“Persephone Wept.” and “Intimate Apparel” Auditions Open

Photo via Arts@ODU.

Photo via Arts@ODU.

By Sydney Haulenbeek, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Originally published August 22, 2021.

 

ODURep has opened auditions for its fall productions, “Persephone Wept.” and “Intimate Apparel.”

 

ODURep is the production side of ODU’s Theater Program. The goal is to give a voice to students in the professional arts that are interested in participating in theater.

 

“Persephone Wept” is written by Lee Smith, directed by Katherine Hammond, and produced by ODURep with the support of the Hellenic Studies Endowment. It is a collaboration with the Warehouse of Theatre and is part of the 44th Annual ODU Literary Festival, which will span from Oct. 3-7. “Persephone Wept.” is a window into the realities of incarcerated women in a literature-meets-storytelling event. It follows the life of Persephone and her imprisonment in the Underworld in the classic Greek Myth. This is demonstrated in a persuasive and articulate way that “reveals and illuminates the human voice of incarceration.

 

It will be performed at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on all days Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 and Oct. 5-7, as well as at noon on Oct. 6. Tickets are available for purchase online here. For physical tickets, The Arts Box Office will reopen for physical ticket sales in September and is located in the lobby of the University Theatre. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door an hour before the play.

 

“Intimate Apparel” will be performed Nov. 10-13 and 18-20 at 7:30 p.m., as well as on Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. It is written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Brittney S. Harris. Centered around Esther, an African-American seamstress, the story is set in New York in 1905. Esther loves stories and fabric and hopes to one day find love and open a beauty parlor. She makes a living creating corsets and negligees, saving every penny to one day fashion her dreams. Her life changes when she begins receiving letters from a suitor, and she sets out on a journey of friendship, romance, and growth. Tickets are available online here, and will also be sold in The Arts Box Office, and at the door an hour before the show.

 

Auditions are open for both of the fall productions, in the Goode Theatre. There are three different time slots to choose from:

 

Monday, August 30, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 31, from 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 31, from 5-7 p.m.

 

Applicants are asked to prepare a 1 to 2 minute monologue. Monologues from the plays are available by request through Helene Clehr, but applicants can also create their own or choose from a variety of monologues pertaining to their interest. Audition forms are required and can be found here. No experience is required and all interested students are encouraged to apply and audition.