Auditions + Crew Call! Fefu and Her Friends

Spring 2019 Mainstage Production (THEATRST 350)

Fefu and Her Friends by María Irene Fornés
Directed by Jeff Storer

Auditions will be held Sunday, Oct. 20 and Monday, Oct. 21 from 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. in Studio 124 at the Rubenstein Arts Center. Sign up here.

Callbacks will follow on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Under special circumstances, additional audition times may be available PRIOR to callbacks by contacting director Jeff Storer at bear@duke.edu.

“Heaven is populated with divine lovers. And in hell live the duds.”  ~Emma from María Irene Fornés’ Fefu and Her Friends

Cuban-born Fornes (who trained in Paris as a painter) was present at the birth of New York’s off-Broadway movement and became one of its guiding lights during the latter half of the 20^th Century. Her work is not afraid to be funny and elegant and gritty – often in the same scene! In Fefu and Her Friends, Fornes shifts our understanding of the very place in which the play is produced by challenging the relationship between space, actresses, and audience.

“The play is about women. It’s a play that deals with each one of these (eight) women with enormous tenderness and affection…The play is not fighting anything, not negating anything. My intention has not been to confront anything. I felt as I wrote the play that I was surrounded by friends. I felt very happy to have such good and interesting friends.” ~Maria Irene-Fornes (1977)

Bonnie Marranca in describing the play has this to say: “Fefu has many of the qualities of (Fornes’) other plays – whimsy, lightness of touch, economy of style, bittersweetness, an interest in exploring human relations.”

Be a part of this legendary play in production at Duke in Spring 2020. Directed by Jeff Storer – founder and artistic director of Durham’s Manbites Dog Theater, former Theater Studies chair and director of Duke’s productions of Ragtime, The Laramie Project, and Uncle Vanya – there will be plenty of ways to get involved on- and off-stage. Don’t miss the opportunity to work on this funny, tender, milestone of American theater.

Fefu has roles available for 12 women who range in age, background, and identity. There are three ways to prepare for auditions:

1. Prepare a 1-2 minute contemporary monologue (memorized or read) from a play of your choosing.
2. Prepare a portion of one of the monologues from the play (memorized or read). The script is available in advance at the Department of Theater Studies office in Page 109.
3. Sign up for an audition slot and just show up. The director will have you read from the script.

The production opens April 2. We will be taking spring break off from rehearsals. You may opt to get full course credit (TS350) for being involved in any of the areas of production.