Performance Information

Written by Federico García Lorca

Directed by Anthony Haskell

Performance Dates:

Wednesday October 31st 2018

Thursday November 1st 2018

Saturday November 3rd 2018

Location:

Richard Flynn Theatre, Saint Ignatius' College, 2 Manresa Court Athelstone SA 5074

SYNOPSIS

The play is a poetic, lyrical tragedy about doomed love, fate, and revenge, set against the Spanish landscape of Andalusia. The story concerns a Bride and Bridegroom preparing for their wedding day, but lurking in the background is another man, Leonardo, who once courted the Bride and belongs to the family that killed the Bridegroom’s father and brother long ago. We soon discover that the Bride and Leonardo are still in love and long for each other, but the wedding day fast approaches. Leonardo, who is in a loveless marriage, steals away with the Bride, who goes willingly with him on what was to be her wedding night. The entire village pursues the lovers through the woods as a shadowy collection of abstract characters comment on the chase like a Greek chorus. The play ends in death, who actually appears on the stage in the form of a Beggar Woman, and the survivors are left to mourn the loss.

At the heart of the play is a sense that it is better to die than to live an empty life where love is absent or where one is not allowed to feel passion. Characters feel the strong pull of duty to family ties, but they also burn for love. “Leonardo” means: leo-lion, ardo-longing or burning. From the beginning of the play, a veil of inevitability seems to hang over the action, but it moves foreword inexorably to its fateful end as we see the Bridegroom heading toward the same violent death suffered by his father and brother.

The play at times resembles realism, but then sharply turns into a theatricalized piece that combines elements of Expressionism, Symbolism, and Surrealism. The action will be staged in a dance-like fashion with musical accompaniment (from a guitar, violin, and viola) that creates a moody atmosphere of the flamenco tradition.

Audition Information

Audition Characters:

Bridegroom - Act 1, scene 1 pp. 8 - 13

                      - Act 2, scene 2 pp. 58 - 64

Mother of Bridegroom - Position Cast

Neighbour of Mother  - Act 1, scene 1 pp. 13 - 16

Mother-in-law of Leonardo - Act 1, scene 1 pp. 18 - 19

                                                - pp. 21 - 25

Wife of Leonardo - Act 1, scene 2 pp. 17 - 22

                               - pp. 23 - 25

Leonardo - Act 1, scene 2 pp. 20 - 23

                  - Act 2, scene 1 pp. 38 - 42

                  - Act 3, scene 1 pp. 73 - 77

Maid to the Bride - Act 1, scene 3 pp. 32 - 34

                               - Act 2, scene 1 pp. 35 - 49

Father of the Bride - Act 1, scene 3 pp. 27 - 34

                                  - Act 2, scene 2 pp. 51 - 55

Bride - Act 2, scene 1 pp. 35 - 42

          - Act 2, scene 2 pp. 53 - 55

          - Act 3, scene 1 pp. 74 - 77

         - Act 3, scene 2 p. 84

Woodcutters 1 & 2 & 3 - Act 3, scene 1 pp. 65 - 68

Moon - Act 3, scene 1 pp. 68 - 70

Death as a Beggar Woman - Act 3, scene 1 pp. 68 - 70

Please click here to download the Script: Audition Material

If you are unable to attend any of the times above please e-mail courttheatrecompany@gmail.com to arrange a different audition time.