One Act Play: Girls in the Boat

Synopsis:
Girls in the Boat was inspired by the true stories of the U.S. women’s Olympic rowing team. A group of smart, fiery young women fights discrimination and prejudice to compete in the male-dominated sport of rowing, finding an unlikely ally in a taciturn men’s coach. Together, they confront ridicule and overcome obstacles. The women refuse to sit on a bus and wait their turn in a battle for gender equality in a sport that makes national news and takes them to the world championships. Against the rhythm of their oars, these women forge bonds and overcome disagreements in their search for greatness. Despite their diverse backgrounds and politics, they pull together to reach their goals in a fast-paced drama that reminds us of what we can all do if we have a common purpose. As our heroines break barriers of race and gender, their newly minted U.S. women’s rowing team becomes the most-winning sports team in American history.

Auditions:
Auditions for Girls in the Boat will be December 4th and 5th 3:15-6:00 (with the potential of ending earlier). Auditions will be held in the Black Box.

Students will use the following Google form to register for auditions: Audition Form

You may be asked to read multiple sides both at auditions and at callbacks. If you would like to prepare, please take a look at the following sections.

Audition Sides:
Page 14: Girl 5: “My dad is a runner.” – Pg 16 Coxswain “Um…Hello… Why do you think they don’t want to run with you?”
Page 26: Girl 6: “So I get in the boat..” – Page 28 Girl 5: “Not I like the quiet.”
Page 28: Bow: “But the girls…” – Page 30 Girl 5:”…You girls”
Page 42: Journalist: “Can you talk to us…” – Page 43 Coach: “I don’t care if a rower is male or female”
Page 45: Coach: “I didn’t invent anything…” – Page 47 Coach: “You row like an egg beater”

In auditions, we are looking for actors who are specific and bold with their character choices. Your character choices should show what makes the character unique while still being part of the team.

Roles:
Bow: first seat in the boat, smallest and quickest, shy and quiet, also plays a mother
Girl 2: smallest and quickest, likes poetry and literature, also plays a mother.
Girl 3: engine of the boat, artist turned rower, optimist, collaborative, hard working, also plays a mother.
Girl 4: engine of the boat, goes to a prestigious university, fights for equality,
Girl 5: engine of the boat,runner turned rower, all around athlete, fights for women’s sports, also plays a mother.
Girl 6: engine of the boat, energetic tomboy, follows father’s and brother’s legacy, used to be the stroke also plays a mother.
Girl 7: BIPOC, becomes a lawyer and activist, “skilled, smart, follows the rhythm of the stroke”
Stroke: sets the rhythm and rate of the rowing, college athlete, rows all their life, “has perfect form”
Coxswain: steers the boat and coaches the crew, small but mighty, loud and brash, former gymnast
Coach/Dad/Man: older, coach fights for girls and wants them to win, makes hard decisions, teacher
Boy/Journalist/Boy Rower: focused on themselves, younger, plays the villain in many circumstances,
Announcer: calls the race, may be a voice over

Callbacks will be Dec 9th from 3:15 – 6:00pm. The first read thru will be Dec 10th at 3:15pm. Standard rehearsals will begin Dec 11th and the schedule is on the rehearsal calendar.