PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theater Company, with funding from the Victoria S. and Bradley L. Geist Foundation, and in collaboration with The Foster Care Training Committee, is pleased to announce that we are holding auditions for a community-collaborative play for Hawaii’s foster care community, titled, “Fostering Ohana.” We are currently looking for young former foster youths, ages 18 to 26 to join us. No experience necessary! Auditions will be held on Sundays, January 10, 17, and 24 at 7 pm, at the ARTS at Marks Garage (Chinatown).

Those cast will work with the PlayBuilders Ensemble under the leadership of Po’okela award winning director, Terri Madden. (Terri holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree in theatre from the University of Hawaii and is also founder and executive director of PlayBuilders.) Together, we will learn the art of acting while devising and developing an original play titled “Fostering Ohana.” When the play is completed in October, we will perform a rehearsed reading for members of the Foster Care Community. Then, in 2017, the completed play will be formally rehearsed, and will tour to several Oahu and outer island churches in order to raise awareness of the plight of children in need and to inspire more of Hawaii’s citizens to volunteer to become foster parents.

Cost: The workshops are free. The only requirement for both former foster youth and members of the PlayBuilders’ Ensemble is that they commit to being present for all workshops, personally interview at least one member of the foster care community, and become part of the cast of “Fostering Ohana” in 2017.

Benefit: Participants will gain experience and knowledge in the art of acting. All participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the year and will be qualified to receive an invitation to become official members of our PlayBuilders Ensemble. Actors who finish the training series in 2016 will also be asked to join the cast of “Fostering Ohana” in 2017. They will then receive stipends to cover costs, and travel on tour throughout Oahu and to several outer islands in order to help Hawaii’s citizens to become more aware of the plight of Hawaii’s children in need, as well as to recruit more foster parents.

Contact: For more information on PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theater Company, please go to www.playbuilders .org. For more information regarding this opportunity, please contact Terri Madden at terri.madden@playbuilders.org or call her at 808-218-0103.

When: Auditions will be held on Sundays; January 10, 17, and 24 at 7 pm, at the ARTS at Marks Garage (Chinatown).
What: Participants will begin a one year actor training course on Sundays from 7 to 9:30 pm at the ARTS at Marks Garage as soon as they are cast. Note: There will be scheduled time off for school holidays and summer break.
Focus: The focus will be threefold. The cast will be taught Michael Chekhovʻs technique of acting, using his book, “To The Actor” as our study guide. In addition, dancer/choreographer, Betsy McGarvey will teach dance and movement, inspired by Chekhovʻs idea of psychological gestures. The third aspect of this process will be play devising using stories collected from the foster care community.

Note: Michael Chekhov was considered Stanislavski’s finest student and he took what he learned to develop an entirely new philosophy of acting using imagination and his famous concept of physical gestures rather than personal memories to build character. He went on to train some of Hollywood’s greatest actors including Anthony Quinn, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

PlayBuilders of Hawai’i Theater Company is a 501 (c) 3 corporation. Our mission is, “To gather and share real stories that resonate with, empower and connect individuals throughout the culturally rich and diverse communities of Hawai’i.”

Call to Former Foster Youth to Audition