Our first update yet!
Every week we read a play of Shakespeare's. This week's play is Romeo and Juliet. We have video calls via Google meet every Sunday at 1:30 to discuss this play, book club style. We also perform monologues and dialogues from the plays at these calls if people have prepared them to present. Everyone who wants can and should join in on the conversation!
Very soon, we are going to begin production of our first-ever play, The Merchant of Venice! If you would like to audition, at the next several meetings of The Dead Theologians Society, the Basilica of St. John youth group (which take place on Thursdays at 5:30 at 1915 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50314) we will be hosting auditions before and during the youth group meetings. If you are unable to come, don't worry! Contact Abe Manley (abraham.manley@gmail.com) or Madeline Marr (madelinesophiamarr@gmail.com) and we can set up a video call or find an in-person time for you to audition. For auditions, we ask that you read through the whole play, choose a monologue from the play (a complete list can be found by clicking the button below)
to present to us, and also pick a character you are auditioning for. The monologue should be from the chosen character.
If you would like to come on as an extra, smaller role, stage crew member, or prop department member, that's great! We need all the help we can get! Just let us know, and we can help you from there!
We also ask, if you join our production, you contribute a minimum of $8 per actor or $5 per extra/stage crew to the budget of our play. We have a page on our website where you can donate, or you can get the cash to us in person. This money will be used solely for expenses involved in the play, such as costumes, props, and renting a venue. We thank you for your contribution!
At the moment, our plan for rehearsals is to meet on Tuesdays from 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM at the house of Aaron Beacom (a member of the group), starting on Tuesday the 23rd of May. Our goal is to rehearse weekly throughout the summer, and perform at the end of summer. We will put Aaron's address up here once rehearsals begin. (Rehearsal dates are liable to change if we find a day and time that is more convenient. Check back here for updates.)
As of the current moment, we do not have a venue to perform at selected, nor a date for our final performance.
We'll keep you all posted. Click the button below for a free pdf of The Merchant of Venice script, courtesy of the online library of Shakespeare pdfs presented by The Folger Institute:
We hope to see you joining soon!
-Abe