Audition Notice – BLT 2 at the University of Alberta
Mermaid by Polly Teale
Directed by Emily Marisabel – MFA Directing Candidate
About the Show:
Synopsis: A bold reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, told from the perspective of Blue, a young girl who uses imagination and playing pretend to cope with the reality of growing up. She leads us through the Little Mermaid’s story: Beneath the ocean’s waves there is no death or pain or separation. Above, the modern world is beset with war, poverty and desire. On her sixteenth birthday, a mermaid rises up to the surface, leaving her childhood behind forever when she falls in love with a mortal prince. She knows that she can no longer live at the bottom of the ocean – but must she destroy herself to be loved?
Style: This is an ensemble show rooted in physicality and movement. Images onstage will be created through the use of performers’ bodies. A large majority of the script is descriptive stage directions, which the ensemble will use as inspiration to develop choreography organically through a collective devising process led by the director. Music and sound is also integral to the production. All actors will be required to sing and create atmospheric sounds.
Compensation: This is a volunteer production – interested CAEA members must have an affiliation/history with the University of Alberta’s Drama Department.
Character Descriptions:
Blue – (Female presenting): The narrator of our story. She grows from the age of 13-20s throughout the show. She is strong-willed, angsty at times, a dreamer and one who fights for what she believes. Amidst all the noise that tells young girls how they should look and who they should be, she is trying to find out who she truly is and where she belongs.
Little Mermaid – (Female presenting): A curious, wide-eyed mermaid who will do anything to experience the world above water. However, as she experiences the truth of living as a woman on land and contorts herself to fit human ideals, she longs to return to her ocean world.
Grandmer/Mother/Queen/Ensemble – (Female presenting): The wise matriarch of the mermaids – caring and protective. The mother of Blue who longs to understand and connect with her teenage daughter. The royal and regal Queen who is concerned with her son the Prince but more concerned with the optics of their family.
Prince/Ensemble – (Male presenting): The melancholy Prince with whom the Little Mermaid falls in love. He is contemplative, philosophical, and consumed by the human plight. He undergoes amnesia from surviving a shipwreck and develops PTSD from fighting in a war.
Mermaid One/Sea Witch/Ensemble – (Female presenting): The third oldest mermaid sister. The third to experience putting her head above water and then regaling her experience to the rest of the Mermaids. Seawitch – half-fish, half-human. An embodiment of extreme beauty standards.
Mermaid Two/Sea Witch/Ensemble- (Female presenting): The second oldest mermaid sister. The second to experience putting her head above water and then regaling her experience to the rest of the Mermaids. Seawitch – half-fish, half-human. An embodiment of extreme beauty standards.
Mermaid Three/Sea Witch/Ensemble – (Female presenting): The oldest mermaid sister. The first to experience putting her head above water and then regaling her experience to the rest of the Mermaids. Seawitch – half-fish, half-human. An embodiment of extreme beauty standards.
Father/King/Ensemble – (Male presenting): Blue’s recently unemployed fisherman father who has grown distant and turned to drinking to cope. The King who follows the Queen’s advice and plans when it comes to his son, the Prince, and their families optics.
Ensemble/Sea Witch – (Male presenting): Seawitch – half-fish, half-human. An embodiment of extreme beauty standards. Will play multiple roles.
Ensemble – (Female presenting): Will play multiple roles.
We are looking for performers with some movement, physical theatre or dance experience who are willing to explore and play in a collective. Being able to sing or experiment with vocalizations is preferred. Please note that the costumes for this production are similar to dance wear. There is no nudity in the production; however, performers should be comfortable performing in swimsuit/bodysuit type outfits. Male performers will be bare chested for some of the production.
Show Dates:
First Rehearsal: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Performance Dates: November 27-29, 2025
*Please indicate if you have any immovable commitments during October & November in your submission.
Rehearsal Schedule:
Rehearsals are Monday to Friday evenings (approx. 6:00-10:00) and Saturdays (approx. 10:00-6:00). No rehearsal November 10th-16th due to reading week.
About the Auditions:
Date, Time & Location:
Tuesday, July 29th, 12:30-4:30 PM | Fine Arts Building – University of Alberta (FAB 2-43)
Wednesday, July 30th, 1:00-5:00 PM | Fine Arts Building – University of Alberta (FAB 2-43)
The Audition will Consist of:
1. Reading sides from the play. (Sides will be provided by email before the audition.)
2. An improvised movement exercise (no preparation needed)
3. One song (32-64 bars /one verse & one chorus). Please sing a ballad or folk song. Here are some style references similar to the music in the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fM8lvKhXcU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMLw9dTAwb8&list=PLC4ZsCxKsx19G9MS0mpkRYmBuRcqs315w&index=5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qehal9xZrA&list=RD0Qehal9xZrA&start_radio=1
Please submit your headshot and resume to:
Emily Marisabel at [email protected] with “Mermaid Audition” in the Subject Line by Wednesday, July 23 2025. Please indicate in the email which character(s) you would like to audition for and if you have an audition date/time preference.
