Taping Instructions

Submit the following: 

1. Slate with all details (included below)  

2. Audition with 2 songs or 1 song and 1 text-based piece (totaling 3 min) **be familiar with Pippin and choose show & character appropriate material**    

3. Talk about or show your comfort with movement, dance, aerial (and specify which apparatus)—if you are so inclined to show us that you move/dance/are embodied, do so in this section. You may add an additional video/link to reel if needed. 

Slating Instructions

Start with one quick full body shot (no more than 2 seconds) and then zoom into a head and shoulders shot.  

State:  

1. Name
2. Height
3. Any identities you want to share, including pronouns or other important points **specify the roles you are comfortable playing if they differ from your personal gender or other identities**  
4. Home Base (city, state) plus local housing confirmation for St. Louis summer 2023.  
5. Availability for callback via Skype/Zoom on Wednesday, September 21 
6. Availability for part-time summer season employment, June 5–July 23rd  

Technical Instructions

Keep in mind that the production value of self-tapes is important. We need to be able to see and hear you clearly. Pay attention to lighting and sound quality.  

Shoot audition against a solid-colored backdrop or wall  

Files should be titled:  

• Example 1: FirstName_LastName_Slate  
• Example 2: FirstName_LastName_Movement  
• Example 3: FirstName_LastName_Audition  

Include all info in ONE shared google folder labeled: “Firstname_Lastname_COCAPippin”   

Make this folder accessible to anyone with the link.

Email headshot, resume, and folder link to Cameron Tyler, Artistic Producer, at ctyler@cocastl.org.

About Pippin

With an infectiously unforgettable score from Stephen Schwartz, Pippin is the story of one young man’s journey to be extraordinary. Winner of four 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, this updated circus-inspired version of Pippin captivates and appeals to the young at heart throughout the world. Heir to the Frankish throne, the young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. He seeks it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh, and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great). In the end, though, Pippin finds that happiness lies not in extraordinary endeavors, but rather in the unextraordinary moments that happen every day.  

Director: Shanara Gabrielle

Choreographer: Christopher Page-Sanders

Show Information

JUL 20 | 7:00PM 

JUL 21 | 7:00PM 

JUL 22 | 1:00PM & 7:00PM 

JUL 23 | 1:00PM & 7:00PM 

Production Information

This production is a part of COCA’s Professional Theatre Workshop Model. Adult and Apprentice age (early-career, college-age) performers will be part of mentoring students through an educational process that models professional theatre standards. We are enthusiastically interested in actors who are also teaching artists. Rehearsals begin June 5, 2023, with a staggered start for apprentices and adult professionals, depending on the role. Rehearsals are held primarily MON–FRI from 4:30–9:30PM with some Saturdays and Sundays, especially during tech.  

Pay

Actors will be hourly employees of COCA and will be paid for all hours worked onsite. Hourly rates will depend on casting and years of experience. Apprenticeships include one-on-one sessions with industry guests specific to apprenticeship learning goals. Apprentices can also apply to be daytime teaching assistants with COCA summer camps.  

Apprentice Rate: $13–$14 per hour 

Adult Professionals: $15–$17 per hour   

Character Breakdown 

All Characters are attending a traveling circus performance. As the show continues, characters get pulled in to play parts. All can be any ethnicity. Some members may be asked to perform moments of choreographed intimacy. The breakdown below specifies the genders of the characters as indicated by the script. Please specify what roles you are comfortable playing if they differ from your personal gender or other identities. 

LEADING PLAYER: (Any Gender) Very Strong Vocalist, Strong Dancer, Strong Comedic & Narrating Skills. Must command the stage, entertain the audience, and have an air of magic and mystery.     

PIPPIN: (MALE; plays mid-20s) Very Strong Tenor & Actor. Charlemagne’s eldest son, searching for greatness.    

CHARLEMAGNE: (MALE; plays 40–50 yrs) Lyric Baritone, Strong Actor. The king & Pippin’s father. A Warrior.    

LEWIS: (MALE; plays 18–25 yrs) Character Actor, Sings with Ensemble. Pippin’s younger brother. A “star” soldier; a proud, strong egotist; not too bright.    

FASTRADA: (FEMALE, plays 40–50 yrs) Soprano, Character Actor. Pippin’s beautiful mother and Charlemagne’s conniving and manipulative wife. The Queen.    

BERTHE: (FEMALE, plays 70–80 yrs) Alto, Character Actor. Pippin’s energetic, comedic, & still beautiful grandmother. Charlemagne’s mother.    

CATHERINE: (FEMALE; plays mid-20s) Mezzo, Strong Actor. Pippin’s quirky, attractive leading lady and mother to young Theo.     

THEO: (MALE; plays 9–16 yrs) Young Actor. Catherine’s young son, stepson to Pippin.  

PLAYERS: (18+) Strong Singers, Strong Dancers. Some ensemble members will also play acrobats & acting roles with speaking lines, including soldiers, monks, newscasters, peasants, nobles, and others. Ensemble members may be asked to perform moments of choreographed intimacy.  

CHILDREN OF TROUPE PLAYERS: (13+) Strong Singers, Strong Dancers/Tumblers. Some ensemble members will also play acrobats & acting roles with speaking lines, including soldiers, monks, newscasters, peasants, nobles, and others. Get pulled into the world as the show continues. 

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Questions

Questions about registering to audition? Contact COCA’s Registration Office at 314.561.4898 or registration@cocastl.org. 

Questions about the productions or the audition? Contact Cameron Tyler, Artistic Producer, at ctyler@cocastl.org.