Tanghalang Ateneo
presents  Nick Joaquin’s
May Day Eve  “Mirror, mirror, show to me him whose woman I will be.”  On an eve of May, light a candle and go up to a mirror so you might see whom you will marry, goes the superstition. And on that same night, look into the tale of Nick Joaquin as Tanghalang Ateneo brings May Day Eve to life this May 7-17. Deviating from the usual chronological storytelling, the play becomes all the more poignant as it tells the story from drastically-changed points of view, alternating between the characters Agueda and Badoy’s first encounter and their respective lives many years later.Throughout their story an antique mirror and the superstition revolving around the eve of May endure, drawing the attention of both their daughter and their grandson. But has the mirror’s promise of love prevailed as well – or did Agueda see another face in the mirror?

Adapted for the stage by Alberto S. Florentino and translated by Jerry Respeto, this will be the first bilingual run for May Day Eve and Tanghalang Ateneo, with the production being staged in English in its first week, and in Filipino in its second. Professional stage actors work in tandem with student actors in bringing May Day Eve to life. Bodjie Pascua plays the older Badoy, while Gelo Brillantes acts out the part of the young Badoy. Nady Xavier plays the older Agueda while Ysabel Yuzon handles the role of the young Agueda. Naty Crame Rogers does a cameo appearance as Anastacia, the nanny who informs Agueda about the mirror, while student actors Jaru Hermano, Tito Cosejo, Samboy Lim, Krix Untalan, and Riegele Arceo, take their parts as friends of the young Badoy and Agueda.

Performances will run for two weeks in May. The shows on May 7-10 will be in English while the shows the following week, May 14-17 will be in Filipino using the translation of Jerry Respeto. Ricardo Abad directs, Gino Gonzales does production design, and Voltaire de Jesus handles the lights design. For ticket information, contact Janelle Mupas at 09156410911.

The Director is looking for actors who

• are clear and crisp in Tagalog,
• are able to focus inadvertently while in character and in scene,
• are truthful and convincing in their portrayal,
• display correct and profound understanding of the text - as manifested by their subtexts, emotions, expressions and delivery details like pauses, stresses, variations in pitch, tone, pace and loudness - during delivery,
• have flexibility and ample range of vocal and physical equipment in characterization and in delivery, and
• fit the physical type of characters the play needs.

WHEN: April 23 & 24, 2008, 3-7pm
WHERE: Function Room 2, Basement 1
My Place, Katipunan
22 Fabian dela Rosa St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City
(across Ateneo de Manila University, behind KFC)

Scheduled Rehearsals:
First Reading: April 25
First Day of Rehearsals: April 28
continues on to 3rd Week of July

First Show: July 24

Audition Guidelines:

The Director assumes that you had at least 30 minutes to prepare for this auditions since you were asked to allot an hour for your whole audition process: 20 minutes for initial preparations (i.e. read peripheral instructions; fill up the audition form, if not yet completed; choose your audition pieces), 30 minutes to prepare (understand – memorize – rehearse) for your auditions, and 10 minutes for the audition proper.

For those who will come to auditions without prepared stanzas yet, the Audition Manager will have copies of selected Florante at Laura stanzas from which you can choose and borrow. In choosing, consider the three (3) types of delivery you are required to display (kindly refer to the Director’s Instructions attached for more details*).

Only upon the request of the applicant would he be allowed to proceed with the audition proper right after filling up the audition form (without or with less than the 30-minute preparation time). The Director will presume though that you have already chosen your stanzas and prepared enough for them before coming to the auditions, since Balagtas’ Florante at Laura is very accessible in bookstores, in homes and on-line (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/8075/florante.txt).

No aspirant will be obligated to proceed with the audition proper without the whole 30-minute preparation, unless requested by the aspirant himself. Thus, since the auditions will last only until 8:00pm, no aspirant (who would demand for the 30-minute preparation) will be entertained after 7:00pm.

Kindly print the audition form (provided as an attachment*) and accomplish it before coming to the auditions. Please prepare 2 2×2 photos as well.

Please prepare for the first reading on April 25, should you be selected for the role.

*For the attachments, contact Leana Go (0917.990.9019/email: leanago@teatrofilipino.org) or Krix Untalan (0915.905.7992/email: krix_untalan@yahoo.com).