

Andrew McCraney, 437 Filmore Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32225

One more thing… if you are on facebook – after you read your copy search me and give me your feedback.

Thank you.

directed by ERIK DeCICCO

AUDITION DATES | WED, OCTOBER 12, 6-8pm 

Performances Dates | DECEMBER 2 – 17, 2011
You can read more about this show HERE

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Looking for a group of talented actors who are committed to the process between now and the December 2nd opening. Weekend rehearsals will be required. NO MONOLOGUES PLEASE! This show is fast, funny, and funnier. Please come prepared with a joke that can be told in your best British dialect. You may use any source material (such as Monty Python, Dr. Who, etc).

AVAILABLE ROLES

RICHARD HANNAY (age range 35+) The daring, leading man of the show; charming, innocent, and charismatic. Must have great endurance and superb comic timing. A commanding standard-British dialect is required.

ANNABELLE SCHMIDT/PAMELA/MARGARET (age range 25-40) This is the only scripted female role in the show. The role calls for multiple dialects The actor must play a paranoid German spy, a lower-class Scottish farmer’s wife, and the upper class, British romantic, lead of the show. All three dialects will be required. Must have excellent comic timing and great versatility.

MAN #1 (age range 20-40) This role calls for exceptional physical and verbal comic ability. Must be able to provide multiple dialects. This actor plays multiple characters, sometimes simultaneously. Must be highly athletic with great endurance and focus.

MAN #2 (age range 20-40) This role also calls for exceptional physical and verbal comic ability. Must be able to provide multiple dialects. This actor plays multiple characters, sometimes simultaneously. Must be highly athletic with great endurance and focus.

by LILLIAN HELLMAN

directed by DEBORAH JORDAN

AUDITION DATES  | FRI, AUGUST 26, 7pm | SAT, AUGUST 27, 1pm

Performances Dates  |  OCTOBER 28 – NOVEMBER 12, 2011
You can read more about this show HERE

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Please have a 1 minute monologue prepared.
You may also be asked to read from the script.
*If you would like to download a copy of the scene that will be used at the audition,
please submit the form at the bottom of the page and we’ll send you a link.

AVAILABLE ROLES

PRIMARY CHARACTERS (in alphabetical order)

AGATHA (55-65 years old)
A no-nonsense, middle-aged maid in the employ of Amelia Tilford. She is stern and straight-laced with Mary, who calls her “stupid,” although Agatha clearly sees through Mary’s deceptions. Agatha’s attempts to make the child into a “lady” are frustrated by Mrs. Tilford, who is deaf to the maid’s common-sense observations. Agatha also attempts to support Martha and Karen in their efforts to convince Mrs. Tilford that Mary concocted her story to destroy the young teachers.

DR. JOSEPH CARDIN (26-33 years old)
Cardin, about thirty-five, is a relaxed and amiable doctor and Karen Wright’s fiance. His casual dress reflects his warm, easy-going nature. He is also gracious and humorous and seems ideally suited to Karen.

MARTHA DOBIE (25-30 years old)
Karen Wright’s friend and co-owner of their school, Martha is about the same age, twenty-eight. She is described as “nervous” and “high strung” and is certainly far less composed and self-assured than her friend. It quickly becomes obvious that she greatly depends on Karen’s emotional stability and good sense to provide her with the confidence needed to make a go of their school.

LILY MORTAR (45-55 years old)
Hellman describes Lily Mortar as “a plump, florid woman of forty-five.” She is Martha Dobie’s aunt and teaches at the Wright-Dobie School. A self-centered woman, she lives in romanticized delusions of her past triumphs as an actress. She is also vain and very susceptible to flattery, an easy patsy for a conniving student like Mary Tilford. She refuses to grow old gracefully, dying her hair and dressing too fancifully for her reduced circumstances (and expanded waistline).

