The Glendale Community College theater arts department held auditions Sept. 2 and 3 for two upcoming productions in the auditorium, Christopher Durang’s “Durang Menagerie” and Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
“Durang Menagerie” will be directed by Larry Biederman, who also directed “All My Sons” and “A Streetcar Named Desire” will be directed by Janette Farr who also directed “Boy Gets Girl.”
There were many hopeful Stellas and Stanleys in the auditorium hall. For Savana Aghamal, 23, a theater major who auditioned for Stella in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” this was her first audition at GCC. She said, “The first time I got on top of the stage my heart was pounding so hard, I thought it was going to come out.”
One of the hopeful actors was Joyleen Spinner, child development major, who explained that Blanche would be a dream role. Spinner, a former CSUN theater major said, ” I’m going into it to do a good job and meet new people.”
This was a first time audition for Ryan Rogers,17, a freshman, who also auditioned for “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Rogers said, “Bigger parts are fun and a smaller part is fun too. Smaller roles I get to focus and define the character more.”
A week after the audition process, the directors have made their selections for the casts in the plays. The cast for “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starting with the lead role of Blanche, will be played by Libby Letlow who has been Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth” and Queen Elizabeth in Richard III. The part of Stanley will be played by DJ Kemp, who last was in “Boy Gets Girl” as Mercer. And the part of Stella will be played by Mary Claire Garcia.
In “Durang Menagerie,” there is a double casting of characters for most actors in the four acts. In Act 1, Mrs. Sorken, who introduces the play, will be played by Amy Ackerman. In Act 2, Lawrence will be played by Aren Soulahian and Amanda will be played by Amy Ackerman.
Act 3 is a parody of “A Street Car Named Desire” called “Desire, Desire, Desire,” and Amanda Sheehan will play Blanche. In Act 4, Stephen Davalos will be played by George Spelvin and Ryan Rogers who had been in four years of high school theater, will play Henry Irving.
There are still more roles for “Durang Menagerie” that will be cast during the week of Sep.14. The leading roles have been cast, but unfortunately a leading actor was not available for a reaction.
Staff stage manager, Dina Dominguez, explained that the stage set is still in a concept stage. Dominguez said, ” For both plays there have been preliminary stages as to what the actual plays are going to look like. There have been a couple of ideas.”
The stage set for “A Streetcar Named Desire” is said to be a house building during the 1940s in New Orleans. It is a story about Blanche, a young woman who leaves her plantation and arrives in an urban New Orleans looking for her sister and
a new beginning.
Dominguez said, ” For both plays there have been preliminary stages as to what the actual plays are going to look like. There have been a couple of ideas.”
“Durang Menagerie” will run Oct. 8 through 18 and “A Streetcar Named Desire” will run November 5 through 15 on the main stage.
