Audition

Nude horizons

by Chris Wright

Though hugely successful in London and New York, British playwright Mark Ravenhill's bleak comedy Shopping and Fucking did not fare well in its Boston premiere. In fact, that production, by le black Kat theater, went belly-up after its first weekend. "It closed abruptly," says TheatreZone artistic director Danielle Fateux Jaques. "There was some ill feeling among the folks involved."

Now TheatreZone is planning a Shopping and Fucking production of its own, slated to open March 17 at the Actor's Workshop. "There's been a lot of curiosity about the piece," says Fateux Jaques. "People want a chance to check it out for themselves."

If all goes well, a handful of locals will get a chance to check it out under unusually intimate circumstances. Next week, TheatreZone will hold auditions for four males and one female, aged 20 to 50, to play the five principal characters.

Though the positions are open to non-Equity actors, experience is a must. For one thing, hopefuls will have to shed more than their American accents to land one of the plum roles. As one critic noted in these pages in November, the play -- which is about five down-and-out, amoral Londoners -- contains "generous portions of nudity and simulated sex."

"There's a lot of demand put on the actors," says Fateux Jaques. "Because the sexuality is so up-front and the violence is so strong, we need people who are not only good actors but who have emotional maturity, who can get into the roles and pull back from them."

Then she adds with a nervous laugh, "We need people who can understand the characters, relate to them, but not be them."

Auditions will be held at the Actor's Workshop, 40 Boylston Street, Boston, on January 22, 23, and 24. Call (617) 887-2336 for details.