AUDITIONS
Are you a teen ages 13-19 who loves expressing yourself through theatre? Come audition for Astonishing Teens' production of Hadestown! This is your chance to be part of an incredible journey through the underworld as we explore love, fate, and the power of storytelling.
Storyline
This intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Following two intertwining love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone – Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell’s beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love.
Auditions
Auditions and dance call will be held at 5pm on Friday, January 10, 2025 at Pamelot Dance Studio (540 Wall St. Auburn, CA 95603) in Placer County. Auditioners need to come with their prepared 1 minute audition song and then be prepared to stay for the dance call. Auditions and dance call are open, meaning anyone who would like to support the auditioners are welcome.
Hadestown Requirements
Ages 13-19, auditioners must be this age at auditions on 1/10/2025
Audition Deposit: $50 (due by auditions 1/10/2025)
Participation Fee: $200 (total with audition deposit $250)
Callbacks
Invited callbacks will be at Pamelot Dance Studio on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 3:30-8pm. Invited callbacks are closed, meaning only the artistic team and auditioners will be allowed into callback spaces (family is allowed to support in the lobby).
Shows
Dates:
Friday, May 2 2025 at 10:00am & 7:30pm
Saturday, May 3 2025 at 3:00pm & 7:30pm
Location:
St. Joseph’s Cultural Center (410 S Church Street Grass Valley, CA 95945) in Nevada County.
Artistic Team
Director: Austin Nunn
Music Director: John Wippermann
Music Mentor: Katie Toussaint
Choreographers: Amber Mae Nunn & Wesley Schofield
Stage Manager: Kaytlin McIntosh
Assistant Stage Manager: Lana Jackson
Hadestown
Character Breakdown
ORPHEUS
Abandoned by his mother, a muse, Orpheus was taken under the wing of her friend Hermes, herald of the gods. A gifted poet and lyre-player, he works to write a song to make spring come again, ending a harsh winter and famine. He meets Eurydice when she is seeking reprieve from the cold and immediately falls in love. Naïvely optimistic, he promises that his song will allow him to provide a safe, comfortable life for them in marriage.
Though he loves Eurydice, he is so focused on fulfilling this promise that he fails to see her hunger and suffering. Only when told by Hermes does he notice that she has disappeared to the underworld. Determined to rescue her, he takes the treacherous journey to Hadestown in the hopes that his song will inspire its king to grant her freedom. The song is Hades and Persephone’s own love melody, and the lovers are granted a challenge: to walk the long journey out of Hadestown together, with Orpheus leading the way. If they trust each other and make it to the sunlight, she will be released. If he turns back to ensure that Eurydice follows, she must remain below.
But the journey shakes Orpheus’ positive, hopeful nature. Just as the world above comes into view, is overcome with doubt and insecurity. This is where his story ends, to be told again and again.
EURYDICE
Eurydice is a tough, jaded runaway who finds herself vulnerable in the long winter. Though she has never trusted others and prefers to rely only on herself for survival, she feels hopeful when the song Orpheus is writing creates a sign of spring, and she agrees to marry him. Though she finds that she loves him very much, time passes and he still has not completed the song, leaving her to provide for them both. Cold, hungry and desperate, she decides to accept an offer from Hades to join him in the underworld: in exchange for her eternal labor, she will for the first time have consistent food and shelter.
Once in Hadestown, she regrets her choice as her memories of freedom and love begin to fade. As she later follows Orpheus to the world above, she calls to him to trust that she follows.
HADES
The stern boss-king of Hadestown. He and his wife Persephone were once deeply in love; she left her life above to rule the underground with him, but she returns for half of each year to bring spring to the Earth. They were happy for a time, but Hades grew lonely and jealous in her absence. He began to return her to the Earth later, and bring her to the underworld earlier each year, creating prolonged winters and the famine from which Orpheus and Eurydice suffer. As Persephone begins to resent him for holding her hostage, their marriage becomes strained, and he misses the love they once shared even more.
To fill this void and as a gesture of love for Persephone, Hades creates an industrial plant, where the souls in his realm must work eternally. Persephone disapproves, and Hades threatens to replace her with someone who will appreciate Hadestown and his efforts. Eurydice then captures his attention, and he extends an offer to save her from the famine of his creation – in exchange for her servitude.
When Orpheus arrives, Hades is unimpressed by his efforts and sees the rescue attempt as a threat to his power. Upon hearing how moved Persephone is by the young lovers, he decides to appease his wife by hearing Orpheus’ song. The song is devastating, opening his eyes to the cold realities of his life and marriage, and he finds himself conflicted; he doesn’t want to appear heartless, but doesn’t want to lose control of Hadestown. The solution is a challenge he is certain they will fail.
PERSEPHONE
Once happily sharing her time between Earth and Hadestown, has grown tired of Hades’ controlling behavior. To cope with her circumstances, she drowns her sorrows in dandelion wine. While Hades clings to the relationship they once had by tightening his grip, she does her best to escape, contributing to a vicious cycle of unhappiness for them both.
She is awakened from her constant distraction by Orpheus’ song and the love he shares with Eurydice, as it reminds her of the pure love she and Hades once had. She pleads with Hades to give a chance to both the young lovers and themselves.
HERMES
A friend of Orpheus’ mother, Hermes took in the young poet after he was abandoned by his parents. Hermes serves as the show’s narrator, providing context and explaining the action to the audience. The musical is framed as a story Hermes is telling – a “sad song” that is to be sung again and again.
FATES:
Three sisters, vicious and delicious, The Fates function as Hadestown’s Greek chorus, commenting on the musical’s action and giving insight as to the thoughts, insecurities and doubts of the story’s characters. This often takes the form of taunting them with sadistic pleasure. However, their actions are passive – simply an artistic reflection of the characters’ own psyches.
FEATURED DANCERS/WORKERS
Spirits of labor and community, a physical and choral presence. They dance in celebration and they dance in mourning. They act as the elements of our tragic tale.
