Trouble in Mind

by Alice Childress

Directed by Dara Malina

October 17-19, 2024

Three Sisters

by Anton Chekhov; Translated by Paul Schmidt

Directed by Gisela Cardenas

November 21-23, 2024

FOR STUDENTS AUDITIONING FOR TROUBLE IN MIND:

A challenging play with a sense of humor and tragedy, Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress explores racism, sexism and hierarchy inside a Broadway rehearsal room in the 1950s.

The company of Barnard students and hired artists will work together to explore this material. Utilizing our rehearsal space as a laboratory for discussion and dramaturgical investigation while learning how to navigate this play together, we will place our rehearsal room onstage as a way to invite the audience into the discoveries we made along the way.

Every student auditioning is required to read the play prior to auditions and will be asked to discuss the material.

If you’ve indicated that you are comfortable singing, we would love for you to sing a 30-second sample of a song a capella. Some characters in Trouble in Mind sing a few lines of spiritual, gospel, blues, or rock-and-roll style music. If you have a few lines of a song in one of those styles to share, we would love to hear it!

FOR STUDENTS AUDITIONING FOR THREE SISTERS:

This version of Three Sisters happens now. It explores fantasy and the capacity or incapacity to live in the present. All intents to make a romanticized version of the play are replaced with characters living in Russia today. This version aims to understand the wildness of its characters trapped and unable to escape their fantasies. The play has moments of intimacy between characters, and a failed sexual harassment event happens on stage. We will enlist an intimacy coordinator to stage these moments.

Every student auditioning is required to read the play prior to auditions.

As part of the team, we are working with a composer. The student actors will perform all the music and sound effects of the play.