Wheaton Drama (WDI) proudly announces auditions for the Pulitzer Prize winning drama, “Wit”, by Margaret Edson. Directed by Lisa Dawn and produced by Mike Boyna.
Auditions will be held Sunday, November 11th and Monday, November 12th starting at 7pm, with callbacks as needed on Tuesday, November 13th. Auditions will be held offsite at 112 N Wolf Rd, Northlake IL. To request an audition, please fill out the audition form and email it to [email protected], along with your preferred audition date. The date and scheduled time for your audition will be emailed back to you, along with sides for you to prepare and directions to the audition site. Walk-ins are welcome but will only be seen as time allows.
Performances of “Wit” will take place January 18 through February 10, 2019; Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm.
Audition Form available for download here: Wit Audition Form
Synopsis:
Vivian Bearing, Ph.D., a renowned scholar and professor of English who has spent her life studying and teaching the metaphysical sonnets of John Donne, has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. During the course of her illness – and during her stint as a patient in an experimental chemotherapy program – Vivian comes to reassess her life and her work with a profundity and humor that are transformative both for her and the audience.
“[A] brutally human and beautifully layered play…you feel both enlightened and, in a strange way, enormously comforted.” – The New York Times
Characters:
NOTE: All characters in “Wit” are open to all ethnicities. Age preferences are listed*
Vivian Bearing, Ph.D. (Age 50’s) – The play’s main character and narrator. As a professor, she is infamously tough, and as a scholar she is unrelenting in her pursuit of knowledge. But as her disease and its painful treatment progress, she begins to question the single-minded values and standards that have always directed her, finally coming to understand the aspects of life that make it truly worth living. You’ll also find that she contains elements of…humor.
Harvey Kelekian, M.D. (Age 50’s) – Chief of Medical Oncology and not only responsible for Vivian’s treatment but all of the medical fellowships, including that of Jason Posner. Vivian and Kelekian are like-minded peers who speak different languages.
Jason Posner, M.D. (Late 20’s) – A medical fellow in Dr. Kelekian’s Oncology unit responsible for much of Vivian’s care. Coincidentally, he was once a student of Vivian’s. Much like Vivian, his passion for research far outweighs his interest in personal connections.
Susie Monahan, R.N. (late 20’s-30’s) – Vivian’s primary care nurse. Though not considered “book smart” by scholarly standards, she shows Vivian that there is more to life than what can be taught in a classroom.
E.M. Ashford, Ph.D. (Age 50-80’s) – Professor Ashford is Vivian’s college professor/mentor. Though Ashford passed on to Vivian her unrelenting work ethic and thirst for knowledge, she also urged Vivian to find balance in life through personal connection – which she gives to Vivian in her time of need. Ashford is first seen at age 50 in a flashback, and then again at age 80.
Mr. Bearing (Played by the same actor as Kelekian) – Vivian’s father seen in a flashback from Vivian’s early childhood during the moment she acquired her passion for words.
Lab Techs, Clinical Fellows, Vivian’s students, Code Team (Age 20-30’s, preferably 2M, 2F) – Each of four actors will play four distinct characters, one from each of the above groups. These are roles that drive the action and represent aspects of Vivian’s journey, past and present, continually. Seeking actors well versed in characterization and improv.
“Wit” is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Services, Inc., New York, NY.
