The Baxter Theatre Centre is calling for applications from young actors to audition for the Brett Goldin Bursary for 2007. The closing date for applications is 5pm on Wednesday, 21 February, and auditions will be held on Friday, 23 February.
The successful actor will work with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company and will travel to the UK during the week of 11 June, returning to South Africa in the week of 9 July.
Funded by the RSC Artist Development Programme, the actor will receive transport to and from the UK, accommodation in Stratford and per diems of 22.50 pounds per day. The bursary also includes a return train fare to London, tickets for two London performances at Shakespeare’s Globe and the National Theatre, tickets for all the Stratford productions (King Lear, The Seagull, Richard II, Henry IV Parts I and 2, Macbeth and Macbett) as well as free access to other RSC events. The Stratford accommodation will be a room in a private home within walking distance of the theatres.
The work programme comprises attending all warm-ups, four hours of solo voice and verse classes each week, attending any Artist Development workshops held during the visit, attending technical rehearsals and other rehearsals at the directors’ discretion, two sessions with a director or assistant director and the opportunity to attend Learning Department workshops.
The visiting actor will be based in the Artist Development Department, introduced to the company and taken to places of interest including the various RSC workshops, Shakespeare Birthplace and, if appropriate, the University of Warwick. It is hoped that much of the educational experience will come from observation, discussion with personnel working in production, press and casting departments and through contact with other actors.
The Baxter Theatre Centre will interview and audition young actors in Cape Town and create a shortlist of three actors. The selection panel comprises Sean Mathias, Royston Stoffels and Geoffrey Hyland. A similar audition process will take place in Johannesburg with Dorothy ann Gould at The Actors’ Centre.
The selection criteria stipulate that the actors should be under the age of 30 and have an interest in classic theatre. The winner must be able to fly to Stratford during the stated period – dates strictly not negotiable.
The final six actors (three from Cape Town and three from Johannesburg) will be invited to a second round of auditions in Cape Town for the final selection. A representative from the RSC will be on the final selection panel.
For the audition actors are required to perform two classic speeches and talk about their reasons for wanting to be awarded the bursary.
All enquiries should be directed to Roz van der Vyver on 021 680 3988. Applications should be clearly marked and addressed to her and should be faxed to 021 689 1880, e-mailed to roz.vandervyver@uct.ac.za or delivered to the Baxter Theatre Centre, Main Road, Rondebosch by 5pm on Wednesday, 21 February.
