Auditions - The Soldier's Tale

# Auditions - The Soldier's Tale When: Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM AKDT – 7:00 PM Where: HCOA, 355 West Pioneer Avenue, AK, AK, United States What: L’histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale) Music by Igor Stravinsky Edited by John Carewe Presented under license from G. Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o Chester Music Ltd., copyright owners. The enduring appeal and success of L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale) by Igor Stravinsky is testament to his compositional prowess and to the strong storyline. Written during the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic, Stravinsky designed The Soldier’s Tale to be easily toured and performed by small forces in small venues (large venues, including concert halls were requisitioned as hospitals and for other pandemic needs). The 60-minute work is written for a distinctive assortment of instruments and inspired by popular music of the period, including tango and ragtime. It includes speech, mime and dance. Another aspect of the work’s popularity is the story-line which is based on an old Russian folk tale. A soldier, on leave from the army, trades his old violin for a magic book that can tell the future and make him rich. He soon discovers, however, that he has made a deal with the devil and that money does not bring happiness. Towards the end of World War I, Stravinsky was facing the harsh realities of economic deprivation. Sensing disaster, Stravinsky, ever a pragmatist, formulated with his friends, writer C.F. Ramuz and conductor Ernest Ansermet, a plan to get himself out of his vexing situation. As he explained it: “Ramuz and I got hold of the idea of creating a sort of little traveling theatre, easy to transport from place to place and to show in even small localities.” Thus out of necessity came the chamber-sized neo-classic orchestra. It is impossible to calculate how many performances of The Soldier’s Tale have taken place since its inception, such is its place in the canon of classical music and the universal appeal of this ground-breaking theatre-piece. Its enduring popularity means The Soldier’s Tale has been performed and recorded many times, with the likes of Jean Cocteau, Peter Ustinov, John Gielgud, Ian McKellen, Sting, Jeremy Irons and Gérard Depardieu in speaking roles. PRODUCTION TEAM Musical Director, Bill White • Stage Director, Jennifer Norton • Choreographer, Nikki Ervice Producer, Scott Bartlett Performances: January 29 in Homer, 30 in Kenai (Orchestra is cast and in rehearsal.) ROLES  Narrator • Soldier • Devil Princess (to be played by Nikki Ervice) The role of the Princess has the bulk of set choreography, but the remaining roles have some dance as well–be prepared to move or to wear movement-friendly clothes to the audition. The Soldier (Joseph): A weary, naive, and humble infantryman tramping home on leave from the war. He carries his few possessions in a knapsack and plays a cheap, simple violin. The Devil: A cunning, malevolent shapeshifter who relentlessly pursues the Soldier's soul. Throughout the play, he adopts numerous disguises to exploit Joseph's desires—appearing first as a harmless old man with a butterfly net, later as a wealthy cattle merchant, an old woman selling wares, and a virtuoso violinist. In the final scenes, his true form is revealed: a terrifying fiend with hooves, paws, and a tail. The Narrator: An omniscient, spoken-word storyteller who guides the audience through the parable. While primarily sitting outside the immediate timeline of the plot, the Narrator is a highly dynamic voice who steps seamlessly into the action. (Some of the narrator's text is rhythmically tied to the musical score, this actor must be fluent in musical notation. (The narrator can be on-script for most of the production, particularly these musical sections.) The Princess: A non-speaking, purely physical role portrayed by a dancer. She is the daughter of a king, struck down by a mysterious, deep lethargy. (This role is already cast.) Audition FormAudition Excerpts: Text for Devil and Soldier – End of Scene 2 Rhythmic text for Narrator #1 – Soldier’s March Soldier’s March (backing audio) Text for Narrator #2 – Grand Choral Rhythmic excerpt for Devil – Couplets du Diable (no backing track available) (Additional text may be used during the audition.) Auditions for the three available parts will be held at Homer Council on the Arts, Sunday September 13, 2026 from 5pm to 7pm. Audition forms will be available, but please submit early to aid in planning.