MRS. AMELIA TILFORD (60’s)
A wealthy widow, Mrs. Tilford is a large, dignified woman in her sixties. She has been an influential supporter of the Wright-Dobie School, where her granddaughter, Mary, is enrolled. Although she is a fair and generous person, she lacks good judgment when it comes to matters concerning her granddaughter. She recognizes that Mary is both spoiled and manipulative, but she dotes on the child and is utterly blind to the girl’s vicious nature. 

MARY TILFORD (12-14)
The spoiled granddaughter of Amelia Tilford, Mary is a problem child at the Wright- Dobie School. She appears “undistinguished,” but she is clever and used to having her own way with her doting grandmother. She also attempts to manipulate everyone at the school, resorting to a variety of tricks, including flattery, feigned sickness, blackmail, physical intimidation, and whining complaints.

ROSALIE WELLS (12-14)
Rosalie, a student at the Wright-Dobie School, appears first in the hectic scene opening the play, having her hair badly trimmed by Evelyn Munn. Unlike Peggy and Evelyn, she is not cowed by Mary Tilford, whom she does not like.

KAREN WRIGHT (25-30)
Karen Wright is Martha Dobie’s close friend and partner in the Wright-Dobie School. She is twenty-eight, attractive, warm, and outgoing. She is admired and respected by her students, for whom she has a genuine affection. She is also an emotionally stable woman, at ease with herself and others.

MINOR CHARACTERS

HELEN BURTON (12-14)
One of the girls at Karen and Martha’s school, she plays a limited role. It is her bracelet that classmate Rosalie Wells “borrows.” an act which allows Mary to blackmail Rosalie into confirming Mary’s lies about Karen and Martha. Helen is one of the first to be pulled out of the school when Mrs. Tilford begins spreading the fiction that Karen and Martha are lesbian lovers.

CATHERINE (12-14)
Catherine is one of the students at the Wright-Dobie School. She appears only in the first scene, where she attempts to help Lois prepare for a Latin test. The Latin lesson contributes to the chaotic lack of discipline in Mortar’s classroom, revealing Lily’s incompetence as a teacher.

LOIS FISHER (12-14)
Another of Karen and Martha’s students, she receives Lain tutoring from Catherine at the play’s opening, conjugating Latin in hectic counterpoint to Peggy Roger’s reading of Portia’s “quality of mercy ” speech from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and Lily Mortar’s languid criticism. Like Catherine, she plays no significant role in the rest of the drama.

GROCERY BOY
The unnamed grocery boy makes a very brief appearance in the last scene, carrying a box of groceries into the school’s living room. He is almost mute, but his puerile gawking and giggling are indicative of the damage done to the reputations of Karen and Martha as a result of Mary’s accusations.

EVELYN MUNN (12-14)
One of the girls at the Wright-Dobie School, Evelyn is first encountered in the opening scene, in which she mangles Rosalie Wells’ hair with a pair of scissors. Evelyn, who lisps, is relatively quiet and timid. With Peggy Rogers, she overhears the conversation between Martha Dobie and Lily Mortar; the overheard conversation becomes the keystone in the malicious arch of lies that Mary Tilford constructs. Like Peggy, Evelyn is a victim of Mary’s intimidation, which, at the end of the first act, turns to physical abuse. When Mary attempts to extort money from Peggy, Evelyn tries to interfere and is slapped in the face for her efforts.

PEGGY ROGERS (12-14)
A student at the Wright-Dobie School, Peggy, like Evelyn Munn, is easily intimidated by Mary Tilford. She appears in the opening scene, where, under Lily Mortar’s tutelage, she tries to read Portia’s famous speech on the quality of mercy. Unimaginative, she shows little interest in Shakespeare Her grandest aspiration is to marry a lighthouse keeper. Peggy is with Evelyn when they overhear the fateful conversation between Martha Dobie and her aunt. Thereafter the pair confide in Mary, who immediately puts her malicious scheme into operation by extorting money from Peggy, who was saving it for a bicycle.

To receive information about where to download audition sides, fill out the form below