This far out take on the classic comedy is set in late 1960s San Francisco, where the Forest of Arden is refuge to counter-cultural peace-niks. After Orlando falls in love with Rosalind, her autocratic uncle banishes her to the forest, where she disguises herself as a boy. Orlando, fleeing an attempt on his life by his power-hungry brother, finds her in Arden but is fooled by her disguise. Meanwhile, others in the forest find themselves embroiled in unrequited love—including a love triangle between Rosalind-as-Ganymede, the shepherd Silvius, and Phoebe. Accompanied by a live rock band, the characters move between Shakespeare's heightened language and groovy 60s music as they imagine a less corrupt, less patriarchal, more peaceful world.
Directed by Courtney Elkin Mohler
Associate Director: Max Rodriguez '26
Stage Managed by Tatum Evans '25
Audition for the theatre department's first production of the 2025-2026 season, Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, directed by Patricia Riggin! Please prepare one contemporary monologue and one from the show, which is available through the BC Libraries' subscription to Drama Online.
Synopsis:
Top Girls begins in a posh restaurant where Marlene celebrates her promotion to managing director of the Top Girls Employment Agency by throwing a dinner party for an eclectic array of mythical and literary women. The guests include a Victorian-era Scottish traveler, a Japanese courtesan turned Buddhist nun, Pope Joan, Chaucer’s Patient Griselda and Dull Gret, the subject of a painting by Brueghel. Crossing cultures, generations and politics, the women’s conversation reveals the choices, sacrifices and joys they have in common. (Excerpted from the Guthrie Theatre’s Study Guide of Top Girls)
The rest of the play follows Marlene in her day-to-day experiences as a woman working in Britain during the 1980s. She goes to the office, gossips with her coworkers, interviews clients, and deals with a surprise visit from her niece Angie. In the final scene, Marlene visits her sister, Joyce, and niece, Angie; it is her first time home in six years. Marlene and Joyce’s conflicts arise almost immediately as they argue about family facts, political beliefs, and an investigation into what truly makes a “top girl.”
To sign up, please fill out this form and pick a slot on this Google sheet. Read the entire audition announcement, including roles in the show, at this link.
The Luke Effect in Higher Education: Is Higher Education prepared to face tougher times?
Speaker: Pedro Teixeira, University of Porto (Portugal)