Amadeus

Amadeus  by Peter Shaffer Directed by Vanessa Jensen

Old Mill Theatre’s third season for 2011

Auditions:  February 12^th, with the possibility of call backs on Sunday 13^th.

Rehearsals to begin about one month later, mid March.

Opening night June 3^rd 2011

Season:  June 3^rd, 4^th, 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th (matinee), 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, 18^th
Amadeus by Peter Shaffer combines fiction and history to explore the lives and rivalry of  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri.
Amadeus was inspired by Mozart and Salieri, a short play by Aleksandr Pushkin which was later adapted into an opera of the same name by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.  Amadeus opened in 1979 to critical acclaim and audience appreciation. It won the Evening Standard Award for Best Play of 1979. Shaffer extensively revised the play before it opened on Broadway in alte 1980. It won many Tony’s including Best New Play and Best Play. Shaffer then adapted Amadeus for a film released in 1984 which won many Academy Awards.

The story is fiction, Shaffer took the known rivalry of the two composers and built upon and twisted it and created a dramatic storyline that is superb. Not all music historians like Shaffer’s treatment of Mozart, nor of Salieri, but dramatically it is a brilliant piece of writing.

Amadeus focuses on Salieri, through whose eyes the audience sees the story. Salieri changes between old man speaking to the audience as his confessors and younger man, court composer for the Emperor of Austria. There are many ensemble roles and silent roles in Amadeus. Scene changes are completed by servants in front of the audience.

It is an intelligent, powerful play about characters everyone has at least heard of, if not know through their music.

CAST:

Antonio Salieri*
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart*
Constanze Weber                                           Wife of Mozart
Joseph II                                                              Emperor of Austria
Count  Johann Killian Von Strack              Groom of the Imperial Chamber
Count Franz Orsini-Rosenberg                   Director of the Imperial Opera
Baron Gottifried Van Swieten                   Prefect of the Imperial Library
Two “Venticelli”                                              “Little Winds”; purveyors of information, gossip and rumour
Major-Domo
Salieri’s Valet                                                    (silent part)
Salieri’s Cook                                                    (Silent part)
Teresa Salieri                                                    Wife of Salieri (silent part)
Katherina Cavalieri                                         Salieri’s pupil (silent part)
Kapellmeister Bonno                                     (silent part)

Citizens of ViennaThe Citizens of Vienna also play the Servants who set and strike furniture and props whilst the action is occurring. Teresa Salieri and Katherina Cavalieri are also played by members of the Citizens ensemble.

*Ideally the actors play Salieri and Mozart will be able to play piano as I wish to have a harpsichord on stage and would like the playing scenes to be performed live. However, this may be an idealistic dream and I accept that. I would rather have excellent non piano playing actors, than limit myself by setting piano playing ability as a requirement.

To register interest  forthe audition or to book a time please email Vanessa at vandlars@bigpond.net.au

Scripts are available through local libraries and the State Library.  You will be required to read from the script at auditions. Extracts will be made available electronically closer to the time.